The Entertainment Industry: English Vocabulary List

(particularly of a novel, motion picture, etc.) commercially successful in terms of sales and reception

"The film was blockbusting."

"The movie was blockbusting and broke all previous box office records in its opening weekend."

an ending to an episode of a series that keeps the audience in suspense

"It ended in a cliffhanger."

"The episode finished with an exciting cliffhanger."

a detailed and tightly framed photograph or film shot of a subject at close range

"The closeup showed tears."

"The director used an extreme closeup of the actor's eyes to convey deep emotional pain and regret."

a speech that a character in a dramatic play gives in the form of a monologue as a series of inner reflections spoken out loud

"The actor delivered an emotional soliloquy perfectly"

"The actor delivered a powerful soliloquy that revealed his character's deepest inner conflicts and desires."

the interval between two acts of a theatrical performance

"The entr'acte gave the audience a short break."

"The entr'acte gave the audience a chance to stretch their legs and buy refreshments between acts."

a short pause between parts of a play, movie, etc.

"Long intermission break."

"The theater play had a long intermission that allowed audience to buy drinks and snacks yesterday."

the last section of a literary or dramatic piece where the plot is concluded and all the matters of the work is explained

"The denouement resolved all the storylines."

"The denouement of the novel revealed how the detective solved the mystery and caught the real killer."

an outdoor area in a movie studio, where large exterior sets are constructed and some scenes are shot

"The movie was filmed on a backlot."

"The movie studio's backlot features fake city streets and building facades used for filming outdoor scenes."

a low-budget motion picture that is considered to be of low quality

"Watch old B-movie."

"We watched an old B-movie together and laughed a lot at its funny mistakes last night."

a cylindrical metal container that is used for storing a roll of film

"Film canister stored safely."

"The diver carried a heavy metal canister filled with oxygen for the deep underwater exploration."

a device used in moviemaking that consists of a hinged board, the parts of which are hit together as the shooting of a scene begins to make sure the sound and the picture are synchronized

"Use clapperboard mark."

"The director used the clapperboard to mark the beginning of each new scene during filming yesterday."

a low platform on wheels that is used for carrying a TV or movie camera

"Film crew uses camera dolly."

"The film crew uses a camera dolly to move the camera smoothly while filming important scenes in the studio."

a series of still images on a film, through which light is shone in order to be projected on a screen

"Teacher showed old filmstrip."

"The teacher showed an old filmstrip about history to the students in the classroom yesterday morning."

the art and methods of film-making, especially the photographic aspect and camerawork

"The cinematography of the film is beautiful"

"The film's stunning cinematography captured the vast desert landscapes with breathtaking visual artistry and skillful camerawork."

a technique or process of selecting, editing, and pasting separate footage in order to create a motion picture

"The film used a montage."

"The director used a quick montage of historical images to convey the passage of time effectively."

a comic play, movie, book, etc. that portrays the behaviors of a particular social class, satirizing them

"Classic comedy of manners criticizes."

"The classic comedy of manners criticizes social habits and upper class behavior in a humorous way."

a play or movie that uses exaggerated humor, absurd situations, and improbable events to entertain

"Political farce continued."

"The entire election process turned into a complete political farce according to many observers."

a comedy with deliberate clumsiness and humorously embarrassing events

"Funny slapstick comedy made laugh."

"The funny slapstick comedy made everyone laugh loudly with physical humor and silly situations on stage."

a type of comic theatrical production combining pantomime, dance, singing, etc. popular in the 1800s and early 1900s

"Vaudeville was a type of theater with songs"

"Before movies became popular, vaudeville shows featuring comedians and singers entertained audiences across America."

a type of movie involving crime including shadowy footage and dark background music that depicted cynical characters caught in dangerous situations

"Film noir uses dark lighting and shadows."

"Film noir movies from the 1940s often feature dark streets and morally conflicted detectives trying to solve crimes."

a musical or dramatic performance that takes place in daytime, especially in the afternoon

"Afternoon matinee performance attended."

"We attended the afternoon matinee performance of the popular musical last Saturday with our friends."

a play that is written in order to be staged only by two actors

"We watched a two-hander play."

"The two-hander was so powerful that the audience gave both actors a standing ovation after the final scene."

a story, play, movie, etc. about a mystery or murder that the audience cannot solve until the end

"The whodunit kept me guessing until the end."

"The mystery novel is a classic whodunit where the reader must guess which character committed the crime before the detective reveals the truth."

a woman who is making a public appearance for the first time, especially in movies or sports

"The debutante arrived at the ball."

"The young debutante was presented to society at the elegant ball last weekend with her family."

an actor who practices the lines of another actor in order to replace them if necessary

"Talented understudy was ready."

"The talented understudy was ready to replace the main actor if he became ill during the show."

a scene in a story line that interrupts the chronological order and takes the narrative back in time

"Sudden flashback scene showed."

"The movie used a sudden flashback scene to show the character's past experiences and memories clearly."

an imaginary barrier that separates the mise en scene and the fictional characters from the audience, especially in a theatrical performance

"The actor broke the fourth wall and spoke to the audience."

"By breaking the fourth wall, the comedian made the audience feel like they were part of the show."

the use of computer software to create special visual effects in a movie, commercial, etc.

"Computer-generated imagery created dinosaurs."

"Computer-generated imagery was used to create realistic dinosaurs in the popular movie last year."

an enthusiastic expression of approval by the audience, typically through clapping

"Standing ovation given audience."

"The audience gave a long standing ovation to the performers after the excellent show ended successfully."

a line that is recited in a speech or performance without prior preparation

"The actor forgot his line and had to ad lib."

"The actor forgot his scripted line and had to ad lib a funny response that made the audience laugh."

a minor role that is played by a well-known actor

"The famous actor had a cameo role."

"A cameo is a brief appearance or a small but memorable role in a film"

a room in a theater, a studio, etc. in which performers can relax while not performing

"The actors waited nervously in the green room before the show started."

"The nervous actors waited backstage in the green room before going on stage for the live performance."

a drama, show, etc. that achieves success

"Play had dramatic coup de theatre."

"The play had a dramatic coup de theatre in the final act that surprised the entire audience completely."

the organization of a movie or TV show in a way that the actions and details are consistent in a series of following scenes

"Story continuity is important."

"Story continuity is very important in movies to keep the narrative logical and engaging for all viewers."

a set of related movies, novels, or other creative works that portray the same character or characters across multiple installments, often in different settings or situations, forming a unified narrative or brand

"It is a popular franchise."

"The beloved book franchise has been adapted into a series of successful films and video games."