Dictionary of Film Terms

The Aesthetic Companion to Film Art

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by Frank Beaver

Type: Dictionaries
Subject: Technique > All techniques
Keywords: technique, analysis, dictionary
Publishing date: 2015
Publisher: Peter Lang; 5th edition
Language: English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Paperback • 343 pages
5 x 8 inches (12.5 x 20.5 cm)

ISBN

978-1-4331-2727-4

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Book Presentation:
Now in its fifth edition, Frank Beaver’s Dictionary of Film Terms has become an indispensable reference tool for the study of films and filmmaking. This trusted and practical handbook clearly and concisely defines the essential terms of film analysis and film art, with a special focus on the aesthetic parameters and values of filmmaking.
The updated and expanded edition includes new definitions ranging from «bullet-time» optical effects, to the coming-of-age narrative, and LED lighting technology in science fiction films such as Gravity. More than 200 film title references not cited in previous editions have been added. Many classic and contemporary photo stills are included to illustrate terms. Extensive cross-referencing among individual definitions ensures easy access to interrelated terms, and a comprehensive topical index relates to larger concepts of film art.
This up-to-date and comprehensive resource is a useful companion for film students and filmgoers, who will find it illuminating in its range and clarity.

About the Author:
Frank Eugene Beaver is Arthur F. Thurnau Professor Emeritus of Screen Arts and Cultures at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. For more than fifty years he has been a film teacher, film historian and film critic, and currently writes the monthly column «Talking About Movies» for MICHIGAN-TODAY, a world-wide on-line magazine.

Press Reviews:
«The beauty of Frank Beaver's Dictionary of Film Terms is not simply the precision and depth of the individual entries, nor the range of film beyond the Hollywood narrative that is covers, but the citation of a broad range of concrete examples for many of the entries. Beaver's command of motion picture history shines through. He assembles excellent examples – both historical and contemporary – that help the reader call to mind the specific film technique, technical process, narrative device, genre, etc. Beaver's Dictionary is anything but dry Ὰ it's more like reading an enlightening catalog of all the things we love about motion pictures.» (Michael Frierson, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro)
«I was so fortunate to get Frank Beaver's Dictionary of Film Terms in my first ever film class. This updated edition promises to deliver on multiple cylinders for the new generation of filmmakers. It expands to cover new trends in the film industry, technological developments, as well as exhibition platforms. It is concise while also managing to be thorough and cover a plethora of subjects. Not only does it provide a platform for understanding individual film topics, it also helps one understand how different elements of cinema are connected. Talking the talk is an essential part of navigating the film industry, from production to development, and this handbook will equip you with the tools to get where you need to go.» (Sultan Sharrief, Award-Winning Filmmaker/Media Educator)
«As cinema’s Samuel Johnson, Frank Beaver has thoroughly catalogued the essential terms used in the world of film production and scholarship. He has, for decades, been a trusted guide and companion, helping us to fluently negotiate the many tongues of the motion picture medium. The practitioner, the scholar, the student and the film buff, will all find this text an essential reference.» (Mick Hurbis-Cherrier, Hunter College – CUNY)

See the publisher website: Peter Lang

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