View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Mamet wrote, "Most _____ directors approach it by saying, 'let's follow the actors around,' as if the film were a record of what the protagonist did."

2. What is the term Mamet used for the protagonist's ultimate goal in the scene in Chapter 2?

3. What was the third beat about in the hypothetical film in Chapter 2?

4. In the scene generated for the class in Chapter 2, what did the protagonist want?

5. What is the rule which Mamet says means "Keep it simple, stupid"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Mamet write in Chapter 3 regarding film with political agendas?

2. What did Mamet think of the steadicam?

3. How did Mamet describe Eisenstein's theory of montage?

4. What does Mamet say regarding the juxtaposition of uninflected images in Chapter 3?

5. Describe the objective and beats in the hypothetical film in Chapter 2.

6. What did Mamet write of producers in Chapter 2?

7. What is a "MacGuffin", and who coined this phrase?

8. What did Mamet indicate is the point of view of the performance artist, in Chapter 3?

9. What are the different approaches Mamet discussed as methods of storytelling in film, in Chapter 1?

10. What did Mamet write about drama school and film school in Chapter 1?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why did Mamet believe that the steadicam was a contributor to the downfall of American cinema? What approach is common with the use of the steadicam?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Mamet's approach to the director's interaction with the actors and the camera operators on the set. What did he suggest in these interactions, and why?

Essay Topic 3

Using the hypothetical film which the students and Mamet created in Chapter 3, describe how the beats were broken down by the class.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 803 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample