Emb140 Introduction To Media Aesthetics -- Midterm Flashcards

Front 1

_____ is not an abstract concept but a process in which we examine a number of media elements, such as lighting and picture composition, how they interact, and our perceptual reactions to them.

Back 1

applied media aesthetics

Front 2

the idea that we perceive our world not in terms of absolutes but rather as changing contextual relationships; when we look at an event, we are constantly engaged in judging one aspect of it against another aspect or another event.

Back 2

contextual perception

Front 3

using this principle we order our surroundings into foreground figures that lie in front of, or move against, a more stable background.

Back 3

figure/ground principle

Front 4

the idea that we tend to notice especially those events that we want to see or are used to seeing; we generally select information that agrees with how we want to see the world, and we screen out almost everything that might interfere with our constructs.

Back 4

selective seeing

Front 5

_____ is much more automatic and we have no control over it in many cases; basically, it shields you from seeing too many varieties of shades and colors so that you can keep your environment relatively stable

Back 5

selective perception

Front 6

using _____, you consciously establish and apply a code that dictates, to at least some extent, how you should feel about and interpret what you see. It is definitely culture-bound.

Back 6

associative context

Front 7

with _____, our perceptual processes are so immediate and forceful that we respond to certain stimuli in predictable ways even when we know that we are being perceptually manipulated. It is independent of a cultural frame of reference.

Back 7

aesthetic context

Front 8

the basic purpose of applied media aesthetics is to _____, _____, and _____ events for a larger audience.

Back 8

clarify, intensify, and interpret

Front 9

_____ is a form of radiant energy consisting of energy particles that behave as electromagnetic waves; in short, it is a thing

Back 9

light

Front 10

the deliberate manipulation of light and shadow for a specific communication purpose (mood, to highlight certain things, etc.)

Back 10

lighting

Front 11

When do we see light?

Back 11

(1.) at its source and (2.) when it reflects off of an object.

Front 12

When we split up white light (using a prism, for example), what is the result?

Back 12

we see hues

Front 13

Lighting reveals three things. What are these?

Back 13

appearance, location, and texture

Front 14

What are the two types of shadows?

Back 14

attached shadows and cast shadows

Front 15

a shadow that is fixed to an object and reveals the basic form of an object; we expect them to appear below protrusions and above indentations

Back 15

attached shadow

Front 16

a shadow that falls on something and shows a distorted shape of an object; helps us locate an object relative to its surroundings and may be connected or disconnected from the object that cast it.

Back 16

cast shadow

Front 17

These can help tell time, add drama to a scene, or break up monotonous surfaces.

Back 17

Benefits of cast shadows

Front 18

Falloff can occur in two ways. What are they?

Back 18

Contrast and rate of change.

Front 19

the brightness contrast between the light and shadow sides of an object

Back 19

falloff (contrast)

Front 20

the rate of change from light to shadow (i.e. "how quickly do we change from light to dark?")

Back 20

falloff (rate of change)

Front 21

_____ means "fast falloff" and is the result of an ______ change from light to dark

Back 21

high contrast; abrupt

Front 22

the brightness contrast between the light and shadow sides of an object

Back 22

falloff (contrast)

Front 23

the rate of change from light to shadow (i.e. "how quickly do we change from light to dark?")

Back 23

falloff (rate of change)

Front 24

_____ means "fast falloff" and is the result of an ______ change from light to dark

Back 24

fast falloff; abrupt

Front 25

_____ means "slow falloff" and is the result of a _____ change from light to dark

Back 25

low contrast; gradual

Front 26

How do we control falloff?

Back 26

With fill lights

Front 27

what are the three lights involved in three-point lighting and what does each do?

Back 27

key light -- the principle source of illumination; backlight -- separates the figure from from the background and provides "sparkle,"; fill light -- controls falloff by killing shadows on the side of the face

Front 28

What does chiaroscuro lighting emphasize?

Back 28

Light and dark/shadow contrasts

Front 29

What are the functions/characteristics of chiaroscuro?

Back 29

organic, directional, spatial/compositional, thematic, emotional