Question 1

What is a 'MacGuffin' in screenwriting?

Accepted Answer

An object that drives the plot but doesn't matter for its own sake. A MacGuffin is a plot device — a briefcase, a stolen document, an artifact — that motivates the characters but whose actual nature doesn't matter to the story.

Question 2

What does 'meet-cute' refer to?

Accepted Answer

The scene where two main characters first meet in a rom-com. A meet-cute is the charming, often awkward first-encounter scene between romantic leads in a rom-com.

Question 3

What is 'Chekhov's gun'?

Accepted Answer

The narrative principle that every element introduced should eventually be used. Chekhov's gun is a storytelling rule: if a gun is shown on the wall in Act 1, it should go off by Act 3. Nothing decorative should be introduced.

Question 4

What does 'diegetic sound' mean?

Accepted Answer

Sound whose source exists within the world of the film. Diegetic sound is sound the characters can hear — a car radio, a character singing. Non-diegetic sound is the film's score, which only the audience hears.

Question 5

What is a 'third act' in a three-act structure?

Accepted Answer

The final section of the story, containing climax and resolution. The third act is where the story pays off — climax, confrontation, and resolution. Roughly the final quarter of most films.

Question 6

What is a 'cold open'?

Accepted Answer

A scene that begins the film before the title card or credits. A cold open drops the audience straight into a scene before any titles or credits — common in TV pilots and thrillers.

Question 7

What does 'on the nose' mean in screenwriting critique?

Accepted Answer

Dialogue that states its theme or intent too directly. 'On the nose' dialogue is when a character explicitly says what the scene is about — usually considered a screenwriting weakness.

Question 8

What is a 'montage'?

Accepted Answer

A sequence of short shots edited to condense time or convey a lot quickly. A montage compresses time or shows quick progression — training sequences, romance-building, city introductions.

Question 9

What does 'blocking' refer to on a film set?

Accepted Answer

The planned positioning and movement of actors within a scene. Blocking is the choreography of where actors stand, when they move, and how they interact spatially in a scene.

Question 10

What is a 'voiceover'?

Accepted Answer

Narration spoken over on-screen action, often by a character or narrator. A voiceover is off-screen narration heard by the audience but not usually by the on-screen characters — used to convey inner thoughts or storytelling perspective.

How Well Do You Know Basic Film Craft Vocabulary?