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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who said, "Write the story, take out all the good lines, and see if it still works"?
(a) Hemingway.
(b) Fitzgerald.
(c) Chekhov.
(d) Stanislavski.

2. According to Mamet in Chapter 3, if you want to build a roof, it might be a good idea to understand about the effects of what?
(a) Support beams.
(b) Precipitation.
(c) Weather.
(d) Sunlight.

3. In the scenario in Chapter 2, how early did the protagonist arrive to the class?
(a) 10 minutes.
(b) 30 minutes.
(c) 20 minutes.
(d) 45 minutes.

4. Who said that the point is what happens to he hero, not what happens to the writer?
(a) Hemingway.
(b) Sophocles.
(c) Aristotle.
(d) Plato.

5. In what area did Mamet have greater experience in when writing the book?
(a) Stage directing.
(b) Film criticism.
(c) Screenwriting.
(d) Acting.

Short Answer Questions

1. The purpose of technique is to free the what?

2. According to Mamet in Chapter 3, "To get into the scene late and to get out early is to demonstrate _____ for your audience."

3. Chapter 1 deals with what element of the process of directing?

4. The first beat in the hypothetical scene of Chapter 2 was to what?

5. What term means a filmmaker, usually a director, who exercises creative control over his or her works and has a strong personal style?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Mamet say in terms of withholding information from the audience, in Chapter 2?

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

3. Describe how film is like a design.

4. How did Mamet explain the principle concern in choosing shots in Chapter 2?

5. What is the backdrop of On Directing Film? From what setting did the author base the text?

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

7. What did Mamet think of the steadicam?

8. How did Mamet illustrate juxtaposition of shots in documentary film in Chapter 1?

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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