Film words for Alias — genres, crew, shooting

Everything around cinema, from the poster to the credits. For a night with film fans.

A set built around cinema: the crafts of a film set, the genres, the technical vocabulary and what the audience meets in the cinema itself. No film titles — they age quickly and split a group into those who saw it and those who did not.

Who this set is for

It assumes the room cares about film at least a little. Everyone knows a stuntman or a sequel, but "props" and "running time" already ask for some viewing history. Perfect for the evening after you all watched something together.

Who this set is for

A group that watches films and likes talking about them. Anyone will clear the first level, but props, runtime and framing already ask for some viewing experience — so this set belongs where at least one person has been near a shoot, or watches enough television to have opinions. It lands perfectly right after everyone has watched something together.

Credits

Works: “the thing that rolls while everyone is already getting out of their seats.” A recognisable scene in the cinema beats a description. Does not work: “a list of everyone who worked on the film” — formally right, but the room starts with crew and production team and arrives in the last second.

Stuntman

Works through the body: “he falls off the roof instead of the actor.” Does not work: “a performer of stunts” — stunt sits too close to the word itself, and without it the definition falls apart. Jobs in this set are almost always explained by what the person physically does on set.

Props

Works: “the cup the hero drinks from, even though there is nothing in it.” One concrete object instead of a category. Does not work: “objects used in filming” — far too broad, and the room will name the camera, the costume and the scenery before the word you want.

Where groups go wrong

Technical words invite explanation from the production side — “that is done in editing” — while the room watches films from the other side of the screen. Come at it through what a viewer notices in the finished film. The second trap is film titles: the set deliberately has none, but players start using them anyway, and the round turns into a quiz on who has seen what. The third is describing jobs as job descriptions: “he is responsible for lighting” sounds like a vacancy, while “he moves the lamps so the face is not in shadow” lands immediately.

Lean on recognisable moments: "the thing that rolls while everyone is already leaving" is the credits.
Explain crew jobs through what they physically do on set, not by the job title.
For technical words, come at it from the audience side: how does a viewer notice this in the finished film?

Easy

Familiar words that land on the first clue. For warming up, for kids and for mixed groups.

cinema, film, screen, hall, ticket, popcorn, actor, actress, star, director, cameraman, camera, scene, frame, filming, costume, makeup, scenery, role, hero, villain, plot, story, ending, beginning, credits, trailer, poster, billboard, premiere, series, episode, season, cartoon, comedy, drama, horror, fantasy, adventure, detective, western, romance, action, thriller, fairytale, music, song, dance, laughter, tears, kiss, chase, fight, explosion, gunshot, car, castle, ship, ghost, monster, robot, alien, superhero, mask, cloak, sword, wizard, dragon, princess, king, robber, policeman, soldier, doctor, teacher, child, dog, cat, friendship, love, betrayal, revenge, rescue, escape, journey, island, forest, city, desert, space, planet, night, morning, rain, snow, fire, applause, seat, curtain, usher

Medium

Takes a few sentences and some imagination. The default setting for an ordinary evening.

stuntman, understudy, extra, casting, audition, script, screenwriter, producer, editing, editor, sounddesigner, gaffer, props, propmaster, studio, set, tripod, crane, dolly, clapperboard, take, closeup, panorama, zoom, angle, framing, runtime, soundtrack, voiceover, dubbing, subtitles, translation, censorship, rating, distribution, boxoffice, gross, budget, fee, contract, agent, critic, review, award, nomination, ceremony, festival, competition, jury, prize, statuette, carpet, flash, autograph, admirer, fan, cult, classic, remake, sequel, prequel, spinoff, franchise, adaptation, screening, prototype, character, antihero, typecast, monologue, dialogue, line, improvisation, rehearsal, blocking, flashback, climax, resolution, setup, intrigue, suspense, atmosphere, pace, rhythm, composition, lighting, contrast, shadow, silhouette, effects, graphics, animation, puppet, model, wig, prosthetic, jumpsuit, matinee, dubber, matting

Hard

Rare or abstract words. More failed rounds, and more laughing at them.

auteur, sellout, controlroom, arthouse, multicamera, blockbuster, verticality, footage, hyperbole, depth, greenroom, decorative, detailing, distributor, documentary, dramaturgy, exposition, expression, epigraph, epilogue, aesthetic, zooming, interior, intonation, storyboard, cinematography, filmstudies, filmstock, exhibition, reel, colourgrading, compositional, consultant, continuity, backlight, counterpoint, ensemble, crosscutting, leitmotif, location, modelmaking, crowdscene, metaphoric, staging, minimalism, montage, multiexposure, standin, exteriors, nonlinear, obscenity, panning, parallel, pastiche, cutaway, assembly, personification, postproduction, subtext, pilot, afterword, splitscreen, preliminary, stager, grading, muting, production, prologue, psychologism, matching, remastering, restoration, retrospective, rhythmisation, storyboarding, desync, score, symbolism, synchronisation, splice, static, stylisation, scenography, timecode, artistry, toning, transcription, zoomlens, fabula, texture, filmography, focusing, newsreel, chronology, timelapse, quotation, foley, allusion, visualisation, hyperrealism