JMM 102 Final Exam Questions and Answers Latest Update 2025-2026
Eadweard Muybridge - Answers United States motion-picture pioneer remembered for his
pictures of running horses taken with a series of still cameras (1830-1904)
1908 - Answers Edison company encourages creation of motion picture patents company
(MPPC)
1915 - 1 - Answers US Supreme Court rules MPPC violates anti-trust laws and must cease
activity
1915 - 2 - Answers Supreme Court rules that movies are "entertainment" so they are not
protected under the 1st amendment free speech guarantees
1952 - Answers Supreme Court ruling that movies are not protected under the 1st amendment
is overturned --> marks decline of american film censorship
Star System - Answers an operation designed to find and cultivate actors under long-term
contracts, with the intention of developing those actors into famous "stars" who would enhance
the profitability of the studio's films
A Films - Answers expensively made productions featuring glamorous, highly paid stars
B Films - Answers lower-budget films that are made quickly
Theatrical Films - Answers films created to be shown first in traditional movie theaters
Box Office Receipts - Answers the sum of money taken in for admission at movie theaters
around the country
"Rentals" - Answers the term used to refer to the "net" share of B the distributors collect
Blockbusters - Answers films that bring in more than $200 million at the U.S. box office (high
budget --> hopefully high revenue)
The Majors - Answers the five most powerful companies in Hollywood because of their
distribution power
1. Disney/20th Century Fox (Owned by Disney Co.)
2. Universal Studios (NBCUniversal/Comcast)
3. Universal Studios (ViacomCBS)
4. Warner Brothers Studios (AT&T and now Warner Brothers Discovery)
5. Columbia Pictures (Sony)
, Film Production Firms - Answers companies involved in coming up with story ideas, finding
scriptwriters, hiring the personnel needed to make the movie, and making sure the work is
carried out on time and on budget
Film Distribution Firms - Answers companies responsible for finding theaters or other outlets in
which to show the movies around the world and for promoting the films to the public
Independent Producers - Answers production firms that are not owned by a distributor
Scriptwriters - Answers individuals who create plays for the movies, with scenes and dialogue -
screenplay and script are sometimes used interchangeably
Talent Agents - Answers individuals who represent various creative personnel (e.g., actors,
directors, authors, and screenwriters) and aim to link them with production firms in exchange
for a percentage of the creators' revenues from the finished product
Pitch - Answers the initial presentation of a movie idea to a producer
Treatment - Answers detailed outline of an initial pitch to executives of a production or
distribution firm; if the executives approve of the treatment, they will probably order a script to
be written
On Spec - Answers writing a script for a film without a contract to do so, with the hope that
when the script is passed along to various production firms by the scriptwriter's agent, it will be
bid for and purchased
Green Light - Answers a term used to describe production and distribution executives' approval
of the making of a particular film
Guilds - Answers unions established by writers, directors, actors, and other crew members to
protect their mutual interests and maintain standards (WGA, DGA, SAG-AFTRA)
Genre Films - Answers movies that fit classic storytelling formulas (science fiction, horror,
action) and are typically relatively inexpensive to make
Distribution Rights - Answers the rights to circulate a particular movie in different parts of the
world
Line producer - Answers the individual who makes sure the equipment and personnel are there
when they are needed
Completion Bond Companies - Answers insurance companies that, for a large fee, pay any costs
that exceed an agreed-upon amount for a film
Release Date - Answers date on which the film will open in theaters
Day-and-date release - Answers a simultaneous release date for a movie in different countries -
Eadweard Muybridge - Answers United States motion-picture pioneer remembered for his
pictures of running horses taken with a series of still cameras (1830-1904)
1908 - Answers Edison company encourages creation of motion picture patents company
(MPPC)
1915 - 1 - Answers US Supreme Court rules MPPC violates anti-trust laws and must cease
activity
1915 - 2 - Answers Supreme Court rules that movies are "entertainment" so they are not
protected under the 1st amendment free speech guarantees
1952 - Answers Supreme Court ruling that movies are not protected under the 1st amendment
is overturned --> marks decline of american film censorship
Star System - Answers an operation designed to find and cultivate actors under long-term
contracts, with the intention of developing those actors into famous "stars" who would enhance
the profitability of the studio's films
A Films - Answers expensively made productions featuring glamorous, highly paid stars
B Films - Answers lower-budget films that are made quickly
Theatrical Films - Answers films created to be shown first in traditional movie theaters
Box Office Receipts - Answers the sum of money taken in for admission at movie theaters
around the country
"Rentals" - Answers the term used to refer to the "net" share of B the distributors collect
Blockbusters - Answers films that bring in more than $200 million at the U.S. box office (high
budget --> hopefully high revenue)
The Majors - Answers the five most powerful companies in Hollywood because of their
distribution power
1. Disney/20th Century Fox (Owned by Disney Co.)
2. Universal Studios (NBCUniversal/Comcast)
3. Universal Studios (ViacomCBS)
4. Warner Brothers Studios (AT&T and now Warner Brothers Discovery)
5. Columbia Pictures (Sony)
, Film Production Firms - Answers companies involved in coming up with story ideas, finding
scriptwriters, hiring the personnel needed to make the movie, and making sure the work is
carried out on time and on budget
Film Distribution Firms - Answers companies responsible for finding theaters or other outlets in
which to show the movies around the world and for promoting the films to the public
Independent Producers - Answers production firms that are not owned by a distributor
Scriptwriters - Answers individuals who create plays for the movies, with scenes and dialogue -
screenplay and script are sometimes used interchangeably
Talent Agents - Answers individuals who represent various creative personnel (e.g., actors,
directors, authors, and screenwriters) and aim to link them with production firms in exchange
for a percentage of the creators' revenues from the finished product
Pitch - Answers the initial presentation of a movie idea to a producer
Treatment - Answers detailed outline of an initial pitch to executives of a production or
distribution firm; if the executives approve of the treatment, they will probably order a script to
be written
On Spec - Answers writing a script for a film without a contract to do so, with the hope that
when the script is passed along to various production firms by the scriptwriter's agent, it will be
bid for and purchased
Green Light - Answers a term used to describe production and distribution executives' approval
of the making of a particular film
Guilds - Answers unions established by writers, directors, actors, and other crew members to
protect their mutual interests and maintain standards (WGA, DGA, SAG-AFTRA)
Genre Films - Answers movies that fit classic storytelling formulas (science fiction, horror,
action) and are typically relatively inexpensive to make
Distribution Rights - Answers the rights to circulate a particular movie in different parts of the
world
Line producer - Answers the individual who makes sure the equipment and personnel are there
when they are needed
Completion Bond Companies - Answers insurance companies that, for a large fee, pay any costs
that exceed an agreed-upon amount for a film
Release Date - Answers date on which the film will open in theaters
Day-and-date release - Answers a simultaneous release date for a movie in different countries -
