Movies

French movie terms
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Au cinéma

Lights! Camera! Action (verbs)! Learn French vocabulary related to movies, cinemas, and the Cannes film festival.

movie theater   un cinĂ©ma
movie, film   un film
action movie   un film d’action
adventure movie   un film d’aventures
animated movie   un film d’animation
biopic   un film biographique
comedy   une comĂ©die, un film comique
cop movie   un film policier
documentary   un documentaire
drama   un drame
horror movie   un film d’Ă©pouvante, d’horreur
martial arts movie   un film d’art martiaux
musical   une comĂ©die musicale
period drama   un film d’Ă©poque
romantic movie   un film romantique
sci-fi movie   un film de science-fiction
silent movie   un film muet
war movie   un film de guerre
western   un western
Cast Acteurs
actor   un acteur, un interprète
actress   une actrice, une interprète
cast list   la distribution
extra   un figurant, une figurante
female lead, leading actress   le premier rĂ´le fĂ©minin
male lead, leading actor   le premier rĂ´le
star   une vedette
supporting actor   un second rĂ´le
supporting actress   un second rĂ´le fĂ©minin
walk-on part/role   une silhouette
     
Crew Équipe
camera operator   un camĂ©raman, un cadreur
une cadreuse
cinematographer   un directeur de la photo(graphie)
une directrice …
designer   un dĂ©corateur
une décoratrice
director   un rĂ©alisateur
une réalisatrice
director of photography   un directeur de la photo(graphie)
une directrice …
editor   un monteur
une monteuse
executive producer   un producteur exĂ©cutif
une productrice exécutive
film-maker   un cinĂ©aste
une cinéaste
hair stylist   un coiffeur
une coiffeuse
line producer, assistant director   un rĂ©gisseur
une régisseuse
make-up artist   un maquilleur
une maquilleuse
producer   un producteur
une productrice
screenwriter   un scĂ©nariste
une scénariste
sound-effects engineer   un bruiteur
une bruiteuse
sound engineer, sound recorder   un preneur de son
une preneuse de son
     
Scenes and Shots Scènes et Plans
close up   un plan rapprochĂ© / serrĂ©
continuity   le raccord
dissolve, fade   un fondu
frame   un cadre
freeze frame   un arrĂŞt sur image
in shot   dans le champ
off-camera   hors champ
on location   en extĂ©rieur
on set   en dĂ©cor, studio
panning   un panoramique
set   un tournage
     
Verbs Verbes
to add sound effects   bruiter
to cut   couper
to direct   diriger
to edit   monter
to film, shoot (a movie, scene)   tourner (un film, une scène)
to frame a shot   cadrer
to perform, act   interprĂ©ter
to produce   produire
to project, show   projeter
to see   voir
to watch   regarder
     
Miscellaneous  
bad movie   un navet (literally, "a turnip")
blockbuster   un film Ă  grand succès
cinema (as a concept)   le septième art
coming soon   prochainement
crane   une grue
credits, theme music   le gĂ©nĂ©rique
dubbed
dubbed into French
  doublĂ©
VF (version française)
editing   le montage
feature film   un long mĂ©trage
filmmaking   la rĂ©alisation
lighting   l’Ă©clairage (m)
Lights, camera, action!   ~ Silence, moteur, action !
red carpet   la montĂ©e des marches
screenplay   un scĂ©nario
short film   un court mĂ©trage
show(ing)   une sĂ©ance
showing, playing, on screen   Ă  l’affiche
soundtrack   la bande sonore
sound effects   le bruitage
special effects   le truquage
story board   un dĂ©coupage
subtitled
subtitled into French
 
  sous-titrĂ©
VO (version originale)
 
le Festival de Cannes   Cannes Film Festival
la Croisette   "little cross," promenade which is the center of activity during the festival
une sĂ©lection officielle   official festival selection
Un certain regard   "a certain consideration," category for particularly innovative films
la Palme d’Or   "golden palm," highest award given at Cannes

 Movie Vocab Quiz

Think you’ve got it? Test yourself French vocabulary for the movies with this fill-in-the-blanks exercise:

 French listening practice

Learn French at the Movies

Cinephile: French Language and Culture Through Film

Subtitled A Linguistic Approach to Studying Film for the 2nd-Year Language Student, this college-level textbook integrates movies into learning French in a way that film lovers will … love. It begins with a through review of 1st-year French and uses movies to teach vocabulary, idioms, and everyday expressions while at the same time sharing insights about French life and culture. Much more interesting than those run-of-the-mill textbooks with stilted dialogs and implausible situations, Cinephile brings French lessons and real-world scenarios to technicolor life!

 Related lessons

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French movie terms

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