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UNIT 1. CINEMA

Vocabulary study

Exercise 1. Films / movies are generally meant to entertain and, in some cases, enlighten the audiences in the cinemas and the viewers of TV films at home. Some present serious information, others deal with topical and controversial issues and frequently influence public opinion.

Look at the list of types of films. Characterize each of the genres listed.

• an action film (gangster film)

• an adventure film

• an animated cartoon

• a blockbuster

• a blue film

• a comedy (witty comedy, situation comedy, romantic comedy)

• a disaster film

• a documentary

• a drama

• an epic (a historical film)

• a fantasy

• a horror film

• a love story

• a musical

• a mute (silent) film

• a science fiction film (sci-fi)

• a suspense

• a talking film

• a thriller

• a travelogue

• a war film

• a western

Exercise 2. On the right are some of the ways we classify films. On the left are some film titles. Match each title with the most appropriate kind of film from the column on the right.

1. Last Days of the Black Rock Gang a cartoon

2. John loves Mary loves Tom loves Judy a western

3. Life Begins at Midnight in Amsterdam a science fiction film

4. The Lion King a disaster movie

5. Avalanche an adventure film

6. Wildlife and the West a documentary

7. Jurassic Park a war film

8. Unforgiven a musical

9. JFK a horror film

10. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade a blue movie

11. Platoon a thriller

12. Crybaby a historical film

13. Zombie a romantic comedy

2.1. Suggest one film for each genre listed in Exercise 2.

2.2. Match the genres with the pictures.

Exercise 3. Read the text. Write out all the words and word combinations dealing with cinematography.

The film/movie industry has become a multi-billion-dollar business worldwide. Whereas the early films at the beginning of the 20^th century were silent movies shot in black and white, films today are mainly with sound and in colour. The production of feature films, whether shot in a studio (on a sound stage) or on location, often costs millions of dollars or pounds.

A film producer and director need a talented cast to make a quality film. Professional actors/actresses are normally preferred to amateurs. Minor parts e.g. in crowd scenes are played by extras hired on a temporary basis. Outstanding films, screenplays/scenarios often receive awards at film festivals (e.g. an Oscar). Such films are usually box-office hits, while others turn out to be flops.

There are big-budget films produced by large movie-companies (like MGM or Columbia Pictures) and low-budget, often independent films.

In large countries where English is not spoken a dubbed version or one with subtitles is shown.

3.1. Give an example of a silent film.

3.2. Do you know any silent film directors, actors, actresses?

3.3. Are films shot in black and white nowadays? Can you think of any reason for it?

3.4. What is the advantage of shooting a film on location? On a sound stage?

3.5. What does the word "cast" stand for?

3.6. What is the opposite to a "professional actor"?

3.7. What is the most notable award at film festivals? Do you know the origin of the name?

3.8. Do you think "a flop" is always a bad film?

3.9. Are big-budget films always box-office hits? Give an example.

3.10. Do you prefer dubbed or subtitled versions of foreign films? Perhaps there is an alternative?

3.11. Name some of the most famous Hollywood companies. Do you know their logos?

Exercise 4. Read and translate the text about film festivals.

There are so many interesting and entertaining films, that sometimes it is a problem to choose what to see. In this problem we are helped by film festivals. They acquaint us with the most attractive film, because films are assessed by jury of international celebrities.

Nowadays there are a lot of film festivals: the Cannes festival, the Berlin festival, the Venice festival etc. Festivals provide opportunities for actors especially for starlates, reveal both masterpieces and duds, put an emphasis on independent and innovative film making and guarantee distribution for non-mainstream and non-Hollywood films. Festivals are annual events. All of them have their own awards and places where they are held.

The Cannes festival is a French film festival which was founded in 1938. This festival soon became one of the top festivals. Its award is Olive Branch (a symbol of peace). The Berlin festival is a German film festival. It is one of the three major festivals in Europe. Its prize is Golden Bear. The Venice festival is the world’s oldest film festival (1932). Its award is Golden Lion.

The Oscars are awarded every year by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science. These statuettes are awarded to actors, film directors, screenwriters and so on for outstanding contributions to the film industry. The Oscars were first awarded in 1927. The first winners were chosen by five judges. Nowadays all of the members of the Academy vote. The ceremony is attended by most Hollywood stars, although some famous stars, such as Woody Allen, refuse to go, even if they win an award. The oldest winner of an Oscar was 80 year-old Jessica Tandy for her performance in the film “Driving Miss Daisy” in 1990. The youngest was Shirley Temple when she was only five years old. The statuette is of soldier standing on a reel of film. Nobody is really sure why it is called an Oscar, although some people say that it is because when the first statuette was made, a secretary said, “It reminds me of Uncle Oscar!” Oscar is one of the top ceremony of awards. In 1928 Frances Marion said about it: “the statuette is a perfect symbol of the movie business – a powerful athletic body clutching a gleaming sword, with half of his head, the art that holds his brain, completely sliced off”.

4.1. Here are some of the categories for the annual Academy Award winners. Each winner gets an Oscar. Look back over the past few years and note down who you would give your awards to for the categories below.

Best Film

Best Actor

Best Actress

Best Supporting Actor

Best Supporting Actress

Best Director

Best Original Screenplay (script)

Best Special Effects

Best Original Score

Best Costumes

Special Award for Services to the Cinema Industry, the Motion Picture Business, the Dream Factory, the Movie World.

Exercise 5. Supply suitable phrases for the beginning of the following micro-dialogues.

1. - ___________________________ .

- What's on?

2. - __________________________ .

2. - Who's in it?

3. - _________________________ .

- What's it about?

3. - ______________________________ .

- Where's it on?

3. - ___________________________ .

- What time does it start?

6. - ___________________________ .

- Where shall we sit?

7. - _____________________________ .

• I think it's slow.

Exercise 6.1. Put each of the following words in its correct place in the passage below.

cinema foyer aisle trailer cartoon usherette

critic poster row screen horror

performance review

Fiona and I went to the _____________________ the other day to see "Devil" at the Odeon. The _____________________ by the Daily Express _____________ was good, and we decided to go to the 8 o'clock ________________________ . When I arrived, Fiona was waiting for me in the ______________________ , looking at a _____________________ for "Devil" on the wall. The __________________ took our tickets and showed us to our seats. I don't like to be too close to the _____________________ and I usually sit in the back ______________ if possible, and I prefer a seat on the ___________________ so I can stretch my legs. Before the main film there was a Mickey Mouse ___________________ , then a _________________________ for the following week's film. "Devil" was a ___________________ film and I was quite terrified, but Fiona thought it was funny.

6.2. Instructions as above.

documentary location role director cast plot

box office studio critical performance

Marlon Brando is a superb actor and in "On the Waterfront" he gave his finest ___________________________ . It is his best-known _________________. The ____________________ also included Eva Marie Saint and Carl Malden, and the film's __________________________ , Elia Kazan, never made a better film. Parts of the film were shot in the ____________________ in Hollywood, but a lot was made on ____________________ in the streets of New York, which makes it at times like a _____________________ . The critics loved the film but it was not only a _____________________ success. It was a great __________________ success as well, and made an enormous profit. The _______________ is about a young man's attempt to be a boxing champion.

6.3. Put one of the following words in each space in the sentences below.

to in on at for

1) It wasn't made ___________ location.

2) It was made __________ the studio.

3) Is there a good film __________ tonight?

4) What's ________ ___________ the Odeon?

5) He likes to sit __________ the aisle.

6) It happened ____________ the beginning of the film.

7) There was a trailer __________ the next week's film.

8) The film is based _________ a book.

9) I like to sit ________ the back.

10) We were shown _________ our seats _______ the third row.

11) Sometimes the cast list comes ____________ the end of the film.

12) The film received an Oscar ___________ the film festival.

13) The original version of the film was shot ____________ black and white. The remake was made ___________ colour.

14) Professional actors are preferred __________ amateurs.

15) Movies are often shot ___________ a sound stage.

Exercise 7. Fill in the gaps with appropriate words.

Warner Brothers, or WARNER BROS. INC., is the American motion-picture studio that introduced the first (1)_______ talking picture. The company was founded by four brothers Harry, Albert, Samuel, and Jack Warner, who were the sons of Benjamin Eichelbaum, a Polish immigrant.

The brothers began their (2)_______ by showing moving Pictures in Ohio and Pennsylvania on a travelling basis. Winning in 1903 they started acquiring movie theatres, they then moved into film distribution. In about 1913 began producing their own films, and in 1917 they moved production headquarters to Hollywood. They (3)_________Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc., in 1923. The eldest of the brothers, Harry, was president of the company and drove its headquarters in New York City, (4)________ Albert was its treasurer and head of sales and distribution. Sam and Jack managed the studio in Hollywood.

When the company (5)________ into financial difficulties in the mid-1920s, Sam Warner (6)________ his brothers to collaborate in developing talking pictures. Warner Brothers then made Lights of New York, the first full-length all-talking film, and On with the Show, the first all-talking colour film. The (7)_______ financial success of these early sound films (8)________ Warner Brothers to become a major motion-picture studio. By the 1930s Warner Brothers was producing about 100 motion pictures (9)________ year and controlled 360 theatres in the United States and more than 400 (10)____________.

Warner Brothers became known (11)_______ its tightly budgeted, technically competent entertainment films. Jack Warner was Warner's (12)_______ vice-president in charge of production and became the company's president in 1956, after the last of his (13)_______ brothers had retired. He retired in 1972.

(14)_______, Warner Brothers had undergone various corporate changes and had diversified into television programming, book publishing, and musical recordings by the 1970s. In 1969 it became Warner Bros. Inc., a subsidiary of Warner Communications Inc. In 1989 the (15)_________ company merged with Time Inc. to form Time Warner Inc., the largest media and entertainment corporation in the world.

TEXT 1. MAKING A FILM

Every week millions of people go to the movies. Many millions more watch movies that are broadcast on television or are played back on a videotape or DVD player. Movies have become a gigantic industry. A typical feature-length film costs several million dollars to make and requires the skills of hundreds of workers. Highly technical devices, including cameras, sound-recording equipment, projectors, are needed to film and show movies.

In addition to their artistic and entertainment values, movies are also widely used in education, especially as teaching aids. Movies use slow motion, animation and other techniques to demonstrate processes that otherwise could not be seen or studied thoroughly. For example, a film can speed up the formation of crystals.

Motion pictures are also used to inform viewers. TV stations often present documentaries. A documentary is a nonfiction movie that tries to present factual information in a dramatic and entertaining way. Documentaries deal with a variety of subjects, such as environmental pollution and the history of presidential elections.

Making a feature film calls for a special blend of art and business skills; although the film cast and crew may include hundreds of members, the people who perform two key functions remain in the centre of the filmmaking process: the producers and directors. The producers are the chief business and legal managers of the film. Usually, one or more executive producers from the film company supervise the work of the producer of the specific picture. By choosing the director and supervising the budget, the producers exert great influence over the creative part of the film production.

The director is responsible for guiding the creative efforts of the screenwriters, cast and crew. Each film will pass through five stages to reach its audience: development, preproduction, production, postproduction and distribution.

All feature films begin with an idea for a story. The screenwriter's job is to turn the idea into a story. The script contains a dialogue, a description of the action, and the camera angles for each scene. Based on the film's 'package' which consists of the budget, script, shooting schedule and key creative people, the producers seek funds from banks, studios and private investors.

The preproduction stage involves planning for all the creative decisions, personnel choices, equipment and material necessary to make the film. The casting director considers candidates for each role through a series of auditions and interviews.

During the production period, the movie-as-imagined is brought to life and recorded on film and audiotape. Instead of working with words and drawings or budgets on paper, the filmmakers work with actors and actresses and the materials of real life. Filming may be made on a sound stage (a hangarlike building in which sets can be built) or on location. The advantage of shooting on location is that the set already exists, e.g., a skyscraper, a mountain or a harbour.

The production stage provides the raw materials from which the motion picture will be constructed. Post-production is the stage during which raw material is edited into a motion picture. The editor and director select the best shots to lay out the movie's structure, paying close attention to the rhythm and tempo of the film.

Distribution. Distributors are responsible for advertising the film and delivering it to its audience. Some producers are able to secure distribution before the film is even made. At this early stage distributors might be interested in the movie because of its star or because the film will be a sequel to a popular film.

All the films are classified into five categories before they could be shown to the audience: G - general, all ages admitted; PG - all ages admitted, but parental guidance suggested; PG-13 - all ages admitted, but parents are strongly cautioned to give special guidance to children under 13; R - restricted, persons under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian; NC-17 - persons under 17 not admitted.

TASKS

There are, of course, more aspects to film-making and more people engaged in the process of shooting a film than those listed above.

1. Match each person (1-5) with what they would say (a-e).

   Director	Can't you get on with the shooting? This is costing me money!
   Producer	Scene 24! Take 25!
   Continuity Girl	Your make-up's thicker and you are wearing a different dress!
   Clapperboard Man	Clear the set! This is supposed to be a film studio! Get those damned extras out of here! Action! Cut!
   Cameraman	Rolling!

2. Find out the functions of the following filmmakers:

1. the production manager;

2. the director of photography;

3. the art director;

4. the costume designer;

5. the set decorator;

6. the sound mixer;

7. the sound editor.

3. Match the filmmakers with the pictures.

TEXT 2. THE INVENTION OF MOTION PICTURES

Since earliest times people have been interested in portraying things in motion. During the late 1800's developments in science helped stimulate a series of inventions which resulted in appearing several different types of motion picture cameras in the mid 1890's.

Edison's company displayed the first motion-picture machine (he called it the kinetoscope) in 1893. The kinetoscope showed unenlarged 35-mm black-and-white films running about 90 seconds. An individual watched through a peephole as the films moved on spools. Kinetoscope parlours opened in a number of cities. They were soon replaced by projection machines that grew greatly enlarged pictures on a screen which allowed many people to see a film at the same time.

The Lumiere brothers held a public screening of projected motion pictures on the 28^th of December, 1895 in a Paris cafe.

Film screening soon became a popular entertainment. Travelling projectionists brought the films to smaller cities and towns. The most popular subjects included recreation of current news events and dramatized folk tales. Films were made without synchronized sound. Exhibitors accompanied the images with music or even used off-screen live actors to provide dialogue. Later printed titles were inserted which gave dialogue, descriptions of action or commentary. Titles permitted the international circulation of films, because translated titles could easily replace the originals.

Beginning about 1905 thousands of nickelodeon theatres opened in commercial areas or immigrant neighbourhoods. Many small stores were converted to nickelodeons by adding a screen and folding chairs. Admission was only 5 cents, much less than competing entertainments.

In the early years of American filmmaking most movies were produced in New York and New Jersey. As the industry developed, filmmakers began working more and more in Southern California. They were drawn by a climate suitable for year-round outdoor shooting. A number of companies established studios in and around Hollywood district of Los Angeles. Soon American movies became dominant worldwide and the name "Hollywood" came to stand for the values and style of American movies.

TASK

Make up questions with the words and word combinations dealing with cinematography.

TEXT 3. SILENT MOVIES

Talk to people who saw films for the first time when they were silent, and they will tell you the experience was magic. The silent film, with music, had extraordinary powers to draw the audience into the story, and an equal potent capacity to make their imagination work. They had to supply the voices and the sound effects, and because their minds were engaged, they appreciated the experience all the more. The audience was the final creative contributor to the process of making a film.

The films have gained a charm and other-worldliness with age but, inevitably, they have also lost something. The impression they made when there was no rival to the moving picture was more profound, more intense; compared to the easily accessible pictures of today, it was the blow of a two-handed axe, against the blunt scraping of a tableknife.

The films belong to an era considered simpler and more desirable than our own. The silent period may be known as "The Age of Innocence" but it included years unrivalled for their viciousness. The black-and-white issues were not so much a reflection of everyday life as a means of escape from it. In the publications of that time, one reads horrified reactions against films showing "life as it is".

You did not leave the problems of home merely to encounter them again in the movies. You paid your money, initially, for forgetfulness. And if the experience took you out of yourself and excited you,, you talked about it to your friends and fellow-workers, creating the precious "word of mouth" publicity that the industry depended upon.

Gradually movie-going altered from relaxation to ritual. In the big cities, you went to massive picture palaces, you paid homage to your favourite star. You wore the clothes they wore in the movies, you bought the furniture you saw on the screen. You joined a congregation composed of every strata of society. And you shared your adulation with Shanghai, Sydney and Santiago. For your favourite pastime had become the most powerful cultural influence in the world - a universal language, Esperanto for the eyes.

TASK

Answer the questions on Text 3:

1. Why did the audiences of silent movies appreciate them so much?

2. What do modern audiences find attractive about silent movies?

3. Why do modern audiences appreciate silent movies less than their original audiences did?

4. Why did people go to the cinema in the days of silent movies?

5. What did they prefer not to see in a film?

6. What was the most effective publicity for a film?

7. What influence did silent movies have on their fans' lives?

8. Which social classes did silent movies appeal to most?

9. Who is being referred to as "you" in the last paragraph? What is the effect of this stylistic device?

PRACTICE

1. MAKE A REPORT on some interesting fact from the history of cinematography. The texts below may serve as examples.

1. The first major film festival was held in Venice, Italy, in 1932. Today, hundreds of festivals are held annually. The largest and probably best-known festival is held in Cannes, France. Other important festivals take place in Venice, Berlin, London and Moscow.

The best-known movie-awards are made each spring by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. These awards, called the Academy Awards, or Oscars, are presented for outstanding achievements in filmmaking during the preceding year. The award is bestowed upon winners in 24 categories. Originally the names of the award winners had been given to the press in advance with the stipulation that the information not be revealed until after the awards presentation. However, the Los Angeles Times printed the names of the 1939 winners in an early evening edition before the ceremony, draining the event of all its suspense. Thus, since then, the winners' names have been a closely guarded secret until the official announcement at the awards ceremony. The design for the award statuette - a knight standing on a reel of film and holding a sword - is credited to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer art director Cedric Gibbons. The Oscar is a gold-plated bronze statue presented for the first time in 1931. The statuette stands 13.5 inches (34.3 cm) tall and weighs 8.5 pounds (3.8 kg). The name "Oscar" has been attributed to an Academy librarian, who declared that the statuette looked like her Uncle Oscar. The true origin of the nickname has never been determined.

2. The Lumiere brothers are French inventors and pioneer manufactures of

photographic equipment who devised an early motion-picture camera and projector called the Cinematographe ("cinema" is derived from this name). Their film La Sortie des ouvriers de l'usine Lumiere (Workers Leaving the Lumiere Factory), shown in Paris, is considered the first motion picture. Sons of a painter, the two boys displayed brilliance in science at school in Lyon, where their father had settled. Louis worked on the problem of commercially satisfactory development of film; at 18 he had succeeded so well that with his father's financial aid he opened a factory for producing photographic plates, which gained immediate success. By 1894 the Lumieres were producing some 15,000,000 plates a year. That year, the father, Antoine, was invited to a showing of Thomas Edison's Kinetoscope in Paris; his description of the peephole machine on his return to Lyon set Louis and Auguste to work on the problem of combining animation with projection. Louis found the solution, which was patented in 1895. At that time they attached less importance to this invention than to improvements they had made simultaneously in colour photography. But on December 28, 1895, a showing at the Grand Cafe on the boulevard des Capuciners in Paris brought wide public acclaim and the beginning of cinema history. The brothers' first films (they made more than 40 during 1896) recorded everyday French life - e.g., the arrival of a train, a game of cards, a toiling blacksmith, the feeding of a baby, the activity of a city street.