The Modern Movie Industry

These days, cinema and television live side-by-side. The movie industry didn't collapse (as some people predicted) in the '50s and '60s. But cinema audience-figures are still low compared to 50 years ago. In Britain, for example, most people only see one or two films per year. In Europe it's three or four and in America six or seven. Because of this, modern movie-making has become very different from how it was in Louis B Mayer's time. For example:

- Hollywood has more competition from international film­makers now than ever before

- enormous 'picture palaces' with one screen are being replaced by 'multi-screen’ cinemas

- there are still large studios, but the old 'studio system' (with groups of stars working for one company) has disappeared

- modern films have three lives instead of one. First, they appear in the "cinema then on video, and finally they're shown on TV.

A. Read the article about the development of cinema. Say whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F):

1. Projection is a very old Asian idea _____

2. The kinetoscope was invented in 1893 by Eadweard Muybridge _____

3. The first movie was shown in 1890 in a Paris café _____

4. Hollywood was established in California because of climatic conditions and picturesque location _____

5. The first black-and-white movies were comedies, tragedies, romances, horror films and thrillers _____

6. During Golden Era Hollywood studios faced stiff competition from computer games producing companies _____

7. The term “golden age” in Hollywood cinematography is associated with the appearance of world famous studios and stars ______

8. Making films for teenagers became a turning point that helped Hollywood regain its popularity _____

9. Hollywood dominates the world cinematography and doesn’t have any competition from international film-makers ______

10. Modern films have several lives instead of one ______

B. Pick out from the text sentences describing the main problems in the cinema’s development.

C. Finish the sentences:

1. The idea of image projection came from…

2. By 1850 projection and photography had come together, but…

3. Thomas Edison’s kinescope projected moving pictures, but…

4. The debut of the Lumiere Cinematograph…

5. The silent era was famous for…

6. Hollywood was established…

7. “The Jazz Singer” was…

8. With the arrival of Technicolor…

9. The most successful of the dream factories included…

10. After 1948 the cinema industry began…

11. Modern movie-making has become….

D. You are supposed to deliver a presentation about the main stages in the cinema’s development. The following questions can be helpful:

1. Where did the idea of moving images come from?

2. How did the idea of projection and photography come together?

3. What happened in a Paris cafe on December 28, 1895?

4. How was Hollywood established?

5. What were the films made by the cinema pioneers?

6. Who were the stars of the silent era?

7. How did the arrival of Technicolor influence the cinema popularity?

8. What were the inside and outside rivals of the cinema industry?

9. How did Hollywood win back their audiences?

10. What is the modern movie-making characterized by?

Дата добавления: 2015-10-31