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. - __________________________.

- Who's in it?

3. - _________________________.

- What's it about?

4. - ______________________________.

- Where's it on?

5. - ___________________________.

- 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.

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