The History of Film

L. Study the main dates in cinematography:

1828 – the invention of the photography played a very important role in the development of

the cinema

1877 – Eadweard Muybridge discovered a way to take photos quickly, one after the other

1888 – George Eastman produced the first celluloid film on a roll

1890 – it was possible to take up to 40 photos per second

1893 – Thomas Edison invented kinetoscope

1895 – 28 December is considered to be the birthday of cinema

1904 – the first movie theatres appeared

1907 – the literature works started to be widely used for the movie scripts

1912 – Hollywood was established

1929 – the first complete talkie was “Lights of New York”

1932 – since films in color have become more general

1950s – appearance of 3-D movies

1968 – introduction of a new rating system

1990s – latest advances in film technology: IMAX, digital sound, DVD

M. Speak on the following issues:

1. How the era of the talking film began.

2. The golden era of the Hollywood studio film.

3. The peculiarities of the European post-war movie production period.

4. The contribution of Nonwestern direction into the world cinematography.

5. The main characteristics of the American film of the 1960s and 1970s. The most successful directors and actors/actresses.

6. Contemporary American Film: a change in film content and arrival of new visual technologies.

N. Press Conference. You’re the representatives of different countries: the USA, France, Sweden, Eastern Europe, Japan, India, etc. Speak about the contribution they made into the world cinematography.

Part II. Film Genres

What types of film do you know? Fill out the boxes below in pairs.

Read the text and answer the questions below.

Film Genres

Film Genres are categories, classifications or groups of films that have similar, familiar or instantly-recognizable patterns, techniques or conventions that include one or more of the following: setting, content, themes, plot, motifs, styles, structures, situations, characters (or characterizations), and stars. The main genres are the western, crime (gangster), horror, the musical, science fiction and comedy. Other genre categories include action/adventure, thrillers epics (costume dramas), war movies, and the women's picture (melodrama). By the end of the silent era, many of the main genres were established: the melodrama, the western, the horror film, comedies, and action-adventure films (from swashbucklers to war movies). Musicals were inaugurated with the era of the Talkies, and the genre of science-fiction films wasn't generally popularized until the 1950s.

All films have at least one major genre, although there are a number of films that are considered crossbreeds or hybrids with three or four overlapping genre types that identify them.

Examples of sub-genres abound: aviation films, biographical films, buddy films, caper films, chase films, disaster films, documentary films, espionage films, experimental films, "fallen" woman films, jungle films, legal films, martial arts films, medical films, military films, parody films, police films, political films, prison films, religious films, road films, slasher films, sports films, swashbucklers, women's "weeper" films and more. Examples of different forms or types of film include: animations, features, serials, or shorts among others.

Certain directors (and actors) are known for certain types of films, for example, Woody Allen and comedy, Alfred Hitchcock for suspense and thrillers, John Ford with westerns, or Errol Flynn for classic swashbuckler adventure films.

1. What are film genres?
2. What are the main film genres?
3. When were the main genres established?
4. Do all films have only one major genre

A. Read the definitions below, and then match them with the types of films on the left.

B. Read the description and try to guess the genre of the movie.

- Fast-paced exciting narrative of some dangerous or bold undertaking.

- Film based on life story of actual person.

- Animated picture.

- Story involving criminal investigation.

- Narrative about effects on characters of natural or man-made catastrophe.

- Film based on facts and historical records.

- Long episodic, large-scale story with heroic characters.

- Fanciful departure from known realities.

- Melodramatic narrative film about a violent, criminal antihero, esp. popular in the Depression era.

- Films with strange frightening events that threaten characters, esp. those emphasizing bloodshed or supernatural forces.

- Sensational story emphasizing emotional content over characterization.

- Story told in large part through musical productions, esp. song-and-dance numbers.

- Short documentary account of current events.

- New version of an old film.

- Light comedy involving love interest.

- Film depicting effect of science on society, esp. future society or other planets.

- Continuation of the story or characters depicted in the earlier film.

- Motion picture without sound.

- Film produced with sound.

- Sentimental melodrama.

- Documentary motion picture showing and describing travels.

- Narrative set in lawless, 19^th century American frontier.

C. Look through the list below. Match the film titles on the left with the types of film on the right. Types of films can be used more than once.

1. comedy

2. action film

3. animated film (cartoon)

4. western

5. historical film

101 Dalmatians 6. drama

7. musical

Frankenstein 8. horror film

Gone with the wind 9. thriller

10. science-fiction

INDIANA JONES

D. Write a short film script. Let your fellow students guess what genre it belongs to.

The skills and talents of many different people are involved in filmmaking. The stars and other actors who appear on the screen are only part of the story; most of what goes into a production takes place off-camera. Depending on the size, or scale, of the production, and the financing available, thousands of people may have a part in producing a motion picture.

1. Director

The director controls all the actors and technicians on a film set. He or she decides how to shoot each scene and is generally in charge of the movie’s creative development.

1. Producer

Producers look after the business side of a film. First they find the money to start a project. Then they control the budget while it’s made. Finally, they are in charge of the film’s publicity and release.

1. Editor

An editor’s job is to ‘cut’ all the film shot by the director into a final two or three hour version.

1. Screenplay by…

This refers to the script-writer – the person who has written a ‘play’ for the ‘screen’. Screenplay adapted by…means that the story was originally a book or a stage-play.

1. Casting director

Casting directors choose actors for the various roles in a film. This includes selecting everyone from top international stars to ‘extras’.

1. Art Director

The person in charge of a film’s overall visual design is called the art director (or sometimes the ‘production designer’). His or her responsibilities include the sets and costumes.

1. Second Unit Director

To save time, movies are often made in two places at once. For example, while the leading actors are working in London, a car chase may be filmed in New York. The technicians who make these ‘action’ sequences (or scenes with lots of extras) are called the Second Unit, and their boss is the Second Unit Director.

1. Gaffer

The electrician in charge of lightning on set.

1. Best Boy

Assistant to the gaffer.

1. Key Grip

A key grip moves the camera from one position to another on the set or location.

11. Focus-Puller

This job involves keeping the camera in focus and changing lenses when necessary.

12. Clapper-Loader

The clapper-board is two pieces of wood. These are brought together with a ‘clap!’ at the start of each ‘take’. They have information written on them which helps the director and editor to keep the takes in order. The clapper-loader operates the clapper-board and also puts film in the camera.

13. Dubbing Editor

This job starts after shooting is over. It involves mixing dialogue, music and sound-effects to produce the film’s final ‘sound-track’.

14. Sound Mixer

Sound mixers control the equipment which records sounds picked up by the microphone.

15. Continuity Supervisor

The scenes in the film are usually shot out of order. For example, the end may be shot before the beginning. A continuity supervisor’s job is to make sure that costumes, sets, props, etc. are all consistent.

16. Boom Operator

The boom is a long pole with a microphone on the one end. The boom operator holds the microphone above the actors’ heads to recorder what they are saying.

A. Many people are involved in film making. Read what each person says about his/her job; fill in the missing words from the brackets into the gaps. Match the description with the name of the job.

- Production coordinator

- Continuity girl

- Stunt man

- Clapperboard man

- Sound editor

- Location manager

a) I have to add atmosphere to the original dialogue in order to create a fuller, richer of_ _________. For example, when a character rides in the rain, I can the of thunder to add an extra dimension. All these effects, which include teacups clinking on saucers and fires cracking, have to be recorded on a , which is called the “footsteps_________”, so when the film is sold to other countries, they can on the dialogue in their own language, without loosing all the sound effects.

(dub, lay the sound, texture of sound, separate track, track)

b) I should build up contact between the and the and_______. It’s my job to book all the hotel rooms we need during filming (and re-book them when the changes!), to organize car hire, medicals, insurance. I distribute and , __________rewrites, schedules, movement orders. On the social side, I am the only one who has the information about everyone’s birth dates – so I organize the birthday cakes!

(script, production team, crew, cast, crew list, schedule, cast)

c) I’m often called a script , but in fact I am a second pair of eyes and ears for the director. I’m there in the and , taking notes of any action or dialogue changes and the camera moves. On the the director will give an idea of the _______he wants, so I make a note of each one – a here or a panning there. I make notes for the film editor, listing which ‘ ’ the director wants to use and why; this helps the editor to see quickly what we’ve .

(“takes”, filming, shot, supervisor, rehearsals, a close-up, shot, set, shots)

d) Some of the tricks require real skills of an acrobat, so I was employed to perform several ___________as a for the leading actor. For me it wasn’t the first experience of jumping from a high cliff onto a passing-by boat, through there’s always an element of risk in it.

(stand-in, stunts)

e) We will be filming in our for six weeks, for both and _________scenes, so everything has to be very special. We would be making a lot of demands on it. We need a drawing room, dining room, library, large hall, staircase, landings and three bedrooms, as well as extensive gardens. Some need a helping hand: for example, one of the location owners has mowed a part of the lawn so it has modern strips on it. I’ll have to _________this with an instant hedge.

(disguise, interior, main location, exterior, shots)

f) During the filming I might suggest a way the may be extended or improved, as through the eye I see everything that is being filmed. Perhaps, I’ll ask to alter the composition, i.e. for furniture or to be moved slightly to make a better . The can be hand-held but is usually on tripod or a ‘dolly’, a little truck on wheels that can be moved on a smooth floor, specially laid boards or a track, rather like a railway line, so that the can ‘walk’ beside actors as they move.

(camera, shot, camera, mounted, props, picture, camera)

g) My job requires accuracy and precision. I the film, put marks on the ground for the actors so they always hit the right spot during the scene and, when the camera is rolling, announce the scene and shot and bang the clapper , so that sound and could be synchronized.

(vision, load, board)

B. Try to guess the names of the jobs which are common in the cinema world.

1. The person who writes the script.
2. The person who chooses the actors.
3. The collective name for the actors in the film.
4. The most important acting role.
5. A subsidiary acting role.
6. A well-known actor or actress in cinema pictures.
7. The person who operates the camera.
8. The audio element of the film.
9. The names of the people involved, which appear on the screen at the end of the film.
10. The first showing of the new film.
11. The person who decides how to shoot each scene and is generally in charge of the movie’s creative development.
12. The person who makes sure that costumes, sets, props, etc. are all consistent.
13. The person who finds and controls the budget and is in charge of the film’s publicity and release.

C. Game: match each person (1-5) with what they would say (a-e).

1. Director a. Can’t you get on with the shooting? This is costing me money.

2. Producer b. Scene 24. Take 25!

3. Continuity girl c. Your make-up’s thicker and you are wearing a different dress.

4. Clapperboard man d. Clear the set! This is supposed to be a film studio! Get those damned extras out of here! Action! Cut!

5. Cameraman e. Rolling!

D. You are a film producer. You are going to hire a crew for shooting a new film. Write a job ad to a newspaper with a list of jobs you need and their description. Don’t forget to mention the requirements to the employees.

Top international directors – past and present

Woody Allen

(USA, 1935 - )

Films include – Bananas (1971), Play It Again Sam (1972), Annie Hall (1977), Manhattan (1979), Hannah and Her Sister (1985), Another Woman (1989), Crimes and Misdemeanors (1990), Alice (1991), Sweet & Lowdown (1999), Small Time Crooks (2000), Anything Else (2003).

Ingmar Bergman

(Sweden, 1918 - )

Films include – Smiles of a Summer Night (1955), The Seventh Seal (1956), Wild Strawberries (1957), Persona (1966), Cries and Whispers (1972), Fanny and Alexander (1982)

Luis Bunuel

(Spain, 1900 – 1983)

Films include – Un Chien Andalou (1928), L’Age d’Or (1930), Belle De Jour (1966), The Discreet Charm of The Bourgeoisie (1972), The Phantom of Liberty (1974), That Obscure Object of Desire (1977)

Sergei Eisenstein

(USSR, 1898 – 1948)

Films include – Batlleship Potemkin (1925), October (1927), The General Line (1928), Alexander Nevsky (1938), Ivan the Terrible (1943-6)

Federico Fellini

(Italy, 1920 – 1993)

Films include – La Strada (1954), La Dolce Vita (1959), 8 ½ (1963), Juliet Of The Spirits (1965), Satyricon (1969 ), Fellini Roma (1972), Amarcord (1974), Fred And Ginger (1988)

Luchino Visconti

(Italy, 1906 – 1976)

Films include – Ossessione (1942), Senso (1953), Boccaccio ’70 (1962), The Leopard (1963), The Damned (1969), Death in Venice (1970).

Francois Truffaut

(France, 1932 – 1987)

Films include – Les Quatre Cents Coups (1959), Jules et Jim (1961), L’Enfant Sauvage (1969), La Nuit Americaine (1973), Le Dernier Metro (1980), Vivement Dimanche (1983)

Satyajit Ray

(India, 1921 – 1992)

Films include – Pather Panchali (1954), The Unvanquished (1956), The World of Apu (1959), Distant Thunder (1974), The Chess Players (1977), An Enemy of the People (1989)

Steven Spielberg

(USA, 1946 - )

Films include – Duel (1971), Jaws (1975), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Raiders Of the Lost Ark (1981), ET (1982), The Color Purple (1987), Empire Of The Sun (1988), Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (1989), Always (1990), Jurassic Park (1993), Schindler’s List (1994), The Lost World — Jurassic Park (1997), Saving’ Private Ryan (1998), Minority Report (2003), The Terminal (2004)

Akira Kurosawa

(Japan, 1910 - )

Films include – Rashomon (1950), The Seven Samurai (1954), Throne of Blood (1956), The Hidden Fortress (1958), Dersu Uzala (1975), The Shadow Warrior (1981), Ran (1985), Madadayo (1998), Dreams (1990).

Alfred Hitchcock

(UK, 1899 – 1980)

Films include – The Lady Vanishes (1938), Rebecca (1940), Spellbound (1945), Notorious (1946), Strangers On A Train (1951), Dial M For Murder (1954), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1950), North By Northwest (1959), Psycho (1960), The Birds (1963)

Jean – Luc Godard

(France, 1930 - )

Films include – A Bout De Souffle (1960), Bande a Part (1964), Alphaville (1965), Pierrot Le Fou (1966), Sauve Qui Peut (1980), King Lear (1980)

John Ford

(USA, 1895 – 1973)

Films include – The Iron Horse (1924), Stagecoach (1939), Young Mr. Lincoln (1939), The Grapes Of Wrath (1940), How Green Was My Valley (1941), She Wore A Yellow Ribbon (1949), The Quiet Man (1952), The Man who Shot Liberty Vallance (1962)

E. In small groups brainstorm questions you are curious to ask a famous international director and write an interview sample.

	The idea   This usually comes from either the director or the writer.	The script   A film script is developed in three stages. First, there’s a short outline of the story – then a longer, more detailed ‘treatment’, and finally a complete ‘shooting script’.
8. Release Finally, the film is giving the certificate (U, PG, 15 or 18) and released. After that, everything depends on the audience. Not just the cinema audience, though. These days video rentals, are important too. They can often decide weather a film is a financial success or not. And if it is a success? Well – it is easier for everyone involved to develop another idea.	Movies are being made all over the world all the time. But how does it happen? How, step-by-step, does a script get to the screen? The Cinema dossiers reports.	3. Finance   Finding money to finance a project is often the hardest part. It can come from (a) a major studio (b) a large business organization or group of companies (c) private investors.
Marketing   Preparing the audience or ‘market’ for the film comes next. There are several ways to do this. They include (a) poster campaigns (b) radio, TV and magazine advertising (c) cinema ‘trailers’ (d) interviews by the film’s stars.	4. Pre-production OK – now there’s a script and enough money to make the film. But there’s still a lot of preparations to do before the director shouts ‘Action!’. This is called ‘pre-production’ and it includes: (a) casting (b) finding locations (c) building sets (d) making costumes.
	6. Post-production   Once shooting is finished, post-production begins. This is when the film is (a) edited (b) has the sound track added to it (c) is dubbed or subtitled for foreign audiences.	Production   The actual shooting of film is called ‘production’. Depending on the project it can last anything from three months to over a year.

F. Read the article about how the film is made. Use the information, and your knowledge, to give your own explanation of the following phrases:

a film script____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

b financing a film______________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

c preparing for production________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

d post-production ______________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

e marketing ___________________________________________________________________

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Date: 2015-02-03; view: 2735