English for Cultural and Creative Industries

Making a feature film is a team effort. Many people work together to produce the movies we enjoy at the theater: producers, writers, directors, actors, artists and designers, technical experts, editors and distributors.

There are five stages to the filmmaking process.

1. Development StageThe important people at this stage are the

producer, who chooses a story, and the screenwriter, who develops the script. They work together to raise funds by selling their idea to an investor.

2. Pre-Production StageThis is the planning stage, in which the producer employs

a crew of specialists. An important member of this crew is the director. With the help of a visual artist, he or she produces a “storyboard” which shows how the film will look. Other important crew members include the casting director, who is responsible for choosing the cast, and the directors of photography and sound.

Many designers are needed on a movie, to work on costume, hair and make-up, lighting and sets (the scenery behind the characters). Depending on the type of film, the producer may also recruit a choreographer to help with scenes containing dancing or fighting.

Hollywood or Bollywood blockbusters employ thousands of people; an independent, low-budget film might survive with a crew of just nine or 10.

screencrush.com

3. Production StageThis is when the movie actually gets made.

Workdays can be very long, around 16 hours per day, as the director tries to get the perfect shots. If the crew is shooting in a remote location, or if there are complex special effects, the time pressure can be even more intense.

Many famous movie phrases can be heard during this stage of production, for example, ‘Cut!’, which means ‘Stop!’, and ‘That’s a wrap!’, which means, ‘We’ve finished.’

4. Post-Production StageAt this stage, editors take control of the film.

They cut anything which is not needed, add music and sound effects, and insert computer-generated imagery. Directors do not always agree with the changes made during the editing process! This is why you sometimes find a second version of a movie called “the director’s cut.”

5. Distribution StageThe movie is now released to theaters. A

distributor promotes the film on behalf of the producer by organising a “launch party” and special screenings for the press, and by advertising to the general public. If a profit is made from the movie, it must be shared between the distributor and the filmmakers – although, in fact, most of this profit comes not from theater ticket sales but from later DVD and Internet releases, and (in the case of blockbusters) from merchandising.

The rewards for making a successful motion picture are not only financial. Many filmmakers hope to be nominated for an award, such as an Academy Award (or “Oscar”), which raises their profile within the industry. These days, such awards are given not only for traditional movies with human actors, but also for animation. The first film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Picture was Shrek in 2001.

shabba-shabs.blogspot.com

Dialogue 1 A: Are you doing anything on Saturday night? Shall we see a

movie? B: I’d love to see a movie. But don’t you remember what

happened last time? We were arguing for an hour about which movie to see!

A: We were not! OK, maybe half an hour. Look, I’ve got the schedule here, on my phone. Let’s choose one now.

B: How about this one … Black Hole? A: Oh, come on. You know I hate sci-fi. B: But it’s got a fantastic cast. Forget about the genre. A: Sorry, but I really don’t want to see it. What about this one?

Castle of Fire? B: Hmm … I usually like fantasy films, but Castle of Fire has had

terrible reviews. A: Has it? Well, we have to choose something! B: What’s this one? The Gardener. A: It’s a comedy, I think. Ben Mitchell plays the lead character.

Do you fancy it? B: Why not? It’s been a tough week and I need a laugh.

Dialogue 2 A: Gillian, can I speak with you for a moment? Gillian: Sure. What’s up? A: I need you to make some extra costumes before we start

shooting again tomorrow. Gillian: Which costumes? How many? A: There’ll be an extra 30 children in the final scene, and

they all need orange suits. Gillian: I don’t think we can make 30 suits before tomorrow. A: Listen, Gillian, we’re under a lot of pressure. We only have

permission to use this location until 7 p.m. tomorrow. Gillian: But we’ll have to work right through the night! Everyone’s

so tired already. A: I know. I’m sorry about that. If you can make the suits in

time, you can all take Friday off. Gillian: OK. We’ll try our best. A: I appreciate it. And have you seen Robert anywhere? I

need to speak to him about hair and make-up for the extra kids. Gillian: He’s eating dinner with the crew. I’ll ask him to come see

you.

Film festivals are held annually all over the world. They usually last for several days, and offer filmmakers the chance to show new work. The best-known festival is held in Cannes, France, where everyone hopes to take home the famous Palme d’Or award for the best movie. Other major film festivals are staged in Venice, Italy, and Berlin, Germany.

These days there are many smaller events whose focus is narrower – for example, an animation festival has taken place in Annecy, France each year since 1960, and a horror movie spectacular is held every October in Philadelphia, USA. There are festivals around the globe for student filmmakers, and makers of short films.

Not all film festivals are competitive. It is common to see open-air programs in cities during the summer, and although the films shown here are generally older, the screenings seem to be no less popular.