C I N E M A

* review the history of the beginning of movies. * write the script for a scene. * go behind the scenes to see what a producer, director and screen editor do. * learn some movie film jargon. * analyze some film clips. In this lesson you will

In Luminere’s portable, suitcase sized cinematograph served as a camera, film-processing unit and projector all in one. He could shoot footage in the morning, process it in the afternoon and then project it to the audience that evening. The Frenchman Louis Luminere is considered one of the inventors of the motion picture camera

* Louis Luminere was the sole inventor of the cinematograph * Louis Luminere was one of a group of inventors of the cinematograph * Others were inventing the cinematograph at the same time The expression is considered one of means

His first film was the arrival of an express train at the railway station at Ciotat. The device was easy to use and portable, which soon made it the rage in France and the world. The motion picture era had begun

The word rage as used in line 2 means * anger * fashion * violence Luminere’s cinematograph was unique because * it was easy to use * it was the first cinematograph * it was portable * both one and three are correct

The Silent Era

For the first twenty years of motion picture history, most films were short: only a few minutes in length. Silent films were at first a novelty, then an art form.

Silent films became more complex in the early 1910’s. The Silent Era ended in 1929 when after years of experimentation a means of recording sound was discovered.

The most famous star of the Silent Era was Charlie Chaplin.His most famous character was the Tramp. The trademarks of the Tramp were his ill-fitting suit,floppy oversized shoes,bowler hat and his ever–present cane. The Tramp represented the “little guy” the underdog, someone who used wit to defeat his adversaries.

With the advent of sound for films in the 1920s, suddenly, actors needed something to say. Writers flocked to Hollywood in droves from Broadway and from the worlds of literature and journalism. For a brief time in the 1930s, some of the world's most famous writers wrote Hollywood scripts: William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Bertolt Brecht, and Thomas Mann

Mel Brooks “Screenwriting is the toughest craft, and when you write well, when you can create a good story, peopled with good characters that truly relate to each other, that evoke tears or laughter that is human and durable, then you can write your own ticket."

Writing a Scene. Can you write a convincing comedy? (Complete activity)

The director's vision shapes the look and feel of a film. He or she is the creative force that pulls a film together,responsible for turning the words of a script into images on the screen.

Actors, cinematographers, writers, and editors orbit around the director like planets around the Sun. Despite the director's pivotal role, most Hollywood movies are designed to pull you into the story without being aware of the director's hand.

The film's producer acts as an administrator, communicator, and guide, helping hundreds of people reach a final goal: completing the film on schedule, on budget, and as the director envisioned.

The producer administers all the various aspects of film production, from initial concept to script and budget preparation to shooting, post-production and release. He or she does not have to be able to write, direct, edit, or act to help screenwriters, directors, editors, and actors do their best work.

The final goal of the producer is to * administrate, communicate, and guide a film. * be able to write, direct, edit and act. * complete the film on schedule, on budget, and as the director envisioned. * administer all the various aspects of film production.

In order to begin working on a film, find out what the following film jargon means.

The film editor has responsibility for guiding the picture through post-production and into the theaters.He has millions of dollars of film in his hands.

Scenes may have been photographed poorly and performances might have been less than inspired, but a skilled and creative editor can assemble the film so that the audience will never see these imperfections.

What made these films classics?

* is a trend setter. * reflects social norms. * is a social critic. * creates role models. * highlights social issues. * creates a world of illusion.

In this lesson you * have read about the early days of film. * written a script. * discussed what makes a film a classic. * reviewed the roles of a film producer, director and editor. * learnt some film jargon.