Text 2. The filmmaking process

The filmmaking process is commonly divided into five phases. Working according to these phases helps to do the job in a logical order, with as little complications as possible, since each stage of the process is based on the successful completion of its predecessor.

Phase 1:Idea and Development

Finding the concept for the film is the core of the whole filmmaking process. But once an idea excites a film director, he will develop it so it forms the foundation of the would-be film. This phase of the process helps to understand exactly what and how to shoot.

Next, a screenwriter (may be the very same director) creates the script developing characters, dialogues, sights and sounds. In some cases, a graphic storyboard (графическая раскадровка) is also provided by him.

Finally, the producer of the project has to be sought for financing the work.

Phase 2:Pre-Production

Casting for the film crew takes place. As the face of your film, the actors are crucial (ключевой, решающий) for its box office success. Actors usually have some time to make researches of their characters and understand them. Then the first rehearsals are conducted.

The director and the production managers plan the schedule for getting all the wanted audio and visual materials. Also, the budget is taken care of. The art director and the camera crew find locations, design and construct sets, plan basic camera movement and come up with Plan Bs in case things don’t go as planned (e.g. weather problems).

Phase 3: Production

On this phase shooting and recording take place. A large part of the film crew participates in this stage, making sure that the script is being followed accurately and that the materials are of the best possible quality.

The cameraman makes his first appearance (появляться). When recording it is also important to keep lighting – both natural and artificial – in mind (с учетом), as it helps to convey the film’s atmosphere to the audience. That’s where the gaffer (главный осветитель) plays an important role. The sound recordist is in charge of the unwanted noise recorded on the sensitive microphones.

Phase 4: Post-Production

This phase works with the raw material of a film. Editing is the process of going through the footage, cutting and re-arranging it, discarding (отбрасывать, убирать) what is not needed and making sure that what remains tells the story clearly. This is time to insert visual FX and the soundtrack.

Color corrections are made and sometimes a narration is added. This is the time to title the film. Although all those things may seem as “final touches” (завершающие штрихи), they have a great influence on the film’s atmosphere and message.

Phase 5:Distribution

This is the process in which the film reaches the audience, and is therefore the final peak of the whole filmmaking process. It is done either by a theatrical distribution or for home viewing, such as DVD releases.

(http://www.filmmaking.com/the-process)

7. Use the information about the phases of filmmaking given in Text 2 and make up a dialogue:

- point out which one of the phases is the most complex and time-consuming to your mind (idea and development & production)!

- share your ideas with your partner;

- give reasons for your choice describing the phase and the actions undertaken during it.

8. Prepare a summary of Text 2 (see Appendix 1). Mention all the phases; try to use the new vocabulary.

In this article which is entitled «The filmmaking process», the author explains his ideas about phases that take place in a filmmaking process.

The author claims that basically there are five principal phases which are called «production», «idea and development», «distribution», «post-production» and «pre-production». The first is the idea and development. Here a film director deals with searching for the idea which cam excite him for creating a movie. Once the idea is accepted, the director starts writing a script. The second step is pre-production. Here casting for the film takes place. It’s time for the actors to get to know with their role, to understand them properly. Also financial matters are taken care of, located are looked for. The third phase is production itself. The shooting and recording take place. The crucial thing consists in making sure that the script is followed. The fourth step is called post-production. Editing process is conducted on this phase. What exactly goes on is that all the unnecessary details are discarded, visual effects and narration are added to the film. In a nutshell it is a phase of so-called «final touches» or a final cut. The fifth step is distribution. The aim is in providing the audience with a brand-new movie.

In conclusion, I’d like to point out the fact that proves that all the mentioned phases are considered a crucial part of making a movie. Thus, the phases build up a steady system that works perfectly well and gives good results. With even one step being ignored, the whole process of filmmaking may be ruined.

9. Translate the sentences below from Russian into English:

1) Но стоит только какой-либо идее зацепить режиссера, и он непременно будет развивать ее, формируя основу будущего фильма. – And once an idea excites the director, he immediately starts developing it, forming the base for the would-be film.

2) Крупный план – это отличный способ привлечь зрителя к деталям или качественной игре актера, именно поэтому работа главного оператора очень важна и его роль является неотъемлемой в процессе съемок. – A close-up shot is considered to be the best way to attract a spectator’s attention to details or a high-quality actor’s play. Thus the director of photography’s work is crucial and his part is believed to be essential while shooting a movie.

3) Перед первыми репетициями актеры обычно тратят некоторое время на изучение своих героев и их понимание. – Before the first rehearsals actors usually have some time to make researches on their characters and understand them properly.

4) Имя сценариста можно найти в финальных титрах вместе с именем художника-постановщика, а также список актеров снимавшихся в главных ролях, и даже названия композиций использованных в фильме. – The scriptwriter’s name may be found in the credits (credit titles) along with the name of the art director and name of the actors starred in the film. The used soundtracks may also by found in the credits.

5) Арт-директор и съемочная команда ищут место съемок, разрабатывают и конструируют декорации, планируют главные движения камеры и подготавливают запасной план на тот случай, если что-то пойдет не так. – The art director and camera crew are searching for the location where the shooting will take place, develop props and decorations, plan key camera movements and prepare an extra plan in case something goes wrong.

6) Свет играет большую роль в процессе съемок, именно поэтому, создатели фильма не могут полагаться на естественное освещение, и вынуждены использовать искусственное. Безусловно монтажер может добавить эффекты уже после завершения съемок, однако, лучше заранее предусмотреть наличие необходимого света, иначе вся сцена может быть испорчена. – Lightening plays an essential part during filmmaking, that is why filmmakers can’t rely on natural light solely, they have to use an artificial one. It goes without saying that an editor may add various effects after the shooting but it is better to provide for the presence of the needed lighting beforehand, otherwise the whole scene may be spoilt.

7) Осветитель выполняет настолько же важную роль, насколько и звукооператор, отвечающий за нежелательные шумы, записанные чувствительными микрофонами. –A gaffer plays as much a crucial part as a sound recordist does who is in charge/is responsible for unwanted noises recorded on sensible microphones.

8) Зная, что камера плохо держится на штативе, ты все равно оставил ее без присмотра, и теперь у нее сломана линза, на ее замену придется потратить немалые деньги. – Knowing that the camera is not attached to the tripod properly, you have still left it without any attendance. And now its lens is broken. To fix it, we will have to pay a pretty penny.

10.Read the following quotations about acting. Translate them into Russian. Which one do you like? Prepare a 2-minute speech based on it mentioning why you agree or disagree with it. Try to connect your monologue to some ideas or facts from the texts in Lesson 1 or Lesson 2.

1) “Actors and musicians – they’re saints to me. <...> I’m speaking of those who won’t accept a useless life, just because they were born to it. <...>They work, they sacrifice, they do things...” (Anne Rice, American writer)

2) “I’m not a film star, I am an actress. Being a film star is such a false life, lived for fake values and for publicity.” (Vivien Leigh, British actress) –Я не являюсь кинозвездой, я актриса. Быть кинозвездой значит вести ненастоящую, наигранную жизнь во имя фальшивых ценностей и публики.

«I am prone to think that I agree with the statement. Being an actor means trying different lives on yourself. And not even lives, but thoughts, ideas, convictions. I do not think that everyone can do it. In many cases the ideas of a real person and a character this person plays, do not match. Thus the person has to pretend. He has to overcome and sometimes ignore his inner voice. It is definitely false but at the same time it is a very unusual thing to be always different, to have talent for it, for transofmation».

3) “If you have to have a job in this world, a high-priced movie star is a pretty good gig.” (Tom Hanks, American actor)

4) “In the language of an actor, to know is synonymous with to feel.” (Constantin Stanislavski, Russian theatre director, actor)

5) “I know very little about acting. I’m just an incredibly gifted faker.” (Robert Downey Jr., American actor)

Listening