Hi ! I'm in highschool and my english teacher asked us to prepare a dialogue by 2 about the evolution of the cinema. We have to play the role of radio presenters. Here is mine, thanks for correcting it!
-Good morning dear listeners. You are listening to Hollywood NPR, I am your host, Joachim Sandearth. With me today is the eminent film expert Thomas Pierron, we are coming to you from our LA studio, in beautiful California. *music*
Wow!! What’s an amazing song! Is there a better way to start the day?
-Frankly, I do not believe that is possible.
-As you probably know The Oscars ceremony is taking place tonight. Before attending this show we are going to remind ourselves all major events which arose through the Hollywood history.
-As for me it is useless, I am unbeatable on the cinema.
-Well, we'll see about that. IT’S TIME FOR CINEMA BATTLE!!
Okay... I quickly repeat the rules so that we could start then: to sum up we are going to ask each other’s questions concerning evolution of cinema through time.
-The winner will be chosen by the public and will be awarded “the best cinema reporter’s prize”.
-So far I am leading with a score of 43 wins, Joachim is far behind with only 38 wins.
-The time has come to take my revenge.
-Let’s start: I have an easy one for you, When did the Cinema industry move in Hollywood?
- If I remember well first Hollywood films were shot in 1907. Filmmakers of these films fell in love with the place and in a short time Hollywood became very famous. Indeed, in our beautiful state of California the sky is always blue so it’s possible to shoot films outside on location all year (no matter what season). Another advantage, was that within an hour or two of downtown Los Angeles one could find a location resembling almost any conceivable scene one might want to use - factory or farm, jungle or snowy peak. This is the way Hollywood is synonymous with the movie industry since the 1920s.
- oh, I see you’re better than before!
- My turn ! I’ve a tricky question for you : What is the first color film ?
- oh, that’s obvious : it is The wizard of Oz
- No, no you fell into the trap !
- Oh yes, you’re right. I made a mistake. I answered this movie because of its very bright and striking colors, I can remember the yellow brick road for example, which gives you the impression that we live in very sad world. But indeed, it’s not the first color film. However, even if the first real color movie was released in 1901, and the first one to be shot in Hollywood, the Toll of the Sea, was released in 1922, the wizard of oz is beyond any doubt the first movie to add fun and fantasy thanks to its color. In fact, the history of colors in the evolution of the Hollywood cinema is very interesting, and complicated, and this movie had a great impact on it. By the way, you have to know that the first Dysney color ful-length cartoon was Snow white and the seven dwarfs, which is used technicolor and also contributed to spread this process in the cinema.
-You goddam right!!
-You know I remained a child, so I have to ask you a question about Fantasia:
-No problem, I know it all by heart, it was my favorite movie when I was young.
-Let's check it out… In what way did this film revolutionize cinema and more especially soundtrack?
-Too easy, it's almost insulting that you think I would not even know the answer. Fantasia is considered by all the world as a masterpiece today because it was the first movie which had combined animation and classical music. This film which was released in 1938 was incredibly ahead of its time. This has all been possible thanks to the Fantasound system imagined by Walt Disney himself. All the theatres were equipped with this pioneering system. Let’s hear one of this fabulous track… (musique de fantasia) This really brings back some good memories.
What’s the first movie which can be called “blockbuster”?
- That’s a good question. The first blockbuster is jaws, a movie made by Steven Spielberg and released in 1975. It’s a horror movie with a budget of 9 million dollars, but of course it brought in 470million dollars, which is quite a lot. By the way, this movie was so successful that people at that time stopped going in the beach and swimming in the sea for fear of being attacked by a shark. In fact, this movie had entailed then the making of a lot of other blockbusters, which have been more and more expensive, such as Star Wars, Jurassic Park, the godfather, for example. And that’s funny, cos today 9million budget movies are almost considered as a low budget-movie.
- Speaking of Blockbuster, what’s the first movie which was released in 3D?
- Jaws 3, isn’t it?
- Well no. Contrary to what many people think, the 3D cinema exists for a very long time and did not appear for the first time in “jaws 3” and even less in James Cameron's movie "Avatar". The first full-length film in 3D was "House of Wax" and get this, it was released more than 60 years ago. We can notice that the arrived of 3D did not upset the cinematographic industry because today most of films are only made in 2D. At last, you have to pay a more expensive cinema ticket whereas the experience is not as exceptional as expected.
Have you ever heard about 4D cinema?
Yeah indeed. Apparently it's all the rage in theatre now, but I wonder why.
-Are you serious? Are you kidding me? It’s the best evolution of the cinema since the appearance of color. With 4D cinema the immersion in the movie is total because your seat moves and shakes you, you can also feel the wind in your hair, or be wet by the rain; it is even possible to smell odors. You know that last week I went to the theater and saw transformers in 4D and it was just amazing, I felt as if I was fighting with Optimus Prime against the decepticon.
-I am not as enthusiastic as you. In this kind of movie the screenplay is overshadowed. Furthermore, I think that it could be fast boring. Finally, it increases considerably the cost of the ticket. I think I has to stay an attraction for Dysneyland !
- Well, we’re obviously never going to agree.
-It’s time to vote. Those who think I am the winner raise your hand!
-On the contrary those who think I beat him, raise your hand!
- Indeed, It’s time to get off the air now. We shall soon see which films will go down in history tonight. Goodbye dear listeners and see you soon for a new Cinema battle!!!!!!!
Come on !! I need you !