LISTENING PART 1 You will hear a conversation between the organiser of a short film competition and a man who is interested in taking part in this event. Listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 5. Man: Oh hello, is this the right number to call for the short film
competition?
Woman: Yes. How can I help?
Man: I know the competition’s been running for ten years, but I’ve never
taken part before. I want to be clear on the rules. Is 20 minutes the
maximum length of the film?
Woman: That’s correct. So, shall I run through some of the other rules for
entry?
Man: That’d be great. I’ll make some notes.
Woman: All right, so the deadline for getting the whole film made and
sending it in to us is on Wednesday May the 15
th
.
Man: Oh really? I thought the submission date was some time at the end
of June. The 30
th
.
Woman: That’s when the judges announce the winners.
Man: Right, I guess I don’t have as much time to make this film as I
thought.
Woman: Now, just so it’s clear, one of the rules is about the team of
people you have working with you. Will you be doing most of the filming
yourself?
Man: Probably yes.
Woman: OK, but perhaps you’ll be needing some technical support with
editing, and the audio?
Man: I imagine so.
Woman: That’s fine, but you can’t employ any professional actors, I’m
afraid. They all need to be new to acting – having a go for the first time.
Man: I see. Not a problem. Now I know that one of the rules is about the
things you need to include in your film.
Woman: That’s right. Last year all films had to include a scene with a
broken pair of glasses.
Man: What about this year?
Woman: Well, it’s been decided that one of your main characters has to
be a child. Or, if you prefer, it could be an animal instead – but we have to
see them in a number of scenes, OK?
Man: All right. I’ll have a think about that. I’m not sure which one would
be easier to work with.
Woman: It can certainly be a challenge – but that’s what the competition
is all about. Now, it’s not just our rules you need to think about. You
might also need to get permission – say, for example – if you decided you
wanted to add some music to the film.
Man: That sounds complicated. I suppose I could use a local band –
people I know that would help out. I wouldn’t need permission in
that case.
Woman: Good idea. Then you don’t need to worry about the legal side
of things.
Man: All right. That’s clearer. Actually, is that right that the film doesn’t
need to be in English?
Woman: Yes. Because if a film wins the competition in this country, it
could end up being part of an international competition. But if you’re
going to use another language, you’ve got to provide subtitles. And those
do have to be in English, and 100% accurate. If they’re not, your film
won’t be accepted in the competition.
Man: Seems fair.
Now listen and answer questions 6 to 10. Man: I don’t suppose you could give me any advice – about making the
film, I mean.
Woman: Of course. Um, in my opinion, it’s the script that you should
concentrate on. That comes first. Work out what everyone’s going to say,
and go from there.
Man: OK, thanks for that. And I read somewhere that you shouldn’t have
too many characters or locations.
Woman: Yeah, I’d agree with that.
Man: I also read that – with short films, the judges have their
preferences. I mean, they seem to like films with a serious message, like
a documentary. I guess I shouldn’t do a comedy because not everyone
laughs at the same thing.
Woman: Yes, stay away from that kind of film. A story with a clear
beginning, middle and end – that’s what the judges look for.
Man: I was thinking I could look at some of the films from last year’s
competition – you know – to give me a better idea of what to do.
Woman: Yes, you could certainly do that. If you go to our website, have a
look at last year’s winner. His name was Greg Hyslop.
Man: How do you spell that last name?
Woman: Sure. It’s H-Y-S-L-O-P. His film was actually one of the shorter
ones, but the judges really liked it.
Man: Actually, I’m wondering if I’ve seen that one already. Isn’t it about
an artist – someone who no one appreciates but then she ends up selling
lots of her paintings?
Woman: That’s right. If you want to have another look, the film is called
Imagine. It really holds your attention.
Man: Thanks. I’ll have another look aft er this call.
Woman: So, you know what the prizes are? It’s $500 for third place, up to
$2000 for the overall winner. And of course, the winning films are shown
in a theatre, so the public can see them too.
Man: That would be an amazing thing to happen. So that would be the
Bridge Theatre, would it, in the city centre?
Woman: Yes. That’s my favourite theatre, actually. Lovely view of the
river. So, do you have any more... .
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