Functional Language: Cinema and televison

Idioms related to films and television

• Blue movie: A film that contains graphic sexual content.
• Popcorn movie: A film that is entertaining to watch but is generally not of a very high quality
• Snuff movie: A film that shows the actual murder or death of a person.
• To be star-studded: Lots of famous people in a film, play etc. "It was a star-studded event."
• To steal the show: To win the greatest praise. "Her acceptance speech really stole the show."
• A show stopper: An event that provoques a strong reaction. "His speech was a real show stopper."
• To be in the limelight: To be the center of attention.

Expressions for going to the movies

When a new film is released, you can say:

“When is the release date or premiere of [movie name]?”

When arranging to meet a friend for a movie, you might ask:

“Which cinema is it showing at?”

When you arrive at the ticket office, you’ll be asked:

“Which film would you like to see? Which show time?”

“How many seats would you like?”

You may ask:

“May I have 2 tickets for the 10 o’clock show of [movie name]”

“We would like to sit in row A, seats 12 to 14”

Culture: The world's most important awards of film and televison

In this segment, you will get to know some culture about cinema and televisión: you will learn a brief history of the world's most important and prestigious awards of the industry: The Academy Awards, the Golden Globes Awards and the Emmy Awards.

The Academy Awards

The Academy Awards, also called the Oscars, is a formal awards ceremony to honor the best achievements in filmmaking from the previous year. The Academy Awards, from the nomination and voting processes to the ceremony itself, are overseen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Academy has about 6,000 members and is a professional honorary society of people involved in all aspects of making movies.

One of the more prestigious award ceremonies in the world, The Academy Awards ceremony is televised in over 100 countries. Those who love cinema tune in to see how their favorite movies and performers fare. Those who love fashion watch to see what the celebrities are wearing — which is often the latest in couture with astronomically expensive jewelry.

Listening Comprehension: My favorite film

Listen to the following conversation and then answer the questions.

Vocabulary: Cinema and Television

Cinema and Television Vocabulary

• Televisión (n.): a device shaped like a box with a screen that receives electrical signals and changes them into moving images and sound.
• Program (US) / programme (GB) (n.): a broadcast on television or radio.
• Broadcast (v.): to send out a programme on television or radio.
• Soap opera (n.): a series of television or radio programmes about the lives and problems of a particular group of characters.
• Sitcom (n.): a funny television or radio show in which the same characters appear in each programme in a different story.
• Series (n.): a set of television or radio broadcasts on the same subject or using the same characters but in different situations.
• Documentary (n.): a film or television programme that gives facts and information about a subject.
• News broadcast (n.): a television or radio programme consisting of reports about recent events.
• Episode (n.): one of the single parts into which a story is divided, especially when it is broadcast on the television or radio.
• Talk show (n.): a radio or television programme on which famous guests are asked questions about themselves.
• Reality show (n.): a television programme about ordinary people who are filmed in real situations.
• Weather forecast (n.): a statement of what the weather is likely to be for the next day or few days broadcast on televisión.

Reading Comprehension: History of TV

Televisions show sounds and pictures. They get data from cables, discs, or over-the-air signals. They turn this data into sounds and images. People watch news and shows on them. You probably call them TVs. John Baird made the first TV in 1925. It had one color. It could only show 30 lines. This was just enough room for a face. It didn't work well, but it was a start.

The first TV station was set up in 1928. It was in New York. Few people had TVs. The broadcasts were not meant to be watched. They showed a Felix the Cat doll for two hours a day. The doll spun around on a record player. They were experimenting. It took many years to get it right. By the end of the 1930s, TVs were working well. America got its first taste at the 1939 World's Fair. This was one of the biggest events ever. There were 200 small, black and white TVs set up around the fair. The U.S. President gave a speech over the TVs. The TVs were only five inches big but the people loved it. They wanted TVs. But World War II was going on during this time. Factories were busy making guns and bombs. When the war was over, TV spread across the country.