FCE Reading (Tips for young filmmakers)

You are going to read an article giving advice to teenagers about making films. For questions 1-10, choose from the sections (A-F). The sections may be chosen more than once.

In which section does the writer...

warn that a failure to do something produces noticeably poor results?

suggest an alternative to something that people may not be able to afford?

mention that people may end up regretting a decision?

advise people to think about what they are doing in a different way?

encourage people to base their films on the things around them?

recommend how filmmakers can get feedback on their work?

say people should never stop developing their film-making abilities?

say that making mistakes is necessary in order to improve?

describe how to learn from what other people have done?

say what can make up for a film's weaknesses?

From: First for Schools Trainer. Cambridge University Press.

Lots of teenagers are making films these days. Here's some advice if you're thinking of doing so too. First of all, work with what you've got. Don't write that epic crowd scene unless you know there's a festival happening next week that you can steal as a backdrop. Play to your strengths. There's probably something unique that you or your family have access to that you can use in your movie. If your dad has a tractor, write a movie about that. If he doesn't, don't.

Showing your film to an audience is one of the most important ways of figuring out what you're doing right or wrong as a filmmaker -but that isn't the same as saying that you always have to try to please the audience, or make a film that you think "they" will like. A lot of the time just seeing your film with other people in the room will help you see it more objectively. And if you're still thinking your film has to be 20 minutes long, just imagine how long that 20 minutes is going to feel when 300 people are sitting beside you watching it...

A lot of the mistakes that young filmmakers make could be avoided if teenagers actually just paid attention to their favourite films. Pick a movie you love and watch it with the sound down; look closely at the camera angles, the editing and the lighting. Watch short films on the Internet and see how an effective story can be told in five minutes. You won't be able to match the production values of these films -and you don't need to, anyway- but often the craft of good filmmaking doesn't cost any money. You just have to actually watch films.

Audiences will forgive a lot of technical flaws in your film if your story is compelling, your actors are engaging or your jokes are funny -but there's still a point where the technical mistakes start to get in the way. That point is usually when they're no longer able to clearly see, hear or follow what's going on. So get to know your equipment, and practise with it. Learn the basics of shot composition. Do your best to record quality sound and, if that's too expensive, make a silent movie -there's too much talking in most movies anyway.

Every film you make should teach you something you didn't know before, and achieve something you didn't know you were capable of. This doesn't mean you have to go out every time and do something that you have no idea how to do. You should draw on the skills and techniques you've already learned -but if you're not building on them, if you're not pushing yourself further in some way, you're playing it safe. It will show and you may eventually regret staying in your comfort zone in this way.

The limitations of teenage filmmaking can often be discouraging. How on earth are you supposed to make a great film when all you've got is this rubbish camera and your silly friends? Well, the first step is to change your attitude. In fact, you should be celebrating the fact that that's all you've got: that means all your solutions to the problems you encounter are going to have to be creative ones. And whatever you do, don't give up. If you haven't failed at filmmaking yet, then you probably weren't being ambitious enough. If you have, congratulations; you're on your way to becoming a great filmmaker.