Making the Cut Reading Answers

Making the cut

A. We often think of acting, music, dialogue, props, and plot developments when discussing how films convey meaning, but the visual essence of a film, which is the cutting together of moving images – "motion pictures" – each one carefully tailored to meet a specific need or purpose, is often overlooked.

B. The majority of films, as well as many key moments within them, begin with an establishing shot. This picture usually comes before our introduction to the main protagonists by showing us the location where the scene's action or dialogue will take place. However, now and then, a director will use an establishing shot for a different purpose. An opening shot of a thousand troops marching in unison may offer little about the film's setting, but it does alert the audience to the fact that issues about discipline and conformity are likely to emerge in the material that follows. Establishing shots can also serve to introduce a film's concept in this way.

C. Most directors pick a long shot after an establishing shot to move the story forward. This style of view shows the full human body in relation to its environment, which makes it great for bridging the narrative barrier between place and individual activity. As a result, a long shot is frequently utilised to focus on a central character in a scene. For example, a film could start with an establishing shot of desolate, snowy mountains before cutting to a long shot of a lone skier, or a sweeping panorama of a bustling metropolis could segue into a street view of someone entering a building.

D. From here, filmmakers have complete freedom to determine which shots will best complement the story. Close-up shots of a revolver being loaded, a doorknob being turned, or the shocked visage of someone who has just awoken are common in suspense sequences. Constricting the visual field in this way heightens the viewer's fear. Character interaction will very certainly be emphasised in dramatic films. The third-person shot, which consists of a third of the frame filled with a back view of a person's upper body and head, can be used well here. This image enables us to immerse ourselves in the character's persona and live vicariously through their experiences.

E. A few special-purpose shots are used infrequently - only once or twice in most films. The money shot is an example of this. A money shot is often the most expensive aspect of a film's production values, with a cost enormously disproportionate to its screen time and has no specific technical attributes or content (which may be limited to just a brief glimpse). The money shot, on the other hand, is a big cash generator and is extensively exploited for use in promotional materials due to its stunning, lavish nature. Money shots are particularly common in high-visual-impact genres like action, war, thriller, and catastrophe films, although they are not confined to these.

Questions 1- 5

This reading passage has eight paragraphs, A– E.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A- E, as your answer to each question.
Note: You may use any letter more than once.

1. Only a few special-purpose shots are utilised in most films, usually only once or twice.
2. A thousand men marching in unison in the opening image may reveal little about the film's setting.
3. In suspense sequences, close-up shots of a handgun being loaded, a doorknob being turned, or the astonished expression of someone who has just awoken are prevalent.
4. Before moving to a long shot of a lone skier, a film could begin with an establishing shot of desolate, snowy mountains.
5. To drive the scene ahead, most directors choose a long shot after an establishing shot.

1.Answer:Paragraph E
Explanation: A few special-purpose shots are used infrequently - only once or twice in most films. 
2.Answer:Paragraph B
Explanation:  An opening shot of a thousand troops marching in unison may offer little about the film's setting,... 
3.Answer:Paragraph D
Explanation:  Close-up shots of a revolver being loaded, a doorknob being turned, or the shocked visage of someone who has just awoken are common in suspense sequences.
4.Answer:Paragraph C
Explanation: A film could start with an establishing shot of desolate, snowy mountains before cutting to a long shot of a lone skier, or a sweeping panorama of a bustling metropolis could segue into a street view of someone entering a building.
5.Answer:Paragraph C
Explanation: Most directors pick a long shot after an establishing shot to move the story forward.