Release

153. When a film first appears, it is usually shown at one central cinema for a certain period, after which it is released (выпущен на экран), that is, it is made available to any cinema.

General release occurs in such sentences as:

1. - Have you seen "The Godfather"?

   • No, I’m waiting for it to go on general release/be released.

b. It’s on general release now.

These expressions are much less common now in Britain than the used to be, since many cinemas, especially in the suburbs, have closed, and there are hardly any cinemas left at which "released" films can be shown. In this country, however, where big cities have many cinemas, the words release and general release are sometimes needed.

Those Who Work In the Cinema

154. Note that there is no general expression denoting a person who works in the cinema, like the Russian работник кино. In some cases, however, we can use to be in films (see unit 149).

Director, Producer, Manager and Related Words

155. The usage of director, producer and manager in the cinema is much simpler and more uniform than in the theatre (see units 95—97). This can be explained as follows:

1. the cinema is a much more recent art than the theatre and American influence was dominant from the very beginning of its development. The British cinema therefore simply adopted American usage, having no traditions of its own.

2. the cinema in Britain and America is entirely commercial (see unit 90), not a mixture of commercial and subsidized activity, like the theatre.

156. Director, direct

The director is the person responsible for the artistic side of a film. He directs the film, that is, he chooses the actors, supervises rehearsals, shooting, and so on. Director corresponds to the Russian режиссер..

Director and direct are widely used in such sentences as:

a. Who's the director?

b. Who's it directed by?

c. He's a brilliant director/one of our best directors.

d. What films has he directed?

Make may be used instead of direct in sentences like above, but it is not a synonym. It is a more general word than direct and may be applied also to producers, actors and film companies.

157. Producer, produce, production

The producer is the person or group or company which finances a film and therefore exercises general control over it. Producers are necessary in Britain and other countries because the film industry is not subsidized, but run entirely on a commercial basis, unlike the theatre (see units 89, 90). There is no equivalent in the Soviet cinema, since the cinema is subsidized by the state, and the word producer generally transliterated, giving пpодюсер.

Produce is used in two senses:

1. to finance, be a producer, as explained above,

e.g. "Oh Lucky Man" has an English director, English actors and is set in England, but one of the producers is an American.

2. to create, make (in a general sense), , e.g. This is one of the best films produced in Britain during the 1950s.

In the second sense it may be used of the Soviet cinema.

e.g. The film is produced/made by Mosfilm.

Production is also used in two senses, corresponding to those of produce given above.

e.g. 1. "Oh Lucky Man" is an American production.

2. This is one of the best productions of the British cinema in the 1950s.

With reference to the Soviet cinema, we may say, for example, a Mosfilm production.

Joint production is used when two film companies, often from different countries, cooperate to make a film (совместное производство).

158. manager

The manager is the person who runs a cinema (meaning the building), maintaining the premises, hiring films, arranging for them to be shown, etc.

Management is used as a collective noun denoting the manager and his staff.

Production manager can be used to translate the Russian директор (картины).