Creativity is GREAT - Part 1

From Wallace and Gromit to Ewan McGregor, Britain's cinema is great. Richard visits the London Film Museum and finds out about the facilities for making film in the UK.

Transcript

Britain is a creative nation ... Art, music, gaming and film-making – you’ll find it all here.

But why is it that Great Britain has more creative people, per head of population, than anywhere else in the world?

Let’s find out …

This is the London Film Museum. Here you’ll find original costumes and props from some of the world’s greatest films.

This museum has it all. Iconic monsters, robots, fantasy and so much more...

Ahhh - one of my boyhood heroes, Batman.

Jonathan Sands founded and created the museum, and over half of the collection is from his own private archive.

.....

Richard: Jonathan, I'm a huge fan of movies so I'm very excited to be here. What's the idea behind the London Film Museum?

Jonathan: The Film Museum primarily promotes the British film industry through a number of mediums, including original artefacts and costumes and sets. A lot of our friends, who we've accumulated over the years, have donated material to the museum and it is the only film museum like it in the UK.

Richard: And how did it come about?

Jonathan: Well, it came about because originally we ourselves are from the film industry. We owned a prop company, a prop being an artefact or an item that is used on the film, many of which you'll see here.

Richard: Why do you think it is that Britain leads the world when it comes to film-making?

Jonathan: I think primarily for two reasons. One, we have fantastic facilities, like the Pinewoods, Sheppertons and soon to be the Leavesdens, and we also have the best and the most creative talent, whether it's in front of camera or behind the camera, really.

.....

From creativity on the small screen to creativity on the big stage … the UK has a thriving theatrical tradition. London’s West End is the largest theatrical district in the world.

And it’s not only happening in London. Great Britain hosts one of the world’s largest cultural events – this is the Edinburgh Festival. The Festival takes place each year in August and attracts acts and visitors from around the world.

Task 1

Which of these things do you see in the London Film Museum?

Exercise

Task 2

Watch the video again, and select the best answer.

Exercise

Task 3

Can you make sentences from the video using these words?

Exercise

Task 4

Can you complete these sentences with the right words? Use of with which, whose or whom.

Exercise

Discussion

Average: 5 (4 votes)
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Submitted by Jeferson Arauj… on Tue, 14/02/2023 - 23:53

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I watch movies almost every weekend. I have lots of movies that I enjoy. When it comes to actors and actresses, I think of Emma Thompson, Olivia Colman, Imelda Staunton, Helen Mirren, Charles Dance, and Daniel Craig. My favorite is Emma Thompson because she can make you laugh when she turns out in some picturesque paper, inspires you sometimes, and make the boss style, like in the movie Cruella where she made Baroness Hellman.

Submitted by meknini on Sun, 17/07/2022 - 06:34

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Quite often actually especially when I am on break. I don't have any specific films that I call my favorite as I rarely watch anything more than twice and I assume when someone has a favorite film they would watch it often and I don't do that. Since I don't think I am a film buff, I don't keep track of film stars and directors. I would sometimes read the cast names at the end of the film but like always I don't remember them. The few I recall are Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Pierce Brosnan and a few of the James Bond 007 heroes. I guess I am not a fanatic fan of stars thus I don't keep track or updated of them and their film careers. I am bad, I know.

Submitted by SUMIA on Tue, 07/06/2022 - 06:19

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Hello,I have a question about the word "boyhood"is it used by both male and female?! Or as a female could say girlhood..?!!

Hello Sumia,

The word 'boyhood' doesn't include the idea of 'girlhood' (which is a word).

If you're looking for a word that includes the early years of both boys and girls, you can use 'childhood'.

All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by Molly on Sat, 24/10/2020 - 16:17

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I really like different genres of movies and recently I started to watch very often different movies. My favorite movie is "a meter away from each other".I know enough about British movie stars, and remember the three Directors. My favorite British movie stars are Hugh Laurie, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy, Daniel Radcliffe and Robert Pattinson

Submitted by Ludmi58 on Mon, 14/09/2020 - 20:40

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I don't think I have a favourite movie of all times. But, I do enjoy watching films, even though, I prefer series. In that matter, I may say that my favourite ones are British, such as "Outlander" or "Peaky Blinders". I think there's something eye-catching about films or series shooted in the UK, it may be the landscapes or the talent for storytelling, who knows?

Submitted by Marcos Martins on Wed, 11/07/2018 - 20:27

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I love watching movies. I have a very busy routine, so I can't always watch a movie, but I try to do it at least once a week. My favourite movie of all time is The Sound of Music. I love Musicals in General, but this one brings me so much joy and happiness. I also like Mary Poppins a lot. I love movies, but I'm terrible at remembering names so I can't really think of many british actors and directors. I know Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Emma Watson (and the rest of the Harry Potter cast), Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, Hugh Grant... and I think that's it. I absolutely LOVE Anne Hathaway, I think she's very talented. I think Maggie Smith and Julie Andrews are amazing too.

Submitted by Yshc on Sat, 19/05/2018 - 18:39

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Hello again! One more question please: Approximately at 1:40 Johnatan says "A lot of our friends, who we've accumulated over the years...". Is the word "who" appropriate here? Why not "whom"?

Hello Yshc,

The form whom is much less common in modern English than it used to be and is slowly disappearing. Grammatically, whom is possible in this sentence but it would be quite unusual in normal speech.

Who is preferred in almost all contexts nowadays. The only sentences in which whom is required and who cannot be used is when the word follows a preposition, so we always say to whom, for whom and so on.

 

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by Yshc on Sat, 19/05/2018 - 18:33

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Hello, team! Could you explain this discrepency; In the transcript we have: "we have over half of the collection is from his own private archive." In exercise 3, question 2 we have nearly the same, but without "of". Is it a mistake? Or maybe both options are possible - "half of the collection" and "half the collection"?