Unlocking
Word Meanings
Read
the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. stuntmen (n.) [stuhnt-men] – a person who does dangerous acts in place
of a real actor
Example: The stuntmen are dressed exactly like the
actors they replace in movies.
2. prestigious (adj.) [pre-stij-uhs]– highly respected
Example: To work for the
country’s President is a prestigious
career.
3. obstacle (n.) [ob-stuh-kuhl] – something that blocks, delays or stops
progress
Example: Laziness is an obstacle to success.
4. slot (n.) [slot] – a specific position in a group or a series
Example: I reserved you the
second slot in the program.
5. animated movie (n.) [an-uh-mey-tid] [moo-vee] – a movie made from drawn figures
Example: Disney is famous for
making animated movies.
Article
Read the text below.
Hollywood stuntmen are
hoping to be awarded and be recognized in the Oscars soon after years of being
ignored in the prestigious awards
show.
Five years ago, the board
denied their appeal on adding another award for stuntmen because special
effects threatened to replace stuntmen. Surprisingly, more stuntmen are
actually being hired today because of their important part in movie making. In
addition, more action movies are using live stunts as movie goers prefer real
over fake ones.
Journalist Tom O’Neil sees
a number of obstacles
in adding an award for stuntmen: first, they need to add
representatives to an already crowded board; secondly, they will probably not
get the vote of representatives from other departments like make-up and sound
effects who avoid losing their slots in the ceremony; and
thirdly, producers of the show think that giving an award to stuntmen might
bore TV viewers who watch the show for the famous actors.
Jack Gill, a stuntman for
32 years, explained that stuntmen matters to movies. Stuntmen put their lives
at risk to create exciting scenes and even in movies that don’t require
stuntmen stunt coordinators are still necessary. Stunt coordinators ensure that
actors are safe by guiding them with what they should and should not do.
Nowadays, movie makers demand more from stuntmen as they create more dangerous
stunts.
Aside from stuntmen,
voice actors who give life to animated movies, and
casting directors, who choose the actors for a movie, are also unrecognized.
Fortunately for stuntmen, the organization Screen Actors Guild has recently added
an award for best stunt group.
Viewpoint
Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
Do you think stuntmen should be
given awards even if viewers do not know them?
·
Which part in movie making do you
think is most important? Please explain your answer.
Discussion B
·
What is the advantage of using
special effects in movies?
·
What can real actors do which
special effects cannot achieve?
