Narrator
Listen to part of a lecture in a film history class.
Professor：Okay, we've been discussing films in the 1920s and 30s, and how back then film categories, as we know them today, had not yet been established. We said that by today's standards, many of the films of the 20s and 30s would be considered hybrids, that is, a mixture of styles that wouldn't exactly fit into any of today's categories, and in that context. Today we are going to talk about a film-maker who began making very unique films in the late 1920s. He was French, and his name was Jean Painlevé. Jean Painlevé was born in 1902. He made his first film in 1928. Now in a way, Painlevé's films conform to norms of the 20s and 30s, that is, they don't fit very neatly into the categories we use to classify films today. That said, even by the standards of the 20s and 30s, Painlevé's films were unique, a hybrid of styles. He had a special way of fusing, or some people might say confusing, science and fiction. His films begin with facts, but then they become more and more fictional. They gradually add more and more fictional elements. In fact, Painlevé was known for saying that science is fiction. Painlevé was a pioneer in underwater film-making, and a lot of his short films focused on the aquatic animal world. He liked to show small underwater creatures, displaying what seemed like familiar human characteristics – what we think of as unique to humans. He might take a clip of a mollusk going up and down in the water and set it to music. You know, to make it look like the mollusk were dancing to the music like a human being – that sort of thing. But then he suddenly changed the image or narration to remind us how different the animals are, how unlike humans. He confused his audience in the way he portrayed the animals he filmed, mixing up on notions of the categories of humans and animals. The films make us a little uncomfortable at times because we are uncertain about what we are seeing. It gives him films an uncanny feature: the familiar made unfamiliar, the normal made suspicious. He liked twists, he liked the unusual. In fact, one of his favorite sea animals was the seahorse because with seahorses, it's the male that carries the eggs, and he thought that was great. His first and most celebrated underwater film is about the seahorse. Susan, you have a question?
Student 1：But underwater film-making wasn't that unusual, was it? I mean, weren't there other people making movies underwater?
Professor：Well, actually, it was pretty rare at that time. I mean, we are talking about the early 1920s
Student 1：But what about Jacques Cousteau? Was he like an innovator, you know, with underwater photography too?
Professor：Ah, Jacques Cousteau. Well, Painlevé and Cousteau did both film underwater, and they were both innovators, so you are right in that sense. But that's pretty much where the similarities end. First of all, Painlevé was about 20 years ahead of Cousteau. And Cousteau's adventures were high-tech, with lots of fancy equipment, whereas Painlevé kind of patched the equipment together as he needed it. Cousteau usually filmed large animals, usually in the open sea, whereas Painlevé generally filmed smaller animals, and he liked to film in shallow water. Uh, what else, oh well, the main difference was that Cousteau simply investigated and presented the facts – he didn't mix in fiction. He was a strict documentarist. He set the standard really for the nature documentary. Painlevé, on the other hand, as we said before, mixed in elements of fiction. And his films are much more artistic, incorporating music as an important element. John, you have a question?
Student 2：Well, maybe I shouldn't be asking this, but if Painlevé's films are so special, so good, why haven't we ever heard of them? I mean, everyone's heard of Jacques Cousteau.
Professor：Well, that's a fair question. Uh, the short answer is that Painlevé's style just never caught on with the public. I mean, it probably goes back at least in part to where we mentioned earlier, that people didn't know what to make of his films – they were confused by them, whereas Cousteau's documentaries were very straightforward, met people's expectations more than Painlevé's films did. But you are true: film history is about what we know about them. And Painlevé is still highly respected in many circles.
TPO 3 Conversation 2
Narrator
Listen to a conversation between a student and a professor.
Student：Hi, Professor Archure, you know how in class last week you said you were looking for students who are interested in volunteering for your archeology project?
Professor：Of course, are you volunteering?
Student：Yes, I am. It sounds really interesting, but er… do I need to have any experience for these kinds of projects?
Professor：No, not really. I assume that most students taking the introductory level of class would have little or no experience with the archeological research, but that's ok.
Student：Oh, good, that's a relief. Actually, that's why I'm volunteering for the project — to get experience. What kind of work is it?
Professor：Well, as you know, we're studying the history of the campus this semester. This used to be an agricultural area and we already know that where the main lecture hall now stands, there once were farm house and barn that were erected in the late 1700s. We are excavating near the lecture hall to see what types of artifacts we find, you know, things people used in the past that got buried when the campus was constructed. We've already began to find some very interesting items like old bottles, buttons, pieces of clay pottery.
Student：Buttons and clay pottery? Did the old owners leave in such a hurry that they left their clothes and dishes behind?
Professor：Hmmm… that's just one of the questions we hope to answer with this project.
Student：Wow, and it's all right here on campus.
Professor：That's right, no traveling involved. I wouldn't expect volunteers to travel to a site, especially in the middle of the semester. We expect to find many more things, but we do need more people to help.
Student：So… how many student volunteers are you looking for?
Professor：I'm hoping to get five or six. I've asked for volunteers in all of the classes I teach, but no one has responded. You are the first person to express interest.
Student：Sounds like it could be a lot of work. Is there er… is there any way I can use the experience to get some extra credit in class? I mean, can I write a paper about it?
Professor：I think it'll depend on what type of work you do in the excavation, but I imagine we can arrange something. Actually I've been considering offering extra credit for class because I've been having a tough time getting volunteers. Extra credit is always a good incentive for students.
Student：And how often would you want the volunteers to work?
Professor：We're asking for three or four hours per week, depending on your schedule. A senior researcher, I think you know John Franklin, my assistant, is on site every day.
Student：Sure, I know John. By the way, will there be some sort of training?
Professor：Yes, er… I want to wait still Friday to see how many students volunteer, and then I'll schedule the training class next week at a time that's convenient for everyone.
Student：Ok. I'll wait to hear from you. Thanks a lot for accepting me.
