This paper explores the processes behind drawing different kinds of inference from a single short film. It examines the range knowledge that groups of viewers are able to derive from listening to film sound, and from summarizing the work of a whole film, using the concepts of "aesthetic" and "efferent" reading set out by Louise Rosenblatt. The activities described come from work with groups of PGCE English students, compared with similar activities carried out with primary-aged children.