Children's Film: Final Opening Sequence

Children's Film: Editing Day 3

We finished the editing process today. All the cuts were finished yesterday, so we added in the transitions and music and sound effects. We decided to put all of the audio files into one Garageband file so that we could simply cut it in Final Cut Express, and would prevent us from having to import multiple files. Credits and a title have also been added giving the names of Director, Producer, Editor etc.

Now that the editing process is complete we have our footage cut and flowing, with credits, music and sound effects all at appropriate times. We have made sure that the music/sound effects doesn't overpower the dialogue parts of the sequence, and have decided to subtly lower the music when dialogue begins.

Adding credits

I mentioned earlier, in a post here, that we would have to check that the classification of the film. Going back to our post on classification, we have decided that the best classification for our opening sequence is PG. Earlier I thought that we may need to change the classification to U, however, looking back at the classification rules PG is more suitable. This is because the threats represented by the villain show no outcome, and mild discrimination is shown in the reality school scene when the apple is thrown out of Jeremy's hand. Therefore PG is more suitable, and it's better to choose this classification to be safe.

Note: Our classification is PG.

Children's Film: Editing Day 2

Adding a Transition.

Toady we finished off any cutting we needed to complete, along with the soundtrack and sound effects. We found that after cutting we found that we needed to further cut footage to make the sequence 2 minutes. We were also able to add some transitions in to make the sequence more active and interesting, however, we have not completed this yet.

Well on schedule, but in our final editing day we need to consider the following: credits at the opening, importing soundtrack and sound effects, adding more transitions and adding any other finishing touches to the sequence.

Children's Film: Editing Day 1

Today we began our editing process, and also began to create the music the soundtrack and sound effects for our sequence.

The most important thing which we began to do today was cutting the footage up. This ensured that we had a flowing sequence of different shots, this will enable us to add in any transitions of effects that we need later. The footage was originals about 6 minutes in total as we had filmed the same shots several times to ensure that we got the best we could, after finishing all the cutting we have about 2 - 3 minutes. Our aim is to get the opening sequence as close to 2 minutes as possible.

Cut footage

 We also began to create the soundtrack and effects for the sequence. Three pieces of music are needed: the chase scene (which also the music used for opening the sequence), a western style piece, and some background music or sound effects for the reality/school scene at the end. Sound effects will be used at different point in the sequence to show the magic weapons, and the transition from dream to reality via the main character waking up. All the soundtrack and sound effects will be created using Garageband so the music is all original.

Editing the Time-line.

Children's Film: Filming Day 2

During filming day two we completed our the rest of the filming. As we have completed the superhero scene, in which the main character is dreaming, we are now able to move onto reality in a school environment. In the filming on day two we were able to film the classroom scene, where our main character wakes up from his dream. We then see a short corridor scene, which includes the 'apple' which we saw in the previous superhero scene. This will enable the audience to see that this character is in-fact the same character as before - just in a different situation/scene. During the corridor scene the apple is destroyed by an by-passer which shows the destruction of hope for the main character. The opening sequence ends shortly after this.

Overall we managed to complete this quickly as the shots were fairly short. We have tried to use a variety of angles to show hierarchy between the teacher and student, we have also used panning, and some different shot distances. From both days of filming I believe that we have used a huge variety of techniques which will make the opening sequence more interesting for the young audience.

We finished the filming day by importing/capturing our footage from the camera onto the computer, which we will be editing in upcoming lessons.

Children's Film: Filming Day 1

Today we began filming our children's film opening sequence. So far we are right on schedule and have been able to finish all of our superhero scene. We were very careful to follow our plan as closely as possible, and tried to use a wide range of angles and locations.

Before our filming began we sorted out the costumes, which I have posted about here. We all brought in a range of different items to create the costumes, which I think have turned out really well.

From filming today I think that our classification might need to be changed from PG to U. This is because we have not used any discrimination and have used minimal violence, and so I believe that the opening sequence would better fit into the U classification. We will later confirm this.

Children's Film: Health & Safety (Filming)

Here are some guidelines which we considered when we were filming:

• Other classes - do not make too much noise.
• Location - Safe and appropriate places
• Traffic - Be aware of the traffic going through car park

Here are the guidelines we considered regarding use of the equipment:

• Keep all equipment together
• Carry everything in it's case
• Make sure the tape is rewound before you begin taping
• Capture shots more than once
• Don't leave the camera switched on, as this wastes battery

Children's Film: Target Audience

Our children's film will be aimed at both male and females, as it has aspects within it that will appeal to both genders, especially the comical aspects and the storyline. Our film is a PG (Parental Guidance) but will be bordering Universal (U), this means that the film can be enjoyed by all ages, especially as our film is aimed at a younger audience around the ages 5-10 years old. The reasoning behind this is that whilst the action is filmed in a comedic way, the action brings a 'Mild Threat' level of violence which is acceptable for a Universal (U) classification as well as a Parental Guidance (PG) certification.

The target audience will be interested in school life and they may also be concerned about bullying, as many of the audience would have recently started school. The film brings across the issues of bullying
to condemn bullying, this provides a moral message for children that bullying is wrong. This is not the only moral message that the opening sequence will teach the young audience, there is also morals of justice, good vs bad, and personal growth as a character.

Childrens Film: Chase Sequence Ideas

The Chase sequence that will appear in our sequence is inspired by a Benny Hill show, a British TV comedy show that appeared between 1951 and 1991 which involved slapstick comedy in their sketches
which were reminiscent of Charlie Chaplin and Keystone kops which both appeared in the early 20th century. Below is an example of a Charlie Chaplin chase scene from 1928.



As we can see in this chase scene. It involves a lot of slapstick comedy and sped-up action to create a more humorous tone.  

This scene has been re-created many times in many different TV shows and movies. Notably Scooby-doo, the Children's TV show often involved this scene in many of their episodes. Below is a recreation of this sequence by the Childrens TV show, Scooby doo.



As we can see in the Scooby-doo re-creation also involves sped up shots and a bit of slapstick comedy as well to create a humorous and comedic effect.


As we can tell from analysing the two different sequences to make a effective chase scene, then it should Involve up-beat music, sped-up shots, humorous slapstick comedy and the sequence should also be edited to provide humorous narrative during the sequence.

Children's Film: Filming Time Use

Today we have discussed in our group how we will use props and costumes in advance of filming. This will help us get to work quickly and to use our time effectively to film everything we need.

Day 1: In the media studies corridor and outside, behind C-block.
On day one we will focus on filming the chase/ superhero scene. This is because it will be the hardest part to film and will take the most amount of time. It also means we will only have to bring the costumes in at least one day (unless we don't finish filming that part). We will need to bring in bright clothes and a face mask for the superhero and dark clothes and a face mask for the bad-guy. On top of this we will buy an apple and a burger from the school canteen.

Day 2: In the C-block corridor
On day two we will finish up and bits we had not finished from the superhero scene. Unfortunately, if we do not get it finished on the first day we will have to bring the costumes and props in for another day. After this we will focus on the classroom and corridor scenes. We will not need as many props for this scene, but we will need an apple and a bag for the 'school kid' to hold to make him look like a student. We will also give him some big glasses to make him look like a stereotypical school nerd.


Day 3: C-block corridor and media classroom
On day three of filming we will finish up any scenes that have not yet been completed in the class room and corridor scenes. This will involve bring in the props like we had to in the previous days. however, our superhero scene should be complete by then and so the costumes for that would not be necessary. Once we finish on that day we will start capturing our video from the video and editing the video in final cut express.

Children's Film: Timeline for our Sequence

We are now beginning to create a final idea for our sequence. Here we will be detailing the timeline of events that will take place during the sequence. You will notice that the ideas have developed from the initial plot ideas which are here.

The sequence will begin with a superhero character, who is also the protagonist and main character, chasing/being chased by a villain character in an action chase scene. This 'chase' will follow the conventions of a comedy sequence by filming in the style of "Benny Hill" style chase sequence. In these shots; the music will be up-tempo and quite comical to fit in with the "Benny Hill" style, we will also have diagetic sound of fast moving footsteps to make the chase more realistic. This comic opening and upbeat music will quickly engage the audience, which will then lead them into the film as it will keep them interested. Below is an example of a "Benny Hill" style chase sequence.



In the next part of our sequence we see the chase come to an end, as the characters have reached a dead end. The two characters are now forced to have a showdown following the conventions western style showdown.The music will have a having a building tempo to build intensity in this part of sequence. The costumes used in these parts of the sequence will be bright for the superhero but dark for the villain so the audience can see who is the good-guy and who is the bad-guy. The props used for this sequence will be food, for the super-hero will be carrying a "magic apple" whilst the villain will be carrying a "evil burger" this make it easy for the audience to draw contrasts between the characters. Whilst this is quite comical, it brings the importance of healthy eating to the audience. The superhero will be pinned in a corner by the villain, he will be shouting "no, no, no..." as the villain tries to force him to eat the "evil burger".

The next scene takes place in a classroom, where the main character has been dreaming everything that the audience has seen before. As he is woken up my his teacher we see that he is an unconfident, outcast who is picked upon by other students. This is a large contrast from his dream of being a superhero, this could possibly be because he wants be more popular etc. This part of the sequence will have the diagetic sounds of a classroom with no non-diagetic music in the background. We see the villain we saw in the dream turns out to look just like the boy's teacher. We see the main character walk out of the classroom and into a corridor, from this we can tell he is an outsider because he is being pushed around and appears different to the other students. He stops at a window-sill to retrieve an apple from is bag when another student knocks it out his hands. This brings the moral issue of bullying to the audience's attention. the very last shot will be the close up of the apple on the floor which will tie the whole of the opening sequence to a close.

We are able to see several morals that the opening sequence is going to teach a young audience. They will learn about justice, good vs. evil, healthy eating, that bullying is wrong, but also the difficulties of an outcast. A person on the outside looking in.

This may seen very detailed and a lengthy sequence, but many of the shots we have described will be only a few seconds long. You can see a thorough shot-by-shot explanation of our sequence in the storyboards post here.

Children's Film: Back to the Future (Micro-elements Analysis)

We've just watched the opening sequence of Back to the Future. We were asked to analyze the micro-elements of the sequence, which included sound, camera movement, camera angles, and distance/framing.

Below you can see the storyboard with some notes below explaining what we saw in the opening sequence.

Children's Film: Film Classification

All films are given a classification. In the UK the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) watches and assesses films so that they are given the correct classification. For our Children's film there are two options: Universal or Parental Guidance.


Universal (U) classification:

• Suitable for 5 years and above
• Positive moral framework
• Offers reassurance to any threat/horror
• Suitable for children to view alone
• No bad language or discrimination
• No drugs unless referred to for educational purposes
• No emphasis on realistic or accessible weapons
• No sexual content
• No dangerous behaviour which young children are likely to copy
• Violence in the Film must only resemble a 'Mild Threat' and the outcome must be reassuring to the audience.

Parental Guidance (PG) classification:

• Suitable for 8 years and above
• Parents should consider if it suitable for younger audiences
• Some discrimination but for educational purposes
• Drugs must carry an anti-drug message
• Horror should be short and NOT intense
• More grown up themes discussed
• Mild Language only
• Where more serious Themes used (such as domestic abuse) should not be shown in a way that condones such behaviour.

Our group have decided to go with a PG classification for our film as it gives us more opportunities in the film making process. Our plot will involve some superhero characters which may be only usable in the PG classification. However, we would be later able to alter the classification to suit our filming if anything changes.

Children's Film: Bug Life (Opening Sequence)

A Bug's life was made in 1998 by Pixar, it was directed by John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton. It is the story of a colony of ants that are suffering from the tyranny of the grasshoppers. A misfit ant known as Flick goes on a search for a group of warriors to help defeat the grasshoppers, but turn out to be a a circus troupe. It is a typical action film with a Hero, Villain and "Hero saves girl" - together the ants and the circus troupe save the day and give them the justice they deserve.


The Film begins with a peaceful and calm setting which establishes the location and gives us an idea of what the story will be. It starts as an equilibrium where everything is normal and we see an average day for the ants. We hear realistic diagetic and non-diagetic sounds that help to emphasize the location and atmosphere of the scene to entertain and attract a young audience we see common/real problems for the ants represented in a humerous way, the simple things to us are huge problems to the ants and helps children puts things into perspective of the ants. Like most other films, we are introduced to the main characters and experience some of their personalities, which will help the audience see the change in the characters by the end of the film. The main character however is shown as an outsider and as different to the other ants, he is an outcast. We can see this in his actions and his colour, this is a moral that everyone should be treated equally.

The equilibrium is broken when it is warned to the ants that the grasshoppers are coming. this peril is typical of an action film. When things seem bad for the ant colony, they are even worse for the main character who seems to suffer from bad luck. Although the colony might not sympathize with him the audience will be able to.

 
Here is the first scene of the film:

Children's Film: Conventions of an Action Opening Sequence

Here are some things that we would expect from a conventional children's action film:

• Mild peril for the characters
• Hero/heroin
• Villain
• Guy saves girl and saves the day
• Destruction of equilibrium
• Fantasy weapons/transport

Children's Film: Conventions of an Opening sequence

Here is a list of conventions you would expect from a Children opening sequence:

• Setting the scene - Location and time period are important.
• Introducing the main character - showing personality and characteristics
• Relationships between characters
• Gives some idea of what the plot of the film will include.
• Upbeat and interesting to grab the attention of the audience.
• Easy to follow.
• Soundtrack - Main theme music
• Building up to something - engaging the audience.
• Opening credits and title.
• Shows the genre and atmosphere.
• Everything is normal - showing a normal day for the main character.
• Colorful costumes and settings that will emphasise whats going on and the characters.
• Humour
• Appropriate morals introduced
• Not always human - e.g. Toy Story, WALL-E, Monsters Inc.

Preliminary Task: Editing & End Result

Today we edited the footage that we took on Tuesday. We've used cuts and some fading transitions for the audio/sound. We chose to import some songs as well "Haven't Met You Yet" by Michael Buble and "Bella's Lullaby" from Twilight. Above you can see the end result.

Preliminary Task: Filming

Today we have filmed our sequence, we have tried to stick to the storyboard we made yesterday. However we have made a few changes which would probably be seen in the final edit. we've used different angles and multiple shots so that we have more to work with when editing. For example we filmed the staircase shot multiple times from different angles so that we can edit it in a match on action cuts.

We have captured our video into final cut express ready for editing in our next lesson. We have decided that George and Sam will be editing the video, adding appropriate cuts and transitions. Jack and Charlie will be creating the soundtrack using garageband.

Preliminary Task: Storyboard

Storyboards are very important. They help the director stick to a plan and helps prevent the film seeming random and in the wrong order. It also helps if a person is ill or away as the other people in the group know what that person wanted from the piece of film/performance.

When there is a storyboard you also do not have to film in the chronological order of the story.

Our storyboard.

We will need a camera and a tripod to film our story. we will have paperwork as a prop for the character to drop.

Our shot list.

Our shot list is a written out version of our story board. This prevents any confusion if pictures are not clear.

Preliminary Task: Introduction

This week we shall be planning, filming and editing a conversation sequence which includes a variety of different shots. It will be used to demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180 rule. We have to pass this task to be able to continue onto the main project/coursework.

Today, we are planning our sequence on a storyboard and research and find examples of the shots which we will be using in the sequence. The shots included are establishing shot, close-up shot, match on action shot, reaction shot, long shot and using the 180 degree rule to film a conversation. We have also started our project blog to document our progress throughout the current task and the main project.

Tomorrow we shall be filming our sequence on location according to our storyboard.  The basic narrative of the storyboard starts as character 1 is walking down a staircase and walking down a hallway in an establishing shot. In the next shot character one drops what he is carrying and crouches down to collect the items from the floor which is shown in a close up. We will then see the same thing from a match on action shot of character 1 picking up the items from the floor. In the next shot we see character 2 come to help character 1 pick up the items and we see a reaction shot of character one. Then in the next shot we have a long shot of both characters standing up and then the shot moves into a shot reverse shot of the characters having a conversation using the 180 degree rule.

Then in the final lesson on this task we shall be editing our sequence to fit a linear narrative using final cut express. We are also going to think about the the sound and music which could be used in the sequence.