Children's Film Opening Sequence Evaluation Questions

Children's Film Opening Sequence Evaluation Questions

In your evaluation, you must answer and illustrate the following questions:

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

5. How did you attract/ address your audience?

6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Peer Feedback

Constructive feedback

• Story didn't make sense.
• Missing dialogue made it confusing.
• Dropped map didn't work.
• Didn't get a feel for the rest of the film.

Positive Feedback

• Music worked well.
• Could tell it was an opening to a film as it showed they were going to a place on an adventure.
• Variety of different shots used.
• Liked the over shoulder shot.
• Liked the jump over the river.
• Looked like zelda.
• Liked the perspective shot/point of view shot.
• Looked really professional. 
• Continuity editing worked well in places.
• Needed a lot of walking to show it was an adventure film/quest.
• Titles looked professional/consistent.

we chose this image to be the background for our company logo with 'silver universe Productions' taking the place of the shooting star.

Final Video

Our Original Aims

When we began this project these were our aims:

• We wanted to create either an animated or real life piece that portrayed a moral.
• We wanted our piece to have music and audio that we had created ourselves.
• We wanted our piece to have a "magical" element as our research had shown that this appeals to a young audience.
• We wanted our piece to take place in a non-descript location so that it would not be recognisable and would be as realistic a childrens piece as possible.
• We wanted our piece to have several characters.
• We wanted to use a range of camera angles, pans and tracks.
• we wanted our story to have a simple storyline so that it would be easy to follow for the younger generations but still kept the audience engaged.
• We didn't want to use too many sound effects that might sound "cartoony".

What we've done so far

• Finished all recording
• Uploaded the footage
• Created titles
• Check the footage to know where to put the music
• Made most of the music, some needs extra loops
• Made the company logo
• Cutting and editing footage

Everything has been made but we still need to finish off putting everything together to create the finish product. 

October 20th

Today we finished filming our piece, all we had left to do was the conversation between josh and a tree.
We also filmed a couple of extra shots, should we need to include close-ups.
Today we also tried (and succeeded) in making a couple of pieces of music for our childrens film opening, loosely based on the research into music that was uploaded yesterday.
The two pieces we made reflected the weather and lighting conditions in different parts of our piece. The first is quite lighthearted because we are in a sunny location but we change to a darker piece when we enter the woods.

Music and October 19th.

Today, only me (paige) and josh were in class and so we had to choose whether to wait for the other two members of our group before we started filming or whether to just start and then to finish next lesson when the other two would hopefully be there.

We chose the second option and so our plans had to be changed slightly.

Josh has now become the main character of our piece and ive taken on the filming, if the other two members of our group are in class tomorrow we will all swap around doing the camerawork but me and josh thought it would be best to use the time productively and get at least some of the filming done.

In the time we had we actually managed to get at least 4+ minutes of footage, including many extra shots other than the ones we planned and we have got the entire "walk through the forest" done and tomorrow we will need to film the other side of the conversation with the tree that we had previously filmed.

MUSIC

A lot of our piece relies on music to carry it along instead of speech since our piece relies on a single characters journey. And so i have searched and have managed to find a website called http://www.incompetech.com/ which allows you to use their free instrumental pieces in whatever you want as long as you credit them. This would also give us a chance to use another title.

So here are some pieces i have considered for our piece.

When The Wind Blows

Genre: Contemporary
Length: 4:26
Instruments: Guitar, Synths

This piece is very soft, gentle...

Quite ideal for a walk in a forest.

Perhaps a little sombre though, maybe best used just in part.

Scheming Weasel (faster version)

Genre: Soundtrack
Length: 1:29
Instruments: English Horn, Bassoons, Bass, Glock, Clarinet, Celesta, Triangle, Bass Clarinet

I really like this piece, its playful yet has a darkish undertone, its reminiscent of old video games that had a slightly tense scene. It would work well for some of our shots.

Improbable

Genre: Modern
Length: 1:41
Instruments: Piano

This is a great piece, very....ploddy, but great for the jumping scene we have if we can blend it into another piece.

Frost Waltz

Genre: Soundtrack
Length: 2:15
Instruments: Celesta, Glockenspiel, Basses, Cellos, Violas, Violins, French Horns,

A very whimsical piece, works very well with the celesta and glockenspiel, i really think we should use this piece...

Although it does have quite a wintery feel to it.

Cartoon Pizzicato

Genre: Stings
Length: 1:12

This would be amazing to use as sound effects as this piece is actually the "creeping" music usually played on piano or strings in kids cartoons to show someone is sneaking about.



Different jobs that might have titles on a film.

This is a list of all the different jobs that could have their own titles on a film.

• Aerial Specialist
• Animal Trainer
• Animator
• Animator (with Live Action)
• Art Director
• Assistant Director
• Assistant Producer
• Associate Producer
• Boom Operator
• Camera Assistant
• Camera Operator
• Casting Director
• Composer
• Compositor
• Construction Coordinator
• Costume Designer
• Costumes / Wardrobe
• Creature Designer
• Development Executive
• Dialect Coach
• Digital Imaging Technician
• Director
• Director of Photography
• Assistant Director
• Editor
• Effects Editor
• Assistant Editor
• Executive Assistant
• Executive Producer
• Foley Artist
• Graphics/Titles Designer
• Lighting Supervisor
• Location Manager
• Makeup Artist
• Marine Specialist
• Motion Graphics
• Music Editor
• Music Supervisor
• Producer
• Production Assistant
• Production Coordinator
• Production Designer
• Production Manager
• Production Supervisor
• Prop Maker
• Prop Master
• Researcher
• Sound Assistant
• Sound Designer
• Sound Editor
• Sound Engineer
• Special Effects
• Special Effects Editor
• Stage Manager
• Steadicam Operator
• Still Photographer
• Story Editor
• Storyboard Artist
• Stunt Coordinator
• Stunt Driver
• Supervising Producer
• Talent Booker
• Technical Director
• Video Editor
• Visual Effects
• Voiceover Artist
• Wardrobe Stylist
• Writer

So far we have:

Yesterday we started filming for our childrens film opening in which a young boy is in search of a magic emerald and so ventures to a forest to find it. He meets a talking tree who directs him to a wizard over a hill to continue his quest.

So as of 15th October 2010 we have got:

1. A story to be continued and adapted
2. Our characters
3. A 10 second shot of a tree that can be looped for editing.
4. All the dialogue spoken by the "Talking Tree" (Me.)
5. A shot-list of everything that needs filming that can be adapted should we encounter problems like rain, area restrictions etc.
6. A logo for our film production company that moves, already established as a film file.
7. Storyboarding
8. Research into opening titles and childrens film openings.
9. Photographs of our film location.

TO BE UPDATED

Analysis of an opening sequence

Analysis of an opening sequence

I have looked at the beginning of a Family Guy episode to try and understand how many titles are used and what they are, where they are placed etc. and to find out how many shots appear in a short opening sequence and then how often the shots should change.

During an episode of Family Guy there is a short opening sequence that introduces the episode before the theme music is played.

Midway through the theme music, just two of the titles are played, which are
"Created by Seth Mcfarlane" and "Developed by David Zuckerman".
These titles are shown in black on a yellow background at the top centre of the screen allowing the main characters to surround the titles.

When the music finishes the other titles are shows, one at a time, with pauses between them of 3-10 seconds, depending on what is happening in the scene.

The titles are:

• Executive Producer - Seth Mcfarlane
• Executive Producer - Daniel Palladino
• Co. Executive Producer - David. A. Goodman
• Supervising Producers - Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman
• Producer - Alison Adler
• Producer - Gene Laufenberg
• Supervising Director - Peter Shin

The scene then changes location.

• Supervising Director - Pete Michaels
• Produced by - Kara Vallow
• Written by - Dave Collard and Ken Goin
• Directed by - Pete Michaels

All in all there are 11 different titles for the beginning of a Family Guy episode but the names of the characters voices are only listed at the end of the program.

How many shots are in an opening scene of Family Guy?

In the beginning of Family Guy, before the opening titles there is a scene that sets the scene for the episode and introduces some of the characters.
The beginning scene generally lasts 1-2 minutes. The one I have studied lasted 1 minute and 18 seconds. The amount of different shots used in this opening scene was 28.
So if you divide 78 seconds by 28 shots, you get 2.78. So the average shot for a Family Guy opening lasts about 3 seconds.

First Storyboard Ideas

1st shot shows a long shot of the woods.
2nd shot shows a zoom on a character walking to the woods.
3rd shot shows close up from behind the character.
4th shot shows close up of front of character.

children's film openings

Toy story 2

The use of action and fighting shows that the beginning is aimed toward stereotypical young boys but can be enjoyed by anyone.

Sex & Nudity

Note: The number at the beginning of each section refers to how explicit that aspect of the film is on a scale of 1-10. The fraction at the end of the Frightening/Intense Scenes category is the total sum of all the sections out of the highest sum possible (50) and therefore an approximation of how much explicit content of any kind is in the film.

Rating: 1/10

Some "male" toys admire lots of dancing Barbies in swimsuits.

One or two very mild jokes relating to the female Barbies.

After Buzz flirts with Jesse and gets tongue tied, she does his trademark "skate down the ramp and open the door" move. Watching her do this, his wings spring open, insinuating the toy equivalent of an erection.

Violence & Gore

Rating: 4/10

Nearly all played for laughs: In a sequence that turns out to be a video game, we see a character exchanging laser beam fire with an army of robots; some robot parts fly to the ground after an explosion and a character gets its torso shot off. A toy flies into a door, a toy is tied onto cardboard and put in a box, a toy is used as a battering ram, a toy tackles another and pulls its arm behind its back, a toy tries to hit another with a pickaxe, a couple of toys scuffle, two toys shoot at each and two boxing toys punch each other. A dog picks up a toy with its mouth, shakes it around, throws it to the ground, then licks its face. A toy's arm rips off and is stitched back on; in a later scene, a toy uses a pickaxe to rip out some of the seams again (and again, the arm is stitched together). A couple of punches and scuffles; several falls and pratfalls. In a dream sequence, a boy throws a toy into a trash can filled with broken toy parts; when the toy tries to climb out, an arm pulls it back down. Twice, a toy grabs onto a moving vehicle and once the toy falls off and rolls on the ground, uninjured. Toys cross a busy street while carrying orange cones over themselves; many cars swerve and screech to a halt to avoid them (some are nearly smashed by truck) and two cars crash into each other. Reckless driving; in one scene, the toys drive a car on a busy street. A man burps on a toy that is standing next to his mouth. Some yelling.

Profanity

Rating: 0/10

None.

Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking

Rating: 0/10

none

Frightening/Intense Scenes

Emporor Zurg and The Prospector may scare some young viewers.

Woody has a nightmare about falling into to dumpster and getting pulled down by toy parts that come to life.

The certificate for this film is U.

Certificate differences

Universal – Suitable for all

It is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. But a ‘U’ film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. ‘U’ films should be set within a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.

If a work is particularly suitable for a pre-school child to view alone, this will be indicated in the Consumer Advice.

Discrimination

No discriminatory language or behaviour unless clearly disapproved of.

Drugs

No references to illegal drugs or drug misuse unless they are infrequent and innocuous, or there is a clear educational purpose or anti-drug message suitable for young children.

Horror

Scary sequences should be mild, brief and unlikely to cause undue anxiety to young children. The outcome should be reassuring.

Imitable behaviour

No potentially dangerous behaviour which young children are likely to copy. No emphasis on realistic or easily accessible weapons.

Language

Infrequent use only of very mild bad language.

Nudity

Occasional natural nudity, with no sexual context.

Sex

Mild sexual behaviour (for example, kissing) and references only (for example, to ‘making love’).

Theme

While problematic themes may be present, their treatment must be sensitive and appropriate for young children.

Violence

Mild violence only. Occasional mild threat or menace only.     

Parental Guidance

General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children

Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. A ‘PG’ film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. However, parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger or more sensitive children.

Discrimination

Discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly disapproved of or in an educational or historical context.  Discrimination by a character with which children can readily identify is unlikely to be acceptable.

Drugs

References to illegal drugs or drug misuse must be innocuous or carry a suitable anti-drug message.

Horror

Frightening sequences should not be prolonged or intense. Fantasy settings may be a mitigating factor.

Imitable behaviour

No detail of potentially dangerous behaviour which young children are likely to copy. No glamorisation of realistic or easily accessible weapons.

Language

Mild bad language only.

Nudity

Natural nudity, with no sexual context.

Sex

Sexual activity may be implied, but should be discreet and infrequent. Mild sex references and innuendo only.

Theme

Where more serious issues are featured (for example, domestic violence) nothing in their treatment should condone unacceptable behaviour.

Violence

Moderate violence, without detail, may be allowed, if justified by its context (for example, history, comedy or fantasy).

Our Ideas

When we brainstormed some ideas of what we thought should be included within a 'U' rated film and a 'PG' rated film the majority of the ideas that we came up with were very similar to those that are used by the 'BBFC' to give a film a certain certificate for different content within a film. But there were some areas that are included that we didn't cover in out brainstorm such as in a 'PG' film there can be a use of moderate violence and some natural nudity.

Differences between 'U' and 'PG' 

The difference that there are between the two ratings are only very slight but still distinguishable within the content of the film. some of the major differences are that in a 'U' certificate there is to be no use of discriminatory language where as in a 'PG' film there can be some use of discriminatory language but only if it is in a educational or historical context. in addition to this there is also the use of violence being that in a 'U' certificate there is no violence and 'PG' can have moderate.

Par

Preliminary Task

Our preliminary task of the beginning of a conversation being held between a policeman and a criminal.

Childrens Tv/Film Homework

Spongebob -
Genre - Comedy
Target Audience - 5+

Main Attributes -

Shows like Spongebob always have a comedic main character, e.g. not sarcastic, because kids understand humor.

Spongebob uses lots of sound effects to represent situations that kids might not otherwise get.

Spongebob uses a lot of songs and repetition because this makes it easier for kids to understand and learn.

Spongebob also encourages sharing, friendship and responsibility e.g. looking after his pet snail.

Lots of bright colours, interesting backgrounds and upbeat music to keep kids attention.





Something Special -
Genre - Educational Comedy
Target Audience - 3+

Main Attributes -

Kids enjoy learning at a young age and having a program that teaches sign language to young children also teaches tolerance and understanding. Kids also like being able to keep secrets, so learning another language, even sign language benefits them as kids and as adults.

The show features kids with actual disabilities e.g. autism and downs syndrome and this also helps kids to understand that even though some kids are different they are still the same.

Something Special uses funny noises and sound effects, repetition, a funny and colourful host, very bright and clean backgrounds or settings and lots of movement to help keep kids interested.

The Lion King -
Genre - Musical/Comedy/Tragedy(deals with death)
Target Audience - 6+

There isn't costume used because the characters are lions, baboons, hyena's etc, but there is a distinct difference between male and female characters, particularly by voice.

The main character is Simba who for a lot of the film is meant to be the same "age" as the intended viewer, this is probably so the viewer can understand Simba's actions and choices.

The Lion King uses loud, interesting repetitious songs which are easily memorable so that kids stay interested.

The kids films always seem to have as big problem the main character has to work out and a 'Bad Guy' who is always defeated.

The Lion King helps to teach kids about friendship.



In conclusion -
Kids TV and Films always seem to have following attributes,

• Bright Colours
• Repetitious speech or songs
• A comedic main character
• A problem that needs solving and, 
• A lesson to learn, e.g. a moral.