Initial ideas and resolving problems.

Initial Ideas and resolving problems for childrens film
In order to get an idea of what we would like to have as our opening credit sequence, we wrote down the different genres that may be used in a childrens film. These included fantasy, fairytale, adventure and comedy. For each of these categories, we made a list of ideas of what could be included and what the story could be and made a spider diagram with all our ideas.

We finally decided on doing fairytale/fantasy and did the story board to match the opening sequence we were going to use, which included things like a magical book of which Emily and Ciara went to the library to get ideas on what sort of book we wanted in our scene (as shown in the pictures below) aswell as glitter which would really give the scene a  make believe, magical feel to it which we believed would feed the imagination of our younger audience.

We used a number of props brough in from home, like the glitter and fan. Our initial idea was to have the fan blow the pages to add an extra effect and make it look more magical, but this did not work how we would of liked it to and therefore came to the conclusion of using celotape which would open the book but not making it obvious. We also felt we wanted a better surrounding for the book to be in like outside or with people walking past it to show it was not wanted and unregarded, but outside just wasnt possible because the glitter just blew off the page and we didnt have enough time to film to exactly how we would of liked.

We also came across another problem whilst filming which was to do with where we were filming. The classroom we were using was in use, so we had to improvise and do a zoom to an extreme close up of the inside of the book and then changed location. Once we found another location we zoomed out again and the problem was resolved.

Children's Film Planning Notes

Genre- Fairytale/Fantasy

Classification- U

Story Outline
Ed is shy and caring and works at the castle as a servant to the royal family and has special powers that he uses to improve Mia's life. To achieve his powers, Ed has to rub his magical stone to make the powers come to life.
Mia is very accident prone (i.e. she didn't do her homework), resulting in getting in trouble with her dad (the King). Ed helps Mia to improve how accident prone she is but she does not know who is helping her at first, however is hoping its Ben, her love interest. What she does not know that it is Ed, the servant at the castle, who is really helping her. One day however, Mia discovers the stone and accidentally drops it onto the floor only to see the stone glowing, at this point Mia becomes intrigued. Ed, having magical powers, can sense that the stone has been moved, so he rushes to the stone to get it back. Ed then has to explain himself to Mia, and they become great friends.

Characters-
Ed-
.14 years old
Appearance
. Dark brown hair
. Freckles
. Tall and slim
. Poor looking


Mia-  
. 15 years old
Appearance 
. Long blonde hair
. Very pretty
.Typical princess appearance
Mia's Love interest
.Spanish
.Tall, muscular, extremely attractive
.Full of himself,
.Arrogant, cocky.

Props used-
-Book
-Glitter
-Card
-Fan
-String
-Random school objects
-Table

Costumes are not needed as we are using stop motion and will therefore be using fictional characters.

Story board for opening scene
1st box-
Shots: Close up of the book
Outline of the scene: The book is old and tattered and has no been touched for a long time. Its shot in dark and dull conditions

2nd box-
Shots- Continued close up shot
Outline of the shot: Light appears on the book (spotlight) and glitter falls onto it, giving the impression that this book is no ordinary book.



3rd box-
Shots- Mid shot, moves out to see the book from further away so the audience can take in what is happening
Outline of shot: Pages start blowing and the book opens magically onto a page

4th box-
Shots-Extreme closeup of the writing appearing on the page,
Outline of shot: Writing appears on the paper (the name of the film) using stop motion.

5th box-
Shots-Extreme Close-Up of writing as it appears on the page.
Outline of shot: Writing appears on the paper (Credits) using stop motion.

6th box-
Shots-Long shot of a castle
Outline of shot: Sets the scene as a castle, Hints that the film is going to be a fairytale.

7th box-
Shots- Continued long shot of castle
Outline of shot- Characters appear when introduced. Also hints that the genre is a fairytale.

After analysing the story board, we decided to add in a shot at the very beginning. We thought the shot should be an establishing shot of the area where the book has stayed for a long time. We would then use stop motion to slowly take away random objects surrounding the book, to reveal it. This establishing shot would then lead into the close up of the book. The following image is a sketch of what we think the edited shot will look like:

Preliminary Task

Children's Films Sub Genres

WALL-E  - Science Fiction



The film WALL-E is classified as a U, and it fits into the genre of science-fiction. We know this because of the following reasons:

• The film is not set on Earth but a far away planet. This gives it a science fiction feel as it's set on another planet.
• It is also set in the far future, 
• The main characters of the film are robots, and throughout the film high tech technology such as spaceships and machines feature. This fits into the 'scifi' genre as it is futuristic because of the technology and space travel. 
• The events and storyline are highly unlikely to happen in real life which makes the film science fiction. 

Scooby Doo Movie - Mystery





This film is classified as a PG.
The film is about the famous well known dog, Scooby Doo and his friends as they try to solve the crimes and catch the criminals. This movie fits into the genre of Mystery for the following reasons:

• The whole the storyline of the film revolves around the main characters trying to solve a range of mysteries and to stop the villains. 
• The different elements that make up the storyline are all part of the mystery genre, such as solving lots of clues, following footsteps and misleading red herrings.
• Also in most mystery films the outcome is never what you expected and Scooby Doo fits in to this. 

Alice in Wonderland - Fantasy



The original fairytale of Alice in Wonderland is classified as a U.  The classic children's film fits into the genre of fantasy for the following reasons:

• The storyline of the film is incredibly unrealistic as it would never happen in real life. For example if someone fell down a rabbit hole they would definitely not be transferred into a parallel world.
• The characters are also typical of a fantasy genre as they are mainly animals that can talk and act like humans. There is also the slight element of danger when Alice comes across the queen of hearts, however the film ends with Alice waking up and realising its all a dream. 
• The setting and props are all fantasy too. 

The Incredibles - Action



This film is classified as a U.
This disney pixar family film fits into the genre of Action for the following reasons:

• The film is really fast paced, which creates a sense of action and determination.
• The main characters in the movie are superheroes, with different powers, which is typically what action films consist of.
• The characters are also given a mission, which is typical of an action film.

Ingredients of a Children's Film

Adventure- Pirates of the Caribbean


What makes it adventure?
Explosions, fast camera work and the way in which its set, with its main characters being pirates, are just some of ways in which Pirates of the caribbean is adventurous. It is clear that the plot revolves around finding treasure and the way in which this is done is full of action.  The camera work is fast , which backs up the quick pace of finding the treasure, it also shows their determination. The camera work also fits in well with fight scenes. On top of this, the number of films made shows that their adventure is continuing, so is prolonged and more detail is added.





What makes it comedy?
There are many different scenes throughout that are very funny and are sure to make the audience, of any age, laugh.  The plot of him talking to the animals is funny in itself and many children would believe that this is actually possible. The animals also do 'stupid' things that make Dr Dotlittle look mad, which makes it amusing even though its just  a simple idea.
For example- Dr Dolittle is sitting talking to a bear who is sitting in the bath at the circus.






Film Classification
Films are grouped into different age categories based on their content:
U, PG, 12, 12A, 15, 18

U
This is suitable for children 4 years and over with a simple story line that could be easily understood. They should have little violence, threat or horror. Also there should be no references to drugs and there should be very infrequent use of very mild bad language.It can contain mild scary sequences and very mild sexual sequences such as kissing aswell as nudity in small parts.
e.g.  Shrek

PG
These should not disturb any child 8 years or older. They can be watched unaccompanied but parents have to use their personal feelings as to if their child should watch this alone or not.  It shouldn't show clips that a child may copy in real life although there can be mild violence and mild sexual sequences
e.g.  Karate Kid

12
These films are seen as not being suitable for children 12 or under, even with parental guidance. This is used for renting and buying films only and does not exist in the cinema.
e.g.  My sisters keeper

12a
Misuse of drugs must be few and far between but is allowed. Mild physical threat can also be shown but yet again will be very mild. If a disturbing scene is shown, it should not be played in detail and therefore wouldnt be able to be copied by the audience that may be under 12. Moderate physical and psychological horror can be shown but like the others, not in big parts.
e.g.  Knight and day
15
Drugs can be seen and used in the film, but mustn't promote it but aerosole use may not be seen. It is alos allowed to have strong horror in it unless sexual also very strong images of violence are permitted to be shown in a 15 film
e.g. Final Destination 

18
Suitable only for adults, no one younger than 18 can watch or rent/buy an 18 film. Can have strong scenes of violence, horror and sexual content with illegal actions being shown throughout.
e.g. Saw

The Goonies

Characterisation 


Mikey- The 'leader' of the gang, is a typical young child. He believes in the treasure and one-eyed Willie and he is one who wanted to make the 'Goonies' look for the treasure in the first place. Even though  he is the leader of the gang, Mikey is still quite soft and vulnerable of which his asthma helps to portray. He also has braces which yet again remind you hes still just a child, and therefore vulnerable.                  


Clark aka 'Mouth'- Clark is quite outspoken and obnoxious for his age but is done with good intention. Underneath his 'over-confident' act, he is just as kind and generous as Mikey, which is shown at the end.  He must also be clever as he is fluent in Spanish which is shown when he speaks to his mother. His loud mouth can get him out of bad situations, just as well as putting the 'Goonies' in them. 


Lawrence 'Chunk'- Chunk is also a stereo typical child as he is always making up over exaggerated stories to everyone. He is also overweight and completely loves any food.  Also he comes across as quite nieve.


Richard 'Data'- Richard is the technical geek in the gang. He is portrayed as being harmless, although his protective side comes out when in danger with the Fratellis. He seems quite excitable and panicky, typical trates of a child. 


The teenagers- There are 3 teens in the 'Goonies'. Firstly Mikey's brother, Brand, who is very stereo typical of a teenage boy. He is shown to be conscious of his image as he is constantly working out at the start of the film. He is also mature as he protects Mikey and the others. He lets his guard down when around Andy, which is the girl he likes. Andy is your average 'pretty' teenage girl. She is a cheerleader which adds to this image. She comes across as being quite delicate and is happy for the guys to take lead. 

Lotney Fratelli -Sloth- This beast like creature is part of the hated fratteli family, yet is very much an outsider. His ugly features and big statur give the impression that he has no feelings and would be just as nasty as the rest of the family. This though is not the case, when he helps the children out after he realises that he has been ill treated by The frattelis, ecspecially his mother.






Opening Sequence

We find out in the opening sequence that the film is set in an American suburb. It is also established in the first part of the film that there are some 'badies' in the film, through a character escaping from prison and a police chase. This is visually engaging for the audience and gets them gripped straight away. The main characters individuals characters are also shown in the first few minutes through their actions. An example is 'Data' using gadets to 'fly' into Mikey's home. Chunk's love of food is shown straight away also, when he is watching the police chase with a burger in one hand and a milkshake in the other. It is also easy to tell from the actors outfits and the background music that The Goonies was filmed in the '80's.  The Goonies logo at the start also implies what the film could be about. The black background, style of writing and the skull imply that the film could be about pirates or simply that 'The Goonies' could cause some sort of trouble. The action and credits give the impression the film is definitley of an action/adventure genre.

The Goonies

The genre of the film is action/adventure. The target audience for the film are children over the age of 12, and their parents. This is clear because of the energetic music, typical adventure storyline and scenery used.  The scenery used is mainly in the underground tunnel. Also, there is a scary shack/ restaurant and an attic full of maps etc. This makes the genre clear because it adds to the adventure. It is also evident that the film is for children as the main characters are children, so the audience can relate to the characters.

Technical Features

Mise en scene- The character costumes were current to the time period. Also, the costumes show the audience a bit about the character's personality and hobbies. For example, the character Andie wears very girly clothing, which shows the audience that she is not the stereotypical adventurer, and the character Brandon wears sports clothing and is often seen to be exercising. The set of the film adheres to the typical adventure scene, with underground caves and pirate ships.

Sound- The sound is used to make the film energetic and adventurous. Lots of sounds effects are used, such as when the dynamite explodes, gun shots and boobie-traps. Also the non-diegetic soundtrack keeps the film upbeat and fast paced. Also, a character theme sound is played everytime Data uses one of his inventions.

Editing- Most of the film is continuity edited, as the film is chronological and forward moving. The main transitions used are cuts, as it provides a clean edit and also allows the film to be fast paced.

Camerawork- The camera distances used mainly are closeups, mid shots and long shots. The closeups are used in order to show the kids reactions to the events that take place, and the mid and long shots are used to show the audience the main action, such as running through the tunnel.

Genre

Opening sequence analysis

Up
We found out from the opening sequence of Up that it was set in an American suburb. We are introduced to the main character; a young boy that loves explorer Charles Muntz. Credits were shown. The production company's logos were also shown at the start. As the film is animated and the characters come across as friendly, we get the impression that it is a children's film. It seems that it is set in the past, as the young boy is at the cinema, which is in black and white.




Nanny McPhee
From the opening of Nanny McPhee we found out that it was set in the English countryside. We learn that there is possibly someone that has died or moved away as there is an 'empty seat'. We also find out that there are 7 'clever but naughty' children, which tells us that the film is going to be based around them. The outfits show that it is set in the past. At the end of the opening sequence, it seems clear that something 'magical' is going to happen, as Nanny McPhee begins talking to the father, despite no one being there. 




Stardust
Firstly, we find out that the film is set 150 years ago in London. We know that it is magical because of the wall that leads to another 'world'. The main character is a young man that seems that he is very intrigued and fearless, as the goes over the wall when he is not supposed to. He then enters what looks like a market, we see that there are people dressed in strange costumes and there is also a mini elephant in a cage. There is a young girl that is being held captive by a 'witch', she is tied up by an 'enchanted chain' that will only break when the old woman dies. 




Monsters Inc
Even though in the opening of Monsters Inc. you do not see any of the actual characters, it still gives the audience a good idea of what the film could be about. It also allows the audience to use their imagination. In the opening sequence, there is a series of different doors and every now and then a monster comes out of one to 'write' some of the credits. This obviously implies to the audience the film is going to be to do with doors and monsters in some sort of way. The music is some sort of jazz and it is upbeat meaning the film is potentially a happy one. It seems that the film is suitable for both adults and children from the opening. The music seems more suited to adults, as do some of the animations. Whereas, the bright colours and cartoon monsters suggest the film is also suitable for children.