UP

The above image is from the film 'UP'.  

The character is aimed at younger children. This is shown through many aspects such as, the age of the character. He is a young typical boy, who enjoys exploring and adventure, this means the target audience are able to relate to the character as they are in the same age range.  Some other aspects used to draw in target audience would be the props and costume. The costume is co-ordinated and gender neutral, meaning girls and boys can be attracted to the character. The props help to show their characteristics and what type of person he is. For example, he has a lot of wilderness badges, this shows us how he is ambitious, children may want to mould themselves around this character. The lighting in this image, shows the personality of the character, it is bright and lights up the whole area the character is in, this makes him look like friendly and approachable. 

Beauty and the Beast

The opening sequence in Beauty and the beast uses conventions of childrens films, such as a voice over. The voive over tells the audience the story of one of the main characters, to show the audience what the film is about. The stories moral is already been shown, as the film is about judging other people before getting to know them for who they are. Credits at the beggining are minimal as children get bored quickly and dont tend to pay attention to the opening credits as much as the cartoons. the moral of the story isnt onlly being told by the voice over but also shown using images on stain glass windows to put across the genre of fantasy as the setting is a castle.

Story board, Shot list and Timeline

Here is the first half of or story board. It continues before the title *Leaving RedCloud.

This is the second half. 

1. Shot: Establishing shot

    Info: Panning through space, narrator talking over top. Comes in from a black screen. 

2. Shot: Establishing shot. 

    Info: Zooming into planet while the narrator speaks. 

3. Shot: Mid shot of aliens. 

    Info: Slowly zooming in as narrator introduces the character.

4. Shot: Close-up

    Info: Quick cut to the talking character. 

5. Shot: Cuts to another screen, Long shot. 

    Info: Writing at top. Zooming through the clouds and stops at title.

6. Shot: Mid-shot of room and 'Government aliens'. 

    Info: 180 degree rule of the conversation. Changes to Close-ups.

7. Shot: Establishing shot. 

    Information, still shot, then planet explodes and cuts off fast. 

8. Shot: -

    Info: Rewinding some footage. 

9. Shot: Close-up of hands. Mid shot of people fighting. 

    Info: Shooting lasers from fingers. 

10. Shot: -

      Info: Paused image of fight. With text over the top "PAUSE".

11. Shot: Close-up

      Info: Title floating in 'clouds'. Music playing. Then it ending. 

Our shotlist :

Our timeline:

Time used in the three lessons of filming

First lesson: we will be filming the characters speaking in the first couple of sequences
setting: green room - black background with stars (space theme)
shots: mostly mid shots and some close up
props: table, cups, biscuits, small paper mache planet

Second lesson: we will be filming the fight between the characters (aliens)
setting: green room- space theme - red clouds above the characters
shots: establishing shot to show the action and mid shots
props: none

Third lesson: filming random shots to help expand the rewind of the story in the beginning of the sequence when editing.
setting: space theme (green room)
props: undecided

Titan AE

Titan AE

How do sound and music represent:

Character - The music makes the characters seem tough and resilient, it also helps to convey the emotions that would be associated with the loss of a home planet.

Narrative - The sound effects from the beginning of the clip are broadcasts warning of a threat to the planet which then happens accompanied by appropriate sound effects of destruction. The music helps to give an idea of the narrative as the music is dark, tense and fast paced.

Genre - The genre is Sci-Fi/ Action this is evident by the use of sound effects, such as blasters, explosions and spaceships. The music also helps emphasise this by sounding electronic and being quiet and tense.

What atmosphere is created by the music?

A dark and moody atmosphere is created by the music which fits the theme of the film.

Inspector Gadget

Inspector Gadget opening titles.

The credits are presented in a very typical 'inspector gadget' style, to represent the genre of the film. A lot of people would have grown up with inspector gadget, therefore will recognise some of the aspects, such as the gloved hand, and the dog. The colours used in the opening credits, are dark, apart from some of the objects that are flying around the screen around the writing. The effect of the dark background with the objects being lit up, creates the sense of a torch being shone, which is one of the stereotypical props used in films like inspector gadget, as it is a detective film. Inspector gadget also has comedy aspects, which is shown straight away, this will keep the younger target audience entertained. The use of the inspector gadget theme tune will allow the older generation to relate to it, and the younger generation will be kept engaged, as well as this it is quite catchy and includes the name of the film, meaning they are drawn in even before any characters are shown.

Initial ideas

What classification will you use and why?

We are making a PG film, the target audience will then be broader meaning we can include a more complicated story line. There will be more option of plots and character types.

Will you use live action or animation or why?

We are using live action as we are doing film inside college. If we did animation, we would have to create the settings and characters outside of college this would take up a lot of time. I-stop animation may also take up a lot of time, leaving us little time to edit or correct any problems we may have.

What is the outline of your story? What is the moral?

Planet A wants to take over Planet B, they then fight to save their planet and come to an agreement that they should be happy with what they have and planet B wins for being the better aliens.
The moral of the story is to not take what you have for granted, and is about how greed is bad.

What role will each group member have?

We will all be acting in the film. We will be aliens, two from planet A and two from planet B.

We are all going to be filming parts of the movie. Props and costume, Charné. Editor, Ashley and Charné. Sound, Ben. Director, Samanda. Script, Samamda.

BABE

Babe:
This children's film should not be classed as a universal because it contains some violent and upsetting scenes that may be irrelevant for the younger ones to watch i.e when the dog gets hung over a river , animals start to get aggressive and blood is shown.  These type of images are not suitable for children around the age of 5 as they wont understand whats happening and can influence their behaviour towards others allowing them to think that animal cruelty is ok.

Dark Crystal

The Dark Crystal

The Dark Crystal is controversial as when it was released it was a PG despite the dark tones and the Skeksis, the evil creatures,  who are very creepy and quite disgusting.  The film also shows death, destruction and deceit, because of this it is very controversial to be a PG and still be that dark.

Definition of children's film

Definition of a children's film 'no special effort is made to make the film appeal to different audiences
- does this still appeal today?

children under the age of 12:
teenagers have different interests.
U certificate: universal
suitable for all over the age of 5
film must have a positive moral framework
offer re-asuring counter balancing to any threat/horror
suitable for children to view alone
no bad language or discrimination
no drugs
no emphasis on real or accessible weapons
no sexual content- only love


PG- parental guidance if their kids can handle it-
they have to consider if its suitable
- discrimination but only for educational purposes
- horror shot but no intense
- more grown up themes
e.g domestic violence strongly portrayed as negative

Mr. Bean

Mr. Bean.

Mr. Bean is represented as an irresponsible adult by his actions which are emphasised by his lack of speech which even when used is pronounced in a comedic fashion, this makes him appealing to children as it implies that they don't have to grow up ever and no matter what situation they get themselves into they will always be able to get out of.

The clip shows a very typical Mr. Bean scene which shows him making a new serving hatch during the clip Mr. Bean is shown pretending the drill is a gun and also not properly planning things. Children can relate to this as they have active imaginations and tend to rush haphazardly into things instead of properly planning. There is very little music during the clip as most of the sound is a laughter track, there is also no dialogue during the clip which allows a wider audience to enjoy the clip. 

Toy Story 3

The opening of Toy Story 3 fits the conventions of a children's film by having quite a lot of action and also by having each character have some kind of super power and it being unrealistic which reflects the genre which is fantasy. This reflects the fact that the whole story is being seen from a child's perspective and is generated through a child's imagination which allows for the amount of creativity seen. the opening also links back to Toy Story's opening which has the same plot, but doesn't include the characters which were picked up in Toy Story 2, but the Toy Story opening shows what is actually happening instead of through Andy's imagination.

A link to the clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKA2xaqSTVc&feature=related

Sci-fi genre

Planet 51



Planet 51 follows conventions of sci-fi through many means, such as the content of Aliens, outer space, visiting new planets etc although it has a new take on the conventions as the aliens are being visited by a human, which makes is contrasting as the human is classed as the alien.

In the opening sequence of the film, the genre is made clear straight away as the aliens are introduced first. This is different from the stereotypical sci-fi film because usually the humans are introduced first because

Small Soldiers

Analysis

Small soldiers fits the action genre because it has numerous battles during which explosives and weapons are used, it also contains a group of commandos which turn out to be the bad guys.

The cinematography helps to indentify the genre in many ways i.e. the camera shots are quick when action is taking place, also the appearance of the animations is emphasised which shows the strength of the characters, i.e. their muscles. The commandos are also always shot from a low angle which makes them seem more powerful and superior to the humans.

The music is mainly fast paced and tense which builds on the action and tension within the clip. The voice over is stereotypically deep and powerful which matches the genre this engages the target audience, who are children over the age of 8 and is aimed more towards boys.

Jumanji

How does the clip address the opening sequence conventions?

The opening sequence of Jumanji contains credits, it also gives an overview of the plot in a flashback which introduces the board game during the flashback, set in the 1860's , tension is created as it is dark and there is eerie diegetic sound. This contrasts the next scene, set in the 1960's, which is bright.

How does the clip meet the conventions of an adventure film?

At the beginning when the two people are burying the board-game shows that the genre is adventure by the music. This is because the music was suspicious and tension-raising. Also, the way the characters appear makes it seem adventurous by the fact they're in dark colours which are also tatty and the fact that they are covered in dirt also gives a sense that they have been on a stereotypical adventure. The dialogue implies that the board-game will come back and, supposedly, 'haunt' them.

Animation

Why is it effective?
Its effective because it is highly detailed and meets the target audience. It does this through the appearence of the animation and the main character, as children will be drawn to the fact it is a cute mouse. The colours used are vibrant to keep children entertained, it's simple setting allows the animation to be easy to understand. The use of sub-headings helps the audience to understand the story, the writing is simple and in small sections, allowing children to be able to follow it clearly. There is also a moral to the story, as the mouse doesnt give up, and it shows that if you are persistent you succeed. 


Do you think your going to do animation? 
We are going to do live action.


What problems might you have doing animation? 
Animation could take up a lot of time, we might not be able to finish in time, or to a good standard as a lot of patience is needed. Another thing is creating characters and sets before hand, you need to be creative or it wont look good. 

A Troll in Central Park

A troll in central park. 


How does it attract the target audience? 


The film 'A troll in central park' attracts its audience through many different ways. One reason is that good triumphs over evil. This is usually a convention of childrens films, as it shows them how being 'bad' never wins. Another reason is that the film has a young cast. The cast chosen for the film is around the same age the audience it is aimed at, this will allow children to relate to them more. The film also contains magical creatures, such as the troll's, which come under the genre fantasy.




magical creatures
bright colours
moral - always follow what you believe in
gender neutral 

The Lion King

How does it attract the target audience?
It attracts the target audience because it has a compelling story and interesting personifications of the animals. The story also appeals because it has good triumphing over evil albeit eventually.

Why is this film memorable to you?
This film is memorable to me as it is one of the first films i ever saw and the main character, simba, loses his father which i think also deepened my connection with the film as my parents divorced when i was younger so i think i was able to connect to simba.

What is the moral in the film?
The moral in the film is never run away from your past as it will always catch up and also to stand your ground and stand up to oppression.

Where the Wild Things Are

1. 1.       Which audience would this attract and why?

This would attract fans of the book because they already know the story. This would also attract children as it potrays a child who is effectively free from society and able to do anything he wants and as such he has an adventure which all kids want to experience.

1. 2.       Would you class this as a children’s film?

I would just class this as a children’s film but it is definitely aimed at older children as some sections are quite dark and it is also quite intense.

1. 3.       Research the institutional info and inspiration behind the film.

It was adapted from a book but the production team worked very closely with the author to keep fans of the book happy with the film.

Preliminary Task

In this task we had to create a video using certain cinematography elements. We then had to add text, use video filters, video transitions and sound. 

Whilst doing the project we learnt to edit a video, apply effects and use certain shot types to make the video flow. We also learnt how to add a soundtrack to our short film.

The task was pretty simple although it took time to sort out the soundtrack due to the fact we couldn't move the clip from final cut to garageband.

Preliminary task

Preliminary: Continuity task 

This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot, and the 180 degree rule. 

Students will take out a camera in their groups in order to shoot a sequence. 

Establishing shot;

Clip of establishing shot from Finding Nemo. This shot at 0:00-0:12 sets the location, giving the audience the idea of setting and genre. It introduces the main character 'Marlin' and his wife 'Coral'.

Close-up;


There is a close-up at 1:17. This shows what the characters are looking at in detail. They can also be used to show emotion more clearly on the characters, such as at 1:54 in the clip. 


Match on action;


Match on action shows the character doing the same thing from various different angles, for example 2:12-2:17. It allows the sequence to be more interesting and flow more. It is sometimes used to create a sense of pace.


Reaction shot;


2:11-2:15