images relating to evaluation

Contributions

Throughout the task i've contributed the idea of the actual unicorn, along with jess having the idea of different backgrounds etc. I've helped out in class with the creation, filming and moving the character's/props around on set. I've also helped colour in many of the backgrounds and had the idea of adding a soundtrack that would fit the imovie production quite well, unfortunately we weren't allowed to use it, so recently i've started to create the soundtrack on garageband and it's coming along quite nicely. I had the idea of putting some sounds that would be good for certain parts of the movie into a garageband saved format, and then cutting the audio up when in the editing section.

Target Audience

Whilst preparing and gathering our ideas for our childrens film project we decided on our imovie production to be aimed at 3-8 year olds, making the short film a (U). Seeing as the mini story is about a unicorn called charlie who travels around the world to find his partner, we gathered this would be good for young children to view. Also seeing as there's very little writing and when there is, it's very simple and able for young children to understand. All our backgrounds are very simple and colourful, making it easier for the child to make out the story in their own minds, Charlie the unicorn and his owner are also drawn and coloured, therefore simple but exciting for children. The imovie producion we created is aimed at female children as usually a boy wouldn't find the whole idea of a unicorn very appealing. The production wouldn't appeal to adults as it's very child-like and a cartoon idea but drawn. It contains no adult humour, or anything that's beyond the (U) guidance, making it more suitable for the young children to view. We'd like to think it's aimed at female children but there would be the odd boy that'd watch it, it's got quite an upbeat exciting soundtrack to it, making it interesting for them, which we created ourselves, meaning there isn't a song that contains explicit content or anything not suitable.

Last lesson filming

We are in a dilemma... we still cant film the reunion as Simone thinks she has thrown the farmer away. A way around this is to draw it again but we know it will not be exactly the same as the original. We still need to edit our clips together and create a soundtrack so now i am getting worried. today we are going to delicate jobs so we can get through these jobs as quickly as possible because we know we dont have a lot of time left.

in todays lesson...

In todays lesson we are going to finish filming and start editing depending on how much time we have left. As we are doing i-stop-motion we get extra time filming so this is our last lesson to finish.  All we have left to do is the re-union of charlie and his owner and then we can proceed onto the editing process.

Individual imput

Everyone contributed equally in the filming and planning process, Maddie wanted to use a unicorn for definite and it was me that put that into context. It was my idea to have the unicorn travel around the world to find its owner simple and suitable for children. I strongly wanted to use I-stop-motion to make the film as I thought that was what would look best and work best for our idea so that is what we ended up doing. During the filming process I was responsible for all of the backgrounds; I took some home and draw/painted on them to make them look the best they could as well as moving the objects whilst shooting. It was my idea to have Charlie (the unicorn) to be galloping and have the background slowly move across the screen as he gallops so it looks like he gallops from one onto the other so it flows rather than cutting from background to background. It was also my idea to have little features of each background moving to make it more interesting to watch and more than just two objects moving to make it more complex.

Marking criteria for production

Holding a shot steady where appropriate
We used stop motion so the flow of each shot is continuous as we had the camera held securely in a tripod.
Framing a shot including or excluding elements where appropriate
The tripod held the camera in place so we didn't require much handling or movement of the camera. In filming time there was a lead in the way of a few of our shots but as it is as dark as the background, we may crop that part out

Using a variety of shot distances where appropriate
This is something we didn't do because of stop motion. If we had extra time, perhaps the credits would have been shot as medium close ups so they were easier to read for our target audience.

Shooting material appropriate to the task set
We have achieved this. Our task was to create a childrens film, either PG or U. There is no foul language, violence or offensive images, you probably wouldn't find a Unicorn travelling the world to find its owner in a gory 18 film!

Selecting mise-en-scene
I think this we partly achieved this, the lighting was efficient, we drew all of our backgrounds of different settings (pyramids, a forest, a cloudy sky) and I drew the characters to fit the storyboard using colours that were bright and would be appealing to the target audience.

Editing so meaning is apparent to the viewer
We haven't started editing yet, but we will use our own knowledge of this and watch some more children's film clips (possibly stop motion) to gather ideas to make it apparent to children.

Using varied shot transitions and effects selectively and appropriately
We haven't done this either, but I don't think we will use a lot of transitions as they can be distracting and unnecessary. We will use transitions for the opening title and credits by looking up some on youtube for inspiration.

Using sound with images and editing appropriately
We have done no editing of our film, but we have allocated Maddie the narrative role for it. She will tell the story so the audience knows what is going on and will introduce the characters.
We have not thought about music for our film but children's films are often very lively and this is an adventure, there will be some element of sadness so this will be reflected in our soundtrack. We will do this by using Garage Band.

Using titles appropriately
The title will be at the beginning of the film and we may use some for the different backgrounds so the target audience gets a better sense of place. We will do this using Final Cut.

Contributions to the production process.
In our first filming lesson I looked up a unicorn outline on google images, drew it and then based the rest of our unicorns on that image.
I drew the background of the pyramids and brought in colouring pencils so the colour would be consistent and in case the pencils in the classroom were all being used.

During my spare time, I drew and coloured the characters, some of which can be seen in a previous post.
I drew:
Three unicorns
Four thought bubbles, including one of Charlie and his owner
The world
The owner himself
The words 'Where are you Charlie?' in bubble type writing.

I also was in control of taking the pictures for the stop motion, my pressing the space bar to take them and deleting any shots that had hands in.

Progress report

The planning process so far hasn’t been incredibly difficult as long as we stuck to what the storyboard had said and what we had originally planned. Coming up with an idea was probably one of our biggest challenges and finding something realistic that was achievable in the time given to us, once we did have our idea it was easier from that point on. However the production process has been considerably more difficult than I first thought it was going to be, worrying about continuity and the shadows and light are the same time every time we shoot the sequence. This was one of our problems, having to film on different occasions and getting the conditions as similar to the original as we could possibly make it, the direction of light so the shadows are the same, the angle of the camera so the movements are smooth and the closeness of the shots to get the same proportions made it very difficult. However we used the same set up each time we filmed, the same tripod at the same level in the same position, the same lamp was used to produce the same amount of light to make it nearly the same each time, the only thing we could do in the circumstances. As our group chose to do I-stop-motion we get a little extra time to film as it is more time consuming than filming with actors, so as a result our plan after half time is to finish filming our sequence. Our number one priority is to finish filming, and then soundtracks and effects will be added after. I think we have chosen to have credits/titles at the end of our children’s film as then it doesn’t interfere with the sequence itself although given more time we would’ve liked to do them at the beginning in a way that links to film but again it would take too long in the time given.

Some of the drawings I did at home in preparation for filming next lesson.
I drew three unicorns to represent him walking, tear drops that we are going to film as they form a waterfall that he walks through, his owner, Mister, a lightbulb to represent his sudden idea and a speech bubble showing him thinking about him and Mister.

As part of the planning for our children’s film, we watched the opening sequence of the film, ‘Back to the Future’ and created a storyboard for it. A storyboard allows the director to film something the most appropriate and effective way and is a visual blueprint for the film, it also makes it easier to go back and redraft something.
We watched the sequence once and made notes on the types of shot, sound, duration, camera movement and possible themes and genre. We then drafted these notes into a storyboard in our groups, by drawing the key objects in the setting in each box at different parts of the sequences, made some notes on the storyboard about sound, duration and shot order. We used arrows to clarify the way the camera was moving and wrote what type of angle or shot used at that specific moment in the sequence. We did this because it will demonstrate to the examiner our knowledge of storyboarding, as we will have to create a storyboard for our children’s film sequence, which needs planning before filming.

The lesson before the storyboards was about film classification. We learnt that the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) are responsible for the certification of films in Britain, so that they are suitable for the target audience.
We looked up the guidelines on the BBFC website (www.bbfc.co.uk) for U and PG films and each group were given either U or PG and we wrote on pieces of A4 the basic guidelines, to feedback to the class. Then we watched four sequences and had to guess in our groups what certificate they were and justify why we thought they were either U or PG. We watched Harry Potter and the Philosophers stone (PG), Up (U), Watership down (U) and Home Alone (PG).
It was important we knew the differences between a U and PG so that our film sequence would be suitable for our target audience of children and so we could give it the correct certificate.

Our opening sequence is going to be an animation, using stop motion, of a Unicorn visiting different parts of the world. The Unicorn is searching the world for his owner and is eventually reunited at the end of the film, if we were to create the whole film.
By watching the Milkmaid video by previous Long Road media students, we were inspired to do our own stop motion video. The Milkmaid video is about a maid who becomes a star, after having to look after a farm left by her father as her mother is too old and her brother is a baby.
They used characters drawn and coloured in by hand and had several cut outs of things like stars, letters and thought clouds. The music was relevant to the film as it was also about a milkmaid and set a happy mood because it was upbeat. During a sadder part of the film, such as when they sang about her father dying and her mother being too old, the music slowed down to reflect the mood.
Our group liked this style because the drawing doesn't have to be to a professional standard and therefore makes it easier for the target audience to understand.

write up of lessons

BBFC Lessons.

This lesson we learnt about what makes a film a U or a PG.
We started by going on http://www.bbfc.co.uk/ to define each one and find their similarities and differences. We were put into groups and each group had to make poster of the rules defining either a U film or a PG film. In this lesson I learnt that a U film should be suitable for ages 4 and under with no references to drugs, no discriminal language, mild bad language, only mild horror sequences if any, so basically it can be classed as a U if the content is mild enough for children under the age of 4. However in PG there is a little more lenience but not much it still has to be suitable for children. Then we watched the first 5 minutes of multiple films and had to decide if they were a U or a PG and say why we thought so.
The films we watched were:
Harry Potter philosopher’s stone which our group decided was a PG due to the violence,
The film UP we decided was a U as there was strong content but all very mild,
Watership down which we decided was a U.
Home alone we decided was a PG as there was violence and bad language but still suitable for children.
And Madagascar we decided was a PG as it was suitable for the viewing of children.

Storyboarding

We watched the first 5minutes of BACK TO THE FUTURE and were told to make notes of we were watching. For example the most important objects, the different shot types used in each shot or any significant change and the sounds as well as duration the shot was on screen for.
Using our notes we had to create a storyboard just like the one that would’ve been created before the actual film started being filmed. We had to show the camera movement and shot type and the duration of each frame to portray the frames we just saw on screen. This way you could see how the sequence was going to pan out, how similar it was to the film, this emphasised the use of a storyboard as it helped you imagine your outcome. It didn’t matter if you weren’t the best at drawing as you could make up for it in the info part of the storyboard.

BBFC

In our BBFC lesson we learnt what the differences were between U and PG films. We learnt from the bbfc website what is allowed in both cetificates of film. In U's no violece, drug scenes, bad language, horror, adult humour etc is allowed. Whereas in PG's (parental guidance) mild violence, thriller is allowed, within reason. However,still no swear words, sex/drug scenes are allowed, all forbidden.
(in lesson)
Harry potter - PG; contained some 'scary' scenes, mild violence.
up - U; contained no discrimination/drugs/horror/bad language/nudity/violence/sex
Watership down - U; classed as a U because it doesnt technically contain any of the above (in up) but has a creepy tone to the movie.
Home alone - PG; mild violence,bad language
madagascga - PG; slapstick humour, mild discrimination.

progress + storyboard!

Here is Simone drawing the owner of Charlie the unicorn ready for shooting!

here is Maddie drawing a background needed for shot 7, ready for shooting!

Here is a background i did at home in preparation for today and for shooting!

Me and Maddie both did this background in todays lesson using felt tips! Ready for the first shot of the sequence!

here is the first page of the storyboard we completed over one lesson and jess took home and finished off. 

and the second ...

And how it ends!

Our next step is to finish all images needed for shooting ( which will hopefully be before next lesson) so we can start filming next lesson and do it to the best of our ability's. 

Pictures used to help us!

We searched google to find the best picture to help us draw our own unicorn. We chose this image as it is very simplistic and easy to recognise at any age. We wanted it to be simple so it is easy and therefore quick to draw, but also so you can tell what it is at just a glance. However we did have to add our own ideas as well as using this a our base image, we had to change the leg position to make it look like the unicorn is galloping. Our next step is to trace that image, and do the opposite leg position so we have to identical images but we would interchange each one after the other, to give the impression that the unicorn is galloping, this also saves time.

Annalysing the beginning of a children film - Monsters inc

this is were all the credits are introduced to the audience, but in a fun way that relates to the film. it even gives you some hints as to what is going to come in the rest of the film. it is very child friendly and as i like how objects are used to represent different aspects of the film. i also like how the animation flows to a sound track, and how the credits are worked in to be apart of the animation in a catchy way. the bright colours make the whole animation really appealing anf fun to look at.

the beginning of the film start with a close up of teddies, which makesthe animation seem quite youthful and friendly espeically with the voice over which makes the audience feel included. the shot then pans to a view of a child and the lights being turned out with the silence of the outside playing, the effect of this is that you are waiting for something to happen. The long shot enables you to get a good look at the surroundings, and again as its a childs room it is full of toys and innocence, the close up of all the objects lets you know a little about the character, but emphasises the fact tht something is going to happen. you see the door open by itself and immediantly see the little boy is scared which drastically changes the atmosphere, a contrast from the beginning sequence. there is a point of vieew shot from the boys eyes which is shaky giving you the impression he is nervous looking around the room he knows something is going to happen, the effect of this on the audience is that you want to know more it builds tension. As he is nervous the music changes and the shot begins cutting a lot quicker again reflecting how he is feeling. There two eyes under the bed tell you that something is definatley going to happen, and the fact that they are red shows that they are not human again building suspense. as the eyes move up from under the bed to be above him shows just how vulnerable her is, and shows just how young and innocent he is, however this is contrasted to a comedy when the child screams and the monster does to making it quite comical. This is why it is suitable for children as there are scary moments but contrasted into comedy or something that they enjoy. the comedy then continues as the monster does a comical act by accident for the child. As it continues it seems surreal, and you realise infact is isnt! as its an animation the monsters are not scary, and they have a personality. so although scary at some points the contrast makes it suitable for children.

the inspiring video

Here is the video that inspired our idea. You can see that the drawings are not up to a professional standard but they suit our audience. This is the effect we want as we feel it makes the animation more child friendly. We particularly like the star bit at 0.40 seconds as it relations to one of our backgrounds, we like how they haven't just kept it simple they have thought about the movement of each and every star and it pays off. We want our movement to be as smooth as the movement in the video, but we know how hard this is going to be as the smoother you want the movement to be the more photographs you need to take as the smaller the movement but we know it will pay off in the end. This video has given us the idea to include a split screen, one of the unicorn traveling to different places, and another of the lonely owner, to emphasise the fact they are not reunited yet.

Our idea

The narrative starts with a lonely unicorn, eating grass by itself in a field, the story then develops into the unicorn travelling the world to find its owner and ends up finding him so he is no longer lonely. we are going to draw our animations out on large A3 paper, the unicorn will also be drawn, we are going to draw two of him on with his legs in one position and the next in the opposite, to show movement. This way it will be time efficient. We only have 2 characters in our animation, the unicorn called charlie and it owner who comes at a later stage. The genre of our animation is going to be adventure, as the unicorn travels around the world but in a very simplistic way, to be acceptable for children viewing. The themes of our animation are going to be love and loss as this is what Charlie goes through.
We are going to draw everything we are using in our animation, for example the backgrounds and characters. Charlie is going to gallop through different places such as through a stables, a desert, a forest, across an ocean, the starry sky and the North pole. As far as props go we are going to be using glitter giving the impression of star dust and believable magic, again for children viewing. We have decided to certify our animation as a U, as there is no unsuitable content and/or conflict such as violence involved in the making of our animation.
The camera will be placed directly above the animation as we take each photo so the setting and characters are viewed easily. We will also involve close up to get a closer view of the gallops and facial expressions.
We will involve music as a starting point of the animation to grab peoples attention, as well as this we will also have Maddie recorded being the narrator, telling the story speaking to children drawing them in even more.
One thing we need to be careful of is the time restriction given to us so we need to be organised and know what we are doing at all times. another thing we need to be careful of is the lighting changing from lesson to lesson as we create our animation so we need to try our best to make sure the lighting is similiar each time we film.

Analysis of the opening of The Parent Trap (PG)

The film’s title sequence opens with a crane shot that follows the movement of a cruise ship. The opening credits contain the title of the movie, the main actors and L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole is played throughout this, suggesting love as a theme.  

Inside the cruise ship, there is a wedding ceremony occurring filmed as a point of view shot. The mood is very lively and warm as the characters inside are either dancing or enjoying each other’s company, which gives the impression that the wedding went well, and the married couple are happy. Close ups of the groom putting the ring on the bride’s finger, both of them holding hands and signing documents conveys themes such as family and romance. 

As a photographer approaches the couple for a photo, their faces are not shown until the photograph is shown to us as spectators, which has some significance later in the film. When the flash of the camera goes off it turns into a firework display, which enforces the mood. 

The scene then cuts to a title of ’11 years and 9 months later’.

Another crane shot is used of ‘Camp Walden’ to show the buses of girls arriving and the camera tilts downwards then a tracking shot is used to find a main character, filmed from a point of view angle so the spectator feels they’ are there in real life. The camera then pans over to a male character who says ‘Wait a minute, I thought this was a boy’s camp.’ while surrounded by girls, which suggests the film will contain comedy. 

We are introduced to one of the main characters, Hallie, we can tell she is the main character as a long shot of her is given when she pops up behind the pile of luggage and then a medium close up as she struggles to get her duffle bag out. She has also had the most dialogue so far. We learn from her dialogue that she lives with her dad, who is a winemaker, and that she is friendly and polite. Shot reverse shot is used during the conversation between her and her new friends. ‘Either of you, by any chance know how to play poker?’ indicates she is both an innocent, yet cheeky character.

We are then introduced to the other main character who is revealed as Hallie’s identical twin, Annie. 

As Hallie walks away with her two friends, filmed as a long shot a limo pulls up. The spectator learns that she is the complete opposite of the first character. Annie getting out of the limo is filmed from a low angle, she is wearing smart shoes and a skirt and blazer, so the spectator assumes she is not going to the camp. She arrives with her butler, has a British accent, is well dressed and uses language such as ‘picturesque’. The spectator can tell this is her Butler by the way he is dressed and the fact that she calls him Martin. This shows the class and contrast to her twin sister. 

The conversation between Annie and the butler is filmed using shot reverse shot and high and low angles. He runs through a checklist then presents her with a pack of cards, a link to Hallie’s question about poker, which suggests the two sisters will play a game later on in the film.

The butler and Annie engage in a special handshake, filmed as a long shot. The handshake is not what would be expected of the two as they switch places and jump around, again showing more comedy. It shows their relationship is more like a father and daughters. 

You can watch the opening of the Parent Trap here:

Back to the Future storyboard

These were our storyboards about the film back to the future, we had to watch the beginning of the film twice, looking out for shot types, camera movement, character movement, sound effects and the duration of the shot. We then drafted our ideas into two storyboards:

preliminary Task

This is Maddie, Jess, Ally and Simone's blog. We will be posting our experiences and work on here :--)

This is our first attempt at the preliminary task, we managed to get the basics in but lack in effects and audio, also breaking the 180degree rule. The wind got in the way, so you couldn't hear the dialogue.  It would have been better if we filmed it inside, you'd be able to hear the dialogue, although the lighting outside was better. We managed to get medium and over-shoulder shots, to get some clips their full effect. Overall it was a decent first attempt, on our second try we know what we can improve on.