childrens film opening sequence-A Toy's Life-FINAL

Credits

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5cMERD5S40&feature=fvsr

^^Above is an example of the how credits are incorporated in film openings, this film being 'Super Bad' - has a unique opening scene as it is portrayed as a dance. The main inforamtion that is given at the start af the film is the title, some fo the main actors, producers & co- producers, production company (Dreamworks,Columbia Pictures), casting directors, costume designer, music supervison, writers and director.

Research into U and PG certifictation

U - Universal
Suitable for all.
Different children are upset by different things, so it is sometimes difficult to say what might upset a particular child. However, U films should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. If there is any violence, threat or horror in a U film, it should be over quickly and the film should tell children that everything will turn out okay. Films and DVDs for children should make clear to them the difference between right and wrong.

• Theme/Topics - Films and DVDs should be about subjects which are generally suitable for younger audiences.
• Language - There should be very little mild bad language.
• Nudity - There can be occasional glimpses of people who have no clothes on, as long as they are not linked to romantic activities.
• Sex and relationships - Only mild references (e.g. to 'making love') and mild behaviour (e.g. kissing) are allowed.
• Violence and Threat - Mild violence only. Some mild threat and menace are allowed.
• Dangerous Behaviour - There should be no dangerous behaviour that can be easily copied by young children.
• Weapons - There should be no focus on weapons that are realistic or easy to get hold of.
• Horror - Moments with ghosts, witches and monsters should be over quickly and not be too scary. Nothing at U should really frighten or disturb young viewers. The film or DVD should tell children that everything is okay.
• Drugs - Drugs should not be mentioned, unless the film or DVD teaches that drugs are dangerous.
• Discrimination - There can be no language or behaviour shown that would offend a person’s religion, colour, gender, sexuality or disability, unless the film or DVD teaches it to be wrong.

Examples of  U films, Lion King, Madagascar

PG - Parental Guidlines
Can be viewed by all ages, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children.
Children of any age may watch a PG rated film or DVD, with or without an adult. A 'PG' film should not trouble or worry a child aged eight or older. However the PG does tell parents that the content of the film may upset younger or more sensitive children.

• Theme/Topics - Films and DVDs may be about more grown up topics such as crime, racism, bullying or violence in the home. There must be nothing which suggests these are good things.
• Language - Mild bad language only.
• Nudity - Some nudity is allowed, but not if it is linked to romantic activities.
• Sex and Relationships - Sex can be mentioned, suggested or joked about, but only discreetly.
• Violence and Threat - There can be stronger violence than at U, but without detail. Violence which takes place in a comedy, fantasy, or historical film may be treated less strictly.
• Dangerous Behaviour - There should be no detail of fighting techniques or other harmful and dangerous activities that children might easily copy.
• Weapons - There should be no focus on weapons that are realistic or easy to get hold of. Weapons should not be made to look attractive.
• Horror - Frightening scenes should not be too long or scary. Horror scenes which are part of a fantasy film may be treated less strictly.
• Drugs - There should be no mention of illegal drugs or drug taking unless completely harmless, or the film carries an anti-drug message.
• Discrimination - There can be no language or behaviour shown that would offend a person’s religion, colour, gender, sexuality or disability, unless the film or DVD teaches it to be wrong or is presented within an educational or historical context. Discrimination by a character who is seen as a hero by the audience is also unlikely to be allowed.

Examples of PG films, Harry Potter, 17 Again

Contributions to the production process.

• Filming - during this process we all took turns to film one another, so i took shots of someone else whilst they were performing their sequence.
• Props - i brought in a prop to help film the opening sequence
• Acted - during the filming i played the character of the 'ghost'
• Editing - i have helped edit sections of the filming process
• Ideas - in this process i have tried to contribute my ideas

My contribution to the production process

• Filming. When we filmed ourselves for the opening sequence, we all took turns with the camera so we all had a go. I contributed by using the camera for someones else's shot. When we filmed the scrabble tiles by using stop motion, i helped move the tiles between each shot.
• Props. We all brought in our own props for the filming, i bought in my costume for the dolls outfit.
• Acting. I acted as a doll in part of the opening sequence.
• Editing. When we uploaded the footage onto the movie editor, i helped do part of the editing and chroma key on there.

Contribution to the production process

• Filming - We all swapped round so we each had an experience of using the college cameras and getting to grips with the technology.
• Props - I bought in a variety of props for being the clown in the opening sequence. Also props that other people in my group needed to complete their outfit.
• Editing - As our final piece is coming together I have contributed by help edit it all together.
• Sound - With the help of others searched for appropriate music that could be relevant.
• Ideas - I have put my ideas into our childrens film to try and make it as best as we possibly can.

Progress Report

So far I feel that the planning and production of our children's film opening sequence has been very successful and that we have worked well as a group.

One problem that we encountered during the making of our piece was the trouble we had in using the chroma key in Final Cut. We filmed our sequence using a green screen so that we were able to have the ability to choose different backgrounds in post-production. However we found that using the chroma key was quite difficult, and it has taken a while for us to get the results we desired.
Another small problem we had was the decision of whether to use stop-motion for our titles or use animations in Final Cut. In the end we chose to use stop-motion as although it will be time-consuming, the result will be much more effective.

Our plan for after half term is to film our stop-motion titles, edit the titles into our sequence, and produce a soundtrack. Our main priority is to film the titles, as they are a key part of our film. We have decided that in lessons, our group will split and be working on more than one thing at a time. For example, some members could be filming the stop-motion while others are putting together the soundtrack. This is so that we can get everyone in the group involved in the production of our piece, and so that we will be able to get more work done in a lesson.