Music - Prank Wars

101 Dalmatians:

101 Dalmatians is a 1961 American animated produced by Walt Disney and based on the novel The One Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith. We watched the first part of the Disney classic and we focused on the music. At first, the intro music sounded quite classical, plus suited its time era which was in the 60s. Also, the music included orchestral instruments, such as violins, xylophones, etc. The fact that the music was upbeat, it suited the children film genre, the tune gave an almost uplifting feel. On the other hand, the music did not relate to any situation or scene in the film. However, the music in the introduction could show the audience that this particular film is going to be child friendly.


Prank Wars - Initial Ideas for Music:


Now that I have researched music in children's films, such as '101 Dalmatians', our group has a brief idea of what the music is going to be like in our children's film called 'Prank Wars'. We would like our music to be upbeat (we could do this by including a mid-fast paced beat in our music, with a funky guitar tune perhaps), and our music has to have a cheerful feel to it, therefore it will match our film genre which is comedy.


We shall include sound effects in the music, such as people screaming, etc. All the music making will be done on Garageband.

Mindmap: Final Idea- Prank wars

compare + contrast your main character with a character from a similar U or PG film

In contrast to the main character in spy kids(alex vega as carmen cortez and Daryl sabara as juni cortez) our main characters are represented in a negative way, where as the characters in spy kids are portrayed as role models for the younger audience. However there are some aspects of the film that are similar to the spy kids feature, for example both films have male and female main characters. The spy kids film shows differences between the brother and sister duo. These differences were eventually solved by the end of the film. The same happened in our film , by the end the 2 characters put aside their differences and became closer than they were at the beginning. The main plot of the film however is significantly different. In spy kids the plot is a brother and sister trying to save their parents from a villain. while in our film there is no heroics or 'secret agent' styled footage. 

What can our target audience learn from our film.

In most children's inspired films there will be an underlying morale or life lesson that the characters should realize by the end of the film. The lesson that we tried to represent in our film was the importance of friendship and to strive to maintain a relationship. The film includes from the outset the 2 characters are constantly playing tricks and childish pranks on one another and the degree of discomfort applied to the other person increases until the 2 enemies eventually mend their ways and become friends. hopefully it should also illustrate that holding anger or a grudge towards someone is childish and unnecessary.

Final evaluation of Prank wars

our final product was a success and was completed with few problems. Were happy with the shots that we collected and the soundtrack that we created on garage band. We found some difficulty in creating the sound track because of our group not being experienced in using garage band.  It was a learning curve and hopefully we can use our newly discovered skills in garage band to be used in other projects. The program itself posed problems towards the end of the project. Transferring the footage to the garage band was impossible and the footage that was transferred was just  black screen and we couldn't time the music to the footage. This wasted allot of our time and threatened our progress but we tried to time the music as well as we could.  We have a wide variety of shot types and gave a professional appearance to the film. we also ran into trouble transferring the garage band soundtrack to the computer that housed the edited footage. After running into more time delays and trouble with the portable hard-drive we eventually made the mp3 file transfer and we could polish up the film.  At this time we wee nearing our deadline when the opening title font made more problems as it was becoming distorted through the clip it was laid onto. We quickly rectified the problem and completed our film.

Final Children's Film:

Prank wars filming progress

Today is our last day to complete our filming for prank wars. we were able to shoot all of our needed shots to tell a linear story. We may need to add shots when we stat the editing process and we could notice mistakes in the footage . No problems occurred in the filming process and went smoothly. We break up for the half term and will resume working on the film afterwards.

target audience

The target audience for our short film is the ages between the ages of 8-12. we are aiming for a PG certificate due to the content we are planning to use in our film. The certificate will be a PG for our film because the pranks we have filmed are slightly violent and promote misbehavior towards others. Also it includes hitting a fire alarm which is not suitable for very young audiences. The age group that is in a PG will understand that the content of the film is just for fun and should not be reenacted by themselves or their friends. 

prank wars credit ideas

The credits will need to represent a happy, mischievous feeling.It gives a idea of what the film ahead is going to be like through font types and colours. The fonts will be non aggressive e.g. bubble writing. The colours of the font will be vibrant and happy. The colours are vital to appealing to the younger audience and making sure the feeling of the film i up beat and cheerful.  The credits will include these preferences because they are what the film is represented by.

The credits will be overlaid onto the image.

Directed by Owen Trewartha

Produced by Grant wardell

Starring

Harriet Yates
and
Michael Moursi

camera crew Grant Wardell and Owen Trewartha

editors Michael Moursi Grant Wardell and Owen Trewartha Harriet Yares

misenscene- Prank Wars

The lighting that we will be using in our film will be mostly natural lighting. We aren't planning on applying different lighting types due to the added complication that using them will bring while in the locations we have selected.  The costume is comprised of casual /student clothing. We are trying to give  a natural feeling to our film with the costume and lighting. The make up will also be natural for the same reasons. The props that will be used will consist of everyday objects and clothing. We will use these objects to create small conflicts between the characters that will support the story-line. The performance is meant to be comedic in nature while pretending to be serious. This will appeal to the younger audiences due to the simple humor of tricks and pranks . 

Initial Ideas Children's Film

Initial Ideas for Childrens Film:

• Child superhero - Child gets superpowers, saves the whole world with those abilities, etc.
• Drama - Child getting bullied. Child overcomes bullying by resolving
• Action genre - missions for children, save the world, etc.
• Animation - Using plasticine, figures, fruit. Stick goggly eyes on the fruit and set the scene. Argument?
• Comedy - A children version of Punk'd? Pranks. A film called 'Prank Wars'

Our final idea is going to be 'Prank Wars'. This short children's film will include a group of people pranking each other to win some sort of prize. 'Prank Wars' will be filmed on the college premises.

Storyboard:

Possible Locations:

Action film analysis. spy kids

Spy kids is an example of an children's action film. The cinematography involved uses tracking shots , close ups , long-shots  and conversation shots.  The use of tracking shots gives a fast pace flow to the feature and helps the audience feel involved in the scene.

The props include a variety of gadgets and interesting equipment which is exciting to the younger audiences. The costumes used by the "Spy kids" are futuristic and fun to appeal more to the younger audience. The settings are colourful and over the top. For example the secret lairs and bases that are included are extravagant and plays the youth audiences imagination. The lighting is mostly high key and low key to suit the location of the characters. For example the lighting is low key in places of danger. Also the darkness plays on a common children's fear. This makes the young audience more unsettled and they feel for the protagonists.

Special effects are mostly consisted of green screen. The green screen allows impossible structures to be created with little effort and costs very little compared to creating an actual structure.  This also allows imaginary gadgets possible e.g. the jet pack.

The soundtrack was a classic orchestral "secret agent" style piece influenced perhaps by Mission Impossible. The music was punchy and fast paced. This increases the amount of excitement that the audiences feels, plus emphasizes the fact that it is an action film.

Spy Kids Trailer:

Parental Guidance (PG)

Parental guidance(PG) is a film certificate suitable for children age 8 and over. It is the parents responsibility  to decide if their child is mature enough to watch the film. A PG will allow discrimination, however it has to be for educational purposes. Plus, drugs may be mentioned in the film, however must not be seen as this may influence young children to take drugs. Also, if drugs are included in a PG, the film must include an anti drug message. If horror is in a film with a PG certificate, it will have to be short but not intense. In PG's, there will be more grown up themes.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a PG certificate film. This film meets the PG certificate criteria because it includes a range of mild abusive language, for example 'bloody'. This is used in the forest scene (youtube clip above). Also, there is a horror scene in the clip when Harry spots a creature eating a unicorn. This affects the audience as they will be scared, etc. Fortunately, the horror scene is resolved quickly, therefore it is suitable to meet the criteria for a PG certificate.

U criteria

This is a film certificate certified by the BBFC. U stands for universal. the film must include positive moral framework. It must also offer reassuring counterbalance to any threat presented. It must also be suitable for viewing alone. the film must not include discrimination, drugs, sexual references and no strong language of any kind.

The film Monsters Inc.. has a moral background that applies to the audience. The villans in the film are not very threatening or scary and if there is a particular scary bit it is quickly dealt with and resolved. There is no bad language or unsuitable influences such as discrimination. the film ca be easily watched by a child on their own, without much difficulty to understand the plot. The monsters are scared as much as the children in the film, which reassures the audience that the monsters re not dangerous in any way.

Toy Story 2 Beginning

Science fiction children's film - Iron Giant

The "Iron Giant" feature  is a cartoon animation by Warner Brothers  . The setting of the film is based on a 1968 book called "The Iron Man". This 1999 feature brings the original story to life through colourful cartoon animation. The soundtrack for the film was created by Adam Ross and Joe Lubin.  Mis en scene in the film is easily attained due to the animated nature of the film. Props , settings and etc are completely fictional and drawn by a group of artists. The main camera shots types include, establishing shot, high angle, POV and mid shot. These simple shots allow the young audience to be able to follow the story well and see the emotions of the characters clearly.  The plot is linear and simple to pander to younger audiences   and making it easy for children to follow. The feature should be simple enough for even the youngest f viewers can understand even when watching the film by them self.

Conventions in Opening Sequences - Children's Film

In children's films, opening sequences are vital for children to understand the plot, storyline, plus the characters in the film as youngsters (between 3-5) may find it difficult. Opening sequences may include the following:

• Main storyline - For the audience to understand what is going on in the first couple of minutes.
• Characters (Main) - To introduce the main characters so they become familiar to the audience. Also, it makes the audience focused on that particular character.
• Setting - To give the audience a feel of where the film is set.
• Simple plot - For not to confuse the target audience as complex plots may confuse children. 
• Titles and credits - To introduce the film, giving everyone credit for the their part in part.
• Funny openings - To entertain and entice the audience. This will make the audience remember the particular scene.
• Bright and colorful - To capture the moment.
• Basic camera angles - So it does not get too complicated for the younger members of the audience. Plus, to show the characters emotions, etc.

Fantasy children film - Shrek analysis

Shrek is a animated children's film which is a mash up of all the old bedtime stories for children rolled into one.  The time line for the film is set in medieval times so the props and sets in the film are of that era. The vehicles used in the film are horses and carriages to convey to the audience the time it is set without giving a specific date.. The film uses clear jokes that are used for older audiences so that the adults can enjoy the film along with the children. This makes a universal experience for all ages. The camera shots are predominately  close up or mid-shot to show the emotions of the characters. The soundtrack is mystical and   has been created by a orchestra to give it a magical and classic feel. Shrek being an animated film it is completely made up from special effects.  Mise en scene is completely limitless due to the film being animated . Props and settings just need to be created by the animators. This allows the creation of a medieval fantasy land easily possible to accomplish.  

Jumanji - Mise en scene

The misenscene hat we noticed in the short clip of  jumaji included : The use of time period props such as 1800s costume  to demonstrate the year of the scene.  Natural lighting of the night scene burial gave a slightly n nerving and gloomy fell to the film.  When the timeline jumps to 1960s the setting feels like a safe environment and the tension is released from the previous scene. This is soon broken when the bullies chase the main character on old style chopper bikes. After the chase scene has ceased the main-character talks to his father in the families company. The father tells him to confront his own fears. This will be an obvious goal for the character which will be reached at the end of the feature.

The film reaches a number of the conventions of a typical children's film. The music is varied in the emotions it creates and the characters are introduced almost instantly after the establishing clip. The plot seems simple enough for young audiences to follow but it does seem a little more complicated than most very young films.

SpongeBob The Movie

In our group we analyzed Sponge-bob square-pants movie trailer the main camera angles that were used was long shot, close up and extreme close up. The main characters is in the film was heavily concentrated in most shots.  The colours in the trailer were over the top and vibrant to help interest the younger embers of the audience. The music used is quite happy and fun. There are plenty of jokes for younger audences so the humor is basic.

Preliminary Evaluation

The overall filming process went smoothly except for a few complications. Our first problem we had was finding a suitable location for the shots. We eventually stumbled onto a disused office in one of the blocks upstairs.  We began our filming and were making steady progress but a member of staff had to use the office which we were using. This restricted the shots we could of done in the office also were pressured to hurry and leave the room.  All the shots were completed in our given time and we started the editing process.

We uploaded the film to the macs and used final cut pro to edit the clips.  Some effects were added and the task was completed.

Preliminary Task