CHILDRENS FILM G321

Unit outline and film conventions

UNIT CONTENT

Preliminary exercise: Continuity task

Main task: the titles and opening of a new fiction film:

CHILDRENS FILM OPENING SEQUENCE.

The unit is marked out of a total of 100 marks:

20 marks for the presentation of the planning and research;

60 marks for the construction;

20 marks for the evaluation.

BLOG PRELIMINARY TASK

Upload preliminary to the blog

Go onto blogger.com

Username: longroadchildrensfilm10

Pass: childrens film

Evaluate your work: what did you learn? How has

this practice helped you prepare for the real thing?

EVALUATION QUESTIONS

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or

challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

2. How does your media product represent particular

social groups?

3. What kind of media institution might distribute your

media product and why?

EVALUATION QUESTIONS

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

5. How did you attract/ address your audience?

6. What have you learnt about technologies from the

process of constructing this product?

7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you

feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the

full product?

(20 marks)

GENERAL OPENING SEQUENCE CONVENTIONS

Title sequence

Credits/media company

Introduction of main characters

Establishment of location

Theme tune/sound track

Introduction of film narrative

Introduction of film genre

PAIRED ACTIVITY

Choose one of the following films and watch its opening

sequence (first three minutes). With your partner

brainstorm the various conventions. So what do you see

within the opening sequence.

Toy Story 3

A Christmas Carol

Harry Potter

Night at the museum

CHILDRENS FILM GENRES

Animation

Crime

Thriller

Sci-fi

Fantasy

Adventure

Action

musical

WHAT IS A FANTASY

Fantasies can be stories that involve

beings and events that could not exist

in real life. These works may begin

realistically but soon turn into stories

that could never really happen. 

FANTASY GENRE CONVENTIONS

contains elements that are

not realistic talking animals

magical powers

often set in a medieval universe

possibly involving mythical beings

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

Use of time travel

Imaginary beings from other planets

Animals that talk or act human

Fantastic creatures may be part of a fantasy –

unicorns, trolls, elves, etc.

Sometimes characters speak a fantasy language.

Conflicts involve magic or impossible strategies.

MAGICAL OBJECTS MAY BE USED

Mirrors

Rings

Cloaks

Lamps

Types of Fantasy

High Fantasy – Epic type Hero saves

the world.

Game Related – stories based on

movie or video game

Historical Fantasy – Magic set in past

era or age.

EXAMPLE CLIP

Jumanji

Clip in folder

ACTION GENREAction films usually include high energy, big-budget

physical stunts and chases,

possibly with

rescues,

battles,

fights,

escapes,

destructive crises (floods, explosions, natural

disasters, fires, etc.),

ACTION GENRE

often two-dimensional 'good-guy' heroes (or

recently, heroines) battling 'bad guys'

all designed for pure audience escapism.

EXAMPLE CLIP

Spy Kidshttp://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWpsgXT5_XE

ADVENTURE GENRE

Adventure films are usually exciting stories, with

new experiences or exotic locales.

very similar to or often paired with the action film

genre.

EXAMPLE CLIP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzow5wUp7hY

Baby's day out

ADVENTURE AND FANTASY

CHARLIE AND THE

CHOCOLATE FACTORY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62TEljaPzo0

SCI-FI CONVENTIONS

stories that often tell about science and technology of the

future

involving partially true fictions laws or theories of science

Settings:

in the future

in space

on a different world

in a different universe or dimension

EXAMPLE CLIP

Back to the future Clip in folder

GROUP TASK

Choose two different genres and discuss opening

sequence conventions for two different films.

Describe how it fits the genre of the film.

Once you have completed your research blog your work as

a group.(use images from the opening sequence as

examples)