A film that controdicts the BBFC statement, Shrek.

Shrek is a childrens film and according to the BBFC, the definition of a childrens film is; 'No special effort is made to make the film appeal to different audiences'. I disagree with this as 'Shrek' is  definately a childrens film but it appeals to adults as well as they will be the ones taking their kids to the cinema. The clip shows a few humourous parts that may appeal to many ages. This contradicts the definition of a children's film.

School of rock; controversial?

The School of rock was a PG certified film, this means that is it suitable for children ages 8+. In this movie there are many controversial scenes, including when the Dewey, a 'responsible adult' lies about the children being ill, claiming to have 'stick-it-to-da-man-noisis' to get into the battle of the bands.

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Dewey Finn: Those kids have a rare blood disease: "Stick-it-to-da-man-noisis".
Battle of the Bands director: What's that? I've never heard of it.
Dewey Finn: You're lucky. Because it's hell. 

Also strong language is used in School Of Rock, with other uses of sexual references. Including this dialogue below:

Dewey Finn: What's the matter? 
Summer Hathaway: You want me to be a groupie? 
Dewey Finn: Well... a groupie's an important job. 
Summer Hathaway: I researched groupies on the Internet.They're sluts!They sleep with the band! 
Dewey Finn: No, that's not true. They're like cheerleaders.


Unfortunately we could not find these scenes on the internet, but we could remember the scenes above from when we first watched the movie, so evidently it had quite a big influence on us. Also it is our opinion that children the age of 8 are not interested in rock music, but more interested in rainbows or cartoons.

bbfc-british board of film classification

Definition of a children's film-  'no special effort is made to make the film appeal to different audiences'
does this still apply 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 reassuring counterbalances to any threat/horror
-Suitable for children to view alone
NO- Bad language
      - Drugs
      - Emphasis on real and accessible weapons
      - Sexual content- Only love



PG Certificate- Parental guidance 
-Suitable for 8 and over- parents decide if their kids can handle it
-Discrimination- but only for educational purpose
-Drug must carry and anti-drug message
-Horror short but not intense
-More grown up themes e.g. domestic violence- strongly portrayed as wrong


Controversial films 
Babe- shows a dog being hung

Watership down- lots of death and violence-but it is a U certificate
                          - Dark colours

Action Film-The Incredibles

The Incredibles is a great example of a children's action film as it provides fun, excitement and of course action. In this scene we see Mr Incredible in action and in a fight with a massive robot, this means that the young target audience can remain entertained as a lot is going on, with use of fast cuts. A battle between superheroes is hugely entertaining for children, as they will find it hard to relate to the characters without using a lot of imagination. The non-diegetic fast music adds excitement and tension for the viewers, who are backing up Mr. Incredible in this battle.

Straight away we are shown an establishing shot which shows a neglected planet as there is a lack of life and the colours are dull and brown. The viewers don't realise the shot shown is Earth, and that realisation is that of shock. For quite a while at the beginning of the Film the audience follow Walle through a range of shots from Arial shots and tracking shots. These all add up to illustrate how lonely he is and empty the city has become. Sound in this film is non diegetic old music at the start, the music played is old to the viewers of the time. It is also un empathetic to the opening scene, which suggests to us that perhaps the inhabitants of the area didn't care about how their area was treated. Despite the fact that Walle is a robot, he shows signs of human qualities and personality, this helps children in particular relate to the main character, Walle.

Animation Rocco

Rocco is an affective animation as it has all the characteristics of a good animation. Firstly it introduces the main character by words and by visually showing him so that the audience defiantly knows who he is. The opening also tells us a bit about him as it tells us his name and what he does. The music throughout the clip is also very affective as it is upbeat and fun which links to the actual animation.
The animation also shows that the main character is a small cuddly animal which children can relate to as they like cuddly animals and toys. This clip also has a moral  as the mouse, who is trying to get his Christmas lights on, fails at the first attempt but keeps trying. Therefore, the moral of the story is if at first you don't succeed then try and try again.

In our group we have thought about doing an animation as we believe it would be easier to get the children, the audience's, attention as we can have brighter more fun colours. It is also easier to get the moral of the story across. The music that we add to it can also be more upbeat and fast as it would link in with the brightness of the colours. However there is some problems as it will take a very long time to do the actual filming as it is all pictures and we don't have very long. Also, as well as the filming the music has to take up the whole clip because there wouldn't be any speaking to take up some of the time. Therefore this would also take up a long time. After doing both of these we would struggle to find time to edit it if it needed it.

Jumanji notes

How does Jumanji meet the opening sequence and genre characteristics? During the opening scene the audience are introduced to the board game, which is the main prop of the film. In the scene the lighting is very dark, which adds suspense and tension. Diegetic sound is used well to add tension as a pack of wolves is heard in the distance. A prop used here is an old horse drawn wagon, which illustrates to the viewer the time period used. The next scene is a complete contrast to this scene, with an establishing shot showing the location, which seems active and happy. Also as there are roads and concrete buildings which suggest time has passed since when the board game was buried. Later in the sequence the main character gets bullied, children can relate to this, and may seek inspiration in how the child may resolve the bullying, this is the moral of the story. Jumanji will also appeal to children because from the beginning scene, children are the main characters.
This meets the opening sequence characteristics because straight away the viewer is introduced to the main prop, and soon after they're also introduced to the main character.
Jumanji also meets the characteristics of the genre with the use of the titles, which look mysterious with use of strange font and colour.

Favourite Childrens Film

Favourite children's film?: Toy Story
How does it attract the audience?: Toy Story attracts the audience, which can range from young children to adults. It does this because the idea of toys coming to life is a child's dream. It also attracts the audience by following the toys adventure throughout the film. There is also a range of humour which appeals to both children and adults.
Why is the film so memorable to you?: It is memorable to us because we had similar toys to the ones that appear in the film. The idea of our toys coming to life makes us remember the film. Also the actual toys from the movie were available to buy in replica soon after the film was released. This made us identify with  Andy, the owner of the toys in the film.
What is the moral in the film?: Don't let jealousy control how you feel towards someone; as you can end up hurting others with the actions that you take. In Toy Story, Woody gets jealous of Buzzlight year, and lets his feelings get the better of him. This results in Woody getting rid of Buzz, which results in hurting the feelings of the other toys.

where the wild things are

Where The Wild Things Are.

Where the wild things are would attract younger children and families with young children. This is because it is a PG so children have to watch it with adults. This movie will definitely attract children because of its adventure, comedy and fun.

Also, most young children who watch this film would like to go on an adventure like this. Children can also learn things from it for example throughout the film there is a lot of mistakes made and the characters apologise.

 I would definitely class this as a children’s film, however i wouldn’t say is for children that are less than 5 or 6 as there are some scenes that may frighten them for example when the monster characters are getting angry.

Inspiration for this film was the 1963 children’s book. The film follows the same story line but some parts are exaggerated to make it more interesting. For example in the book the island is all in his mind but in the film it is real life.  

This is our Final edit of our preliminary task. In this clip there are a series of camera angles, shot types and transitions. We have also edited sound over the clip on Garage Band, including a rhythmic beat and sound effects.

We found the software we used to be quite difficult, however after using it for a while we became more familiar with different aspects of Garage Band and Final Cut.

Where The Wild Things Are: Questions

1. Which audiences would this attract and why?
The audience this would attract would be a much younger audience. The animations are much more suited towards children, as they are big furry animals. The storyline would also be favourable to children as it is about having an adventure. Children would like the idea of having an adventure in a fancy dress suit and play around. Also, some of the storyline kids can learn from as there are parts where either the creatures do something, or the boy does something, then they have to correct it. in many cases it just invloves appologising to whoever they hurt. It is quite obvioulsy played so that it stands out to children, hoping that they will learn from it.

2. Would you class this as a childrens film?
I would class this as a childrens film due to the nature of the characters and the storyline. I don't think it is a really young childs film but for someone of the age of six or above. This is because some of the clips might scare really young children e.g. when the boy discovers the island and the creaturesa re destroying the houses.

3.The inspiration behind the film?
The film is based on the 1963 childrens book, 'Where the wild things are'. In 2009 it was made into a film called 'Where the wild things are' and the story line is basically the same apart from a few things dramatised. For example, in the book, the boy is sent to his room for being naughty and then out of his mind, he makes up the world. However, in the film he is sent to his room for being naughty but then runs away, finds a boat and accidentally sails to this strange island.

preliminary tasks, planning.

Task- Take out the camera in a small group in order to shoot a sequence, including a number of camera shots & angles.

1- Establishing shot, pan around the refectory.

2- Close up shot, someone picking up a chocolate treat.

3- 'Match on action', the movement of the chocolate treat from one location to another.

4- Reaction shot, the satisfaction of the consumer.

5- Long shot, of the refectory.

6- Filming a conversation, at the refectory.

7- 180 degree rule, filming a conversation in the refectory.

this is an effective establishing shot because it manages to show the set and location of the scene where the adventure begins :)




this is match on action because rod perry is diving through the window from two different angles, one of him starting the dive and another from inside the shed of him arriving at his destination.




This is effective close shot because without the close up it would be difficult for the viewers to understand what is happening.

this is an effective reaction shot as the monkeh' clearly looks shocked.

this is an effective long shot of the buildings as the viewer can see the whole building/image in one shot.

180 degree rule is used well here as the interest of the shot is changing with the conversation.


Our script

Jack- i love chocolate treats.
Jack- mmmmmmmm yummmm
Jack- wassup homie?
Matt- ite?
Jack- had a good day?
Matt- Great thanks, yourself?..