Here is the link to my video that has been uploaded onto facebook to gain feedback on the final product

www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/video/video.php?v=10150165063730331&oid=324194432975

I have changed my magazine cover:
Added more writing and used effects to make it look less like poster!
But still keeping the convention of FREE objects as this is aswell as the programme itself is what attracts a child to want the magazine.

NEW DVD COVER

This follows the conventions of a childrens DVD Cover

Bright colours

Follows my rule of 3

The boring information bit (age certificate, distributor, producer etc)

The logo

Picture of main characters

Information about the DVD

Not too much writing however as it is aimed at young children

Last minute bits..

I have arranged a last minute filming with everyone, to make sure all shots are accurate and framed correctly and to correct the different DJ Sam problem.. I will just be using ONE! :)


DVD & Magazine cover are all done

VERY Hard trying to use elements but after hours of sitting at the computer I think I have finally accomplished my tasks!

Also with the use of a programme called LOGIC I have managed to produce my theme tune:
I typed notes onto the keyboard and used a range of effects and merged them together to get a nice sound :)

DJ SAM ..?

The filming and ancillary tasks are inconsistent due to having TWO DJ Sam's.

It was too late to go over everything previously done i.e photos and change them all to the new actor as it involved having to get the children back in and finding time everyone was available to shoot the video and take photos.

FILMING

Filming all DONE :)

Now CUTTING & EDITING the clips to put them together to make FINAL PIECE

Taking AGES!!

CLIPS:

* All the childrens individual waves *

* DJ Sam backstage introduction to the show *

* Children running around with Karma *

* Playing music instruments *

Magazine Cover!

Bright Colours
Simple Design
'Messy Look'
Minimum amount of words
Pictures
Recognisable logo

= Conventions of a childrens magazine

I stuck with the original conventions of a magazine, it doesn't have a specific layout structure, its bold, bright colours with pictures, as opposed to a teenagers magazine who relies on wrtiting to give information on the headlines that are inside to encourage the readers to buy the magazine.

I thought using pictures like these are more natural and show the children having fun rather than 'faking' smiles and being arranged to look presentable and uncomfortable.

This will be used for my magazine cover as it includes all the cast with DJ Sam in the middle, the photo has a friendly look to it with the children all smiling it is welcoming to pick up not only for the children wanting to read it but also the parents who are buying it for their children

Rough Pictures to get an idea of the quality and what looks best to put in the video as I have now decided to add a photographic slideshow of snap shots of the children and DJ Sam rather than using moving images of them doing activities I will use still shots.

Found NEW DJ SAM :)

Been Filming this week:
Childrens intros (all 4 children)
Intro of DJ Sam (bit before music starts).. Need to sort out the frame on one bit of this clip though!
Taken LOTS of photos of Old DJ Sam with Children and Dog

Using ADOBE INDESIGN at the moment to finish of my ancillary tasks.. yes they are late but I'm finally getting there and getting on track!

ALSO been keeping my facebook page updated, have uploaded some photos I've taken and already recieving comments, will upload the pictures on here tomorrow, as it's late now!

Finishing filming next week ..last minute bits.. then I'm all done to concentrate editing and focusing on the music!

Note to self: DONT FORGET EVALUATION PRESENTATION.. KEPP PREPARING!!

TO DO:

At the moment my current to do list:

Copy link onto previous post about my facebook page.

Finish off ancillary tasks.. once I have sorted out NEW DJ Sam this won't be hard to do I have intial ideas just need to add photos!

Keep updating BLOG!!

DJ SAM!! - CHANGES

All was going well.. until the current DJ Sam had an accident which means that I cannot use him anymore.. Need to find someone to replace him!! :(

PROBLEM:

Need a NEW DJ Sam!!

SOLVED:

I have arranged with a year 11 pupil to stand in as DJ Sam, not only has one volunteer come forward but TWO have.. I may be able to incorporate the second volunteer into the video also..

Facebook Page :)

I have made a Facebook page:
It explains my ideas and asks for comments on ways to improve and any other relevant information that can help before I start filming at the end of the week.

www.facebook.com/x.pollyanna.x?ref=profile#!/group.php?gid=324194432975&ref=mf

Logo!!

Woop Woop.. Logo has been made!!

Simple Design:
Used 'PAINT'
Clip-art picture of notes
'Highlighter' font (DJ Sam)
'Arial Narrow' font (If he..)
Cut around the letters and placed them onto the clip-art picture

Simple.. Allows you to know what 'DJ Sam' is sort of about.. Eye catchy

Current Media Logos:

I got my ideas from current logos that are well-known
Programmes Name
Bright colours
An image/doodle in relation to what the programmes main 'theme' is

HELP!

Admittedly I am falling behind! Doing things by yourself isn't as easy as I thought!!

Ok, Checklist:
Speak to Mr Pearson (head of year 7) to find 'little' volunteers in year 7 by Friday so i can film them as:
A school choir
Doing Arts and crafts
Music Lesson

*Spoken to*

Miss V (media teacher) - use her year 7 music class to film!

*Sorted just need the lesson which is in a weeks time!*

Sort out selected 4 'main' children .. NEED to film their introductions!

Scrap the filming in primary school idea as it involves too much paper work and will not be able to run in accrodance to my deadline.. so I will ask if we can borrow the school one day after school so it has the surroundings needed.

DJ Sam!!!.. Make sure he's available for photo shoot TONIGHT!! so by tomorrow we should see some charming photos uploaded..

*DJ Sam is sorted!*

Not forgetting upload my ancillary tasks.. Come on Polly!!

Now to get on and do it..

9th February 2010

I am going to contact

Powell Corderoy
St. Josephs

To see if they will allow me to get short clips of the children in their music lessons/ choir/ making instruments for my opening title sequence.

Running Time!

60 seconds

L o n g enough to recognise the tune

Short enough not to get bored and turn programme over

Song Words

It wouldn't be a children's opening title sequence without the CATCHY, IRRITATING words that the children feel it's relevant to repeat :)
Examples of these are:
Bob the Builder
Lazy Town
Tweenies

DJ Sam lyrics:

I say DJ.. You say Sam!

DJ.. Sam

DJ.. Sam

I--m DJ SAM!

DJ S-am, He's our M-an

If h-e can't spin it.. No-one can

Yes DJ Sam

Has a pl-an.. To make you dance.

Coz he's the man!

Green = Everyone

Red = DJ Sam

Blue = Children

( colour code for song on who sings what)

The Finale!!

It wouldn't be an end to something without everyone involved in one shot, so for this 5 second shot it will use a wipe from the previous shot to this one of the children jumping and dancing and giving off loads of energy for an overall round off to the title-sequence to really get the viewers excited about what's going to be on the programme.

The surroundings will be studio like (school hall) with the children, dog & Sam centre dancing and singing with a ZOOM towards them and followed by cuts of close-ups of children's faces, movements and the same for Sam.

The last line will be shouted by all so they will be huddled in the centre with a mid shot ((this has been changed from a long shot)) showing their bodies and faces with smiles and thumbs up in the air

Fill-ups!

As I said in the previous shot descriptions, timings are approximate as thinking in your head and how it actually plays out could give me two different outcomes, so as a back-up i'm going to produce 1 second shots of Sam doing different actions (as mentioned above) to fill in any gaps to make it run smoothly.

Rather than dragging each of the original shots out I will just add single shots of Sam to keep the pace going and in time to the music and also to ensure that eyes will remain on the screen rather than getting bored of the shots and giving up watching the programme.

This is the main part where previews of current or future episodes will contain and give an overall idea of what the programme will contain.

I have designated each shot 1-2 seconds this is because when researching current media shots are not held for very long and in the space of a minute they can show 60 different shots..
!!that's a shot every second!!

When I was first putting the timings on the shots to me holding one for 4-5 seconds didn't seem long but with the backing track playing I didn't realise that to allow the filming to run smoothly I need it to run in correlated with the music rather than it looking more like a slide show on powerpoint.

Shots::

Children making instruments: 1 shot: establishing shot

2 shot: over the shoulder shot

School choir: 1 shot: long shot
2 shot: tracking shot- moving from one end to the other showing all the children singing

Children playing instruments: 1 shot: long shot
2 shot: cut to child playing instrument
3 shot: cut to child playing instrument

Each shot of the children will last around 5-7 seconds long, mid-shot of child waving and smiling, the shots will change with a simple cut between them

A sixth shot was added to the initial idea as after more thorough research I found that it was common for the presenters to have a companion/apprentice.

Examples:
Bodger & Badger
Aunty Mabel & Pippin

So I decided to add 'mans best friend' as a companion for DJ Sam, Dogs are well known animals and often grab the attention of children when they are seen walking down the street so I thought it would be a benefit in terms of keeping the viewers interested.

Timings:
Each child has been dedicated one shot each so in total (including dog) it is 5 shots.
The reason for only giving them one shot is because it is a quick introduction to them and will only involve them waving whilst the over-head voice introduces them by their name.

Changes!!!
After watching more examples of children's opening title sequences to programmes i have realised that holding a shot for 5 seconds is a long time although when you're counting it on your fingers or thinking it through in your head it seems plenty of time but once i'd gone through the shots i wanted to show i needed to reduce the times designated to them to allow me to get more shots in. SO i have changed the timings to 2-3 seconds on each child's introduction and this will fit into the music as well with out the shots over-hanging

DJ Sam- He's our m-an
If h-e can't spin it.. No-one can
~Cuts of the four children waving after can cuts to Karma and it pauses for her to bark.

With the slow ZOOM towards DJ Sam, he will then look up as if to notice the viewer is present watching him, he then says hello (purple bubble above contains the dialogue) at the mention of his decks it cuts to show them and then another cut back to focus on DJ Sam and what he is saying.
MUSIC STARTS
Cut to close up of DJ Sam who starts the chant "I say DJ.. You say Sam.. DJ.."
Cut to children & dog who reply "Sam"
Cut to DJ Sam "DJ.."
Cut to children & dog "Sam"
Cut to DJ Sam "I-m DJ SAM!"
Cut to mid-shot of DJ Sam.. starts to sing the theme song

This is my overall idea for my opening title sequence of a children's T.V programme,
Total= 30 shots
but have illustrated 11 different shots to give an idea of how i want it to look,

Running time: 1 minute
current media consists of many shots that are fitted into 30secs-2 minute running times.

Overall impression: To introduce the character (DJ Sam) aswell as what he does and get an overall idea of what the programme is about.
Lazy Towns running time is just over 50 seconds and contains around 30 different shots in that small amount of time.
They are ..fast.. changing this keeps the children interested changing to different scenes to avoid letting them get bored and therefore their attention dropping and not watching the programme.

Links to Videos ..!!

EXAMPLES OF CURRENT OPENING TITLE SEQUENCES FOR CHILDRENS T.V

Lazy Town:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogjo_RalgYQ
Lazy Town promotes: HEALTHY LIVING
EXERCISE/SPORTS
HEALTHY EATING
FRINEDSHIPS

Come Outside:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=49zLyYa9YEU
This example contains ONLY non-animated presenters unlike the other examples I have researched who contain both.
Come Outside promotes: EVERDAY LEARNING
RELATIONSHIPS WITH SURROUNDING PEOPLE

Doodlebops:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aelWJezOJaA
There was no official video for this but it also helped with the theme song as another comparison and to see what was a regular convention within the examples I have chosen.
Doodlebops promotes: EXERCISE THROUGH DANCE
INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC


Each of these examples is FAST and LOUD.. It encourages children to get up and use their energy efficiently rather than playing video games or spending their time annoying their pet cat!