Time Update

Here I have evaluated whether I have stuck to my time plan so far, Keeping to my time plan is crucial for the development of this project as I do not want to fall behind because my work will become rushed and not to the best of my ability. 
I feel that these two months have been very successful according to my time plan. In these two months I wanted to focus on experimenting with the camera and the different technologies available, I have successfully achieved this as I have experimented with Green screen Technology and explored iMovie and its features. Within these two months I also completed my storyboard that was bought over from the last two months, this has allowed me to test elements of my storyboard to see how hard they are to film, this has led me to revisiting my storyboard and changing some elements. However, I have not yet completed plans for my DVD and magazine covers as I want to prioritise my main task which is, my title sequence. 

• Storyboard
• DVD Cover Plan
• Magazine Cover Plan
• Location Planning
• Technology available 
• Test Shots 
• Potential changes
• Filming 
• Mise en Scene Prop Planning
• Costume Research 
• Music 
• Plot synopsis 

Location

As my Title sequence is based on time travel I will not be able to re create all the locations for my scenes to allow them to appear historically accurate. Therefore from my research of experimenting with technology I found that the green screen is the best tool available for me. Green screen technology allows me to place any image or background behind my characters when filming, with this technology I can place images behind my characters that clearly represent the time period they are in. For the scenes in which the children will travel I have found a copyright video of a spiral clock, this will help me to create the illusion of the children time travelling easily and effectively. I personally think the spiral clock will be highly effective for my title sequence as it will reinforce the time travel theme to the young audience. I have also chosen several other background to use in my title sequence that clearly emphasizes what time period the children are in. 
                                                      Victorians 

For the scenes in which the children travel to the Victorian Era I have chosen an image of a typical Victorian street. I chose this image as I think it clearly highlights the poor conditions of the Victorian era, also, this will tie in with the children's costumes as they will be poor Victorian children rather than the rich upper class Victorians of the time. 

1920's

For the scenes in which the children travel to 1920's America I will use this background of a 1920's dance hall. I chose this image as i feel that the musicians clearly emphasize the Jazz and music era of the 1920's. Also the scene in which this background will be used is when the children are dancing in their costumes. Therefore I feel that is will be highly effective, also, i like the black and white background as their costumes will stand out against it. 
WW2
For the scenes based around WW2/1940s the children will be evacuees who are being sent to live in the countryside. Here I have chosen two images for the background which I feel clearly highlight this. I have chosen the typical Anderson shelter as I feel that many children will recognize these from learning about them in history . I have also chosen a 1940's train station to show that the children are evacuees who are being sent off to live in the countryside. I hope that these two backgrounds will be highly effective in my title sequence for highlighting the WW2 era. 

1950's
For the scenes in which the children travel to the 1950's i have chosen this typical 1950's American Diner. I feel that this background will be highly effective in my title sequence as it bright and eye catching which will catch the viewers attention. Also, i feel that it clearly represents the 1950's era as American diners were very popular at the time. Along with my 1950's costumes I hope that this scene will be highly effective and appealing to my target audience. 

Choosing Music

Finding the right music for a title sequence is difficult and time consuming, however with the website, Audio Network I was able to filter the type of music i was looking for by searching my genre and target audience. Audio network allowed me to search the Children's TV category which provided me with tracks suitable for TV and young audiences. I finally chose the track 'Harry in a I Hurry' because it was fun and upbeat with a vintage twist which suited the time travelling theme. I feel that this song clearly reflects my theme and target audience as its fast and upbeat pace is appealing to a young audience, it is also catchy and memorable so that when children hear the theme tune they will recognise the TV show. 

As my TV Title sequence begins with two children playing with a radio I have mixed my chosen music with a variety of famous period music and radio stations to make the scene believable and easy for my young target audience to understand. The music sequence begins with audio clip fro BBC radio one which then, using the Radio sound effect tunes into Capital Radio, these are both popular radio stations that my target audience would of heard. The Radio will then tune into typical 1920's music and the characters costume will change to the costume for that period and the same again with the famous Vera Lynn track. The Radio will then for the final time tune into my chosen music which is fun, upbeat and appealing to my young target audience. I edited this track using iMovie which enables me to combine audio clips and fad them into each other for a professional finish. The inspiration for this idea was taken from my research of the 'MI High' title sequence, this is because like my audio track it does not start straight away into music but contains dialogue that links to the theme and track. At the start of the MI High Sequence a voice over is used to establish the theme and plot which is similar to the audio I will be using.

 

iMovie - Title Sequence Conventions

A Typical Media convention of title sequence is when the main characters are introduced to the audience. From my research I found that this Part of the Title sequence is Key as it informs the audience of who the main characters are and their personalities. When experimenting with iMovie I found that I could insert videos within boxes to show my character doing other activities. I achieved this by placing my chosen clip on top of the clip of my character, I then selected the box 'picture in picture. This then placed the clip in a box within my first clip, i could also change the thickness and colour of the border to match the theme of my title sequence. 
I will be using this feature when producing my title sequence because, I can use this feature to introduce my characters and show off their personalities to the young audience. Also, using this feature I am sticking to typical media conventions associated with title sequences therefore, I can achieve a professional high quality title sequence that will appeal and make sense to my young audience. 

Title Sequence - Plot Synopsis

My children's Title sequence will be centered around time Travel, the basic plot of the Title sequence/TV Program is that the children's grand parents give them an old Radio. when trying to tune the radio the children find that it transports them to different eras in history.

Each episode will focus on a different era in which the children explore. Each episode will show the characters exploring new time periods in which they will explore the typical food, clothing and lifestyle of the time.Time Travelling TV program will be fun, energetic and easy for the children to understand. My children's TV program will be educational yet fun so that children can learn whilst they watch.This Program will help make history fun for children so that it appeals to them in school. The Decades they will explore will include WW2, Victorians and the roman period. The program will be child friendly and inline with schools curriculum so that children can relate the program to school and use knowledge gained from the program in their class work. 

Storyboard Revisions

Looking back at my original storyboard I realised the starting was very boring and cliche as many time travelling programmes use an old watch or timer to signify time travel, therefore I wanted to change my idea to something different and imaginative. I have now Updated my storyboard to my new idea which uses an old fashioned radio as the time travelling transporter. The new idea involves the two characters tuning an old radio, as they go through the channels the decades begin to change and they start time travelling. I feel that this starting is much more appealing and fun for my young target audience as it is something different from ordinary time travelling programmes. 

Mise en scene - Prop Planning

Props are essential for making a scene believable and realistic; in my title sequence I will use various props to bring the scenes to life. When choosing props for my title sequence I will have to make sure they are historically accurate so that it appears realistic to the young target audience. My prop choice has been influenced by the costumes my characters will be wearing and the time period them will be in. 

Costume Research - TV Title Sequence

As my TV title sequence is based around the idea of British history, the importance of the clothing worn by the characters is crucial as it will highlight to the audience what period of time they are in. Therefore all research into costume needs to be historically accurate; many of the costumes I will be using will be iconic and easy for the young audience to recognise. I will have a male and female to model each costume so that the TV drama appeals to all audiences and so that the children can see what both males and females would have worn. I will be using the following to Mood boards to inspire my final costume choices, also along with my previous research and inspiration board I will be able to provide my characters with the correct costumes.

The Victorians

For the Victorian era I will dress the young girl character in a black dress with a white apron and bonnet, this is because this is what a poor Victorian child would of typically worn and I would like the characters costumes to be as historically accurate as possible.  For the young boy character I will dress him in an off white shirt with a small black waist coat. Both characters will look dirty and run down in this scene to highlight to the audience the conditions they lived in.

1920's America

For the 1920's era I will dress my female character in a traditional 1920s flapper dress. These dresses are well known and are iconic to 1920's fashion. Accessories will include a matching feather headpiece and feather boa. The male character will be wearing a smart suit with a black and white hat, this look was also very typical of the 1920s as mens striped suits were also an iconic 1920's look. For the 1920s scene I will be taking costume inspiration from the film 'Bugsy Malone', this chiders film was set in 1920's America and is well known for its costume design. 

World War Two

For the world War Two scene the children will be evacuees, the young  female  character will be dressed in typical 1940's children clothing that consists of dresses that are either flowery patterned or plain. Accessories will include a small hat or maybe a simple hair band depending on the hairstyle. The young male character will wear a white shirt and a v-neck jumper with a simple pattern. He will also wear simple black trousers and accessories may include a simple flat cap. Both characters will wear plain black brogues for shoes as these simple shoes were typically worn at the time. 

The 1950's

For the Disco scene set in the 1950's I have taken inspiration for my characters costumes from the famous film 'Grease'. The young girl character will wear the typical big skirt with a belt and neck tie, the skirt will either be plain with the typical Poodle printed on it or, it will be polka dot patterned. accessories may include pointed glasses depending on the hair style and make up I decide on. The young male character will wear a typical leather jacket with jeans and a plain white polo t-shirt, similar to what the male characters wore in the film 'Grease', accessories may include black sunglasses. 

Casting

Here I have gathered together potential actors for my TV title sequence, I will now compare them and decide who is best suited to play the characters in my program.

I have decided to not to cast Collette or Olivia because, I feel that they are too young for my target audience to relate to, also with their young age they may not be able to play the part as well as the more mature people available. I have also chosen not to cast Shannon as I feel not only is she too old she is also very tall and i want my actors to be similar heights. Also she does not have the overall look I am interested in for my TV title sequence. Therefore, for the role of my female character I have chosen Lydia, this is because she is a similar age to my target audience so my audience can relate and engage with her character, although she is the more mature end of my target audience she still looks very young so this will work well to my advantage and among my audience. 

Similar to when I decided not to cast Olivia and Collette I have also decided not to cast Louis and Conor for the same reason. This being that I feel that they are too young and irrelevent to my chosen target audience. I have also decided not to choose Daniel as my actor as I feel that he is too old and is far to tall compared to my chosen female character as I would like them to be similar height. Therefore, for my leading male character I have chosen Billy, this is because he is a similar age and height to Lydia. I wanted them to be a similar age and height so that they look compatible on screen together. Also in the TV program the two actors I have chosen will be brother and sister so I wanted them to look similar or, at least have similar features; I feel that I have achieved this by choosing Lydia and Billy as my two characters. 

Experimenting With iMovie - Colour Filters

When exploring iMovie I found that it offered a variety of colour filters that I can use to make my title sequence more appealing to a younger target audience.  Here I have experimented with a few of the many colour filters available by adding them to the clips I’ve produced. When experimenting I particularly liked the black and white theme and the silent era filters because they tie in with my time travelling/historic theme.  The colour filters I will use in my TV title sequence will highlight the historic theme to the young target audience as it will look old fashioned yet fun and interesting. I particularly like the silent era effect, as when speeded up it will mimic the Charlie Chaplain silent movie era look, which again will be eye catching and entertaining for my younger audience.

Experimenting With iMovie - Transitions

 Transitions are vital to TV title sequences as they keep the sequence fun and exciting especially to younger target audiences. Here I have used technology available on iMovie in order to make scene transitions more appealing to my younger target audience. iMovie offers a large range of transitions that you can place between clips. I particularly think that the slide in and out transitions will be effective for my TV title sequence when introducing characters. It also like how at the end of the clip I was able to fade the clip out to black to reveal my programmes name and logo because it is a traditional convention of TV title sequence and will therefore look more professional. I feel that the only downside to adding transitions to my clips is that they cut them short, as I would like to use this feature in my TV title sequence I will take this into account and make my clips longer than I need. Transitions make the cut between scenes smoother and more professional looking overall creating a more eye catching TV title sequence.

Experimenting with iMovie - Changing Speeds

Here I have experimented with another feature available on iMovie, which is editing clips to run at different speeds.  Here I filmed the model on a normal Cannon EOS 1100D with no effects, when I uploaded it onto iMovie I was then able to edit the video and adjust the speed. Once I had imported the clip onto iMovie I was able to adjust the speed by clicking on the speed button that looks like a small speed dial and then you can adjust what speed you want the video at personally I like this feature on iMovie as I can create different dynamics and moods within my video. For example the 1920’s were a very fast paced exciting era and with this feature I can speed up my characters dancing to represent this.  Also I can slow videos down using this feature for when I would like to capture something in slow motion for example when a character drops an item or losses something to add to the dramatic impact. Overall, I feel that this feature is highly effective and I will be using it in the production of my title sequence.

Test Shots - TV Title Sequence

Test Shot 1

For this test shot I filmed the model doing up two different ties I then merged the two videos together in iMovie to make it look like the model is doing one tie that changes colour.  When filming this I didn’t take into account that I have the keep the camera and model in the exact same position so that they transition smoothly into each other. To fix this problem in iMovie I edited the clip using zoom so that the frame was the same in each clip. When it comes to producing my title sequence I will use a shot like this when the characters’ change costume as it is a fun and eye caching shot. 

Jump Cut Test Shot 

A jump cut is a cut in film editing in which two sequential shots of the same subject are taken from camera positions that vary only slightly. This type of edit gives the effect of jumping forwards in time. For this shot I filmed my model on different steps individually in different shoes to create the jump shot effect. once imported into iMovie I cut the shots down and speeded them up to create a fast jumpy effect.  I like the jump shot effect as the way it jumps makes the shot bold and eye catching which captures the audience’s attention and makes them interested to watch it. When producing my title sequence, I would like to incorporate this shot as in media it is typically used for showing time travel which is the theme for my children TV Drama. 




Panning Test Shot

The panning shot is typically used in media productions when establishing the location of the scene, for example, the camera may pan round a living room or party to show the location and the characters involved. Here I have produced a panning shot of my character and their surroundings using a Canon EOS 1100D camera and a tripod. I used a tripod to keep the camera stable and a the handle allows me to move the camera smoothly at my desired speeds. The tripod helps create a smooth and effective panning shot that looks professional and appealing to the viewers of the programme. 

Changing Shoes

When originally filming this shot I did not take into account the fact that I have to keep the lighting and the background exactly the same in both shots, this resulted in the production of a poor quality clip that did not smoothly transition into each other. therefore, the second time round I made sure I kept the background and the model in the exact same place and I controlled the lighting so that it was the same in both shots. Once filmed I imported the clips into iMovie and merged them so that it appears to the audience the shoes are changing as they walk.  I would defiantly like to use this shot in the production of my title sequence for when the character’s costumes change throughout time. This is because I think that it is appealing and eye-catching to a young target audience, it also appears professional if filmed to a high quality. 


Door

For this shot I filmed two separate shots, one of the model walking through the door and, one of the model opening the door in a different piece of clothing. I then imported the clips into iMovie and edited them so that it appears that the model walks through the door and reopens it in a different outfit. In iMovie I also speeded up the clip so that it moves quickly but smoothly and appears professional to the audience. I will be using this shot in my title sequence as it is easy to achieve and is effective when the character’s change costumes for transitioning between shots.