First ideas for the media product

My first idea of the media product I wanted to produce was that the opening sequence of the Kids' series starts with images regarding nature with light and dark shots of leaves, sky and flowers. 

• Close-up and zoom-in shots will help me create a sense of mystery. 
• The tone of my voice when I'm reading the poem on the background will also help me achieve the atmosphere of interest and surprise. 
• Altogether, my shots and the way I have chosen my sound creates an impression of 'hypnosis' which is usually used by producers to achieve their target. 
• Therefore, my idea conveys to the theory that Gauntlett sustained that 'media is overpowering and overwhelming'. 

Children are easier to influence than adults so that even though the fairies don't appear in the opening sequence it implies that they are there.

I would have used still images and pictures as well as short sequences, in order to connect a range of different materials in a short video.

these are the images that I intended to use intially for my opening sequence:

                    http://bamfbackgrounds.com/upload/13jufxpt-appletreeblossom.jpg
                                    

         http://www.hotdw.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/butterfly-1680x1050.jpg

  http://express.howstuffworks.com/gif/exp-rainbow-mai

 

http://wallpapers.free-review.net/wallpapers/42/Golden_clouds.jpg

   http://www.marvelsphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/green_leaf_border.jpg

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://images.twitrounds.com/nature-backgrounds/up-in-clouds.jpg

  http://csscreme.com/inspiration_images/free_twitter_backgrounds/zen-birds-twitter-background.jpg

The Fairies In The Sunshine

The little sunshine fairies
Are out on sunny days.
They gaily go a-dancing
Along the country ways.

They paint the flower faces,
The leaves of forest trees,
And tint the little grasses
All waving in the breeze.

They color all the apples
And work for days and weeks
To make the grapes bloom purple
And paint the peaches’ cheeks.

Ah! There’s a tiny fairy!
She’s in the garden bed!
It’s little Ray O’ Sunshine
Who makes the roses red.

~ Laura Ingalls Wilder ~ 

Initial storyboard for final product:

Intial story board for Dvd cover - front and back

I have tried to do it that way but unfortunately putting still images together it didn't really make sense, it did not give any sense of realism, it looked boring and unprofessional. Instead, I have asked my little sister to play the role if my Mimmie and therefore I have change the plot completely. there was no animation and no presence of any fairies (I could not use any animation because i did not have the resources that I needed) but a real fairy who is human, and walkd mainly, but with the help of the editing and the quick transitions in certain momments we have the illusion that Mimmie is actually flying but in reality she is not. However, this works very well because it adds to the fantasy that children need to see and understand in this programme.

The opening sequence starts with Mimmie throwing stones in the lake and we as an audience we look at her withot coming any closer or trying to get in contact. this shows that the audience comes directly in contact with a different world, a world of fantasy and they see Mimmie who is a fairy but who hasn't noticed our presence yet.The voiceover has a great impact, because similar to other stories, where there is enthusiastic music in the background and voiceover we feel we are welcomed and we enter an unknwon but mysterious world. In one quick transition Mimmie is already in front of us which shows she has noticed us and comes to meet us. The sound bridge 'ah! There's a tiny fairy...is Mimmie' has a major effect because it makes the connection in between the medium long shot with Mimmie and close-up that follows.  In my opinion, is also very important how Mimmie feels free and happy in her world, in some of the shots where Mimmie jump and points her hand somewhere to the sky, or when she stands in front of the camera and she turns around, it gives the impression she is a bit shy but actually she is happy to see the audience. We can say is typical of a fairy or a mysterious character to feel that way but it also relates to how children often react when they meet a stranger or someone they haven't seen before. The cut in from the close-up of Mimmie when she talks to us to the cut in into a over-the-shoulder shot creates a moment of confusion, because all of the sudden Mimmie starts walking on an unknown path without telling us anything. this gives time for the voiceover to start againg, as a narrator to explain or try to exaplain what might be happening. We follow Mimmie from behind and as the narrator says, she probably expects us to follow her. she walks peacefully, there is no hurry but the qucik paced editing gives the impression  she might start flying any minute. she turns around, sees the audience standing there and she comes back to us. this works in terms of a connection between the character and the children watching, as if for example if we had another character who would represent the audience, Mimmie would probably take her/his hand and go together. This could be a an improvement idea. Mimmie starts walking again and this time she doesn't stop but dissappears after a tree. again, confusion slips in. A quick cut-in shot with mimmie in the frame smiling at us to show us she is still there, she's only playing, which could be pereceived as an elemnt of trust in a racking shot. voiceover comes in again when we see through an establishing shot that mimmie was smelling some flowers 'Surprise, surprise'.

Another humoristic element is a bit later when Mimmie starts showing us the steps we are supposed to follow. Again, this is a childish scene which helps children to feel more confident and trust Mimmie and believe that it is real and that we could all be like Mimmie.

In the next scene, Mimmie seems lost in her thoughts and confused because she can't find Ray O'sunshine and it's late. Even though the sound is low Mimmie is talking to herself and she is asking where Ray O'sunshine has gone. She needs to find desperately a solution, and immediately we her running. This cutaway shot shows that Mimmie has change her mind and something important is about to happen. Again, Mimmie disappears into the forest. Also the graphic match makes this scene even more realistic and worring because afterwards we see Mimmie shouting after Ray O'Sunshine. The break in between 'Ray O'Sunshine, where are you' and 'hiding' adds also to the rhythm and pace of the scene, when everyone shares Mimmie's worry. the final shot when Mimmie looks straight at the camera through a racking shot has a major impact because similar to the horror films or other children's programmes this shot represents a fearful character who begs for help, and in terms of convention this workd because it makes the story and the main character more true and more realistic, easy to believe.

 

Story board for final product:

Final storyboard:

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