KIDS DVD

MAIN PROJECTS

Kids DVD:

We were asked to make an educational DVD about biodiversity and threats for local schools and eventually schools throughout the Aegean.

The DVD was originally going to be released for two age group ranges – 5-8 years old and 8-12 years old, but after discussion with coordinators and local teachers we decided to make a combined piece. As the DVD is targeted at such a wide age bracket, we have included animated features and reinforcements to help the younger children understand complex terms and concepts.

The project began with a research phase during which we worked closely with Archipelagos scientists, local education workers and volunteers. We did not only research data, but also contemporary methods of presenting scientific information to children. Children’s videos from National Geographic, Discovery Channel and other documentary producers were watched to gain both inspiration and insight into the production of large scale children’s educational films.

After writing the first draft of the script we liaised with a local primary school teacher who provided valuable feedback and advice. She helped us to think more carefully about communicating with such a specific audience. For example, we were advised not to use harsh words like ‘death’ but rather, to use euphemisms and metaphors to help young children understand serious issues without upsetting or scaring them.

We are now in the production phase of the DVD and various members of the team are working on bringing the script to life. The piece is being created with a collage style, incorporating live footage, still photography, graphics and animations. The animations and graphics are being created in a style not seen by Archipelagos before, using hand drawn images, watercolour paintings and other materials to create a fun and different look. One example is seen in the ‘Threats’ section where the concept of pollution is explored with an animation.

Lucy worked in Adobe After Effects and began by drawing images of cars, houses and trees on cardboard and then scanning these into the computer. She also took photos of real textures such as the grass and the sky to work into backgrounds. A watercolour sun was painted to be included in the background of the animation. All of these images were edited and worked with in Adobe Photoshop before being introduced to After Effects. Lucy then laid out a background with sky, grass, trees and a sun all in bright colours. The animation follows with buildings, a road, cars and smoke all appearing and travelling across the screen whilst the trees die and rubbish piles up behind the houses.

The main characters of the DVD are all watercolour animations combined with photo cut-outs and this style makes it easier to combine the animation with live footage – creating a kind of scrap book look which is colourful and engaging for children.

I helped with brainstorming relevant topics and ways to communicate these in the initial stages of the project but have done little since due to other work commitments. In the next few weeks I will be narrating one of the characters and editing the non-fiction footage into the piece.

I was hoping to do more work on this kids DVD and learn about Adobe Photoshop and In Design in more detail, but because we are sometimes pushed for time we stick to our medium in order to get work done. I would like to be more proactive in my spare time to make my skills more interdisciplinary, and also improve my editing skills while I have access to Archipelagos' Lynda.com account, which gives tutorials on different software.