Peach Blossom Land

I started this project and then put it down (twice)because the creative fire in my belly died out. Recently a few hot embers ignited the internal fire to finish the project as best I could.

My former students helped with the set design. The video is a "drama" but it has it's comedic elements. The point of producing the little film was to demonstrate Movie maker to students as a fun way to inform an audience about their interests and learning.

I began by selecting a story which I could easily visualize in my head. I determined the number of scenery and characters I would need. Then began sketching out a story board. I decided to use 3D and 2D illustration, along with video. I didn't use stop action animation, rather I incorporated multiple scenes which provided more visual body for telling the story. Stop action would have been more appropriate if I was doing a short 30 second film.
The activity is a lesson in discipline and creative thinking. Creating the scenery and props took many hours (very fun work though), but the actual film is only four and a half minutes long. The process reminded me of preparing Thanksgiving dinner.

How I look at TV commercials changed during the process. I paid more attention to the "tricks" used for improving visual and content impact.

The film could be used to discuss: making short films using Movie maker, the meaning of the story, ethics in film making and more. Maybe I'll be able to teach this process to some willing students. I do need better filming equipment, however even with a rudimentary camera a charming film can be made.