Home Movies (1951)

Filming children warrants a goodly percentage of any father's film supply — and the record of their growth becomes invaluable as they mature. animal dreamland GEORGE BATES Here is my entry for a "back yard" movie script. It is not truly a "backyard" story, but since there are indoor scenes in the home, I thought this type of scenario ivould have a wide interest among the amateur movie makers. I believe, also, that filming children ivarrants a good percentage of any father s film supply. My picture, "Animal Dreamland," won an honorable mention aivard in the family class in the 1950 state-wide salon here in Michigan, sponsored by the Michigan Council of Amateur Movie Clubs of which my club, the Grand Rapids Amateur Movie Club, is a member. MANY ARTICLES have been written about filming one's children and making a film diary of the "small fry." Here is my idea on the subject. Making movies of our four-year-old daughter, Marilyn, has been a source of much pleasure for my wife and I, not to mention her brother, Daniel, who is two and a half years old. Several reels of our "kiddies" already are one of our priceless treasures. These reels are not just unrelated shots of the children, but different sequences, some short, some long, of their various activities in their young life. Also included into our prize production are complete scenarios which I would like to pass on to all of your good readers. Last summer we were making plans to visit the Royal Oak Zoological Part, Detroit, and of course wanted to capture this trip on film. We wrote a scenario to include our small daughter, so it wouldn't be just another zoo picture. With summer soon coming and the zoo attracting more people, I hope this following script will help to film your child at your favorite zoo. ANIMAL DREAMLAND Scene 1. Title. Scene 2 Credit titles (as desired) (Fade out). Scene 3 LS (Fade in) Mother reading evening paper in the living room in her favorite chair. Scene 4. MS. Same as scene 3 with small daughter dressed in her pajamas enters scene. Scene 5 SCU. Daughter with her little animal book saying, "Mommy, please read to me." Scene 6. Title "MOMMY PLEASE READ TO ME." Scene 7. CU. Mother smiling. Scene 8. MS. Mother laying paper aside, and reaching for daughter. Scene 9. MS. (Change camera angle) Mother placing daughter on her lap, taking book. Scene 10. CU. (Over the shoulder) Front of the book, (Animal Babies) Mother opening the book. Scene 11. CU. Daughter's beamingface. Scene 12. MS. Mother pointing to the contents of a page and smiling. Scene 13. CU. (Over the shoulder) Mother turning a few pages showing different kinds of animals. Scene 14. MS. Mother reading while daughter's eyes drearily blinks. Scene 15 CU. Daughter's eyes becoming more tired, slowly openiug and closing, and finally staying closed. Scene 16. MS. Mother cradling daughter in arms. Scene 17. MS. (Transition) Same as scene 16. (Camera slowly dollying in close to daughter's face until the image becomes blurred. (Location — -At the Zoo.) Scene 18. (Transition) ECU. Back of daughter's head with the camera slowly dollyinga bck revealing daughter standing (In her pajamas) on a knoll in the zoo, with a picturesque view of the zoo in the background. Scene 19 through 23. Different scenes of the animals, etc., with the last scene having a fade out. Scene 24. (Fade in) MS. Mother holding daughter who is fast asleep (as in scene 16) (Fade out). Scene 25. (Fade in) More scenes in the zoo (about 6 scenes with last one fading out. Scene 31. (Fade in) MS. Same as scene 24. (Fade out). Scene 32. (Fade in) About 8 more scenes of the zoo. Scene 33 A very startling scene, such as a close-up (telephoto shot) of a lion with his mouth open. • See "DREAMLAND" on Page 173 163