Screenplay Research

Screenplay research

Responsive, proactive and an open door to writers, BBC writers room is always looking at new ways to find and champion talent for all BBC platforms.

We know how hard it is to be a writer and we believe in finding ways to inspire and inform you, to keep you across changes, giving you access to commissioners and production departments but most importantly to the skills and experience of established writers.

We are not here for the short term, we understand how long it can take for a writer to find that first and second commission, but if we think you have talent then we will do everything in our power to support and develop you for the long term.

When you’re new to writing, just getting to the end of that first script is really hard. This section of the website is for those who want to write, who have an idea that is itching to get out, and who would like a guide or structure to help them take it from idea right through to a first draft. What you get here is a series of steps in the writing process with essential elements, questions and challenges you will face. It’s not designed to be exhaustive. But it’s not just a basic ‘how to’. It’s the essentials of what we believe go in to making a good script.

All ideas are only as good as the characters that drive them, and all good ideas need to be dramatic.

Dialogue is not just about what characters say – it’s about what they express by what they say.

 

Kate Rowland leads the team and is the BBC's Creative Director, New Writing. Previously Kate was the Head of Radio Drama at the BBC before setting up writersroom, and she continues to commission The Wire slot of original new drama on Radio 3.

Paul Ashton is the Development Producer, overseeing writer development, script calls and talent searches, development schemes, partnerships and production projects.

Henry R. Swindell is the New Writing Manager working out of Salford and across the north of England, overseeing writer development, talent partnerships and development projects.

Writersroom is one team sited in two places. In the London office there is also a New Writing Coordinator, Website Producer, Assistant to the Creative Director, and Script Assistant; and in Salford there is a Project Coordinator.

Channels in competition with BBC include such channels as 4 which in turn have shown which people like. This is mainly evident by such TV shows as homeland. Not only this but many people also have a tendency to tune into the Simpson's.  All together although the majority tune into the Simpson's, it shows here that channel 4 are capable of creating quality programming.

 

Another channel which competes and is probably BBC’s main competitor is ITV1. They have programming which contends with BBC. As shown here the main show with the biggest turnout was ‘Coronation Street’ which can be seen to contend with BBC. This show tends to contend with ‘Eastenders’ as the shows are both similar in its soap status and both contend with each other. Not only this but both use competition based shows which are also constantly contending with each other. Between these two the main ones are ‘Strictly come dancing’ which would be contesting with ‘I’m a celebrity’. Although as shown hear the main contender is ITV1 channel 4 still are shown to have a lot of views but not enough to be considered a contender.             

 

Research Task       Silent Witness,Choices: Part 1&2         

In the opening scene for 'Choices' it shows Ainsley and Helen talking in the back of a car which details that they are in fact engaged. After this slightly romantic scene they get out of the car to the club in which they go in their separate directions as Helen approaches her friend,a car slowly starts driving past. As Ainsley turns towards the car a gun points out of the window aiming outside the club. The gun starts shooting which in slow motion you see the havoc caused by the bullets being shot.

The main audience for this is mainly middle age people as the show features quite mature content however the contents and style of programming put the primary audience at around 35-50's as the show features content of crime dramas but not only this but has a lot of content which is more drama related in which the narrative is pushed forward by the characters.

The secondary audience would be around 20's- 30's in which the whole crime drama would come in a appeal to people of this age group. Also the whole mature content and investigative action would attract viewers of this age.

In this I liked the investigative procedures used and what they learn was quite cool in using forensics.  Also I liked how the show was set out by separating two stories with the death of the girl and the night club shooting. However the crime aspect was very good, no matter how cheesy it became, it was likable. In terms of my particular screenplay I think that the whole crime drama looks quite good.

What I didn't like was how information in which the police didn't know was displayed as it took away from the build up. However I did like it when the viewer would receive information as the character would. However I would stay away in my screenplay by keeping the mystery rather than knowing something the main character does not.

Edge of Darkness, Compassionate Leave

In the opening scene this details how Ronald Craven is assigned to the miners voting case in which the votes have been tampered with. The vote was about the switch to nuclear power. James Godbalt was arguing with him about the votes they have got about the miners.

There are 3 characters in the opening scene. The main character Ronald Craven, James Godbolt and his boss in which they are having a three way conversation.

The primary audience for this would be around 30's to 50's as not only does it feature mature content but also the fact that the main character is around that age and is also a father who has lost their daughter which would appeal to an older generation initially.

Secondary audiences would be younger from around 20's to 30's who may of caught wind of the nature of the tv show. Also the subject matter of the show of being about nuclear power may attract younger left wing people. But not only that but the crime genre would also draw in the younger audiences.

The thing I liked most about this was how you received information at the same time as the protagonist. This gives it a investigative aspect in which makes the whole journey a lot more thrilling. Not only this but the aspect of having a mourning father doing the investigating makes the investigation a bit more stylish and emotive.

Things I did not like was how slow it was all though it releases information slowly I think it releases it in such a way were there is no pay off for watching such a long episode and learning anything. So in doing my own screenplay I would like to try work the information received by although withholding information make it worth while to watch.

Sherlock, A Scandal In Belgravia

At the start of Sherlock after the recap has a series of clips in Sherlocks apartment in which he is having people coming in with particular problems for Sherlock however for each one he says "boring". After this there is an investigation into a death of a man in the middle of no where in which details the car that back fires and the sportsman is suddenly dead with a blow to the head. Then Sherlock is approached by men in suits which intend to take him away somewhere. Without saying the location of where they are going a helicopter turns up for Dr Watson at the crime scene.

The characters in this are the main protagonists; Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. However there are other minor roles like the series of people asking for Sherlocks help. Also the is the police inspector as well as the victim.

The primary audience for this would be around 30's to 50's because of the shows investigative nature as well as the main people who are likely to be fans of Sherlock Holmes would be middle aged. However the general genre of a crime/thriller would attract older more mature audiences.

The secondary audience would be around 20's to 30's as the cleverness of it would attract the younger audiences. Not only that the mostly the characterisation of Sherlock would be enough to attract a younger audience.

What I liked about Sherlock was the investigative nature as well as how they showed Sherlock analysis of things like the text on screen as well as the extreme close ups on the subject being analysed. Rather than stating this directly to the audience in dialogue it is brought up as text on screen. In my screenplay I will look at innovative ways of presenting information without dialogue. This will give my screenplay a unique look and feel without trying to rip off the style of Sherlock.

There is not much I had disliked about Sherlock as I found the show embodies the person well and the structure and style is also very aesthetically pleasing.






 

Understanding the requirements for working to a brief.

In working to a brief you must understand the terms and restrictions in the creation of the project. In understanding this and being able to work to this, you demonstrate initiative while working with the structures and guidelines in which the brief entails. There are many example of briefs.
          Contractual briefs in which are outlined in the employment contract in which the brief would come under the same guidelines as the contract. This could detail the contracts promises for the project and so their employment is based on the brief. For example production companies could always go forward to other companies and ask to promote them in which the company would say what they wanted for the promotion. This would end up as a contract based on the brief.
          A negotiable briefs is a brief in which both parties would discuss what the brief would entail and in turn coming to a conclusion. This however must be an agreement on both sides. For example this would be the BBC having to discuss brief ideas with the 'Sherlock' producers and so must come to an appropriate agreement.
          Another is a formal brief in which the company would outline what they wanted from the advertisement and the advertisement company would make it happen. This would usually entail a meeting in which the restrictions and all of the thing that the company would like in terms of the project. In this sense the formal brief would involve formal meetings as well as discussions on the terms of the brief.
          Next is the informal brief. This could be as simple as a email which would detail the requirements used for the brief. This could also be a company calling you to detail the brief rather than an overly formal meeting to detail the brief. The email would most likely detail the restriction and what they would like as a client.
         A commission brief would be where a client would simply commission a worker. This is like simply commissioning the work straight off. For example a advertisement company would be commissioned in order to make a particular advertisement. This would be a brief based on the commissioning of a advertisement or project to be made.
         Tender briefs are to do with briefs which would be sent to several companies by post or email which would detail the requirements for the brief. This would mean that the companies would be in competition to come up with the best idea for an advertisement and then pitch it. This entails creating a idea which would be unique about the idea in order to make them stand out in front of the other companies.
         Companies can host competitions as well like the E4 esting as there is a brief posted on the website but it is up to the general public to create these videos and which ever one stands out would have the Esting shown on TV.

Looking back at the brief I had to go by for the creation of our esting the brief we had to work by wasn't demanding in terms of its restrictions. The main one was to only have it 10 seconds long in order for it to slip into the gap between programs. Not only this but we had to produce a blog post detailing the aspects and technical side of stop motion animation. Not only this but according to the brief you must show a understanding of all aspects of your own animation and show that you can work with the constraints of a brief.  Furthermore you must also record the responses you got from the brief as well as using them to your own benefit in the evaluation. Reading the brief the things that were most implicit was the fact that you must show understanding of the stop motion animation and also the techniques used in the Esting. These are all important to pay attention to as being able to work to a specific set of instructions as well as showing the understanding of not only stop motion animation but also an understanding of the industry.

In the initial planning we had to consult with the tutor in order to get a better understanding to guide what we were doing and in doing this ensuring we had a direction. In lesson we briefly spoke to our tutor regarding the content and what would look good for the Esting. However the general content could be changed and essentially molded to what we had thought would look nice. However we had to consult our teacher first about the Esting to make sure it wasn't a stretch to far or unsuitable for E4 viewers.
          The brief was available to be read at any point however the brief wasn't specific on what we had to do with the esting. The main restrictions were that it had to be stop motion animation and that it had to be 10 seconds long. However we could change the theme and have fun with it trying to find cool and innovative ideas. Also as was the case with our own Esting we had to change the main theme because of the lack of talent. However we could pretty much do anything we wanted with the stop motion as long as it was 10 seconds. In this sense the brief was a bit vague however we could not diverge from the 10 seconds or stop motion animation.
           In terms of the constraints we had to make sure our animation was suitable for the target audience on E4 as well as making sure it was suitable to be on TV in the first place. That means that we have to follow the channel 4 guidelines regarding the to make sure that the video would not cause any legal, ethical or regulatory problems. Such problems may arise from legal issues which include copyright infringement. We had initially dealt with this using only the E4 sounds. But also we had to make sure we were not doing anything which would offend anyone. This meant that there was nothing to do with race or religion to avoid the whole idea of offending anyone of any race or ethnic group. If our video did infringe on this then the video would not be allowed and regulatory action may in fact be taken. The Ofcoms code suggest that anything which can be taken to offence can not be broadcast.
          In terms of amending the video the feedback recieved pointed towards the issue of the logo. The only issue was the fact that we lacked the technical knowledge to position the E4 logo behind my head when I hit the locker. However the intention was in getting the feedback to try and make the positioning of the E4 logo look a lot better however no matter how we tried to tweak the final esting the worse it looked and so we decided to keep it the way it was mainly due to the fact we simply were unable to find a way around it.
          We had to make considerable changes to the project as we had issues with the talent not turning up. Because of this we had to change our entire project which meant we had to film and edit in only around 2hours which was very difficult as we had to rush the final cut.  However there was no changing to any budget or fees because it wasn't required. However the conditions had to change to make it work and make sure we had enough time.

When making the video I had learnt several potential opportunities. On of which I have just stated which was the editing as because of the trouble with the editing, there is a potential to make my editing skills a lot better.Furthermore I could also educate myself in editing and try figure out potential ways of fixing problems such as the E4 logo. Not only this but I have also learnt to give orders and organise people. This was learnt because of trying to make sure people are organised and go to the right place and positioned themselves correctly. In terms of multi skills, we all had chances filming and getting down and being practical. Also we all made suggestions on what we were to do and the angles and shots.
        The main new skill I have learnt was some leadership skills and taking control of the situation. Not only this but I have learnt to use new equipment to my advantage as well. Also getting the right planning down and risk assessments.
        When contributing to the brief we all made suggestions about what we were doing espeacially when we had to come up with a contingency plan. In this the group started discussing the thinks we may be able to do and eventually came up with a fight in which we just discussed the type of thing we would do. We discussed doing a long fight scene however we decided on doing a single punch in which we could do the impossible with someone flying through the air and hitting into some lockers. The idea was to have me slide down revealing the E4 logo however we couldn't.
        
         
       

Evaluation of E4 esting.

PT.1
A way in which we could show our video to others was mainly to post the video on youtube and from there to share it anyway we could while at the same time, asking for feedback and constructive criticisms.We shared the video using social networking sites, emails and questionnaires. Showing our work was less of a task itself than getting people to write in the questionnaire.

In getting feedback I based my questionnaire around certain aspects in which I could get criticisms based on these aspects. In the questionnaire I wanted certain aspects shown specifically about these aspects to better help when it comes to amending my work. These aspects like the technical, aesthetic and the creative quality. However also we needed feedback on the actual content, style, narrative and genre.In understanding what parts were more desired than others and what we could improve upon using the feedback received. Using this criteria, we hope to understand things which are apparently disliked more than others.

First of all when doing the questionnaire people were fairly unsure about what to put on genre. However this is mostly due to the fact that many forget that advertising is a genre. This however was not pinnacle to the eventual amendment of the video. As long as people recognise the fact that the video is intended mainly to be a Esting. The general response for the content of the video was mixed. Some said that the video was followable however some did not know what was going on and so disliked it. However the majority liked the content in general. The main aspect they liked was the part with the 180 degree arch in which they thought that it was quite stylised in its technique.
"What main aspects did you like about the video?"
" The bit where it spins around when he's going to punch Alex"
Although people liked the look of the Esting some found the video a bit too jumpy and difficult to follow. With this they also stated that they did not understand "what was going on" and so disliked the video on the basis of the fact of a lack of understanding of the narrative of the video. However based on the aesthetic of the video they liked the look of it but not only this had a general appreciation of the technical side of the stop motion animation and the way it was put together. In terms of creativity people rated it fairly averagely as although they liked it they did not find it incredibly mind blowing in terms of the things we could do with the animation. However on the other hand some liked the simplicity of the idea and that's what helped to make it a good video.

In doing the E4 estings we did a evaluation process in which we tried to get as much feedback as we could, In doing this the feedback could help us do better and amend parts in which people may not have liked and how we could improve the general video. We did this through using questionnaires and handing them out to people and then showing them the video. Not only this we got feedback from posting it to the general public on face book and youtube in which we would receive comments regarding our work. Not only this we collected audience feedback from doing a focus group with our peers in which we had gotten feedback which was more helpful as it was based mainly on these criteria. This was helpful as, being media students they are more specific on what they like and don't like. The feedback of online exhibition are helpful in finding out what the public like and is good to have a all round general view of things.

In reporting our findings we are doing a written report as were doing now on this blog as it advertises what was generally found when looking at the feedback. We could do a oral presentation to the viewers to show what they have said about the video and how we as the creators have reviewed the video and how we plan to do an action plan to further amend the video to improve it based on the feedback received from all our methods from media students to the general public. This is intended to make the general thoughts of the reviewers and public.

Looking at my video I can see that although I think that, with the time allocated we did quite well regarding the aesthetic and technical side. In terms of the good aspects I think that the timing and the some of the shots looked really good. However there were some aspects in which we could improve upon. For example with the lack of time and technical fault we could not properly merge the E4 on to the lockers.

PT.2
The format I'm using to evaluate the work is the written report in the form of a blog post,which I will use these images to demonstrate my understanding of the gaining and using of the feedback given.Not only this, but its shows that I can work to a brief. However I could of also used other formats to present the information given, for example I could have done a video presentation while doing interviews regarding the feedback of the video. Not only this I could have also used a "viva voce". Which would be presenting my feedback in spoken word.

While working to a brief we have to work with the constraints that come with it. As this was a E4 esting we could not present a Esting which may have inflicted any copyright infringement. This meant we could not use random sounds or videos. However in looking on the E4 website we found a selection of sounds and an E4 logo which we could use without the risk of copyright infringement. Not only this but we had to do risk assessments, location and talent releases so that we did not encounter any roadblocks along the process. In terms of regulatory constraints there were constraints involving the limitations with the content of the video by making sure it wouldn't be upseting to anyone or contain anything which may disturb people. This is why we must go by Ofcoms standards to make sure the video wasn't to violent or in anyway disturbing to people. This is also the the same for the BBFC in which the video much pass the standards of being showed before 9.00.

Furthermore some constraints would have been the obtaining of the material and equipment however all the things we needed were available at the college. Things needed like a HD camera and the editing program were all available which proved very useful in terms of shooting and editing. This meant that financially the constraints were minimal as everything we necessarily needed was available to us already. The only downside was that there was not set budget and so anything else we may have needed might have been difficult to obtain.

While doing this we managed our time well however because in our initial Esting idea there was problems the workload was overwhelming and so we had to try schedule another day to shoot. However in doing this the talent didn't turn up the following Wednesday to help again and so we were left without sufficient footage. However in shooting all members of our group had to show leadership and initiative. Not only this but after we had to come up with a contingency in a day and film and edit in a day. In this respect we all had to take control in what we were doing. Which meant sometimes taking the lead and coming up with ideas on the spot. Also we would talk and come to a consensus on what to do for the video and what angles to spin on it. Not only this but there was good communication between the talent and the camera man in positioning and moving the camera. In terms of meeting requirements for the brief, I think we did fairly well as the video is exactly 10 seconds long but not only that we met the deadline on the 16/11/2012 despite the set back of the contingency plan. Not only this but we managed to finish this shooting and editing in about 2 hours in which we then met the deadline. The end result also wasn't necessarily "squished" as it all seemed to flow perfectly although some was cut out to make the timing right it seemed to work really well and recieved praise for our video and initiative.

The feedback recieved was generally good and we were commended on our merits. But best of all we had really good criticism's regarding the videos weak points. This is useful as we can use these criticisms in order to amend the video and make it look better. The sources we had got for our feedback were very varied which was also good to have criticisms for media students as well as the general public. It was interesting to see the varied responses we had got in terms of the reviews given. I think in doing this animation, I have learnt to better work to the constraints and against a brief. Ensuring that you essentially follow the guide lines of the brief and making sure you dont stray was really useful to learn. Not only this but my knowledge of stop motion animations and how to use it to your advantage was espeacially useful. I don't think that I would pursue a career in stop motion animation just yet, however if I was going to I would very much like to expand my knowledge of stop motion animation.

Planning an Esting

Our idea for an Esting is a live action stop motion animation space invaders game. We would need a wide open space like the college gym and then have students move around up the top as the space invaders for the game. We would then have a student at the bottom for the turret and have it firing out students at the space invaders in which will explode into a piece of clothing. Once all the students are gone the game will be completed. For this project we would need many students to participate as well as a wide open space to film in and also the camera and necessary equipment to ensure the camera is focused at the bird’s eye view of the game. We will also have the students make sounds when they are shot or just add a space invades theme song to the video.

E4 is the sister company of Channel 4 however E4 is more aimed at a larger youthful target audience. Many of the shows which feature on E4 are mainly US imports which consist of big shows featured in America. For example "Scrubs" and "The Cleveland Show". Although having a young audience it still manages to attract an older audience however with such shows as "Desperate Housewives". However the main audience consists mainly of teenagers from around 15 -19. I had based this on the shows which E4 provides which are mainly teen dramas like "Hollyoaks" However its main home-grown teen dramas are that of "Skins", "Inbetweeners" and "Misfits". These shows have been the most popular among teens since E4 had started cranking out such teen dramas. As shown by the ratings these shows although are not brought out very often get the highest ratings of any of their other shows. This occurred mainly in which the ratings showed at least 3.7million tuning in to an episode of inbetweeners. Although these shows are based at a much younger audience I believe that due to the other shows which are some more adult dramas I believe that the target audience is around 15-25. However in terms of gender I believe that E4 targets both genders with their comedy as it appeals both to male and female however some do target them both individually. For example “Glee” attracts mainly more female viewers when “Misfits” would attract more of a male audience.

I think our idea is suitable as it seems that all though E4 cranks out new innovative shows, it has a certain amount of nostalgia about it and appreciated the stylistic appeal of nostalgia as shown by the "street fighter" type Esting. Our esting is also going to be created by college students so we are the age group and understand what the target audience want as it is nostalgic about the old space invaders games as they were part of our childhood. Not only this but the whole concept is stylistically cool and fun to do.

While scouting locations for our Esting we has decided on using the college gym due to its convienience and wide open area. Because of the balcony we can get a good birds eye view and with the open area can fit a farely large amount of people. In order to get access to this location we had to get a release form and have it signed by the owner to ensure we can use it and in doing so will not damage the property. Not only this, but we had to do a risk assesment to assess our safety and well being while ensuring we cannot cause problems for ourselves or others. Not only this we must ensure that in instructing the talent, we do not put them in harms way.

In terms of the location we had to set up camera on the balcony to get a good angle on the space invaders Esting. In doing this we identified that getting a birds eye view was unrealistic as we had to get a angle which gave us more space to work in Making sure we got the angle a bit higher we used a jib to get the camera over the balcony. In doing this we can get a good angle without any obstruction. However it wasn't without its trials. In attaching the jib and tripod the tripod couldn't hold the jib as it tilted sideways. As shown in the picture to the left. However in supporting the tripod we were able to get a beter result. as seen here we managed to keep the image straight while also getting the best angle on the sports hall with the maximum space. Not only this but we managed to get a central look at the hall.

Unfortunately we hit a roadblock as on our second day of shooting there wasn't enough people turning up so we had to change our idea that day and shoot the next as we only had enough pictures from the Wednesday so we could not go forward with our space invaders. Our idea was to have a punch in which a person would fly back against some lockers in which when the person is sliding down the locker from being punched would reveal a smeared E4 logo on the lockers. The reason we went for stop motion over clay mation was the fact that the claymation didn't look very good and all three of us just looked mediocre for us so we decided on this.

Character design

This was my basic character design. This is simply Superman (Clark Kent). I aim to incorporate the cape into the animation by having it flutter while i move it through the video. Not only that it would be able to display certain powers like super strength and flight as with stop motion would look really good.

However this was harder than I had expected. However i did make a flexible man and had him in as close to super man as I could in terms of colours however the things i could do with him were limited as  the model was quite heavy so attempting to do some actions ended in the model breaking. However I did manage to replicate it by having him stuck to the white board. I think the way I was able to get around these issues was quite well done as it did not appear that he was stuck to the board. Not only this but the way he moved like a flexible man was quite cool despite the mediocrity of the model.

When doing the Estings I think that instead of doing claymation I will do live stop motion animation as although bringing inanimate objects to life through stop motion is fun, I think that making the live animation and making people do the impossible is incredibly fun and interesting. Especially coming up with the ideas within the framework of the location and the limited resources makes coming up with a story even more challenging to do.

In terms of location cause my character is a fun little flexible man who was jumping around the whiteboard, the location for this would be a simple classroom where he was created as I think that part of the fun of having a inanimate object as a character is having real objects around that character to make the video seem even more surreal and incredible.

A history of animation

History of animation
In Victorian time thaumatropes were toys consisting of a bit of card and string. On both sides there were two pictures for example, on one side a bird, the other a cage. When spun quickly the two images would appear as one. Though unassuming the thaumotrope was the basis for the first animations. This was down to the persistence of vision. Persistence of vision is the idea that the idea of seeing both images as one was down to the eyes. The idea is that the eyes leave a afterimage for a split second while the other image is shown so they appear as one. This however was disproved as being instead of a trick of the eyes, more to do with the brain. A more plausible explanation is that the brain phi phenomenon and beta movement however none are actively proven. In order for this to work there must be a significantly high frame rate.

 One of the early animation devices which supported this theory is the Phenakitoscope. Invented by Joseph Plateau, this device showed one of the first pioneering developments in animation technology. Like most of these early devices this worked on the persistence of vision. These two discs on a axis replicated animation by looking through the slits and watching the images rotate as if they were moving. Although the image isn't moving the changes from image to image replicate the illusion of moving.

Following this there was the invention of the Zoetrope which used the same concept however in this case there was the image on the inside of a can which had slits. This provided the user to look through and see a moving image. The concept of creating a 'moving image' would also apply to the zoetrope, as the images were seen to be moving.

 Next was the praxinoscope. Similar to the Zoetrope the praxinoscope however the slits were replaced with mirrors. This was invented by  Charles-Émile Reynaud who had used the praxinoscope to make the first motion cartoon in 1887 in public. The images from the Praxinoscope were then allowed to be seen through projecting the images. This was the  Théâtre Optique. This was a improvement on the zoetrope as the viewer would simply look into the mirrors to see the images. Not only this the device was projected for multiple people to view.

 The concept of the persistence of vision which underlines all of these inventions was further looked into by Eadward Muybridge who started looking into animation using photographs and how the images can appear to be in motion if used in succession of each other. The idea that the eyes left a after image while we then saw the next picture. This would mean that the images on screen would be moving. In identifying the horses feet leaving the round all at one time the realisation was that photographs played together replicated moving images.

 In 1892 a device was invented by Thomas Edison which would show motion using photographs. This was the Kinetoscope in which one person at a time could view through a peephole at the top. This set off the motion picture in America.Then there was the kinetophone this was the same basic principle as the kinetoscope except in this case it would have ear phones in order to play music. Although the first kinetescope was meant for each individual viewer, Edison then created the projecting kinetiscope which was intended for multiple viewers.

Stop motion animation is the means of playing certain similar images to replicate the illusion of the image moving when in reality are a series of static images.In terms of stop motion animation the frame rate must be at 12 frames a second as the frames work in 2's thus providing the illusion of movement. Most real time television in 24 frames per second.

The Lumiere brother set off the industry. They developed a tool to actually record motion. This cinematograph was not only the first recording device, but was also a projector as well. They first started showing films of workers leaving the Lumiere factory. There advances in the industry had inspired the world of cinema today. Their first motion pictures were small as they were 17 metres and handcranked projections. Not only were they regarded as the ones who set off world cinema, but also they had used many techniques during filming which granted them recognition as early cinematographers as well.

 Another pioneering developer was George Pal. George pal set up the main animation techniques we use today. However not only that, his breakthroughs in stop motion animation are still regarded as being good for the time today. The methods used in all his films for animation are the basis for creating animation today. Although regarded for his role as a producers it was his animation methods used in the puppetoons which really set up the main techniques used today.

Willis O'Brien is most famous for his stop motion animation style. These titles include that of "Lost World" and "King Kong. As a animator, Willis started using clay figures however after started using wire frames around rubber type bodies. He first started developing these early style in the 1915 where he animated 'the missing link' which was a animation with a prehistoric theme. His style of animation has often been credited to be rubber type skin with metal armatures supporting it. He later went on to do more feature films using his own animation style in which he perfected.

Ray Harryhausen was a animator who had wanted to do animation due to the influence of Willis O'Briens work on 'King kong'. With this he started developing animation styles by doing short films at home. While doing this his work was criticised by Willis O'Brien due to the models. This spurred Harryhausen on to do graphic arts and sculpting to hone his skills. In 1947 he was hired as assistant animator in the film 'the mighty Joe Young' in which he worked with his inspiration Willis O'Brien. Harryhausens most credited work was his skeleton fight scene in Jason and the Argonauts in 1962. With 'Jason and the argonauts' Harryhausen raised the bar for stop motion animation because of the complexity of the animation in which the skeleton scene took 4 months to create.

Jan Svankmajer is a Czech film maker which specialises in the surreal. In his films his stop motion animation makes the impossible, possible in such a way it makes the visuals look surreal. In regard to the surreal this is best shown in his film "Faust" which details the twisted surreal which inspired his stop motion animation. In Faust you can clearly see that it is Jan Svanmajers work.

The Brothers Quay were inspired by Jan Svankmajers, their work is also bordering on the surreal. Their animation was based mainly on the set design. The brother quay also prefer the idea of the something tangible. They explain in this the significance of having something that you can touch and animate.

Tim Burton is renowned not only for his twisted dark style, but also for his stop motion animation. As shown most critically in "Sleepy Hollow" with the scene where the horseman finds his head. Not only this but Tim Burton has also done other stop motion animations. For example Nightmare before christmas was pinnacle in stop motion animation. This was a key stop motion animated film mainly for its design of not only characters but the set as well. In this its intricut design also makes it look like computer graphics.

Aardman animations is a company which is most famous for its 'clay-mation' animation style in which had made such a impact on the industry. Being most famous for their show "Wallace and Gromit" Aardman make a point similar to what what the brother Quay had made about the significance of having something real to play around with and something you can touch. Not only this but Nick Park had made a point about how with he plastacine they didn't have to refine the models too much. In this they keep the character "funny and thumby". In making their first feature film as Chicken run Nick Park had commented about how they had focused too much on refining the characters even though part of the fun of having such characters was how they looked hand made. They do these animations by using a metal frame and molding the plastacine round it. They then would move the frame slightly and take a picture and repeat this for every shot.

Over the years animation has evolved dramatically. The first animation film was in 1937 which was "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". This set off the motion picture industry from its wide spread success. There began the emegence of different forms of animation as the technology and advances in animations had improved. For example there began the emergence of "Clay-mation" which was animation with the use of plastacine. This gave it a stylised effect. Not only that but these days the advances of computer graphics are getting better and better. From what started with "Gertie the dinosaur" , the media industry had a knock on effect. Now animation is recognised as being appropriate for television for children. Such shows as Mickey mouse and other such disney characters. Not only have the ways in which they have been shown changed. But in terms of the target audience. What was originally meant for children can now be enjoyable for adults. Such Tv shows as Family Guy and South Park have made it so animation is appropriate for adults.

However this doesn't stop at the entertainment industry but also is included in advertising. Such things as the "Milky Way" advert is shown to have stop motion animation. As well as this there is also channel idents which are the small sequences shown before the show. This is like the E4 estings. Not only this but these idents are becoming much more creative in their development.

Furthermore certain stop motion animation is employed in other aspects like video games in which uses drawn characters or even models. Though not usually big games they have been developed to video game standards. This game "Cletus Clay" uses clay-mation. Also animation can be used in website design by including moving images or even characters.