Kids & Family | PBS Kids GO! Video Contest

Get ready to show us your stuff. Make your own PBS Kids GO! Video! We've got some ideas to get you rolling.

Did you just watch a clip from Fetch? Stage your own FETCH CHALLENGE and get your friends to play a part. Or ... host a mini-game show in your garage studio G!
What about Maya and Miguel? Reenact an episode using stuffed animals from your own “pet store!”
Love Cyberchase? Show us some MATHMAGIC or anything cool with numbers.
You could even play WordGirl and interview your friends on their favorite words.
The guidelines on this page are adapted from the CBBC's “Me and My Movie Filmmaker's Pack” by Mark Currie and Rachel Wang, published by BBC Learning.

Title: Cats Read

Filmmakers: Calvin B. and Martin B.

Reading: So fun and important ... even cats do it.

Download Entry Submission Form

Read the rules

Get the Me and My Movie Filmmaker's Pack

Basic Video Dos and Don'ts

Questions to Answer Before Your Start Making Your Movie

VIDEO DOs

Hold the camera steady.
Check that the sun or lighting is behind the camera — or your film will be dark.
Take spare batteries and tapes with you.
Hold your microphone close enough so the sound is recorded properly.
Avoid background noise like traffic.
Check that there are no cables trailing on the floor that could cause accidents.
Always have someone watching your back while filming so you don't bump into things and others don't bump into you!

VIDEO DON'Ts

Zoom in and out when filming — your film will look awful.
Play your film back during the shoot or you may record over it!
Let anything creep into your shot that you don't want, like your hand!
Film near water or in bad weather.

Is it a drama? If so, what's the story?

Keep it simple — maximum 2-3 actors and 2-3 settings.
Keep it short — not more than 2 minutes.
Decide what type of story you want to tell: comedy, action, spooky, romance or fantasy.
Do you own or could you borrow any costumes (like a super hero outfit)?
What props or objects do you need to tell your story (like a football or a ring)?
Never film outside your house or in a public place without a parent or guardian present.

Is it a documentary?

Documentaries are films that tell stories about real things that have happened. You could make your documentary about:

A friend or family member with an interesting story
Things you like or don't like
Something you feel strongly about (recycling)
A holiday or a hobby

Choose the Location and Set Up Camera

Choose a place for filming that has something to do with your story. For example, you could use the cellar in your house for a spooky film.
Set up your camera on a tripod or table so that you are in the shot, or ask a friend to film you.
Look straight into the camera and keep your eyes steady.

Get the Shots

Whether your story is a drama or a documentary, think about what you can see through the camera to tell your story. If the camera stayed in the same place all the time, this would look really boring. These are different types of shots you can try:

Long Shot

Usually the first shot to help set the scene as you can see everything.

Medium Shot

Shows character(s) from the waist up; useful when filming people talking.

Close Up

Good to show detail like an actor's face or a hand holding a water pistol.

Connect Camera to Computer

Edit Your Movie on a Computer

Ask an adult to connect your camera to a computer and open up the editing software.

Check if you already have editing software on your computer. For PCs click on the Start button, then click All Programs and then Accessories; you may find Windows Movie Maker in this folder. For Macs you may find iMovie in your applications folder.
Free computer editing software also is available online — ask your family or friends to help you.
Follow the editing software's steps to copy your clips from your camera to the computer; when finished you should see small pictures of all the different clips you filmed.
Continue to follow the editing software's instructions and help guide to edit your film. And remember to save your work regularly so you don't lose it!

Order Your Story

Drag the clips you want into the storyboard (PC) or clip viewer (MAC) and put them in the right order for your story.

Get Cutting

Remove the mistakes from each clip. You'll need to split the clip and delete the section you don't need any more.

Rough Cut

Choose the best shots in the storyboard (PC) or clip viewer (MAC) to tell your story.

Fine Cut

You can make shots slightly longer or shorter to make them look smoother.

Special Effects

You can use special effects to change the way your film looks, like speeding up clips in your film (See the effects folder in the editing software.) or to change the way one clip links to another (See the transitions folder in th editing software.)

Sound Effects and Music

Sound effects and music can change the way your film feels. (A ticking clock can add suspense.) Remember to only use copyright — free music — the best way is to record your own music!

Titles

Add titles at the start of your film (This is the name of your film.) and credits at the end to show the names of all the film crew and actors.

HELPFUL LINKS