4 groups, 4 issues, 4 x 1 minuets!!! We had that much but where do we go from there? The next step on this creative adventure was to Brainstorm. Once the groups had been appropriately named (team Green, team animal, team energy and team global) we were ready to start bouncing ideas around and seeing what we find. I enjoyed this session immensely as this really did give the children the opportunity to show how creative and productive they could be. Some of ideas were excellent and some were, shall we say, not relative!! But they were a massive amount of energy and imagination displayed regardless, which meant the lesson was a great success. By the end of the lesson each team had a general idea of what the advert is going to be about and what each advert will hopefully achieve.
TEAM ANIMAL-SPECIES EXTINCTION
I was impressed with team animal a lot, they were ahead of the rest of club right the way through the lesson and even before I tasked the group to summaries their commercial in one paragraph they had already done it. Team animals strap-line for their advert is "Can you bear to watch this" with the focus being upon bears. The advert begins with a bear in a stream trying to catch a fish in a comical manner. When the bear final gets the fish its slaps him in the face with his fin and swims off. The idea of this is to make the viewer feel compassion for the animal; it will be shot so that the bear is very endearing. I see this bear very much like the character in the animated film ice age, the squirrel type creature that is forever chasing the acorn. The commercial will end with this loveable bear being shot and dying at the side of the river.....hard hitting but very much how the children want this issue addressed.
TEAM ENERGY-ENERGY CONSERVATION
It’s clear to say that the ladies took charge when it comes to team energy. With their advert being focus on a typical teenage girl. It starts with her in her bedroom getting ready to go out and every piece of electrical equipment switched on, MP3 player, computer, phone charger etc. When she switches her hair strengtheners on a devil & angel appear on her shoulder confronting her about her unnecessary use of energy. Team energy is going all out and including a song on their commercial, appropriately titled "change your hair, change the world". I suggested that in the corner they include an energy gauge highlighting every time a new piece of equipment is switched on. ....that reminds me, I must check that one of them can actually sing!!!
TEAM GLOBAL-GLOBAL WARMING
"Bang and the heat is gone" is the strap-line for team global's advert. It begins with a teenage boy who goes to sleep, he dreams of a world where there is clean air and a clean environment. Inspired by his dream he wakes up and changes the world through football. He uses his soccer skills to "keepie-up” the rubbish and header the litter into a rubbish bin.
I think team global have really thought about their target audiences and address the issue of global warming at their level.....excellent work rate team global...keepie-it-up...
TEAM GREEN-RECYCLING
Set in space, team greens advert address the issue of recycling from an unusual view point. 3 astronauts floating in a space station are left stranded when the earth blows up. A very basic concept but I think this has the most potential. Each member of this team is enthusiastic, passionate and creative. From the sounds of some of their ideas this will be comic genius and very much reminiscent to a creatures comfort sketch ........proof that sometimes keeping it simple is best....."Save our nation for the next generation".
