Museum of the Rockies: Education Video
Opening Titles: Jim Henson’s Dinosaurs
I love how the camera moves through a campy, handmade prehistoric forest: ferns parting, mossy tree trunks tipping over, mist floating on the forest floor. What if we did something like this for the opening to “Fossil Fridays”? The camera moves across the ground until we reveal an actual (miniature) dig site — the bones spelling out the show’s title. *
If we want to go with digital animation rather than Jim Henson-style practical effects, the vlog brothers’ Crash Course series is also a good source of inspiration.
Handmade Letters: How I’ve Done It
I couldn’t find an example from Jim Henson or his contemporaries of a title that is handmade rather than animated — so here is one from my own work. It can be done, and it can look awesome.
Upbeat theme song: Eureeka’s Castle
Ashley nailed it with this reference. I’d love to come up with a theme song for “Fossil Fridays” (or for the educational program in general) that captures the joy and genuine play of Eureeka’s Castle.
Presentation Style: Crash Course
Much like Complexly’s various Crash Course productions, you have a beautifully designed set and smart, friendly educators in front of the camera. We can take inspiration from their upbeat pace, transitions, and animations to inject energy into our video.
We Can’t Forget the Puppets: SciShow Kids
Another Hank Green product — and offshoot of SciShow — is this channel for grades 1-3. The big parallel here is puppets that interact with the presenter and add a playful texture to the show. I think we should show off awesome, scientifically-accurate puppets for our video.
