THEATRE AND FILM FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Approaching the concept of “young audiences” in cinema from different perspectives.
Identify and analyse the force of the major companies that are specialized in young audience
films, watching and analysing the peculiarities of some classical young audience films in
Cameroon and around the world, examining screenwriting for young audiences with its
particularities.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
At the end of this course, the learner will be able to clearly state the purpose of films
intended for young audiences, identify films that are suitable for young audiences from
different cultural backgrounds, write and produce a film according to peculiarities that suit
young audiences.

COURSE OUTLINE

I- YOUNG AUDIENCES: SOCIAL UNDERSTANDING

1. Problematics of age limit
2. Life standard
3. Culture and plural perception

II- OUTCOMES OF YOUNG AUDIENCES’ FILMS

1. Springboard for social compliance
2. Springboard for distraction and entertainment
3. Springboard for education

III- MAjOR FILM COMPANIES FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES

1. Walt Disney (historical background)
2. DreamWorks animation (Historical Background)

IV- MAJOR CLASSICAL FILMS FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES

• Viewing and criticism of some classical films for young audiences
1. Snow white and the seven Dwarfs (America 1937)
2. Alvin and the Chipmunks (America 2007)
3. Minga et la cuillère cassée (Cameroon2018)
4. La marche (Cameroon 2018)
5. Lion king (America 1994)
6. Spider-Man (America 2002)
7. Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (India 1995)

V- WRITING FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES: APPLIED KNOWLEDGE FROM

CRITICAL APPROACHES
1. Themes
2. Genres
3. Plot and structure
4. Language standard
5. Characters involved
6. Visual concept (imagination, colour, forms, etc)

VI- PRATICAL SCREENWRITING AND SHOOTING OF 5 minute FILM

BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Shakuntala Banaji, Reading ‘Bollywood’The Young Audience and Hindi Films,
Palgrave macmillan, 208 p.
• Karin Beeler and Stan Beeler, Children’s Film in the Digital Age. Essays on
Audience, Adaptation and Consumer Culture, McFarland, 202 p.