Science Film For Kids Gives New Meaning To Term "Moving Pictures"
By Pat Loeb
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A new 3-D film for children opens at the Franklin Institute, this week, and it's sure to intrigue adults as well. It was made by a local film-maker, using an innovative technique.
Watermelon Magic seeks to fascinate children with the life cycle of plants but its methods are likely to fascinate any viewer.
The story of a girl and her garden is told, literally, in "moving pictures," some 200,000 digital photos sewn together to create a sort of live-action animation.
Filmmaker Richard Hoffman of Spring Garden pictures says it allowed him to condense the 90-day growth, of a watermelon from seed, into a few minutes.
"My challenge was to make a story that was fun for kids while incorporating the growth of the watermelon."
Hoffman hopes kids will not only learn about how food grows but will get interested in growing their own.
"I feel like we need reminders of how magical the real world is sometimes."
The film opens Friday and runs for six months, then goes on a museum tour.
