CQCM Newsletter 2007, February 20

Welcome to KIDS FIRST!® NEWS. All articles are by Coalition for Quality Children's Media unless otherwise noted.

It seems like every time I look at a news report this week, I am getting more information on downloading movies on the Internet. Since I am doing this issue's article on that very topic, I decided to take the plunge myself. I signed up for an account on Vongo (what did I have to lose when I received my first 14 days for free?). I downloaded the necessary file in less than two minutes and selected some movies. Now I can travel with my children with a bunch of films all neatly held in my PC. No DVD cases to lose or step on in the car!

In my years at KIDS FIRST!, I have consistently been impressed with the way we help independent producers and viewers keep up with the times technologically. Even before this downloadable movies become the talk of the Internet news, KIDS FIRST! was partnering with others to offer our producers a way to break into big companies like Amazon (see article for details).

As always, I welcome your input. If you have comments on titles we have endorsed; notices of media awards, publications, and products; or suggestions for articles, please drop me a line.

Dear Friends,

What a crazy winter we've had in Santa Fe -- record-breaking temperatures and snowfall! I was really delighted to travel to Los Angeles and Phoenix last week on KIDS FIRST! business and reluctant to come home to the cold again. Fortunately, the five-degree-weather that I left in had warmed up to low 50s on my return. The sun is shining today like a little imp who had run away and returned home, and the daffodils and crocus are peeping their little green heads up through the snow.

Ann and I have been hard at work developing some nifty new opportunities for our sponsors, independent producers, and you - our readers. To begin with, we have some great new venues who we're working with such as the Pennsylvania Children's Film Festival, the Pennsylvania Film Institute, the Delray International Film Festival, the Indianapolis International Film Festival, and the San Diego International Children's Film Festival. These are in addition to some of our favorite venues with whom we've been working for some time such as the Newport Beach Film Festival, the Long Island Children's Museum, Images Cinema, Film Center at the Cinema Cafe (Santa Fe), Denver Film Society, Brooklyn Children's Museum, the Betty Brinn Children's Museum, Avalon Theater, the Ashland Independent Film Festival, Arts for Range Children (Ironwood, MI), and the Austin Public Library System. More venues are joining us every week so keep your eyes on kidsfirst.org/fest to find a KIDS FIRST! screening near you.

For our indie producers, we have taken another jump forward, as Chris refers to in her article about downloading media. KIDS FIRST! is acting as a producer's rep for a select group of indie titles that we feel we can help get distribution for theatrical, DVD, broadcast, or download play. We have some exciting new partners with whom we're working and can't wait to share more news about this as it develops.

For our newsletter readers, through our partner GRAND Magazine, we are offering you a free (one year) subscription to GRAND Magazine, the Official Magazine of Grandparents. Please click on www.grandmagazine.com/KF. This is a limited time offer so please do it today while you are thinking of it. You can gift this to the favorite Grandparent in your life.

Enjoy the rest of February, and I'll hope that the snow and ice melt into beautiful spring flowers for all of us.

Love,

Concerned about what kids watch? Want to do something about it? Become a KIDS FIRST!® juror. It's easy. Take our online training. It will take you about four hours to complete, and we will provide you with your own personal trainer. The $40 fee is 100% reimbursable once you evaluate six titles for KIDS FIRST!® . You may keep any movie you approve. What a wonderful way for teachers, librarians, parents, and daycare providers to build their own quality media library while helping evaluate movies for others. KIDS FIRST!® Independent Producer members get an additional benefit of one waived submission fee, once they complete the training and evaluate their first 6 titles. To register or get more information, please visit our KIDS FIRST!® juror's page.

KIDS FIRST!® WEB STORE FEATURES
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Language For PK. Includes: Signing Time! Volume 4 (see details), Signing Time! Volume 5 (see details), and Signing Time! Volume 6 (see details). $21.99 each. Value=$65.97. Juror Comments: This title is one of Ranny's Picks! "Children learn from everything they watch, whether it's good or bad. Here are titles that teach lessons. One about behavior; one about language development. DVD. 90 mins Ages 2-5. Coalition for Quality Children's Media

Classic Literature and Myths. Includes Pegasus the Flying Horse and Beauty and the Beast (see details) $14.95; Merlin and the Dragons (see details) $9.95; Value=$24.90. Includes DVD. 162 mins. Ages 5-8. Coalition for Quality Children's Media.

Baby Signing Time! Vols. 1 & 2. Puts your baby's day to music as you learn American sign language signs for eating, family, and pets. Designed for babies with an age-appropriate pace, delightful animation and signing babies. Adult Juror Comments: Wonderful for both adults and children. It teaches children to communicate non-verbally during the time just prior to their talking. Studies show that babies can sign before they talk. It helps them communicate about the world and helps parents understand what they are saying and talk back. Well constructed. The sections blend together well. Words are perfect for this age group. The extra section is very informative, and the words taught are printed on the back of the DVD cover. Kid Juror Comments: Kids were totally into it, attentive, talked about it, and learned a lot. All wanted to watch it again. They were signing and singing right away. One boy was really into the manners section and discussed politeness afterwards. The two-year-olds said things like, "That's a shirt like mine." One child fabricated some "ouchies." DVD. 30 mins. Ages 1-6. Two Little Hands Productions.

My Baby can Talk: Sharing Signs. Inspires early language development from preverbal communication using sign language to first spoken words. Set to classical music, features beautiful real world images, delightful puppet shows, colorful toys in motion and babies. Adult Juror Comments: "Makes learning sign language easy and fun without being overwhelming." Well-produced, bright and uncluttered images, fun music. Entertaining and fun presentation. Shows boys and girls of different races. Uses words such as "share" and shows adult sharing with a child as well as children sharing with each other. Good pace and format, varied to hold interest. Kid Juror Comments: Kids really were into it, even older ones - up to age 9. As they watched, they repeated the words and made the signs. They wanted to watch it again later. The giraffe was a big hit. They danced along to the sock chant. Asked questions such as, "If monkeys live in the jungle, where do they get bananas?" DVD. 40 mins. Ages 0-4. Baby Hands Productions.

Martin's Big Words and More Stories from the African American Tradition. Using quotes from some of his beloved speeches, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. comes to rich life in this profound and important biography about beliefs and dreams and following one's heart. Martin's Big Words is narrated by Michael Clarke Duncan and based on a book by Doreen Rapaport, which won a Caldecott Honor award and a Coretta Scott King Honor Book award. Other stories include "John Henry," based on the book illustrated by Jerry Pinkney; and "Seven Candles for Kwanzaa," based on the book by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Bonus stories feature Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald. DVD. 60 mins. Ages 3-7. Weston Woods Studios/Scholastic.

*** = Titles receiving the highest scores are given a three-star rating.
** = Titles that meet or exceed the criteria receive a two-star rating.
* = Titles that meet the baseline criteria but require some extra consideration on the part of the viewer receive a one-star rating.

Video/DVD-Ages 5-8.

**It's a Magic-Al World. When Grandpa Magic Lou, owner of Magical World Shop falls ill, Al must go run his shop. But Al has only one day to learn magic and save the store from closing forever. With a little help, Al finds the shop is a magical place and becomes Magical KIDS FIRST!® Adult Juror Comments: Good combination of magic and comedy. Lovely film that is educational as well as interesting. The slight story of how Magical Al became a magician holds the show together and takes it to another level. He does a good job involving children in the show as volunteers. Each segment is brief and upbeat. Not a high budget production, but it works. The tricks are well done, the story flows, and it's appropriate for kids. Might motivate kids to check out magic books or how to DVDs. KIDS FIRST!® KID Juror Comments: Enjoyed by all. Held their interest for the entire film. "It's really good and really funny." "My friends would like it because it is so funny and they would like the magic." "I related to it because I like to do magic myself." "I liked how people became cartoons." "When the butterfly came across, the sparks were cool." The kids tried to figure out how to do the magic tricks and talked about similar tricks they saw in a live magic show. "I would watch it 5 times if my mom would let me." Ages 5-8. Magic Al Entertainment.

*** Florence Nightingale. At the height of the Crimean War, English soldiers were dying by the hundreds, and hospital conditions left much to be desired. When Florence Nightingale arrived on the scene, the science and practice of nursing soon changed all over the world. KIDS FIRST!® Adult Juror Comments: Well done. Excellent supplement for studying women's history, battlefields, and nursing history. Linear biography of Florence Nightingale shows how she dedicated her life to serving others. Offers a glimpse of the battlefield and the horror of the hospitals before Nightingale stepped in. Potentially violent scenes are handled very well and avoids graphically disturbing depictions. Engaging style, depicts Nightingale as humane and strong. Some vocabulary is more suitable for older viewers such as "suicide" and "threat." Nightingale came from a privileged background and revolutionized nursing. KIDS FIRST!® KID Juror Comments: Well received. "I really like the story. She's somebody in history who I've heard about." "My friends would like the story because it's real. Florence Nightingale went off and became a nurse and saved thousands of men's lives." "I learned how they stereotyped her and thought she couldn't do the job because she was a woman." "It shows what the world was like in the time of Florence Nightingale such as the clothing, the uniforms, and their attitude towards women." Ages 5-12. NEST Family Entertainment.

Video/DVD-Ages 5-12

*** The Legend of Sasquatch. John Davis, played by William Hurt, and his girls find a family of Bigfoot living in their backyard. Now they must help the Bigfoot save their home while protecting their secret, ancient way of life. KIDS FIRST!® Adult Juror Comments: Good story, good message, good animation. It tells a story that is relevant today in terms of preserving native lands and using technology in appropriate ways. The vocabulary tends towards an older audience yet the animation style is more appropriate for a younger audience. KIDS FIRST!® KID Juror Comments: A hit. They would watch it again. "I like it a lot because it is nice for everyone to be friends and have adventures." "I liked the creatures and the animation." "It reminds me of the Princess Academy." "In the beginning the people treated the Sasquatch people nicely, but the big sister didn't treat her younger sister nicely because she didn't' believe her." Favorite part: "That it made us think about other people's feelings when they are going through rough times. It's great!" Ages 5-12. Gorilla Pictures.

SELECTIONS FROM KIDS FIRST!® Film Festival 2007
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For a complete list of all Festival titles currently being shown, visit our website.

Everyone's Hero. L. 111 mins.
A heartwarming comedy-adventure, telling the story of a young boy's thousand-mile journey to help Babe Ruth and the New York Yankees win the World Series. The project's theme of perseverance against all odds was inspired by the film's originating director and executive producer, Christopher Reeve. Ages 4-12 Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

In Winter Still. L. 10 mins.
Inspired by one of Oscar Wilde's classic fairy tales and set within Claude Monet's paintings. Celebrate the spirit of sharing, the magic of children at play, and the beauty of Monet's artwork. Ages: 6-12 Auryn Inc.

The Journey of Henry "Box" Brown. L. 28 mins.
The true tale of slave, Henry Brown, a man who mailed himself in a wooden box from a plantation in Richmond, VA to freedom in Philadelphia, PA in 1848. Ages: 5-12. Sweet Blackberry.

The Last Atomic Bomb. L. 92 mins.
A documentation of the gut-wrenching yet inspirational life of a Nagasaki bomb survivor, interwoven with the decision to use the bomb, censorship, discrimination, Cold War weapons buildup, nuclear proliferation and the nuclear abolition campaign. Ages: 12-18. Richter Productions.

One Wee World Celebrates Mexico. L. 30 mins.
Take an enchanting journey with your hosts, Ambassador Tracy and her animated friend, Ambassador Kiki to Mexico. A cultural celebration of Mexico's music, landscape, folklore, dance, food, toys, and so much more. Ages: 2-5. One Wee World.

NEW AND RENEWING MEMBERS
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Blue Dolphin Media, Inc. is an independent video production company specializing in educational and entertainment programming for broadcast and Internet distribution.

Soaring Star Productions, LLC is a children's educational media company that produces the award-winning Pocket Snails(R) series for preschoolers.

Congratulations to the International Family Film Festival Winners
The following KIDS FIRST!® titles have won the following awards: Drama - Eye of the Dolphin, Monterey Media; 2007 Best Child Actor - Carly Schroeder for Eye of the Dolphin; Animation - The Legend of Sasquatch, Gorilla Pictures, Bill Gottlieb.

New CGI and Live-Action Alvin and the Chipmunks Movie
Fox 2000 and Fox Animation are reportedly in talks with Tim Hill, to direct the film, per Variety. Based on the famous animated chipmunks (Simon, Alvin and Theodore) created by Ross Bagdasarian Sr., who also voiced the characters, the movie is being penned by Jon Vitti and produced by Bagdasarian's son, Ross Jr. and Janice Karman.

Danger Rangers Products Coming to You
Educational Adventures has completed several new product licensing deals for its kid-targeted safety theme property Dangers Rangers including those with: Fun World (Halloween costumes, Easter egg decorations, gift warp) and Renaissance Imports, Inc. (footwear-in mass market drug and grocery chains).

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Offers New Video Download Service
Users can download movies or TV episodes for playback on computers or portable media players for $1.96 per TV show and up to $19.88 for new movies. Wal-Mart's movie studio partners include 20th Century Fox, Disney, Lions Gate, MGM, MTV Networks, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Warner Bros. as well as television networks Comedy Central, FOX and Nickelodeon. In addition, Wal-Mart will make new movies available for download the same day they are released on DVD.

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announces the Children's Programming Emmy Awards Nominees
Leading the way with five nominations is Sesame Street, followed by Reading Rainbow with three nods. The network earning the most nominations is PBS receiving a total of 18, followed by Discovery Kids with 15 nods. Joining the kid's categories this year is outstanding children's programming via broadband. The Children's Emmy Awards will be given out during the televised 34th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, which will air on CBS live at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles on June 15. The full list of kid's category nominees can be found at www.emmyonline.tv.

Nominees and categories include: Children's Animated Program - Arthur PBS, Curious George PBS, Peep and the Big Wide World Discovery Kids, Time Warp Trio NBC, ToddWorld Discovery Kids; Preschool Children's Series - HI-5 Discovery Kids, Hip Hop Harry Discovery Kids, It's a Big Big World PBS, PAZ Discovery Kids, Sesame Street PBS; Children's Series - Assignment Discovery Discovery, Endurance: High Sierras Discovery Kids, Reading Rainbow PBS, Strange Days At Blake Holsey High Discovery Kids; Broadband Children's - Cyberchase PBS, Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy Cartoon Network, Scooby-Doo: Haunts for the Holidays WarnerBros.com.

Watch Your Clocks!
The time change is earlier than usual this year. Daylight Savings Time changes March 11th.

Thomas & Friends Live on Stage in Thomas Saves the Day
March 2007 - A 90-minute live musical show, Thomas & Friends will stop in 40+ cities across the US and Canada. Following the North American tour, the Thomas & Friends Live on Stage show will make stops in Asia and Europe throughout 2007-2008.

Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest
K-3rd graders are eligible to create their own illustrated story books for submission. What a wonderful ELA assignment and creative activity for your students! Check the Reading Rainbow website for details.

The New Animated TV Curious George Series Debuts on DVD
February 20, 2007, Universal Studios Home Entertainment releases Curious George: Zoo Night and Other Animal Stories. The first in a series of DVDs, this first title is comprised of eight episodes of the Curious George animated series. Additionally, the DVD includes several educational games and activities featuring Curious George.

PBS Kids Sprout Launches Sprout Diner's March Menu
This month-long event is designed to encourage healthy eating habits in preschoolers, beginning March 1, 2007, coinciding with National Nutrition Month. The event will include new episodes of Sprout Diner animated series (debuting March 16) and live-action cooking segments featuring parents and preschoolers making healthy recipes from the Sprout Diner menu. Beginning March 16, the cooking segments will move exclusively to Sprout VOD. Nutrition related games and downloadable recipes are available at SproutOnline.com. Additionally, the winning recipe from a Sprout nationwide contest will be show on-air on March 15.

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Video Downloads by Christine L. Pollock

A few years ago we heard some whispers that downloading movies onto our computers would be a possibility. How terrific would that be? I'd like to go on family trip without worrying about stockpiling DVDs. Now, the whispers are reality. What does this mean to families, educators and producers? Scott Mansfield (top photo on left), managing partner, Monterey Media,

Inc./Monterey Video; Jim Wuthrich, SVP Digital, Warner Bros.; and Joseph Cantwell (bottom photo on left), VP Marketing, Starz Entertainment lend their expertise with detailed answers from inside the downloading industry.

When it comes to digital distribution, there are basically two categories: video rental, which is Video on Demand (VOD) and Ownership, which is called Download to Own (DTO) or Electronic Sell Through (EST). Ownership means the user "owns" it in the same way you would own a DVD and there are no time restrictions. VOD usually allows a user to view content for a limited period of time, e.g., 24 hours, and then the file disappears. Most people access VOD through their Cable TV service, so that's limited by which cable service they have. The new area is IP (Internet Protocol) based services primarily to the PC and that is where there are a number of providers including Amazon, Movielink, CinemaNow, Wal-Mart, and Vongo.

Current technology is geared to get rid of “stacking.” The piles of old VHS tapes have turned into smaller piles of DVDs. Now we just need space on a hard drive, not our shelf. In order to download films at this point, a user needs to have the bandwidth, the speed, and enough memory on their computer to handle the files. How will this affect educators and independent producers? Starz, which launched Vongo, will continue to provide content for classroom through cable and satellite. If an educational organization desires streaming or

download, they can go to sites like Discovery Communications. Independent producers now have increased exposure for their films. According to Wuthrich, “Digital distribution is great for consumers and content creators. It alters the economics so more content can be made available to a more people. A movie that couldn't find an audience in theaters or justify the space on a retailer's shelf can find a home on these services, no matter how niche the subject matter may be. There are no special technical requirements for filmmakers...the file can be converted to a digital form to work with the various services.”

Cantwell says Vongo will be open to working with independent filmmakers. He adds that there are two ways for independent producers to get their films out there. The first is directly with an organization like Vongo, and the second is through an established firm which represents producers. Large sites like Amazon will not take individual titles, but that does not mean they are impossible to reach. Mansfield, together with Ranny Levy, president of KIDS FIRST!, are compiling a number of independent titles and have created a block of exclusive content to offer companies like Amazon.

As Wuthrich points out, “It is early in the development of the digital video marketplace but it will continue to evolve just as the market for digital music has. These technologies won't make going to the theater or buying DVD's obsolete anytime in the near future. They will, however, give consumers more options to find and enjoy the video programming relevant to them.”

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CRAFTS AND ACTIVITIES

Dr. Toy's Tips on Use of Video by Stevanne Auerbach, PhD. /Dr.Toy
www.drtoy.com Smart Play /Smart Toys (www.educationalinsights.com)

International Products/Games
Learning about the world is exciting and educational. Children enjoy reading about other countries, their customs, and how their children live. They often like to try new foods that are typical of other countries. Attending a special festival presenting foreign culture such as dance and music can add to their understanding. In each of these areas you can help your child by using media like videos and CDs to complement all these activities. A perfect title from the KIDS FIRST!® collection is Families of Puerto Rico (It's on sale, too).

KIDS FIRST!® Film Festival Schedule
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Films from our KIDS FIRST!® Film Festivals travel around the country where more than 100 local venues host screenings of them throughout the year. More than 10,000 screenings will take place in these venues annually. To find out what is being played in a venue near you, go to www.kidsfirst.org/fest.

March 24-28, 2007. Johannesburg, South Africa. 5th World Summit on Media for Children 2007, Media as a Tool for Global Peace and Democracy. The Children and Broadcasting Foundation for Africa (CBFA) is to host the 5th World Summit on Media for Children. The event is expected to bring together around one thousand delegates plus some 300 teenagers. Unlike past Summits on Media for Children, the youngsters will be taking official part in the main plenary sessions.

March 30. University of Connecticut, Storrs, Conn. The theme of the 5th Annual Northeast Media Literacy Conference is "The Mass Media, Children, and Values." Description: "The growing media literacy movement has helped children and youth to become more media literate for many years now, with a major emphasis upon accessing, analyzing, and evaluating the many complex messages presented through the mass media, particularly advertising in its many forms and formats. The rapid spread of new technology devices and techniques have had a great impact upon the types and extent of mass media exposure in today’s youth culture, including cell phones, voice and text messaging, ipods, blogs, MySpace, Facebook, ebay, video games, etc. But what impact has all of this mass media exposure and technology had on children and youth in terms of their thinking, choices, priorities, actions…and their values?"

June 23-27. St. Louis, Missouri. The biannual National Media Education Conference (NMEC), hosted by the Alliance for a Media Literate America, is the largest, oldest and most comprehensive professional conference for teachers, academics, youth advocates, health professionals and media activists to learn about media literacy education. The first annual Media Literacy Education Research Summit is a pre-conference event held June 23 and 24, immediately prior to the NMEC. The Summit will host an international group of experts from a diverse array of fields who will convene to review the existing research evidence about the efficacy of media literacy education and to develop a research agenda for the future.

July 9-13, 2007. Ithaca, NY. Project Look Sharp is offering its 9th annual summer institute. This 5-day intensive media literacy workshop includes both the theory of media literacy and hands-on practice with digital/computer technology (Mac-based). The institute takes place on the campus of Ithaca College, Ithaca, New York, and inexpensive on-campus housing is available. Limit of 18 participants. More information.

KIDS FIRST!® Cares
Through the combined efforts of Corporations for Character, KIDS FIRST!®, and your generous donation, we can fulfill our mission to provide positive, encouraging movies into each of more than one million children's hospital beds. This effort will provide entertainment for children while they are confined in a hospital. To support KIDS FIRST!® Cares, go to www.kidsfirstcares.org. All credit card transactions are secure.

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Become a Coalition for Quality Children's Media Member
If you've found our e-zine and web site helpful, please consider becoming a member of KIDS FIRST!® Members help underwrite the various projects of this organization. The Coalition for Quality Children's Media relies on the generous support of its members and donors to support its programs. An individual/family membership is only $25/year. An organizational membership is $100/year. An independent producer membership is $200. To join, go to: http://www.kidsfirst.org or contact our office at 505.989.8076 or KIDS FIRST!®.

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Copyright 2002 by Coalition for Quality Children's Media, http://www.kidsfirst.org

ABOUT CQCM AND KIDS FIRST!®
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KIDS FIRST!® is the not-for-profit Coalition for Quality Children's Media's initiative that evaluates and rates children's media - videotapes, CD-ROMs and television - using a highly acclaimed method that has been praised by parents and educators alike. It utilizes professionally designed criteria and evaluation tools and engages a volunteer jury comprising child development professionals, teachers and parents nationwide and children of diverse geographic, socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. KIDS FIRST!® endorsed titles appeal to people around the world and include many programs on topics important to children's development. KIDS FIRST!® -endorsed titles are available on CQCM's award-winning Internet site, in the KIDS FIRST!® Film Festival and in reviews we provide to more than 75 publications.

CQCM evaluates feature films, television programs, videos, CD-ROM, DVDs and audio recordings. For an application form and application deadlines, visit our website at http://www.kidsfirst.org, call our office (505.989.8076).
Coalition for Quality Children's Media, 112 W. San Francisco St. , Suite 305A, Santa Fe, NM 87501.

The Newsstand - KIDS FIRST!® News 2007