Movies & TV Facts for Kids
Behind-the-scenes facts from film and TV
Alfred Hitchcock is known as the 'Master of Suspense' for films such as Psycho, Rear Window, and Vertigo. He described suspense as the difference between surprise (a bomb suddenly explodes) and suspense (the audience knows the bomb is there).
Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away (2001) became the first anime film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The Japanese studio is famous for its hand-drawn animation style.
The film industry employs millions of people around the world, including actors, directors, camera operators, costume designers, caterers, and many more. A major blockbuster can employ over a thousand crew members.
The black hole visual effects in Interstellar (2014) were so scientifically accurate that they led to a genuine research paper being published about black hole physics. Scientists worked alongside the film's visual effects team.
In Inception (2010), the character Cobb uses a spinning top to tell whether he is in a dream or reality — in dreams, it spins forever. The film deliberately leaves its ending ambiguous.
The first successful colour film process for cinema, called Kinemacolor, was demonstrated in Britain in 1908. It worked by filming through red and green filters and projecting both at high speed.
Film noir is a style of crime film popular in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s, characterised by dark shadowy lighting, morally ambiguous characters, and cynical storylines. The term is French for 'dark film'.
Modern blockbusters often use a combination of practical (physical) effects and digital CGI effects. Practical effects — such as real explosions and models — are sometimes preferred because they look more convincing on camera.
The BAFTA Film Awards are the UK's equivalent of the Oscars, presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. The ceremony has been held annually since 1948.
In Shrek (2001), the title character was originally to be voiced by comedian Chris Farley before his death in 1997. Mike Myers then took over and decided to voice Shrek with a Scottish accent.