Movies & TV Facts for Kids
Behind-the-scenes facts from film and TV
A film rated 'U' (Universal) in Britain is deemed suitable for all ages, including young children. The BBFC considers factors such as language, violence, and scary scenes when deciding a film's rating.
The tornado in 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939) was created using a 35-foot muslin stocking that was twisted and blown with wind machines. It took four weeks to perfect the effect.
The wildebeest stampede in 'The Lion King' (1994) took three years to animate and required an entirely new computer program to handle the thousands of individual animals. It was one of the first uses of CGI crowd simulation in an animated film.
The iconic sound of a lightsaber in 'Star Wars' was created by sound designer Ben Burtt by combining the hum of old television sets with the buzz of a broken film projector motor. He discovered the effect by accident when he walked past a TV with a broken microphone.
The 1997 film 'Titanic' cost around $200 million to make — more than the actual Titanic ship cost to build in 1912, even when accounting for inflation. Director James Cameron spent months diving to the real wreck to film footage for the movie.
The T-Rex roar in 'Jurassic Park' was made by blending the sounds of a baby elephant, an alligator, and a tiger. Sound designer Gary Rydstrom also used sounds of his Jack Russell terrier playing tug-of-war for the velociraptors.
The oldest surviving film ever made is called 'Roundhay Garden Scene,' filmed in 1888 in Leeds, England. It is just 2.11 seconds long and shows people walking in a garden.
'Toy Story' (1995) was the world's first fully computer-animated feature film. Pixar had only 110 employees at the time and it took an average of 90 hours to render each frame of the movie.
Macaulay Culkin was just 10 years old when he starred in 'Home Alone' (1990). The film cost $18 million to make and earned over $476 million at the box office, making it one of the most profitable comedies ever.
The mechanical shark in 'Jaws' (1975) kept breaking down during filming, so director Steven Spielberg had to suggest the shark without actually showing it. This decision accidentally made the film much scarier and launched his career.