Roald Dahl has a way of bringing stories to life. His words weave magical stories that pull the reader right into the pages. It’s been easy for some of his books to be converted into movies. You may have seen Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Matilda, or James and the Giant Peach. All were based upon Roald Dahl stories.
We recently read another Roald Dahl book, The BFG, in class. We loved it so much that we thought we’d create a movie trailer to get others to try to read the book! We put our green screen to use once again. Just like a real movie, we shot many different scenes from many different angles. Some made it into our trailer, while some got cut. We hope you enjoy our final result that can be seen up above!
To learn more about Roald Dahl and his books, visit his website here.
Dear Mr. Avery,
Your students did a wonderful job on the video. My teacher (Mr. Salsich)
read the book the BFG to us and so did I. When we started to read the BFG a lot of people where wondering what the letters BFG meant but I knew what it meant it meant Big Friendly Giant. Keep up the great work! Happy Blogging π
From,
Taylor in Mr. Salsich’s class
Dear Mr. Avery,
I loved the book! Even though I was on a cruise when you guys finished the book. π I wanted to be the queen. I loved the backgrounds!
Sincerely,
Ashley:)
Dear Ashley,
I was wondering, what is your favorite Roald Dahl book? Why is that your favorite book? My favorite is Witches. I like it because it has a lot of details and it’s a little weird.
Sincerely,
Natalie S. ♥
To Mr. Avery,
My favorite Roald Dahl book would be James And The Giant Peach. I like the book because he goes inside a huge peach. I think that is funny.
Sincerely,
Trey
Dear Mr. Avery and class,
Your movie trailer for the BFG was amazing even though I already read the book I wanted to know what happened next. How did you make Sophie look so small? The Queen’s room looked so real. I would love to stay in a room that nice.
From,
π Maggie in Mr. Salsich’s class
Dear Maggie,
I’m from Mr. Avery’s class. We had a green screen so we can make people or things very big and very small. I love Mr. Avery’s classroom. He makes everyday fun and exciting. For example, tomorrow we are going to Skype with Kevin for Fox 25 News. I can’t wait to Skype! Have a great day!
Your blogging buddy,
Natalie S. π
Dear Mr. Avery,
I think Mike, Natalie, and Kaylee each played there parts really well. Are we going to make another video soon? It is really fun. Have a nice day.
Sincerely,
Ben W:)
Dear Mr. Avery,
I think you did a great job. I like the part when Mike tiptoes across the ground. I also like the part when Natalie/orphan was scared of the giant. Keep up the great work.
Sincerely,
Jenna
WOW! Great job guys! Natalie, you are such a good orphan! Mike, great job! I hope that you guys do another one!
Lauren π
Dear Lauren,
Thanks I was nervous about being Sophie. There is a lot of comments in this section! I think we should do another one too! It was really fun.
Sincerely,
Natalie S.
Dear Shelly,
I agree, I think everybody did an excellent job! I think it was cool when Mike was standing there and the moon is glistening. It looks so cool. I hope we do that again!
Sincerely,
Natalie S.
Dear Mr. Avery and Students
What a great job you all did on the movie trailer. You should be very proud. This blog is a great idea. Good luck to you all.
Shelly (Friend of Natalie’s Dad)
Awesome trailer! I remember reading this book when I was in grade school too; you guys really captured the spirit of it!
Mr. Avery,
Terrific site for the kids to keep in touch. This is the kind of thing that all students will use and benefit from. Keep up the good work. This is awesome.
Have a great year.
Joanne
Mr. Avery and Class,
I loved the movie trailer. One of my daughter’s favorite books when she was young was “Matilda”.
Great job by the actors in the trailer, perhaps an Oscar one day?
Aunt Eileen
Dear Eileen,
One of my favorite books is Matilda too. All of Roald Dahl’s books have a lot of details. Once you read one you can’t stop until you finish the book.
Sincerely,
Natalie S.
Wow! This definitely deserves some Oscar nominations! You are all fabulously talented and have peaked my interest in the book. I will check it out ASAP!
~Wendy
That was pretty cool! Now I’ll have to check out the book.
Well done.
~Paul
What a great video! I think there are some future movie makers in this group. Keep up the excellent work!
This class blog is a great idea as well. I hope all of todays’ kids can learn the benefits of Web 2.0 tools like these.
Sincerely,
Jim π
In San Juan, PR where the buzz within the Old Town was this movie preview. Very nicely done. We had no computers when I was in the 4th grade but we did have books.
While I do not recall reading of the books that were written by the author you are following, I do recall a number of the movies that have come from his books. I did not realize who had written them.
Michale Clary, Ph.D.
Dear Mr. Avery,
The BFG movie was awesome! Natalie, Mike, Alexus and Kaylee, you did a fantastic job. That’s probably why the green screen was up most of the week. My favorite Roald Dahl movies are Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Well, I have to go! See you at schoo!
Sincerely,
Jackie:)
Dear Mr. Avery,
That was great and amazing. That was the one of the best movies we made. My favorite Roald Dahl books are Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the BFG. My favorite movie based on Roald Dahl is Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Hope you had a nice vacation.
From,
Ariel
I’m in San Juan this weekend and I just heard about this cool blog site and the trailer for the movie The BFG. Wow, was I impressed! Looks like there are some potential Oscar nominations for next year!
New Fan from Illinois
I loved the blog site! The students are so lucky to have such a creative and innovative teacher. Natalie’s Mom, Amy and I read Dahl’s work in high school.
Dahl’s work is truly timeless, and so is yours, Mr Avery.
A Fan from Florida
Hi All,
Just got on this awesome blog! When I was in MA for Thanksgiving, Amanda told me what a great class she had and now I get to see it for myself! You all are doing a great job.
Denise
Hey,
It has been a while since I have been on the blog you all are doing so many new things. What do you have planned for the spring? Any science projects involving plant growth?
Uncle Don
I love the reading log both on-line and on paper. What a great way to have the children record what they have read and recommend books to each other. This blog site has made me wish I was back in school.
Aunt Eileen
Thank you, Mr. Avery. I loved the trailer. It looks like a wonderful story. Great Job by all.
Uncle Frank
I forgot to ask you Mr Avery, is there an app that allows us to get these videos, etc on our cell phones?
Christine
Unfortunately, right now there isn’t. You can visit the blog on the web on your phone but I don’t think Vimeo has cell phone capabilities unless it is upgraded to the Plus version. I’ll see what I can do though!
Thanks for visiting!
Mr. Avery
Oh My Goodness,
That was awesome! I didn’t know how talented you all are. Mr Avery, you bring out the best in these Children. Thank you!
Keep up the great work everyone, I look forward to seeing more video/movies.
Kaylee’s mom
Dear Mr. Avery,
I think everyone did an amazing job on the movie trailer. I like the book a lot and the movie trailer went well with the book. Keep up the good work.
From,
Jenna
Great post,
I think my Queen is looking good for her age! You set the standard again, very impressive.
My favourite Roald Dahl book is ‘Danny Champion of the World’, again it has a really important message.
Congratulations on your work.
Which three children’s books would you choose to have if stranded on a dessert island?
Mr E
Hawes CP School
Dear Mr Avery and class,
Ok class, first you. Your video is amazing. I think I should ask my teacher about making a video as well. It is amazing what you can do if you put your mind to it. Nothing can stop you and that is a good thing.
Ok Mr Avery, your turn. Thank you for answering. I really think it is thoughtful for you to answer in such short time. I will keep commenting.
Keep up the great work.
Tahlia
Dear Mr. Avery & class,
Great job kids. Seeing the movie trailer makes me want to read the book.
Amanda’s mom
Hi Mr. Avery’s Class,
I almost forgot to answer your great questions. My favorite Roald Dahl book is Danny, the Champion of the World. I think it is very different than some of his other works. It’s more of a sweet family story about a father and son. I’ve never seen the movie, but Jeremy Irons plays the father, and if anyone could do it, I think he could have a go at it. I always think the books are better, so I don’t often watch the movies. I thought Matilda was a pretty good movie, though.
Mrs. Krebs
Wow… what an amazing job! I have to admit when Mike was explaining this to me I didn’t quite understand. But the movie trailer came out awesome. We all watched it last night with Mike’s two Aunts who were also impressed. Keep up the good work guys!
Mike’s mom
Dear Mr. Avery,
That movie trailer was amazing. I loved it. Itss so cool how you can make all those special effects! Have a nice vacation!
From,
Amanda
Dear Mr Avery and class,
Wow! What a fabulous trailer.
I’ve read the the BFG, and it’s one of my favourite Roald Dahl books, but I think I love Matilda best.
I’m currently studying to be a primary teacher and I was looking into how to use technology in the classroom … this trailer sets the standard pretty high! Well done all!
Ms Hughes
Ms. Hughes,
Thank you for your compliment. Visiting different blogs and seeing some of the ideas that other teachers have is a great way to learn! I know I still learn from other blogs all the time!
Good luck!
Mr. Avery
WOW! I really loved your movie trailer and you have hooked me. I am going to get it from the library. Thank you.
Dear Mr. Avery and class,
I am speechless! Your movie trailer is absolutely fantastic! I know that my class is going to want to read the BFG for our next read aloud after watching the trailer.
We have read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach. We really enjoyed them both.
Like Mr. Avery and Mr. Salsich, I also love Roald Dahl! I think Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is my favourite. I always try to imagine myself inside the factory and trying all those different amazing sweets. I would love to take a dip in the chocolate river!
I am one of those people that always enjoys the book far more than the movie. I love making my own mind pictures and imagining how the characters should sound.
I can’t wait to share this with the 2/3’s!
From,
Mrs. W
Mrs. Watson,
We hope you read The BFG! We wanted to share this wonderful stories with others so that we can get students excited about the book. We wanted to share our love for Roald Dahl!
We’d also love to be stuck inside the chocolate factory! We just finished up reading groups where each group had a book about chocolate. That was one of the books!
We look forward to quad-blogging next week!
Mr. Avery’s class
Dear Mr. Avery,
Dare I say it… Oscar time! π
I was so amazed with your production! Not only was the acting superb, but the music really complemented the mood of the piece. I’m wondering… how you were able to shrink your student.? That was a fancy trick!
I look forward to many more fantastic movies in the future!
Your pal,
Mrs. Y♥llis
California
Mrs. Yollis,
Thank you for your compliment! We had to use a little bit of movie magic for this one! We shot the two students separately for that scene. The editing software allows me to overlay different videos and change the size of each one.
We can’t wait to share more with you!
Mr. Avery’s class
Mr. Avery’s Class,
Wow! I am almost at a loss for words. I love Roald Dahl, but can’t get past the technology behind your movie trailer to even address Roald Dahl’s books yet.
How did you create this movie trailer? Is it something a typical class can do? I’m going to show this to my class tomorrow and I know they’ll want to know more. Simply outstanding!
Roald Dahl is one of my favorite authors. I like that he has thick books and skinny books. The variety makes it more accessible to a variety of readers.
George’s Marvellous Medicine is my favorite because I love science!
Mrs. Kistler, a 49’er
Mrs. Kistler,
Thanks for visiting! We love your class blog!
We might have to put together a behind the scenes video to show everyone how it looked before! We’ve been getting a few questions about how we put it together. We use a green screen though. It’s actually not all that hard to do!
We look forward to learning more from you though the rest of the year!
Mr. Avery’s class
Dear Mr. Avery,
Even though I know the story you had me on the edge of my seat! You made me want to pick up the book and read it again!
Thanks so much for sharing.
Mrs. J
Mrs. J,
Thanks for visiting! We’re so glad that you enjoyed it. We’re looking forward to making another one later this year! π
Mr. Avery’s Class
Dear Mr Avery,
I really like Roald Dahl and the ‘BFG.’ I like ‘The Witches’ because it was my first Roald Dahl book and my mums. Could you ask your class if they like ‘The Witchs’ and maybe study it after you finished reading ‘BFG’. Thank you.
Tahlia
Dear Tahlia,
I will certainly recommend The Witches to my class! I know I have a few students who have read it already. A few of them are making their way through the Roald Dahl collection. That’s one of my favorite things about teaching is introducing students to new authors and new books!
Sincerely,
Mr. Avery
Dear Mr. Avery,
The movie trailer turned out excellently! I could tell you worked hard on the BFG. Mike and Kaylee did an awesome job! My favorite part was in the beginning when you could see the trees in the background when the moon was gleaming off the trees; it looked mysterious. Keep up the good work! π
Sincerely,
Natalie S.
Dear Natalie,
I agree! Mike, Kaylee, and Alexus all did an amazing job. So did you though! I think we have some future actors and actresses on our hand!
I always enjoy creating new projects with our class. You’re all such hard workers and so talented!
Enjoy the rest of your vacation!
Your teacher,
Mr. Avery
That video came out so good that it looked like a real movie trailer! What an exciting way to celebrate a book that the students really enjoy.
Brad
Thanks Brad! Natalie did such an amazing job. She always brings so much joy and enthusiasm to everything she does!
I used to be a Dennett student and am now a junior at Silver Lake. The BFG movie trailor came out really cute! I wish that we had a blog like Mr. Avery when I was at the Dennett. It would have been really nice. The kids did a wonderful job and I’m looking forward to what is coming next! π
Sincerely Samantha M.
(Natalie S. friend)
Samantha,
Thanks for writing in! You must’ve had Mr. Rubin when you were at Dennett. I took over for him when he retired. I love it. It’s a great school!
Natalie did a great job! π
Mr. Avery
Dear Mr. Avery,
Wow. Once again you did an outstanding job. That movie trailer was amazing. I love how you made Mike look big and Natalie look tiny.
Sincerely,
Carly
Thanks Carly! Your sister did a wonderful job. She made a great Sophie. Because of her and the other actors, I think a lot of people will want to read The BFG!
I hope you’re enjoying your vacation!
Mr. Avery
OK, that was about the coolest trailer I’ve ever seen! It was so professional. Did you use a green screen? Do you have any sources you could recommend for learning to do that? My 7th graders made iMovie book trailers. You might like to look at them here: http://krebs.edublogs.org/2011/02/19/the-exquisite-corpse-adventure-book-trailers/
I am definitely going to show the 7th graders your book trailer, so we can learn dozens of new ideas for our next project. Thanks so much for being leaders! You rock!
Mrs. Krebs
Mrs. Krebs,
Thanks for your comment! We did use a green screen, a green screen on a budget though. We just used a green piece of muslin fabric. It does the trick though!
I enjoyed your movie trailers. I’ve never used iMovie before but would love to!
Thanks for visiting!
Mr. Avery
Dear Mrs. Krebs,
Thanks for that wonderful comment. Yes we did use a green screen. But, I don’t think it was a real one.
From,
Mike ♠
Hi Mr Avery and class,
Primary six bloggers recently had Roald Dahl as their author of the month. We will come back and visit your blog to share some of things we learned about this author.
Miss A Docherty and the Primary 6 Bloggers from Scotland
Miss Docherty,
We’d love to hear what you learned about Roald Dahl. We’ve only read The BFG so I think it would be great for my students to hear what others think about some of the other books he’s written!
Thank you for visiting! Hope all is well across the Atlantic!
Your blogging buddy,
Mr. Avery
Great job kids! Outstanding trailer! Future movie producers in this classroom.
-Geoff
Fort Collins, CO
Geoff,
Thank you! It was a lot of fun to put together. Hopefully this will get a few students interested in acting. At the very least, we hope to get others interested in Roald Dahl stories!
Mr. Avery
I LOVE your movie trailer for BFG. I love the music and effects. Roald Dahl is a great author and this is one of his best books. I am sure that you are going to get others to read the book, too! Nice work.
-Mrs. Hess
Mrs. Hess,
Thanks for your kind words! I thought our actors did an amazing job! They did well trying to convey the traits of the characters in the story.
Our hope is that we can get others to enjoy the wonderful stories of Roald Dahl. Hopefully this will get at least a few students to read The BFG.
Sincerely,
Mr. Avery
We thought this was amazing and we would love to do something like this ourselves! How come you have a green screen? We also love this book very much! Great job.
Mrs. Ripp’s Class
Mrs. Ripp and class,
Thanks for stopping in and watching the video! It’s one of our favorite books and we really enjoyed reading it!
A green screen was a little project I took on over the summer last year. It’s still a learning process but it’s fun to implement in the classroom!
Mr. Avery
Dear Mrs. Ripp,
We have a green screen so Mr. Avery can make me really tiny and Mike really big. I love The BFG movie trailer! It’s so cool! Thanks Mr. Avery! π
Sincerely,
Natalie S.
Dear Mr. Avery’s Class,
Wow! What a fantastic job you all did on the movie trailer. It looked like the real thing!
We read The BFG as a read-aloud this year and we all loved it. Roald Dahl is my favorite author of children’s books. When I was young he hadn’t written The BFG yet, so James and The Giant Peach was my favorite book. Now, I think it’s a tie between those two books, but all of his books are fantastic.
The thing I like about Roald Dahl is that he combines incredible descriptions and details with lots of humor, but his books also have a message. What do you think some of the messages are in The BFG?
I’m sure when we get back from vacation the students will be leaving you some comments about this amazing post. They might even share their favorite part (which is probably about “glorious, glumptious frobscottle.”)
From,
Mr. Salsich
Mr. Salsich,
I couldn’t agree with you more! Roald Dahl has always been one of my favorite authors. I always look forward to sharing his books with my students!
I’m looking forward to hearing from your students. It’s always interesting to see how other classes feel about some of the things we really enjoy!
As we talked about some of the scenes to put into our trailer, of course, the students thought the frobscottle part should be in there. We decided to leave that part out though!
Thanks for all your great comments. We really appreciate them!
Mr. Avery
Dear Mr. Salsich,
My name is Natalie. I was in The BFG movie trailer. I LOVE Roald Dahl. He’s one of of my favorite authors. He adds a lot of details into his writing. He paints a picture in my mind. Mr. Avery read The BFG aloud to us this year too. Looks like our class has some things in common with your class!
Sincerely,
Natalie S.