The Windy Film

Poppy and Reuben are making a short film in the school courtyard. Their star is a small blue bird made from clay. Poppy moves it a tiny step, and Reuben takes a picture. The pictures will become one film when they play in order.

They have taken twelve pictures when a gust blows across the table. The brown card beneath the bird slides sideways. Poppy catches it before it falls. Reuben checks the tablet. In the last picture, the whole ground seems to have jumped.

“We could pretend it is an earthquake,” he says. Poppy laughs, but their film is about a bird finding its nest. A moving ground would change the story. They ask Ms Stone where they could work with less wind.

She shows them a sheltered corner between two brick walls. They carry the bird and tablet there together. Poppy puts the brown card on a steady table. Reuben checks that the tablet stand cannot wobble when they touch the screen.

They decide to start the scene again. Poppy marks the bird's starting point on a spare plan beside the table. Then she moves it only a little between each picture. Reuben waits until her hands are out of the frame before taking the next one.

This time, the background stays still. The blue bird seems to walk towards its nest. Poppy wants to move it farther with each step to finish quickly, but Reuben shows her the first few pictures. Small moves make the walking look smoother.

They keep working until the bird reaches its nest. Ms Stone watches the finished film on the tablet. She asks how they made the ground stay still. Poppy points to the brick walls. Reuben taps the firm little stand beneath the tablet.

Before packing away, they save the film with a new name. The first twelve pictures have helped them learn, even though they will not use them. Poppy puts the bird in its box. Tomorrow, their tiny star will be ready for a new scene.