[FILM NEWS] EE Changes Home Entertainment

 EE has today launched EE Mini Movie Makers, a set of downloadable tools that use innovative AR technology coupled with AI content creation to transform children’s imaginary living room performances. Launching ahead of the 2023 EE BAFTA Film Awards – one of the biggest nights in the global cultural calendar – EE’s Mini Movie Makers is designed to inspire the next generation of performers and filmmakers.

EE Mini Movie Makers launches with a competition that will see the winning children and their family invited to meet the stars on the EE BAFTA Film Awards Red Carpet with EE hoping to inspire budding British actors and filmmakers. This follows a new survey* from EE that revealed over three quarters (79%) of children in the UK have performed at home for their parents, while more than eight in ten (83%) parents agreed that technology was beneficial for their children’s imagination. When asked about the things that spark their children’s imagination, more parents answered ‘creating their own at home performances’ than anything else.

Launched with the help of TV presenter and author Frankie Bridge, who tested the tools out using the new Google Pixel 7 Pro with her seven-year-old son Carter over EE Full Fibre Broadband, Mini Movie Makers features four 360-degree augmented reality film sets, which are hosted on Instagram.

The design of the film sets leveraged artificial intelligence generation tools and was inspired by real world set design, as well as by the use of technology in animated kids’ films: Action: children are transported to the climax of their favourite superhero film, with heroes, villains and flying cars darting past their eyes in front of London’s most iconic landmarks, including the home of this year’s EE BAFTA Film Awards, the Royal Festival Hall
Fantasy: families can look on in awe as their kids explore an enchanting fantasy world, making friends with some nearby unicorns, fairies and magical wildlife
Jurassic: watch as your children take a step into the age of the dinosaurs, meeting a Triceratops and some of its friendly dino pals along the way
Science Fiction: give your children the chance to embark on an expedition to the most mysterious corners of our universe, featuring shooting stars, comets and spaceships
The new survey also revealed the most popular imaginary settings to spark children’s imaginations which inspired the four AR film sets.

Families are invited to make their Mini Movies at home and enter into a competition, live from Tuesday 31st January to Wednesday 9th February 2023, with the most creative entries picked by a panel of experts, including BAFTA’s Head of Children & Young People’s Programme, Lisa Prime, BAFTA nominated producer, Hester Ruoff (Boiling Point) and art director, Kat Law (Breathe).

The winning family will be invited to join Frankie Bridge and EE on the Red Carpet of the EE BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday 19th February in London, and meet the stars as they arrive at the Ceremony.

As well as the four AR film sets, families can take advantage of the EE Mini Movie Makers prop templates, which can be downloaded, printed and easily made at home. Mini Movie Makers also features best advice videos from BAFTA nominated The Secretand Hollyoaks actor Glen Wallace and costume designer Michelle May, not to mention scene starters and script inspiration for children. All of this has been designed to inspire families and give them the tools to be more creative at home.

Frankie Bridge, TV Presenter and Author said: “Whether it’s pretending to be an astronaut in space, a Jurassic explorer or a superhero saving the world, our children so often escape reality to tell their own imagined stories, and I’ve definitely had to sit through some interesting ones in the past! That’s why EE Mini Movie Makers is such a great initiative…it gives families the tools to be a little more creative at home and elevate those performances. Carter and I had so much fun trying this out, especially the Action AR film set which he absolutely loved! I can’t wait to see the winning Mini Movie and am so excited to meet the winning family at the EE BAFTA Film Awards in February as EE’s Red Carpet host.”

Pete Jeavons, Marketing Communications Director at EE, added: “EE Mini Movie Makers is an exciting way to help families get swept up in the EE BAFTA Film Awards excitement at home and see what it really takes to put on an award-winning performance. The AR film sets have been designed to be used at home, connected to EE Full Fibre broadband which can cope with as many AR dinosaurs, spaceships and superheroes as those entering choose to throw at it!”

Emma Worrollo, Children’s Play Researcher, said: “This new research from EE tells us that parents understand the value in creative play, recognising the benefits it has on children’s confidence. Putting on performances and engaging in role play is an important part of children’s play, and this campaign is a great example of how technology can be used to enhance that. It allows them step into a safe imaginary world they create themselves where they can try out alternate identities, tell stories and make sense of themselves and the world around them. And a bonus, it’s often highly entertaining for parents too!”

To make the most of the Mini Movie Makers AR film sets, EE recommends using them inside your home and with a strong broadband connection such as EE Full Fibre broadband, which can seamlessly connect up to 100 devices at any one time.

The AR film sets can be used on most smartphones with the best performance achieved when using one of the latest devices, such as the new Google Pixel 7 Pro which was used during testing with Frankie Bridge. The smartphone has a triple camera system that will add clarity to your Mini Movies, with the added security of its Adaptive Battery meaning that you don’t have to worry about the film sets draining your juice. And to watch them back in crisp detail, you’ll want to use the Pixel’s 120Hz smooth display.

For more details on EE Mini Movie Makers, how to enter the competition, as well as terms and conditions, visit ee.co.uk/MiniMovieMakers

EE has been the lead partner of the BAFTA Film Awards for over 25 years, the UK’s longest-standing arts charity partnership. Since the partnership began, EE has not only worked with BAFTA to introduce the EE Rising Star Award but also used its award-winning network and technology to help film fans access the EE BAFTA Film Awards with exciting experiences and content.

The EE BAFTA Film Awards will take place on Sunday 19th February at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall and will be broadcast in the UK from 19:00 – 21:00 on BBC1 and iPlayer, and syndicated globally.