What is it like to work the levers on a bulldozer, engineer a train or pilot a plane? Live-action videos are giving children the chance to live out their vehicular fantasies, from operating a crane to lifting off the runway.
On-site, vocational videos are all the rage. “Road Construction Ahead,” the word-of-mouth phenomenon that has sold more than a half-million copies since its 1992 release, was the groundbreaker. Other producers are leaping aboard the behemoth bandwagon by appealing to a child’s fascination with machines, the bigger, the better.
The majority of these tapes follow a basic format. A folksy adult authority figure with a name such as Captain Dan or Mister Charley welcomes young enthusiasts aboard the machines and vehicles of their dreams.
The most visible series is the “There Goes . . .” programs on A-Vision Entertainment’s KidVision label. “There Goes a Train!”, “There Goes a Bulldozer!” and “There Goes a Fire Truck!” are among Billboard’s best-selling children’s videos. The series also includes “There Goes a Police Car!”, “There Goes an Airplane!” and “There Goes a Truck!” Each 30-minute video retails at $10.95.
The “Let Me Tell You . . .” series from Traditional Images (800-805-2205) tells “All About Planes” and “All About Trains.” Each 30-minute program is recommended for ages 2 to 8 and retails for $19.95.
“Garbage Day!”, from Child Vision (800-488-1913), is pure trash. Recently exhibited at the Chicago International Film Festival for Children, this day-in-the-life of a garbage collector was inspired by producer William Schreiner’s 5-year-old son and his excitement over the garbage truck that visited their hilltop home in the Mt. Washington area of Los Angeles. In the video, Schreiner and son follow their trash to a landfill and recycling center.
“From when he was a year old, I would pick him up in his pajamas and we would go watch our garbage man,” he said. “I thought this might be a ritual other fathers and sons share.”
Other videos look beyond the machines to present a child’s-eye perspective of real people doing real jobs. “Cleared for Takeoff” and “Fire & Rescue” are new releases from Focus Video Productions, creators of “Road Construction Ahead.” For information, call 800-367-8437.
“Big Red,” from Firedog Pictures (800-815-1234) is being promoted as “the video for every kid who ever wanted to be a firefighter.” The 25-minute video is targeted for children ages 2-8 and retails for $19.95.
A film festival award-winning series from Big Kid Productions (800-477-7811) asks “What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?” Two 30-minute programs, “Heavy Equipment Operator” and “Railroaders,” retail for $15.95 each.
Big Kids president and CEO Tamara Carlisle said the biggest appeal of these programs is that children can get closer to the machines and workers than they could in real life. “You can’t really take a child into a construction site,” she said. “But for the video, we get right up in there.”
– Dino Watch: They may not be “Jurassic Park,” but the theme parks and exhibits in Video Learning Library’s “Dinosaurs Next Exit” are as close to real-life rexes and raptors as families are going to get. This 48-minute video is a guide to Mesozoic menageries in 18 cities across the United States. It retails for $19.95. For more information, call 800-383-8811.
– Speaking of dinosaurs, Littlefoot and his prehistoric pals are anything but extinct. “The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure” is the first of three proposed direct-to-video sequels to Don Bluth’s 1988 box office hit and video best seller. The MCA/Universal Home Video release will premiere in video stores Dec. 26 for $19.98 suggested retail.
– Playboy Home Video is trumpeting “Bix: Ain’t None of Them Play Like Him Yet.” Available now, this award-winning documentary features the only known footage of Bix Beiderbecke, the legendary cornet player. It retails for $19.95.
– Warner Home Video will reprice “Grumpy Old Men” for the holiday market. You can buy the box-office hit with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau beginning Nov. 2 for $19.98 suggested retail.
– Czech animator Jiri Trnka pioneered the art of stop motion-animation recently revitalized in “Tim Burton’s the Nightmare Before Christmas.” World Artists Home Video (800-821-1205) will release Trnka’s 1951 classic “The Emperor’s Nightingale” Nov. 16 for $24.98 retail.
