Kids Learning Lab · New Episode

How Movies Are Made

Green screens, motion capture, and the surprising stuff Foley artists use to fake a snowy footstep. Take a backstage tour of a real movie studio with us.

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Did you know?

Four things that might surprise you

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The very first movie cameras had to be hand-cranked the whole time — and they had no sound at all.

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Since silent films had no sound, actors used big, exaggerated faces — and "title cards" popped up for important lines.

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Foley artists make movie sound effects from everyday stuff. Walking on snow? That's just a box of corn starch.

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Even in "real" movies, plenty is fake — the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park were never actually there.

Try it yourself

Step onto the green screen

Movie studios film actors in front of a plain green wall, then swap it out for anywhere they want — a pizza restaurant, an alien planet, even the ocean floor. Tap a background below and watch it happen.

Right now the alien is just standing in front of a green wall — nothing else has changed.

Try it yourself

Talk to the Museum Ghost

Remember the museum ghost from the episode? Ask them anything about how movies are made — cameras, CGI, motion capture, Foley sound, or movie history.

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The Museum Ghost

Ask away — I've narrated movies since the 1900s.

Boo! Well, a friendly boo. Ask me anything about how movies get made, and I'll do my best to explain it.

The ghost is an AI and can make mistakes — always double check with a grown-up.

Movie magic

Famous tricks of the trade

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Jurassic Park

Not real
Every dinosaur was computer-generated
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Dot suits
Actors' movements became on-screen characters
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Walking on snow

Corn starch
Stepping on a box of it nails the sound
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Pizza Aliens Two

Foam + paint
That "pizza" on set isn't real food
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Up next episode

How Waymo and Other Self-Driving Cars Work

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