Film making is a collaborative process. That is what I love the most about it. You are usually making something with a team of people you like and trust. But when working with kids I choose my team with the utmost care. The slightest issue, understan-dable to you or I, has the potential to throw any child off. Especially an emotionally mature or sensitive child that soaks up everything going on around them. So I try to brief my crew on how to best work around children cast, because from experience I can say that crew can easily fall back into familiar patterns of behaviour.
Let’s look at the working patterns of a DOP, as a directors main collaborator. DOPs, for good reason, usually prioritise starting with the widest shots and work in lighting directions. Techniques that are tried and tested and proven to work well. Insert kids into shot. Suddenly things get much more tricky. When shooting with children, it might make more sense to start with their close-up. Why waste that great initial reaction just to capture a wide shot?
Another technique I love is grabbing reaction shots from kids when they don’t know I’m rolling. They think the pressure is off and they start to behave perfectly naturally. To capture this, you need a DOP on your side who knows from a single look when to start the camera.
This is where your 1st AD comes in. They also need to be aware of strategies like this. They need to manage the set so nobody walks in frame when you are secretly capturing that magic look. As ADs lead the set, the kids focus is naturally drawn to them, so you better have somebody who is likeable and good with kids. It can make your shoot a lot easier, especially in countries where you don’t speak the same language as the children you are directing.
And have you even thought about catering? It’s smart to remind them there will be children on set. Nothing is worse for a child’s focus (or crew members for that matter) than a sugar rush. Catering are crucial in making sure there’s a lot of healthy snacks and tasty, sugarless drinks. A kind friendly lunch and craft table is a cornerstone of a productive day.
Take the time to remind everyone that kids pick up quickly on emotions, especially frustration or anger. Ensure everyone is friendly and positive, however behind schedule you are. Wait, that actually sounds like something we should always do…right?