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Directing Directing Children

W. C. Fields warned us all of the perils of working with children and animals. Children add a unique and challenging element to any video production. They can be wonderfully imaginative, yet turn around and be stubborn and non-cooperative. In this column, we will look at some tips on directing children: things to avoid and ways to use their energy to pump up - not destroy - your shoot.

When directing kids, you must always go in with a plan. Not just a plan for the scene, but a plan for how to entertain the children while they are not working, deal with parents and make the whole shoot run smoothly.

When planning your shoot, make sure you break the scenes down into smaller chunks that will enable you to walk the child through easily. Make sure there is very little downtime between scenes, if at all possible, to prevent the child from getting bored. Find a way to make each scene slightly different and interesting, and, whatever you do, try to make things as easy as possible, so there are very few retakes. Children often do not respond well to having to do things over and over again. When they decide they don't want to do something again, it will be pretty hard or near impossible to change their minds. So - keep it simple. As the children get older, this is less of a problem, but, if you are working with kids from one to eight years old, you will have to try to get it right on the first few takes.

Casting is a key ingredient for success when using children. The first step in working with children is making sure you find the young person who is perfect for your scene. Make sure you have the children come in for a reading of the scene, and use their efforts as a guide. However, it is wise to cast based on looks, sound and attitude, rather than on how well they did their first reading. Their reading is important, but you also want to watch their ability to take direction, ignore the crew and camera and, of prime importance, work with you.

When casting, also take a look at the relationship the children have with their parents and how that relationship may affect your production. If at all possible, have the child come to the set with a guardian, friend or neighbor, instead of a parent. Kids tend to act up more when their parents are around and are less likely to bond with you and stay focused. Parents can also be a pain, in that they are constantly trying to "help" you by getting their child to perform in a certain way. We have all heard about "stage mothers" and their dominance over their children (see Case Study below). It is best to avoid this situation entirely by just having the parents stay away from the set when their child is performing. Always make sure the child is safe and cared for, and make sure any guardian or other responsible person remains with the child from the doorstep to the set and back.

Whatever you do, do not give your child actor the script to take home and learn without your guidance and direction. There are so many horror stories about children who take the script home and, under their parent's watchful eye, learn the script using the parent's direction and cues. On the set, the children know the script but will rebel against any new direction, because it is not the way they learned it with the parents, or they will recite the script like a poem learned in school.

When setting up for a scene with children, take the time to show them around the set. Explain what everything is, and answer their many questions. If the children are novices or have never looked into the viewfinder of a camera, let them take a look. Get them used to the setting, the crew and lights and build a bond with them. Keep the crew as small as possible to reduce distractions, and make sure there are no surprises that might startle or scare the children. Rehearse the scene, and make sure they are very comfortable with what is going on. It is very important to get down at their level. Sit on the floor with them and have fun. Kids respond well to people who "get" them and are willing to become part of their world. Have the children's costars join in the fun. It is very important that the people working on screen with the children also bond with them.