ErinLaing.com

I’ve been thinking recently about my experience directing kids on the set of Birthday Girl.

Months before shooting began I was doing lots of research trying to find tips and advice on how to direct kids on a film set. Turned out there wasn’t much information out there. The only advice I kept running across was “avoid working with kids and animals.”

There are plenty of movies out there with children but very little information on how to go about casting and directing children. So I thought I would give my two cents on the things that I felt worked for me.

CASTING:

Audition both the children and their parents. When you have a child on set, they are often accompanied by a guardian, ie - their mother or father. Productions often hire a chaperon if many kids are involved or to ease the burden on the parents but even so it is inevitable that you will be dealing with the parents at one point or other whether on set or during off hours.

The parents are as much involved in the process as the kids are, hence the importance to not only evaluate the talent of the child but know who will be accompanying that child and whether or not they will cause problems for you down the road.

Some parents want their kids to be the star of the show, or don’t think their kids are getting enough attention, others interfere with hair and makeup, even wardrobe. You end up spending more time soothing their ego and consoling them than focusing on the important things - like the actors.

I don’t think I auditioned a single child who I desperately wanted but couldn’t take because their parents would have caused problems but I met a lot of parents who I knew would cause me trouble and was only thankful their kids didn’t suit any of the parts.

All this to say that when you cast a child you are also casting their parent(s). I was so thankful that I had a wonderful cast of parents in my film.

When it comes to casting children, look for kids who respond to direction in the audition room and are able to do different things with their lines. Don’t assume you will be able to direct them once they are on set. Rehearse. Rehearse. Rehearse.

ON SET:

Don’t patronize and don’t condescend to children. People have a tendency to talk down to kids. They assume that if they are smaller and younger they need to be treated differently. I think this is a terrible trend.

I spoke with the kids on set in the same manner as I spoke with the older actors. Kids are just smaller versions of adults. There is nothing worse, or more offensive than changing your tone and speaking slower to someone just because they are younger.

If they are old enough to be on a set, to watch films, to criticize and formulate opinions they are old enough to take criticism. It empowers them knowing that you regard them as professionals and that you trust them to fulfill their obligation.