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FilmUnited
Guest
Any tips on directing kid actors?
Corey
Corey
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DerekEastham
Guest
I have had some experience directing children in the past. Granted, the children I was working with weren't actors... they were students at a local elementary school participating in a set of skits for the district's Bus Safety Video.
However, I did learn many things that would be helpful to anyone working with younger individuals in any capacity. Really, there's only one major point to make about working with younger actors...
#1 - Patience
This will be the key factor in the working relationship. The more patience you show for them, the more likely they are to pay attention and work with you.
As far as anything else goes... this will be true throughout. Also, it's good to realize that they are children. When there is down time keep them busy. Have them work on their material, though, unless they're professional child actors I wouldn't suggest overdoing this... Also, child actors should realize how much fun they're having... so over all, make sure that what they're doing is fun.
Maybe you can make the process of working over their material more fun... make it into a game, something subtle that they wouldn't even notice. Also, be sure to break more often for the children than the adult actors. All work and no play, just like jack, makes children dull.
Anyhow...
Go forth, create, and above all... Have FUN!
However, I did learn many things that would be helpful to anyone working with younger individuals in any capacity. Really, there's only one major point to make about working with younger actors...
#1 - Patience
This will be the key factor in the working relationship. The more patience you show for them, the more likely they are to pay attention and work with you.
As far as anything else goes... this will be true throughout. Also, it's good to realize that they are children. When there is down time keep them busy. Have them work on their material, though, unless they're professional child actors I wouldn't suggest overdoing this... Also, child actors should realize how much fun they're having... so over all, make sure that what they're doing is fun.
Maybe you can make the process of working over their material more fun... make it into a game, something subtle that they wouldn't even notice. Also, be sure to break more often for the children than the adult actors. All work and no play, just like jack, makes children dull.
Anyhow...
Go forth, create, and above all... Have FUN!
Jared Isham
Member
I have never directed child actors before but have been able to see some friends of mine work with kids and have seen what works and what doesn't work. Remember that kids don't have the philosophical intelegence that we do at our age, although I believe they have an ability to understand things at our level by just having them explained correctly.
To the point of directing kids. One friend of mine is very effective with the way he directs children and I have often told him that he should try directing all of his actors the same way. The key is to not tell the child what to do but have the child tell you what he is supposed to do. You obviously should do some preperation with a child actor but when you get to the set don't go telling the kid, or adult actor for that matter, that he walks ten steps and then gets scared and starts to cry. Instead, ask the child where he is supposed to walk to, they will likely give you an answer - if it is wrong don't tell them the correct answer but instead suggest the right answer, give them permission to do what you want them to do - instead of telling them that they need to cry at a certain point (it will never be natural no matter what actor you tell to do that - they have to find for themselves why they should cry) ask them what they feel at that point and why they feel it - again, if it is not what you are looking for make suggestions instead of corrections. Actors are sensitive and their feelings get hurt easily.
The main thing with directing children that I have seen to be very effective is to ask questions, have the child tell you what they have learned and the director should try to stay away from tell them what they should have learned. Their performance is more likely to be genuine because they have discovered the character themselves and have not been told who the character is.
I recommend the book "Directing Actors: Memoriable Performaces for Film and Televsion" by Judith Weston. The best book I have read on directing actors and acting for that matter.
To the point of directing kids. One friend of mine is very effective with the way he directs children and I have often told him that he should try directing all of his actors the same way. The key is to not tell the child what to do but have the child tell you what he is supposed to do. You obviously should do some preperation with a child actor but when you get to the set don't go telling the kid, or adult actor for that matter, that he walks ten steps and then gets scared and starts to cry. Instead, ask the child where he is supposed to walk to, they will likely give you an answer - if it is wrong don't tell them the correct answer but instead suggest the right answer, give them permission to do what you want them to do - instead of telling them that they need to cry at a certain point (it will never be natural no matter what actor you tell to do that - they have to find for themselves why they should cry) ask them what they feel at that point and why they feel it - again, if it is not what you are looking for make suggestions instead of corrections. Actors are sensitive and their feelings get hurt easily.
The main thing with directing children that I have seen to be very effective is to ask questions, have the child tell you what they have learned and the director should try to stay away from tell them what they should have learned. Their performance is more likely to be genuine because they have discovered the character themselves and have not been told who the character is.
I recommend the book "Directing Actors: Memoriable Performaces for Film and Televsion" by Judith Weston. The best book I have read on directing actors and acting for that matter.
Tyler Emerson
New member
Don't. Just don't.
It costs time: getting the rehearsals done correctly, getting the takes doen correctly, feeding them, putting up with temper tantrums, etc.
It costs money: Time is money. Plus, you have to feed them.
It costs time: getting the rehearsals done correctly, getting the takes doen correctly, feeding them, putting up with temper tantrums, etc.
It costs money: Time is money. Plus, you have to feed them.
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DerekEastham
Guest
Time is money... but if you're making a film with children this isn't such an insurmountable task.
And any good production feeds the crew/cast anyways... so feeding children isn't going to be any more of a financial burden when it comes to food.
The key to breezing through rehearsals and takes... is keeping the children happy... and most importantly... when you cast them, make sure you put them through a good screen test first.
And any good production feeds the crew/cast anyways... so feeding children isn't going to be any more of a financial burden when it comes to food.
The key to breezing through rehearsals and takes... is keeping the children happy... and most importantly... when you cast them, make sure you put them through a good screen test first.
Tyler Emerson
New member
I'm just saying that kids are difficult to work with because of time, money, and talent constraints. I'm not saying that it is impossible. What I am saying is that if you are a student filmmaker, you may not have the time or money to work with kids. It's easier to gear parts towards older actors.
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DerekEastham
Guest
Very true...
Also... it can also be easy to find older children (10 to 13 years old) and if they're short, it's easy enough to make them "look" younger for parts... just a bit of make-up & putting them in more kid-like clothing.
Also... it can also be easy to find older children (10 to 13 years old) and if they're short, it's easy enough to make them "look" younger for parts... just a bit of make-up & putting them in more kid-like clothing.
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Nexus
Guest
It's al up to the Director if he, or she, wishes to have children in the shot. Time may be money, but if you are under-budget, it possibly won't be much of a problem. Children may take a little bit longer to get the scene the way you want it, but it will make a dramatic difference in the viewing of the film/video. Audiences warm up to actual children better than people that look like teenagers acting as if they were six.
Jared Isham
Member
Children aren't as difficult to work with as you may think. I have been on sets where the children get their parts nailed and in the can before the adult actors do and they are often more believable then the adult actors. Children are not the problem often times it is how you comunicate with them.
Just be very decisive in your casting. Don't be afraid to act like a kid to them, it's just a matter of relating to the person you are comunicating to.
Like I said, kids are sometimes better actors and easier to work with than the adult talent, so don't be scared off by these semi false notions that kids are evil on set. Adults can be also, and often times are. Do what works best for the story.
Just be very decisive in your casting. Don't be afraid to act like a kid to them, it's just a matter of relating to the person you are comunicating to.
Like I said, kids are sometimes better actors and easier to work with than the adult talent, so don't be scared off by these semi false notions that kids are evil on set. Adults can be also, and often times are. Do what works best for the story.
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