How to Work with Kids on Set

Lights, camera… toddler meltdown? Not on our watch.

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𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹—𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁.

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𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗹𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗕𝗘𝗦𝗧, 𝘄𝗲’𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗕𝗨𝗦𝗬:

🎥 Filming 300+ kids

🌎 Across 3 states

🏫 In 5 elementary schools

...and we’re just getting started.

So, how do we approach filming with kids?

1) Get on their level.

Being filmed can be daunting for anyone, especially kiddos. Sitting criss-cross applesauce helps create a sense of equality, making them feel less like they’re being surrounded by a group of odd adults with cameras.

2) Start with something fun!

No need to rush into business—meet them where they are. Ask about their favorite toy, tv show, or princess. Keep it simple. Speak their language. As a kid, I was chomping at the bit for anyone to chat all things Herbie with me. (𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘎 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘴? 𝘈𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥. 🚗 🎬✨).

3) Bring them into the process—become the interviewee and let them ask the questions!

Trust me, you’ll get some unexpected ones. A 5-year-old recently hit me with: “What’s the meaning of life?” 🤯 After that, every other question felt like a breeze for him.

4) Let them bring something with them.

We all had that stuffed animal we couldn’t sleep without or the toy we took everywhere. For me, it was a collection of stuffed animal monkeys. Whether it’s a stuffed animal, toy, or even a crayon, something meaningful can make them feel at home. 𝘉𝘰𝘯𝘶𝘴... 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘵. (Just avoid anything noisy...trust me.)

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At the end of the day…

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Filming kids isn’t about getting them to fit into our world—it’s about stepping into theirs.

When you make it fun, meet them on their level, and roll with the unexpected, you don’t just get better footage—you get better stories.

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 5-𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳-𝘰𝘭𝘥. 😉

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