Filmmaking for Kids: How to Become a Director

As children, most of us wanted to make our own films – to be directors. We would take a box, paint it to look like a clapperboard, and shout “cut” when we saw something exciting. We didn’t have the fancy technology that we have today, and that made things difficult.

Now, in the digital age, technology is everywhere – and if they have even a little passion and interest in filmmaking, any child can become a filmmaker.

All they need is a little help and guidance from their parents and they are set. Here are some pointers to help you get your kid on the plane to Hollywood.

Advantages of making films for children

Film production offers several advantages and opportunities through which they can learn many valuable life lessons. This is why you should consider increasing your child’s interest in the art of cinema.

1. It improves their thinking and writing skills

As a film director, your child will have to think a lot about the plot and write the script.

They need to be able to paint a picture of that scenario and then find a way to show it in a video. In this case, simply telling the story will not be enough.

As a filmmaker, your child will take an idea, turn it into a piece, and then come up with a way to convey that story using the right visuals. This will improve their writing skills as well as their critical thinking skills.

2. It teaches them discernment

Images have great power. As the director, your child will be able to determine which section of the image or video has the most power to convey a certain message.

Sure, we see images and scenes unfolding in front of us every day, but being able to identify which one best conveys a message will train different parts of your child’s brain.

3. It allows them to see the big picture

When children create a movie, their minds consider different scenarios, thinking about story lines and situations from different points of view. Making movies encourages your child to see the bigger picture – to see multiple possibilities for a particular action.

4. It boosts their confidence

Making a film often involves a lot of creative work. Children who are very shy can gain a lot of confidence from film work – showing them that there really is something they can be very good at.

The youngest directors probably started just like that – with simple passion and a lot of nervousness.

Also, if a child becomes an actor himself, the simple fact that he is stepping out of his comfort zone can boost his confidence.

5. It Opens Paths

Children could not earn anything or start a career until at least adolescence. However, thanks to YouTube, TikTok and other similar platforms, kids can forge their own paths at an early age.

We have living proof in Ryan Kaji, a 9-year-old boy who earned almost $30 million in 2020 from YouTube videos alone. Home video can be quite a profitable industry, provided it is used correctly.

Familiarity with different types of films for children

One thing you have to remember is that making movies should be fun, so it should be a project that kids are interested in. That being said, if you want their video to be successful, it also needs to be a practical video – one that educates and inspires.

You need to remember that this is not your project; it’s theirs. Although you can make suggestions, you should let them make the final decision on their own. In this way, they will be able to develop their love for filmmaking. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

Related: If your kid loves making movies, chances are they’ll love programming, too! Try these coding websites for kids that offer free and paid coding lessons.

1. Video report

Writing a book report can be very boring and most of the time it doesn’t even matter if they like the book they just read or not. That being said, while book reports are very boring, video reports are often very intriguing, especially when your child is having fun.

Don’t assign them a silly report. Instead, you can invite them to do a video review or a summary of a particular book. Also give them extra points for creativity.

2. Alternative ending

Children like to watch movies and cartoons. They like to watch the plot unfold until they get to the end – wondering what it will be.

Sometimes they like the ending, sometimes they don’t. In the latter case, they may simply believe that there is another ending that might be better.

Give them an idea to take one of their favorite movies and create an alternate ending for it.

3. Telling stories

Does your child love stories? In that case, you can try the story as an idea. Teach your child that every event from his everyday life can be turned into something interesting – into several exciting short films.

Perhaps your child watched a butterfly fly from flower to flower. Encourage them to photograph the butterfly and create a story out of it.

Making films for children allows them to pay attention to even the smallest details. It helps them understand that even the smallest aspects of their lives can be relevant and powerful because they can be seen from a different perspective.

4. Interview

Interviewing someone can be a great way to create a video, so encourage your child to interview someone they find interesting.

Teach her how to plan questions, interview schedule, and set up interview equipment.

5. Product overview

These days, they are very common on the Internet, especially among influencers. Maybe you have a daughter who collects Furbies or a boy who just loves toy collections.

Whenever they get something new in their collection, encourage them to create a video review of what they liked and didn’t like.

Advice:

As a beginner, you may not want your kids to make longer videos right away.

Whether they’re using a simple online video cutter or a more professional program like Vegas, it may take them a little longer to get the hang of it.

It’s best for them to start their video shoot with a few short videos and then progress to a longer format.

Filmmaking equipment

After getting your child interested in making movies, the next step is to gather the equipment needed to make the video. themselves.

Since your child is just a beginner, you don’t need to break the bank, but you do need to purchase equipment that can shoot professionally. Here are some points you can start with:

Even if you have the funds for it, try not to worry too much from the beginning and buy the most professional equipment. Your child may simply lose interest simply because they don’t know how to use these amazing tools.

Buy her simple gadgets that will allow her to “break into” the art of filmmaking. There are many movie maker kits that you can use to get started. Instead of a smartphone, you can even buy them an inexpensive digital camera with a shooting function.

Kiddo Director’s Alert: How to Make a Movie

When creating a film, a young filmmaker must follow certain steps. So this is how they should start their first movie.

1. Write a script

In order for the film to be exciting and high-quality, a script is needed. This will introduce the viewer to the storyline. It also stimulates the child’s imagination as they come up with different scenarios and alternative endings.

2. Draw a storyboard

Every movie needs a storyboard. While the script is illustrated with words, the storyboard will use images broken into panels to show how the film will develop.

Your child doesn’t have to be a master artist to do this part. It can be just some figures that should be characters or a landscape.

Shooting at this point should be all fun and games, so don’t try to be too hard on them if the drawing isn’t the most professional.

3. Gather the actors

Every movie needs actors. Of course, they can go the classic route of being their characters, but depending on the type of video and story, they may need additional characters.

Call up their friends and maybe even get pets to play the part. In this way, they will be able to shoot a more complex video.

Video editing tips

Video editing is probably one of the most important parts of making a movie. This puts the focus even more on the character – correcting any possible glitches that may be there.

There are various software tools that are very easy to use, such as iMovie (for Apple devices), Movie Maker (for Windows devices) or Vimeo (online).

Effective use of video editing for children’s movies can unlock the potential of every home movie, even if you filmed everything with something as simple as a smartphone.

To make your movie even better, here are some pre-editing and editing tips you can keep in mind.

1. Familiarize yourself with the video camera

Every video camera is different, so you might want to familiarize yourself with it before shooting anything interesting.

In order for your video editing to go smoothly, you need to first make sure that everything is well shot.

Read your camera’s instruction manual and check out a lot of tutorials, because there’s nothing better to teach you how to use a video recorder.

2. Add appropriate video effects

A good video editor will also have a variety of effects, so be sure to use them. You can split, crop, rotate video, crop or flatten. However, you can refrain from using too many transition effects. Viewers might just get frustrated with them, so don’t overdo it.

3. Don’t make them too long

Of course, if you are a well-known film director, there is no problem with making films similar in length to Lord of the Rings. However, when you’re just starting out, you can stick to short films.

Ditch the trivial stuff and add the best scenes there. Since many videos end up being long and boring, you want to make sure that yours stays short and engaging.

Have a viewing party

When the movie is over, host a viewing party. It’s more fun to premiere a movie with a lot of people, especially since you’ve probably put in a lot of work.

Parents, guest actors and even people who just want to see the movie are invited. Premiere just like a real movie premiere.

If you have a home theater, things will be much easier. However, you can just premiere from your living room TV.

You don’t need anything fancy. If meeting up isn’t possible, there are countless online streaming apps that will allow you to create a room and share your video.

Result

Video production is definitely an interest that should be honed as early as possible. Who knows, with the right support and a little STEM education, your child could become the next Christopher Nolan.

Of course, it might take a lot of work at first, at least until she gets the hang of the camera and editing software. But over time, they will be able to understand it and create good short films.

Author: Anna Yurovsky

Source: Filmmaking for Kids: How to Become a Director