CineKids

Kidz Flicks ~ from the set of “The Things Parents Get Up To”

Report by: ACS member Richard Wilmont​

Photo : Richard Wilmot and Harry Jones on location.

Turnover, Mark It, Camera Set, Action!

Words we have all heard many times in our careers. The difference today is that all of the crew members listening are children.

KidzFlicks, the initiative started by Jacqueline Cosgrove is designed to get primary school children involved in the Australian Film Industry at an early age. On Saturday 29 November 2014 crew call was 0900. DOP Harry Jones aged 11 was excited to open the camera cases which he closely guarded in his bedroom overnight.

Thanks to National sponsor and KidzFlicks supporter LEMAC for supplying the camera, sound and lighting package at no charge.

The ACS have been involved with KidzFlicks since it began in 2011 and I was on the set of this current production acting as a mentor. The live action/clay-mation short entitled “The Things Parents Get Up To” was written and crewed by the participants in the Laboratorium 2014., andI have to say, the schedule was a tough one.

Harry’s first challenge was shooting a night scene in a small bedroom. By changing colour temperature and under exposing he achieved his goal of day for night. Next location, the staircase. Hand holding the Canon XL-1 for over 2 hours, Harry despite starting to shake stayed with the shot until he heard Olivia the director call “cut”. All of the parents were involved as cast in the party scene which is the focal point of the script. 

After lunch Harry filmed the clay-mation portion of the film in his basement studio where he had built a model to scale of both the bedroom and the staircase. A few of my observations were that there was no monitor on set, so the director focused on the actors and trusted the DOP to take care of the images. Generally we only shot 1 or 2 takes as that was all that was needed.

It was very exciting to see such young crew working at such an advanced level.
Harry Jones is currently a CineKids member of the ACS and if he is an indication of what the future holds for the film industry then our future is bright.