Lessons learned from making a Mormon Messages video - Filming

This is the first time I have ever made a documentary style film. Throughout the course of making the video I have learned ton of lessons in filming. I thought I ‘d share a few of those lessons, coupled with some funny experiences with our film shoots.

Photo from Jing Qu (Flickr)

Try to film as much as you can – Always be filming! Some of the best comments and/or shots we filmed were from kids during unplanned and unscripted moments. The little girl saying, “Can I take a break?” and my niece stretching and then playing with tongue both came during unexpected moments. By filming as much as you can, you are more likely to capture the best moments, the moments that truly capture the personality and character of the kids.
Tips for filming kids – I learned a few things about interviewing kids. One of the big things was to not have their mom in sight. She could be the room, but it was important that the kids didn’t see her or every time I would ask them a question they would turn and look to their moms for the answer.

Priming - I found that because we asking kids about somewhat abstract concepts (how their family shows that they love them) it was important to talk the kids a little bit before filming and help them to understand what I was doing and helped them to understand the questions that I was going to be asking them.
Also, if kids weren’t very talkative I found it was helpful to start by asking them simple questions like, “What is your favorite movie?”, or “What’s your favorite thing to do in school?” Simple questions like these helped put the kids at ease and to start talking as these were very familiar subjects to them.

Process shots – Also, it’s important to film the kids involved in processes. These are called “establishing shots” and they help your audience know where they are and what’s going on when your documentary starts. My initial thought was to have scenes of kids coloring a picture of their family and then explaining who they true. However, in the end, it turned out the random shots we filmed at the beginning of the interview or between questions were the best material to use.