Does Your Child Have a Story to Tell? Here Are 10 Easy Steps to Make Movie Magic With Kids by Michael Kennedy

Let’s suppose your kids don’t necessarily want YouTube fame. Let’s suppose they just want to want to make a movie or tell a story. I recently helped navigate my 10-year-old through her class project video, and again realized how much fun "the process" can be for all! Here are easy and friendly checkpoints we used to create mini movies/shows (and not just videos!) with our kids:

• Story Arc: Let kids come up with the content ideas and script.

• Storyboard: Write and draw it out step by step like a comic book.

• Casting: Friends and family rock!

• Location Scout: Check out the places you’ll shoot from backyards to bedrooms and beyond.

• Wardrobe and Props: Anything from around the house or garage.

• Director: Let them position and call the action.

• Shooting: Learn framing, audio and matching shots.

• Edit: Let kids edit and add FX (iMovie is what we use). There are a few easy apps that kids breeze through.

• Credits: It's always fun to see your name on the screen.

• Party: Have a premiere party, even if the video is just a few minutes!

Storytelling and imagination are used everywhere from boardrooms to billboards to big screens, and can be a solid touch point for many for so many future endeavors! Have fun!

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