Turn Making Movies Into Child’s Play

Do your kids love Netflix? How about introducing them to the art of filmmaking and letting them learn what goes on behind the scenes. It’s surprisingly good for them and a great excuse to get them playing outdoors. There is a multitude of benefits to encouraging your children to explore filmmaking at an early age. It engages their creative faculties and critical thinking skills while supporting the development of organizational, decision-making, and problem-solving abilities.

Wes Anderson is the perfect example of a world-renowned filmmaker who started creating films at a young age. He used to borrow his father’s camera to shoot silent films. Decades later, in 2012, Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel won the Golden Globe Award for best motion picture. Let’s look at some of the other advantages that filmmaking can offer your kids.

Add An Outdoors Element

Try encouraging your child to make movies that take place in or focus on nature. This will create a healthy synergy between an appreciation for the great outdoors and an appreciation for the arts. Children are particularly inclined toget sucked into the online world. Nurturing a positive relationship with nature encourages them to step away from the screen and explore their garden, playground or local woods. Creating a film that highlights the natural elements could even inspire an interest in other topics.

Support Low-Pressure Creativity

Adults are inclined to feel anxious about our creative efforts. This may stem from perfectionist tendencies that perpetuate negative thought patterns of not being good enough. Rather than freeing ourselves from these weighty pressures, it’s often easier to not try at all. This ultimately results in the stifling of our unique creative inspirations.

Nurture your child’s film-making interests by celebrating the explorative nature of the process. Furthermore, try totake the pressure off the final product. While you should express praise and pride when they show you what they have created, try to communicate that you love their initiative and emphasize the importance of continued learning and creative expansion.

Encourage Logistical Lessons

While the creative side of filmmaking should certainly be appreciated and supported, amateur moviemaking has the potential to offer valuable lessons in general coordination and planning. Naturally, the degree of responsibility and logistical intricacy will depend on the age of your child. Any production project requires suitable transportation. So, for example, if your child requires your assistance for transportation, involve them in the logistical implications of this.

Perhaps you could ask them to plan a rough schedule so that you can agree on a day and a time that you can help them with lifts. This teaches your child the valuable lesson of time-management, communication, and future planning. While these plans should not be intensely rigid or stressful, they will encourage healthy mindfulness surrounding the value of other people’s time and energy.

Bring Inspiration to the Table

There are several short films that are made by children and young teenagers. Some even choose to enter their creations into a film festival such as the Children Cinema Awards (CCA). As a parent, you can show your child the various movies that are included in this event to encourage them in their pursuit of learning about the world of movie-making. A little inspiration and healthy exposure can go a long way towards nourishing the creative spirit of a curious child.