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As the parents of four children we have had the privilege to accompany them on many filming adventures. We have had great opportunities to work locally in California and throughout the United States.
Each job is unique with a new set of personalities to work with. Along the way there are new and usually challenging job duties as well. Some jobs are short, perhaps a day or two. Others can be long, lasting for months.
One of the great pleasures of this business is getting to meet so many interesting people and make some very good friends, especially on the longer jobs. We have also found it to be an excellent education in giving them a variety of social skills and discipline that has greatly benefited them.
They observe and learn to respect those with authority over them. They learn to present themselves and speak well during the interviewing process. They also learn to deal with disappointment and endure hours of waiting and self-control.
We've noticed that working children learn to take directions well. Working as a team player with their role being very important, they develop a very good self-esteem and a sense of being responsible.
As the parents of working children, we have learned a lot as well. We had to fill the hours of waiting with interesting pastimes. We had no problem with this. We love to study, read for pleasure, or find entertaining activities to keep them busy. We also found that when the children weren't working or putting in school hours, it was a great opportunity to get to know them better.
The set is a very busy place. Each scene is very expensive to film. In a way it's like any other place of business except for the no nonsense side where time cannot be wasted.
The cast and crew may appear casual and may be very friendly with one another. Often times they have spent many days or weeks together. Be considerate of the difficulty of pulling everything together to make it all work. It's better to hang back and observe the climate on the set, being careful not to get in the way.
You are your child's support, part of the background that provides their security. You may not be as close to your child as you want while they are working but use the hands off approach. Unless something is out of line or your child seems upset don't make a scene.
The set teacher is your go between. The teacher's job is to protect the emotional and physical safety of the child as well as to make sure that all laws are being followed. It's the parent's responsibility to be familiar with the child labor laws.
If you have questions, or don't feel certain about where to sit or stand ask an assistant director. If they're not available ask the stunt coordinator. Many times there will be other children working with you. Seek out a parent with more
set experience to ask.
Most importantly let your child shine. It is your child and their particular skills that have been hired, not you. It's a great adventure, have fun!
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A parent/guardian must be present at all times when a minor is working and has the right to be within sight and sound of the minor at all times.
A guardian is a responsible adult at least 18 years of age, who has written permission of the minor's parent to act in their behalf. If the parent is not accompanying the child to the set, he/she must supply a letter authorizing a specific adult to act as guardian including the following information.
a. Guardian's name.
b. Medical information pertinent to the child and permission to secure emergency medical treatment for the child.
c. Telephone number where a parent can be reached.
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