Make Money Making Movies - With Kids!

Unless you're Steven Spielberg, a movie business opportunity may seem near impossible to achieve. But what if your actors and audiences are those who prefer "G" rated films with funny characters, mysterious but satisfying story lines and lots of wild costumes and props? If you own a video camera, a computer with video editing software, love to shop at thrift stores and garage sales, then you too can have a video based business and become a Steven Spielberg for kids who love acting.

Sure, Halle Berry and Nicole Kidman probably won't respond to your offer of a movie role. But the kids in your neighborhood may end up competing with each other for the lead role in your film, especially if the movie script for kids has an exciting story line.

If you want to become a Movie Director for kids plus get paid to make movies with them, here are four tips to help you call "Quiet on the set... Action!"

1. Check with your local city parks and recreation department. They are always looking for new classes and workshops to offer the residents in their city. See if they would like to include a movie making workshop for kids as one of their programs.

2. Both private and public schools often look for after school programs their students can participate in. If you are available in the afternoons, contact these schools and offer to teach a movie making workshop for kids.

3. You can offer short movie making experiences for children as an activity at kids birthday parties and events. Advertise in local parenting magazines and websites this unique, one-of-a-kind activity children will never forget - especially true since you will be providing them with finished DVD's of their movie less than a week later.

4. If you are a classroom teacher, Girl Scout Troop Leader, home-school provider or after school care teacher, you can create a movie making activity and become a Movie Director to the children in your program. Parents can donate the blank DVD's, costumes, props, and maybe even the technical equipment, so you can concentrate on running the movie set.

Halloween with it's costumes and make-up fun only comes once a year. But movie making provides children with a chance to wear costumes, apply make-up and transform into exciting characters without pumpkins and trick-or-treating.

If you would like more tips and resources for kids on how to make movies, visit www.makeamoviestudios.com for free downloads, plus movie scripts for kids and training materials such as workbooks and DVD's.

Shelley Frost is a movie director for kids, author, drama teacher and videographer. Contact her at shelley@makeamoviestudios.com or visit her website at www.makeamoviestudios.com

Six Year Old Stars in Movie

A few weekends ago my assistant Christina and I drove 45 minutes to Pleasanton, California to do a Make-A-Movie birthday party for a six year old girl.  That is teetering on the "a bit too young" side of filmmaking, however, the little girls mother, assured me that her daughter would shine on camera.  

At the party, the guests began to arrive.  Each one was littler and younger than the next.  It soon became clear to Christina and I that our movie cast was the youngest group of youngsters we'd ever filmed!!  And we began to worry.  Would they be able to say their lines clearly?  Would they understand how to "act" with fellow "actors?"  As the giggling, running, and wrestling increased, so did my anxiety.

We called the "cast" into our cast meeting, where I gently told them the story of the movie we were about to film.  Just like storytelling in a classroom, the children were entranced, probably wondering where the picture book was so I could show them the pictures!  Next, we did make-up.  They were loving this part of the activity, so my hopes rose.

Then we assembled in the kitchen to shoot the first scene.  Once I had "quiet on the set" (which was no easy task because all 20 parents decided to stay to watch!) I gave the first little girl her line.  And she pulled it off spectacularly.  When the birthday girl's cue arrived, she pranced into the frame like a natural.  Next she rattled off her lines, in a loud, clear voice, full of expression and emotion.  I couldn't believe it!

But knowing 6 year-olds, I knew their attention span was limited.  So we quickly ran through the lines, then moved onto the free-for-all singing contest scene.  That's when everyone started joining in the fun, laughing, singing, dancing.

As I wrapped up the movie shoot, sure enough all 20 girls, were done paying attention.  They were off running, screaming, and wrestling.  Did I mention that they were all wearing princess costumes?  Yep, princesses wrestling in the middle of the living room.  It was time for this movie director to head to the edit room.  Cut, it's a wrap!!

Make-A-Movie Workshop for Kids

Have you ever wanted to star in a movie?  Now you can!  We'll choose our script, cast our characters, plan our costumes, make-up and props.  Then we'll rehearse action sequences and dialogue.  Next comes "Quiet on the set... ACTION!"  When the movie is shot, the director will say "That's a wrap!."  Invite your friends and family to the Red Carpet Premier, enjoy some popcorn and see yourself on the big screen.

Instructor:  Shelley Frost, SCCT Drama Teacher

Twin Pines Park, Belmont, CA

5 Classes, kids 6 - 12 yrs

T & Th 3:30 - 5:00

10/2 - 10/16

$100 residents; $120 non- residents

$25 lab fee

Belmont Parks & Recreation Dept.: 650/595-7441

Click here to sign up on-line!

Free Movie Making Guide for Kids

I just finished writing a new guide that I'm giving away for free to anyone with kids interested in making movies.

Summertime is a great time for kids to get creative. Making a movie with the neighborhood children can be a great team building activity. They need to have their cast meetings; decide who will play which characters; scrounge through garages and basements for the perfect props; scout the entire neighborhood for the best locations; shoot the movie scene by scene; then edit the footage into an exciting feature film!

Best of all will be the movie premier. Announce the event with flyers, posters, e-mails, etc. Imagine the entire neighborhood gathering together on a warm summer evening to watch the movie premier on an outdoor screen. What could be more fun?

Visit Make-A-Movie Studios for movie scripts and the FREE Movie Making Guide.

Make-A-Movie Merchandise

For all you kids out there who've made movies with Make-A-Movie, now you can wear your movies on your sleeve (or head!) Visit our new store at Cafepress.com where you can buy t-shirts, sweatshirts, baseball hats and more. All with our Make-A-Movie logo. Then the world will know you've made movies with Make-A-Movie!

Make-A-Movie Kits

My wonderful neighbor Cathleen, runs a print shop. As we speak, she is creating gorgeous packaging for the Make-a-Movie Kits. As soon as the packaging is ready, I'll post a photo.

For anyone unaware, Make-a-Movie Kits include everything you need to make a movie in your home with your kids (minus the video camera and video editing software!) What is special about these kits are the fantastic movie scripts/screenplays.

Over the years, I've written these scripts, mostly with the help of casts of kids. All of the scripts have been produced into movies. Some of them several times!!

The kits are available right now by visiting www.makeamoviestudios.com.

From Screen to Stage

Tomorrow afternoon we'll continue play reheasals for "The Princess & the Pickle Pie" and "A Spy in Mozambula." What!! Wait a minute!! Aren't those movie scripts, not play scripts?!

Yes, they are movie scripts, having been produced as movies countless times, with different casts (party guests) and locations (homes of the birthday girl or boy). But because I also teach drama classes, I am always in need of play scripts. Over the years, I have found too many play scripts with too many talking animals with too few lines.

So, since the movie scripts from Make-A-Movie Studios are written to make each role significant, I decided to rewrite these two scripts into stage scripts.

In our last class we casted the two plays, and did a read-through. So, tomorrow we'll actually get on stage and begin blocking the scenes. It will be quite a transformation bringing these scripts to life on stage verses on screen. But the 19 actors in my class (8 - 11 year olds), are filled with enthusiasm, energy and a desire to please their audience.

Will these two "plays" be flops or a blockbusters? I'll let you know...