Kids question again....

[legrevedotcom]

Was doing some research and came across "The Champ" and ofcourse ended up seeing that heartbreaking last scene, oh man.

This was in '79, and Ricky Schroeder must have been 8-9 when he played that. Would this still be considered possible in today's movies. How do you go about making sure that the kid isn't traumatized or is that reading too much into it? Ofcourse being on that stage is different from what we see and so on, but still...

One of the comments to the YT video claims that Franco Zeffirelli told Ricky shortly before they shot the scene that Rickys grandmother had just died... not sure if that's true, but at what lengths can toying with real emotions in kids go to?

All in all, from an performance point of view, Ricky really gave that scene the right emotion to punch ones gut.

 

[lambert]

Famous Jackie Coogan story on set of skippy of his grandmother dragging his dog off stage and firing a gun and telling the boy they shot his dog to get him to cry. Thank goodness for protection in most jurisdictions.

 

[legrevedotcom]

Famous Jackie Coogan story on set of skippy of his grandmother dragging his dog off stage and firing a gun and telling the boy they shot his dog to get him to cry. Thank goodness for protection in most jurisdictions.

Oh man... just read it. Quote from Cooper himself about the the aftermath of that incident. Emotions are hard to toy with.

"Later, people tried to rationalize to me that I had gained more than I lost by being a child star," Cooper wrote. "They talked to me about the money I made. They cited the exciting things I had done, the people I had met, the career training I had had, all that and much more....

"But no amount of rationalization, no excuses, can make up for what a kid loses — what I lost — when a normal childhood is abandoned for an early movie career."

 

[keithlango]

I don't know why filmmakers keep thinking that it's OK to inflict real emotional/psychological trauma on kids just to get their shot (or on anybody, for that matter). It's the grossest, most exploitative thing. Society rarely embraces such a Machiavellian ethic in other arenas - especially when it comes to kids. But people accept it in film. It's pretty disgusting. To me the first rule of filmmaking is the same as being a doctor- do no harm. If you have to hurt people to get what you want, then either a) what you want is objectively wrong, or b) you're not good at your job.

 

[legrevedotcom]

So in a case where the kid needs to be able to cry due to the story of the script.. its down to a casting choice, ie. find a kid that can act it out naturally? What if the kid is 4-5 years old, could a kid that age really do that?

Dont get me wrong, Im not a fan of emotional terror, so that makes me wonder even more how to evoke these emotions...

 

[combatentropy]

What if the kid is 4-5 years old

Fake teardrops, onions, red face make-up? The same you would do with adults. Not all adult actors can cry on cue either.

Is the role of the 4-year-old only a short scene where they cry? Or does he have many scenes? Then you're going to want a kid with some acting chops anyway.

Does the kid have to cry? Sometimes the cliche reaction is kind of cliche. How 'bout the slow burn instead?

 

[keithlango]

Fake teardrops, onions, red face make-up? The same you would do with adults. Not all adult actors can cry on cue either.

Is the role of the 4-year-old only a short scene where they cry? Or does he have many scenes? Then you're going to want a kid with some acting chops anyway.

Does the kid have to cry? Sometimes the cliche reaction is kind of cliche. How 'bout the slow burn instead?

This, indeed.

If you really can't get anything out of the child actor, then you let the context of the scene do the work for you. A blank stare with a hint of concern can be enough to get the idea. Kuleshov Effect FTW. Also, engage the child's mind and body in something that can cut into the scene in edit. Not every sad moment needs a torrent of tears and snot to feel honest.

 

[legrevedotcom]

Fake teardrops, onions, red face make-up? The same you would do with adults. Not all adult actors can cry on cue either.

Is the role of the 4-year-old only a short scene where they cry? Or does he have many scenes? Then you're going to want a kid with some acting chops anyway.

Does the kid have to cry? Sometimes the cliche reaction is kind of cliche. How 'bout the slow burn instead?

The age was just a grab... not being specific. I my case it would be around 13, so a bit older and ofcourse more in tune with her emotions.

But the thread originally arose purely because I saw that champ scene and thought to myself it must have been a challenge.

 

[JPNola]

Famous Jackie Coogan story on set of skippy of his grandmother dragging his dog off stage and firing a gun and telling the boy they shot his dog to get him to cry. Thank goodness for protection in most jurisdictions.

Today it is not necessary to go to such lengths to get a child-actor to cry for a scene. Now all you have to do is tell them that you smashed their iPad into pieces. :tongue: