NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Tone
Joyful. Uplifting. Unstoppable.
The care at NewYork-Presbyterian has given these kids the greatest gift of all: a future. With their medical issues resolved, they’re free to chase their dreams, make mistakes, learn, grow, and realize their potential. I want us to capture that sense of brimming future potential. The joy of having all options available, and optimism as they take their first fledgling steps toward the future.
To capture the true scope of the care at NewYork-Presbyterian Pediatric, I’d like to introduce our cast in order of age (youngest to oldest). By structuring our film this way we’ll feel an authentic sense of natural growth, development, and progression. We’ll go from seeing kids playing around, to young adults standing at the precipice of their future lives. In this way our audience will understand that we’re not presenting a pollyannaish view of pediatric care, we’re exploring and ultimately celebrating what it means to have a childhood, uninterrupted, and a story, assured.
Approach – Meeting our cast at their level
The key to working with kids is to let them be kids (and to sometimes act like a kid yourself).
I want to capture every moment of curiosity or hilarious meandering as they walk us through their future plans and dreams. Let’s embrace the authentic personality of each kid we choose to feature. Whether they are shy, silly, outspoken, or precocious, we’ll capture the moments that encapsulate their identity and weave them together to show childhood innocence.
During the interviews with our kids, I want to maintain a conversational, relaxed and open atmosphere. We'll start by asking a few simple questions to get them talking about things they're passionate about. The conversation will flow naturally, but underneath we'll have some guidance and structure. This way, we're building up their comfort level so that when we reach the critical questions for our story, it will come from a place of true confidence.
As soon as the kids enter the room, the conversation begins. It's important to consider their perspective and emotions. We should make the environment feel more like a comfortable and home-like place, where they can relax and just hang out with us. Our team will be discreet with any technological moves or changes so that the focus remains solely on the conversation. We want to keep it relaxed and easy. Depending on each subjects’ comfort level,, having some parents present during the interview will help empower each child to feel like this is truly a safe place to talk about anything - the fun stuff, the tough stuff, and everything in between.
This also means having an A, B, and C plan ready to roll at the drop of the hat. One kid may be slower to open up than another, so we’ll give them the space they need while making good use of that time. Sometimes, I’ll have parents sit beside me right behind the camera to co-pilot.
The comfort of our cast throughout this process is also a significant priority for me. I’d love to have all their favorites ready for them as they roll up to set. Snacks, coloring books, and plenty of games and toys on hand so that they stay active and engaged even while we’re not shooting with them. Along with asking parents to bring some everyday comfort items, let’s also request that they work with their kids to bring 1 special item for show and tell. For example, for Johhny Lubin, it could be a pair of drumsticks. Maybe it’s that bottle of sand from a favorite beach vacation, or a worn-out stuffy with a missing eye and frayed seams. We can use these items to spark up organic curiosity-driven conversations, and perhaps even strategically place them in our set dressing so our kids feel that extra level of care and personal connection.