Back to School
Industry Pros - Are you Prepared?
Did you know that, across the country, the first day of school is earlier than it has been for many years? In Los Angeles, for example, many classes start as early as August 14th.
What does this mean for an industry pro? Well to start, it means a reduction in the amount of hours a child can work and a 10 to 1 kid to studio teacher ratio. Plus, when it comes to employing kids, back-to-school time brings with it a whole new class of challenges to consider. By September of this year, it will be safe to say that most of the country has gone back to school, and most states will require that the education of your working minors not be hampered by their participation in production.
As an industry professional, the education of someone else's child may not be at the forefront of your mind. Here's why it should be: by making education your top priority when minors are on set, and by planning it into your workday, you will find the day will run much more smoothly and everyone (producer, a.d, teachers and children) will get what they need done within the allotted amount of time.
Here are some tips for maintaining excellent educational standards on set:
Step One: Done assume anything! If you call a child in for a 3pm call, don't assume that they have already attended school that day and can work with you for eight hours after that. You need to know the laws for California and for the states in which you are going to be working. In California, for example, the law states that all time spent in regular school (home school included) counts as six hours out of the minor's workday, leaving you with 2.5, 3.5 or 4.5 hours of remaining work time depending on the child's age. Read the laws for each state here.
Step Two: Hire a Studio Teacher! Studio Teachers oversee the education of your working minors. Although teachers are not required by law at all times in every state, they are required at all times in California and in many other states when in ors are unable to attend regular school. Additionally, Union Rules regulate child-actor employment requiring a teacher whenever a minor misses more than two consecutive days of school due to employment. Read more about Studio Teachers.
Step Three: Communicate! Talk to your Studio Teacher at the beginning of your day. A Studio Teacher's main concern is the education and welfare of each child on set. Proper communication before the shoot will ensure that your studio teacher is able to assist you in creating an efficient working environment. Explain to the teacher your plan for accomplishing the required three hours of education time and allow them to identify any possible problems before they exist. Read more "Responsible Producing" tips here.
Step Four: Provide an adequate educational environment! What does 'adequate' really mean? Children need to have an area for education that provides appropriate lighting, seating, heat/air, etc. and is free of distractions. A trailer that is being used for hair and makeup, for example, cannot be used simultaneously for education. Similarly, kids cannot be expected to sit in the park on a sunny day and study. In addition, industry pros working with kids need to be aware of things like inappropriate language and habits (such as smoking) that may negatively affect the children on set. Do the right thing! Set standards for responsible producing that go above and beyond any law, rule or guideline and share with us your ideas on how we can all improve the child-actor experience.
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