Im working on a feature where a five year old has a gun pointed at her and is shot dead. Ive had a fairly lengthy conversation with the director about how this should be shot. In particular I don’t think the gun should ever actually be pointed at the child. Indeed I don’t think the child needs to be on set at the same time as the gun. I’d be interested in your thoughts on the subject.
Producing : Child actor and guns by Michael Wearing
Child actor and guns
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Complex topic that needs to be handled with care due to so much Violence going on in the media and world today! Talk to parents and children who have been impacted by gun violence as part of research on the topic.
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How the final picture looks with how cinematography works on the set aren’t related.
"Once Upon A Time In The West" (1968) - Henry Fonda gunned down a boy in the beginning. Go check it out to see how it was handled, shot. In "Act of Valor" - school kids were killed by an explosion that was handled around the corner (if memory serves correctly).
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Frame 1: Show only the gun.
Frame 2: Show only the kid.
Frame Three: Fade to Black
(sound of gunshot)
My story also involves the shooting of children. I don't see any problem in shooting the action with the children in one shot and the shooter in the other, switching back and forth from different angles. Timing would be key.
If you have the budget maybe CGI could be utilized. (Repeat moves with the gun in hand substituted for a shot without the gun in hand.)
Brian - I'd add a muzzle flash with the gunshot on the black screen.
But any time you put guns and kids on the screen together; you're gonna get flak from some.
Jennifer Kent did a great video for Vanity Fair about this and how the kid from The Babadook wasn't on set during the screaming, and they changed the script to be more kid-friendly. Check it out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAKZb1MNaZY
Also, a good way to shoot this might be like David Fincher. Shoot it on sticks, two different takes, split the screen between the actors.
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Thanks for your thoughts
Your welcome!