Liquid History Fun

On Friday may 18th, I got a chance to work with one of my favorite families to create a liquid history for a birthday party.
Late last year we had created a liquid history for Elona, a wife and mother of three, for her 35th birthday.
This time we are creating one for Dimity...Elona's husband, for his birthday.
We work with their kids, Mark, Skye, and Alexandra to create fun films and messages of well wishes for his birthday.
My assistant Hafeez and I spent the evening at the beach, biking the lakefront, and shooting at the four seasons pool.
Working with kids I found myself learning about how to ask the right kind of questions to get genuine answers.
Questions that could produce a yes or no answer were not getting the material that I was looking for.
So I started asking more open-ended questions, working with the kids to get them to open up more and be relaxed on camera.
My first interview was cute, but I wanted more. So I started getting creative.
I had Mark, ride his bike while I paced him and asked him questions. The activity helped to focus him more, and he started talking and giving me some really cute stuff to work with.
I also found that letting the kids see themselves through the camera and interacting with my equipment-helped produce more compelling work. The kids loved hearing themselves through the microphone and seeing each other on the screen.
I made sure to get down on the ground and play with the kids on their level. Getting some great shots of them playing in the sand.
At the pool, I did more interviews and had them do fun things like jumping up into the water at the same time, swimming across the pool and putting their faces in the camera. I had them sing happy birthday while sitting on the pools edge, and had them show me their best water tricks. I watched the footage and was very pleased with my work. Next steps, to focus in on the vision for the project more and work on getting more sound bites to use for the piece. I think I can go even deeper with the kids, and after having my first experience working with them on a shooting level...I know I can do a kick ass job.
I still have one more shoot with them coming up. And plan to spend more time with Elona, talking about the project and what she sees the piece being like. Interviewing Elona and getting a heart felt story from her about her husband, and playing with the kids one more time.
Should be lots of fun.