Kids Purge

Every year Kids get a purge day, today is that day. The day they can disobey their parents and eat as much chocolate they want. If I were you I wouldn’t want to be your kids parent this day.

We were able to chat with the young filmmaker of “Kids Purge” Zoe Clair about her new film.

Tell me about what it was like to make Kids Purge. Did you have fun? Who helped you make the movie and what were you in charge of.  

This was my first time directing a film (I have a background in theatre and have acted in a few films) and Kids Purge was to its core a fun experience. Our crew consisted of Musa Aden, Lenni Uitto, Rachelle Hardy, and I.  We all aided each other in the different tasks to be fulfilled but I was the director and had final say in all the shots and also casting, etc. Out of the 4 of us, I was the sole individual who did not act in the film, which allowed me to observe each scene from the outside and understand how it would come together. I created shot lists and scene breakdowns. There was a lot of planning that had to be done with children’s conflicting schedules as well, so we had to work around that. But once we got on set, it was time to work and have fun. I made sure that we were on task, efficient and got all the coverage needed.  I helped manage and coach the kids and got them into positions for each shot, as well as making sure they were comfortable and content between shots. As we were working with kids, a lot of the process was spontaneous. The kids were eager to start going, and we often quickly started rolling, and just let the kids have fun. Overall it was a wonderful process and I’m thankful to all the people who were involved and supported Kids Purge!

After making the movie, what did you learn about the film-making process. What would you do different next time?  

What fascinates me about the film-making process is how you never stop learning, creating, and growing as an artist. Additionally, there are so many variants in how people create, and low budget short films is one of those. The process was a lot more collaborative and dynamic than I anticipated it to be. Of course, as a director, I had a plan and solid ideas of how it was going to be, but I found that the magic of being on set transformed my vision into something new. A good comedy has elements of surprise and I found myself pleasantly surprised with what we created.  For future films, I would like to embrace the element of spontaneity. Now that I understand the dynamic of it all, I realize that the magic has a source, and it’s simply letting oneself becoming fully engulfed by the current project and seeing where it takes you.

Since I was a young child I have been crafting stories in my head, and my goal is to share them with the world through film.  I have a couple scripts I am currently working on, and an additional dozen or more ideas saved in the form of audio memos on my phone. A majority of my ideas are adventure based with elements of mystery and fantasy. I also have ideas for films that are realistic and tell difficult stories. Film is a source of entertainment, but I also believe it can be cathartic and I want to offer both of those things through my work.

I plan to create a YouTube channel where I will post my films, and possibly put them on Amazon Prime.  Additionally, I am starting my degree in digital cinema this fall and that is where I will be able to focus more on creating films. So stay tuned and I will definitely make it known when I am working on my next project!  I am thankful for the opportunity to work with Xelot Film. Follow Xelot Film on Instagram for updates as well. Thank you for considering me and this project.