The Value of Having an On-Set Coach for Child Actors Goes Beyond Dollars And Cents
To keep things moving smoothly on set, the screen industry counts on a small army of coaches who work with young actors. What exactly do they do, and how do their skills save productions time and money?
Anik Matern has been coaching young actors on Canadian TV sets for nearly 40 years. From Space Cases to This Life (the English adaptation of the successful Quebec series Nouvelle adresse), she’s a bilingual trailblazer in the field, guiding child performers as they develop their characters, learn their lines and follow their directors’ instructions.
“What’s most important to me is that the young actors fully embrace who they are, because at that age they’re still their own person with the freedom to be really authentic and spontaneous with their emotions and actions intact,” says Matern.
She feels her work is more important than ever given the accelerated shooting schedules on sets these days. “And with all due respect, directors today rarely have the time they used to for bonding and building trusting relationships with actors,” she says. “So, I make sure they have a safe space to give their best when the camera starts rolling.”
Like many coaches, Matern is often called in to help young actors who have to shoot emotionally challenging scenes. Even though she’s not a psychologist or teacher, she manages to delve into a child’s psyche with deep respect and sensitivity.
“It’s something that benefits the whole production team because a well-supported young actor will be more likely to access the desired emotion in fewer takes,” Matern says. She recalls the time she prepared a young actor who’d just lost a loved one for a scene by sharing how she grieved when her own father passed away.
CHILD’S PLAY
But how can a coach get the desired results from a young actor without upstaging the director?
For Flavien Demeure, an acting coach who was born and started his career in France, the trick is to make everything like playing a game. “Between takes I often ask my young actors about their interests and motivations over a game of UNO,” he says. “Depending on their answers, I then work with them on a related emotion.”
Demeure remembers deliberately cheating in a game on the set of the 2023 film Kanaval to help young actor Rayan Dieudonné tap into the frustration felt by his character, a nine-year-old boy forced to leave his native Haiti with his mother and settle in Quebec. “I knew Rayan was a bad loser, so I used that to our advantage in getting him into character,” Demeure says, proud of his strategy.
Coaches are also responsible for controlling their young actors’ energy, motivation and fatigue levels to ensure they deliver their best at all times. One strategy is to ask that complex scenes be scheduled at the start of the day whenever possible. They also ensure their young charges get enough breaks, and nutritious snacks, throughout the day.
ACTING AS WATCHDOGS
Coaches are also watchdogs. Acting in accordance with a strict code of ethics, they ensure the stage direction is never too traumatic, or contrary to their clients’ best interests.
“We keep our young actors safe whenever a production gets overly demanding or intimidating,” Demeure says. He acts as the middleman between his young actors, the crew and the director.
“Most actors are hypersensitive by nature,” Matern says. “The last thing we want is their enthusiasm for acting to be dampened because of some unpleasant experience on set.”
Eleven-year-old Kiara Gaudin confirms that her experience with coaches has been helpful and positive. She had no problem letting her coach know if she felt uncomfortable, or even afraid, while filming L’aréna, a sketch-comedy show in which she played an inept hockey player.
“Even though everything went very well, I was glad to have a big sister on my side,” she says. “I get more nervous sometimes just going to school than being on set, where I really feel I should be.”
WHEN THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, THEIR PARENTS ARE, TOO
Coaches need to create trusting relationships with their clients’ parents or guardians as well. “I make my commitment, and my expectations, clear from day one and I also make sure I’m aware of their limits,” Demeure says.
Kiara’s mother says the feedback she gets from the set makes a big difference. “I really appreciate the updates from the coaches about her work and what she needs to improve. It guides me in helping Kiara practice her lines at home,” she says.
To keep things running smoothly, coaches warn against acting out the script with one’s child or being a walking teleprompter. “As a professional actor myself I have what it takes to read between the lines, and am well-versed in what the job demands,” Matern says. She’s seen controlling mothers step in and try to coach their daughters, only to throw them off their game.
OUT OF THE SHADOWS AND INTO THE SPOTLIGHT
Acting coaches are finally being recognized for their contributions to the screen industry and rewarded accordingly.
“We’re a long way from the days when no one here understood the value of what we do, something that has long been understood in the United States,” Matern says. “Today, Canadian acting coaches know they’re appreciated for making a difference in so many ways.”
Demeure sees his impact in the success of the young actors he coaches and in the recognition from his peers. “There’s no better praise than a pat on the back like that,” he says.
