How To Cast, Direct and Make Movies for Kids

Jake Van Wagoner is a director, producer, and actor known for his work on Impractical Jokers and the film Christmas Time. His recent film, Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out, is a family friendly sci-fi feature that premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. 

In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with director Jake Van Wagoner to discuss:

• Getting funding for the film from a family friend 
• The unique title to the movie
• Making a film the whole family could enjoy
• Building the production team from many great connections
• How directing is like being a father
• Guiding the child actors in some challenging scenes
• Shooting a 93 page script in only 15 days
• Using children from his family to act as little aliens
• The process of attaching Will Forte to the movie
• Lessons he learned from his first feature, Christmas Time

Memorable Quotes

• “We shot a movie in 15 days which is bananas.” [12:43]
• “Will Forte is the sweetest man on earth…he’s the LAST sweetest man on earth.” [16:10]
• “That’s probably my most embarrassing moment in the movie as a director.” [19:48]
• “In the end, we are just making a movie. It’s not the end of the world.” [23:55]

Resources

Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out

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