The most common form of care we see on screen is companionship — that’s important, but so is making sure someone’s everyday tasks and needs are taken care of. Get creative about how to integrate some of these, because simply showing characters or talent engaging in daily care actions on screen makes an impact. BONUS: it makes your scenes more dynamic. Lights, camera, care!
Care can look like:
- Cleaning someone’s home – What better way for one character to get to know another than by literally going through their stuff (in a good way)? Cue declutter MONTAGE!
- Shopping for someone – and discovering the secret ingredient to their famous blackberry crisp (it’s cardamom, who knew?)
- Prepping meals – AKA a great excuse to build up to a dramatic dinner scene.
- Assistance with eating – another kind of mouth-to-mouth service
- Helping someone pay bills – Perhaps a clever way to express how one character is in financial need and another character loves them without having to use exposition?
- Helping someone with mail, email – If we can all enjoy 1000 hacking scenes, we will definitely enjoy watching someone helping a character write an elaborate email response to a horrible PTA president’s request to sew 45 witch costumes for the Halloween pageant.
A quick note: scenarios described here are generalized from information that Caring Across Generations has collected through focus groups, polling, and other research. They are generalized scenarios and are not any one individual’s story, and they are not meant to be comprehensive of all experiences having to do with care. This resource is intended to illuminate new storytelling opportunities that also contribute to a more authentic and holistic representation of care on screen.
