The Mother-Daughter Dream Team: Nina and Brittany Gilbert
We are wishing you well as we begin to conclude what has been an unparalleled school year! Following last month’s feature of global studio teacher Kevin Moll, we’re excited to share our interview with mother-daughter duo Nina and Brittany Gilbert, who have been working with On Location Education on projects in Georgia for many years. In addition to educating young artists on set, Nina and Brittany both work as a Child Labor Coordinator (CLC), a vital position in the Georgia film and television industry that we are excited to feature on our blog for the first time. Read the interview below to learn more about this role and how Nina and Brittany began their incredible work as CLCs with On Location Education!
About Nina: Dr. Nina Gilbert is the Director of the Center for Excellence in Education at Morehouse College, and the former Senior Advisor on Education Reform for the Morehouse Research Institute. She has also served as an adjunct professor at both Morehouse College and Mercer University’s Tift College of Education. Prior to her transition into higher education, Dr. Gilbert served in a variety of teaching and leadership roles in the K-12 sector, and has served as an educator in district, charter, international and independent schools. She also founded Georgia’s first single-gender charter school, Ivy Preparatory Academy, in 2008. Dr. Gilbert has also been deeply involved in education policy and community advocacy activities, and has developed programs and services that promote authentic civic engagement and stakeholder collaboration. READ MORE
About Brittany: Brittany Gilbert is a 2019 graduate of Hampton University where she obtained a B.A. in English with a concentration in Cinema Studies. Over the course of her college career, she has worked with various media platforms both inside and outside the classroom. She attended the University of California at Davis’ summer research program for scholars interested in literary analysis research in humanities. Her research critically analyzed a Black artist’s animated response to the history of violence inflicted on African Americans. After successfully completing this program she was accepted into University of California’s UC-HBCU Pre-Doctoral Fellowship. In her junior year, Brittany was introduced to the inner workings of filmmaking by directing a documentary highlighting the sacred structures across different cultures and spent the summer working with her professor as a script supervisor on an independent film. In that same summer of 2018, her mother, Nina Gilbert, connected Brittany with On Location Education, where she was given an opportunity to work on the project Little as a Child Labor Coordinator. READ MORE
Nina, what led you to work at On Location Education and eventually welcome your daughter into our community?
NG: I actually had been doing research on the intersection of education, entertainment and media for a few years prior to discovering On Location Education. I specifically was interested in learning how to use narrative storytelling as way to educate various audiences. I’d also been involved in some work with friends and colleagues who worked in film and media, and they would occasionally invite me to consult with them on independent film projects and education related documentaries. As the film industry began to grow in Atlanta, I recognized that there were shockingly few GA educators who were being considered for set teacher roles. I began to connect with those in my network to make sure that production companies filming in Atlanta knew that GA educators were available, prepared and eager to take on roles as Set Teachers and CLCs. When I learned about OLE, I reached out to introduce myself, and the work I was doing in Atlanta. A few months later OLE contacted me about a Warner Bros. project that was being filmed here…and the rest is herstory!
I had the opportunity to introduce Brittany to an OLE project, Little, that needed several CLCs one summer while she was home from college. Because her undergraduate work had a focus on film and cinema studies, I knew that she would be excited to work on film sets.
What is your role on set as a Georgia Child Labor Coordinator (CLC)? How does it differ from your work as a GA studio teacher? Is there ever a case where you play both roles on the same day?
NG: As a CLC, I am responsible for ensuring the safety and well-being of minors while they are working with the production in any and every way. I monitor the environment, their comings and goings, and make sure that the young actors are not over-worked or under-fed! And yes, I frequently serve in both roles.
BG: The job of a Child Labor Coordinator consists of advocating for the needs and well-being for Minors who work in the film industry. As the title suggests, it’s our job to monitor the labor of a child on set. This looks like ensuring that minors don’t exceed a certain amount of work hours, that kids eat at a designated time, and -if the conditions call for it- to make sure students get their required education for the day.
Brittany, what were the requirements for you to get started as a CLC? Have the requirements changed since you worked on Little? You are also working towards teacher certification so that you can also work as a set teacher—what does that involve for you, and in what area of education are you becoming certified?
BG: When I started as a CLC on Little, the only requirements back then were that I needed to be 21 years old and pass a background check. Of course, it didn’t hurt to have a strong motherly recommendation either!
Now, however, the GA Dept. of Labor requires that anyone interested in becoming a CLC must first take a brief course and pass a Child Labor Coordinator Certification test.
I’ve actually worked on a few projects as a Set Teacher. When I first started this work, I had a provisional certificate through teaching 6th grade history with Teach for America. Now, productions require that Set Teachers hold a teaching license, which means that someone like me, with a degree in a content field, must also pass the GACE (Georgia Assessment for Certification of Educators) or the Praxis in other states, in order to be licensed by their state. I have a degree in English, and have passed the GACE in English/Language Arts, so I am now eligible for certification in my field.
What does a typical day on set look like for you as a CLC in Georgia?
NG: I don’t think there is a typical day. My day on set can start as early as 5:00 am and, since 2020, usually begins with either a COVID test or some type of screening process. I then meet the minor and their guardian before heading to hair and makeup or wardrobe.
Locations can also change daily or even multiple times per day. I’ve been on sets that were in the woods, fancy hotels, abandoned buildings, and airport runways. Wherever the location is, I inspect the site thoroughly to identify any potential hazards and to make sure that production provides a place for school. The rest of the day consists of providing school as required and moving back and forth with the minors from their trailer, holding area, and school room to the set. When the kids are rehearsing or filming, I am also on set or very close by, so that I can monitor and support them.
BG: Well, if I’m lucky, the average day begins with me dismissing Alexa for the first time at 4am so I can be up and out of the house by 5:30 at the latest. Once I’ve pulled into crew parking, I get checked in and COVID tested. Then, depending on if I’m working with principal cast or background, I’ll travel to basecamp or background holding.
The first few hours of the day are dedicated to getting minors through the ‘works’— which is the term used for when a performer goes through hair, makeup and wardrobe. Once the minor(s) are camera ready, they’ll be invited to set.
Typically, a production that has experience working with minors will have the projected lunch and wrap time already on the call sheet— if they don’t, I’ll remind the necessary crew of the minor’s lunch (which is 6 hours after call) and the time when they should be leaving the location, or “pumpkin” time. (Side note from OLE: a minor’s “pumpkin” time refers to the time a minor must leave the set, before they turn into a “pumpkin”, just as Cinderella needed to leave the ball before her carriage turned back into a pumpkin!)
Nina, you have a long history of working in education, both in and out of the entertainment industry, as well as experience working in entertainment. How has life on set changed for minors with the addition of the Child Labor Coordinator? Do you notice any differences from an educational standpoint?
NG: I think that teachers never really separate their instructional roles from supervising the minors in their care. I believe the biggest difference is that COVID has resulted in additional compliance requirements and changes to how and where we tutor/teach minors. I also try to find ways to make connections between what the minor is working on in school and the project they are filming.
What is it the largest challenge you face working as a CLC?
NG: I don’t think I’ve faced any significant challenges as a CLC. However, I’ve recognized that in addition to making sure that productions provide the required hours for school, meals, and breaks, that it’s also important that kids enjoy what they do. Days on set can be long and grueling for even the most seasoned members of the cast and crew, so on tough shoot days, I am always thinking of ways to make sure that our minors are not feeling overwhelmed, anxious or restless.
BG: To be honest, the biggest challenge I’ve faced as a CLC so far just might be answering this question. Seriously! If I made a list of all the pros and cons of this occupation, the itemized list of pros could put a CVS receipt to shame.
Recently, there is one challenge I’ve faced, and it’s people taking my role seriously. This is a very rare occurrence, but I’ve encountered comments about how CLCs seem to have it easy and, compared to the plethora of other positions in the industry, I can see where they’re coming from.
But while it may look like we’re just sitting and staring at the monitors all day, watching the clock, and updating our Hours of Performance logs— our responsibility is to make sure the production is working in the best interest of the minors. When you’re a young professional who works with and for adults, it can be intimidating to speak up for what you need. So having an advocate on set to make sure you're not overworked, overwhelmed, or overlooked is absolutely critical.
What is the most unique job opportunity/experience you've had as a result of becoming a CLC with On Location Education?
NG: Hmmm…that’s a hard one, because every project is so very different. Not only are no two productions the same, no two episodes or scenes are the same either! However, if I had to choose one experience that would be the most unique, I would say that it’s my experience on the project Little. That film had the most minors I’ve ever worked with on one set at once…nearly 300 in some scenes. Because we filmed in an actual middle school, and I’d been a principal, it was not a stretch for me at all, but I had to keep reminding myself that, even though we were in a school, the kids were actually working actors and not students!
BG: Ooh, that IS a hard one! When you’re as passionate as I am about this industry, every day is absolutely dazzling. But I have to say one of the most special moments I’ve had on set was when a director of a Netflix show and I had bonded over how impressive and intricately detailed the set dressing was. It was so humbling to see his excitement over the tiniest details, and how much appreciation he had for the talents of people he’d never met. Not only was the set itself unique but so was the way this director led. It was definitely an inspiring moment for me!
Brittany, as someone who is in the about to enter an MFA program in Film, Television, and Digital Media, how will working on sets in these roles inform your studies?
BG: While I’m not yet sure how set work will help me in my courses, I do believe my experiences played a huge part in my admission to UGA. Before final decisions were made, I’d been invited for an interview by the grad school committee. I spent days researching and rehearsing answers with confidence, but it all went out the window when they started throwing curveball questions at me. Had I not been so immersed in this industry already, I might’ve come up short with those answers.
What types of projects are you working on now? Do you ever get to work on set together?
NG: Yes, we work together quite frequently. In addition to our work as CLCs and teachers, we have worked on two independent films together, where I was a co-producer and consultant, and she was the script supervisor. We’ve also have tagged teamed on several feature films together. Little and Stranger Things are the first two OLE projects on which we’ve worked together.
BG: My work usually has me rooted in narrative films and series, which makes every day exciting! I’ll be standing in the middle of an apocalyptic wasteland one day and be in a 1950s diner the next.
Yes! We work together quite often actually. Whether it's twenty kids or one, my mom will take on her role as a Set Teacher/CLC while I CLC. It’s always pretty fun and special when we’re working together— we’re the Mother-Daughter Dream Team!
Check back over the coming months as we speak with more industry professionals on how they’re adapting in these newly challenging times. We’re thrilled to be back to work in film and television, and are eager for live theatre to reopen this fall. For now, be sure to book Production Services through OLE, explore our Private Learning Offerings for your children, and keep following our Industry Updates page to stay current on what’s happening in entertainment and education.
We continue to wish you health and happiness during these difficult times.
-The team at On Location Education