I’ve been wondering for awhile: How do they make babies and small children cry for advertisements. Do they poke the kids so they’ll howl? Do they simply wait until the kid gets hungry and then shoot the ads while the kid is bawling instead of feeding her? Do they purposely select crabby children and not offer them any comfort until they howl?
None of the scenarios I can come up with seems particularly kind.
-L
I assume it could be as simple as taking away the toy they were playing with just before the shoot. Or giving 'em a bit of a scare, perhaps. The only cite I have to go on is a comedian’s routine from long ago talking about the child psychologist on the set doing the actual dirty deed to make the baby [sub]Jesus! -ssh![/sub] cry, and the adult, years later, having an inexplicable crying jag and messing his/her pants when they encountered someone who looks like the psychologist.
As far as babies, they let them have their bottle, then take it away. It usually has the desired effect and little tyke’s mother, who is right there watching the whole shoot, doesn’t get upset that her child is being pinched or poked. Some kids can cry “on demand” even at a fairly young age. I remember having to cry at one commercial audition when I was 5, but I didn’t get the part.