It’s true that film staffers have unofficially served functions like this one in the past. “On the film sets I was on, I had studio teachers who basically acted like that,” says Wilson—referring to the educators who are required to be employed on any set where a minor is working for at least three consecutive days, according to SAG-AFTRA policy. But there’s a difference between ad hoc advocacy and the kind that’s mandatory. Especially when it comes to studio teachers, who “are easily corrupted, in my opinion,” says Romano, “because they are the liaison between production and the child.”
Few people understand this better than Maggie Blake. She too was once a child actor, appearing in ’90s and ’00s-era Canadian productions like Emily of New Moon. She now works as a designated child safety and well-being consultant on film and TV sets. “When I was a kid, I had a therapist on set—but I didn’t know who she was,” says Blake. “She was a random lady in the corner. And I don’t want to be that random lady.”
Her ethos is straightforward: “I want to prepare the production for the child, rather than expecting the child to adapt to an adult system,” Blake says. “So I’m there talking to ADs and producers and directors, saying, ‘How are we going to support this child?’ I want to meet them before they come to set and understand their developmental needs. I want to talk to their parents and caregivers and understand where they’re at, then build a relationship.”
Blake helps prepare kids emotionally to perform violent or mature material. She speaks out when her charges are too tired during a night shoot to do their best work. She counsels young performers who are despondent after losing out on a part. She works with their parents too, urging them to release the pressure valve.
