by Margot Carmichael Lester, ICG Magazine
Documentary Kid Boxer tells the story of a father who uses boxing to teach life lessons to his son. It was shot in two days, ahead of an important match. “Because of time constraints, location scouting was imperative,” explains Brazilian-born Claudio Rietti “After we found our locations, I went back multiple times to take sample stills and schedule each shot with the ideal time to shoot. “The location wasn’t impressive, so we hid it in darkness,” he continues. “I lit with simplicity in mind, keeping everything on the grid on dimmers, so we could light in real time and follow the fighters around the ring.” Rietti says he cherishes a good preproduction schedule, “one that allows me to come in with a plan,” he asserts. “Of course, sometimes it’s impossible to execute your plan on shoot day. Yet, by knowing the visual aesthetic and the shots you need to tell the story, you’re able to be flexible.” That ability was tested by the realities of working with a young lead and shooting very late hours. “We had a call time of 4:30 a.m. and quickly discovered how difficult it is for a young actor to be up at that hour,” Rietti recalls. The crew pivoted, shooting establishing shots originally scheduled for later in the morning. “Since kids will more often than not feed off of your energy, we made sure to show excitement when he showed up.” Kid Boxer scored a knockout punch with ECA judges. Says Rietti, “I am honored to be recognized by such a distinguished organization that represents the most talented camera professionals in the world.”
