Q: These days, it's pretty easy to find cameras to shoot movies. You can use a smartphone, a tablet, a digital camera, or, if you have one around, a better quality film camera. It should be able to record audio, as well.  Make sure you know the camera really well before you begin shooting. Play around with it first or look at tutorials online if you don't know how to use it. Just remember movies take up a lot of memory. You may need to download your videos to a computer with more memory from time to time so that you have enough space to keep shooting. Always ask before you borrow a camera or smartphone! Also, be very careful with borrowed equipment. Props are things that you use in your movie, like swords, cups, books, or anything object that moves the story along. Costumes are what the people in the story wear. You can use everyday clothes or pull out old Halloween costumes. Try to make them fit the story and your characters.  For instance, a 12-year-old girl who likes adventure might wear sturdy but fun boots, a long pair of shorts, a colorful t-shirt, and her hair up. Look around your house for props you can use. Remember to ask before borrowing them. If you need something extra, try asking your parents if they have what you need, borrowing from a neighbor, or asking your parents to take you to a thrift store. Props don't have to be "real." For instance, if you need a sword, you can make one out of cardboard and foil. When you first go in to shoot a scene, look around. Is the lighting good? You should be able to see your characters pretty well. Is everything in the room that you need for the scene? If you need a coffee mug for the scene, make sure it's there.  Think about how the room or area will look on screen and adjust the room. It can help to hold up your hands in a square (to show you how much you'd see) or simply look through your camera without recording. If the lighting is bad, adjust as needed. Turn on lights or open curtains. Try not to blind your actors, though! For instance, if you have 2 characters talking to each other, you may want to be able to see them in one shot. That means you may need to move chairs around so they're closer together. After each person has memorized their lines for a scene, you can start filming. You say "Action" to start the scene, and then it begins. Your characters should move around like you've written in the script and say their lines to each other.  You can change things if the scene isn't working. Try to help people out if they seem a little lost. For instance, if someone doesn't know how to act in a scene, try to give them motivation. You could say, "How would you feel if you just found a treasure map? Wouldn't you be a little curious first and then get more and more excited? How would that make you act?" Repeat the action of setting up each scene. Look at each one carefully to make sure you've got it set properly. Then, shoot each scene as you set it up. Acting involves more than just saying the lines. Your actors need to react to each other like they would in real life. If someone says something mean, the person they're saying it to will look angry or hurt, for instance. So if you notice an actor is smiling after another character says something mean, stop and talk to them. You could say, "When that person says something mean, react like they're saying it to your personally. Wouldn't you frown or look upset?" Kids and adults can have short attention spans, and they may not want to act for hours on end. Try shooting a single scene in a day, for instance, so you don't overwhelm your actors. If they want to do more, that's great. Just make sure you're listening to what they're saying. If they're bored with it for today, stop and do something else! When you cut down your movie, you'll need more footage than you think. It takes lots and lots of footage to get the shots that you want. Then you can pick and choose to create your perfect movie.  For instance, try shooting the same scene at least a couple of times. That way, you can pick the best shots if something goes wrong in the scene at some point. It can help to shoot the scene from different spots in the room. That way, you can cut between different shots. For instance, if you shoot from the perspective of the stairs, then from the kitchen, you can move between those two perspectives as your characters are talking. Plus, if you need to use footage from different videos, you can do it without making the movie look like it's jumping by switching to a different angle.
A: Find a camera to use. Drag out props and costumes. Set up a scene by moving things around in your location. Shoot that scene. Set up and shoot the remaining scenes. Encourage your actors to make gestures and facial expressions. Give your actors lots of breaks. Take more video than you think you need.

Q: Take a step back and try to understand the real reason for your self-harming behaviors. Are you cutting to reduce stress or escape painful emotions? Are you cutting to as a way to feel in control of a part of your life? Was there a traumatic experience in your life that lead you to begin engaging in self-harming behaviors? Understanding the catalyst to your cutting behaviors will give you a launch pad to begin your healing. Once you have established the root of your cutting behaviors, you must access your feelings and learn how your feelings are connected to your cutting. Do not hide your emotions or bottle them up. Express what you are feeling as they occur. Try writing them down or talking to someone about your feelings.  Recognize that your feelings directly impact your actions. If you are feeling exceptionally sad, the urge to cut may become stronger. By acknowledging that you are sad, you will anticipate your urges and begin to become more aware of the patterns of your self-harm behavior. Acknowledge your feeling by saying phrases like “I am feeling ____” and, “I accept that I am feeling___.” Triggers are people, places, or events that provoke your cutting behaviors. Triggers vary by person, and you must understand your specific triggers to better handle your cutting behaviors. Deciphering your specific triggers may help you more readily understand what is causing your cutting behaviors.  Write down events and feelings leading up to each time you cut yourself. Look for patterns and similarities to better understand your specific triggers. You will know you have been "triggered" when your emotions surge and become intense and out of proportion following the event that triggered you. Do you enter a quiet room and lay out your cutting tools or listen to a specific song before each cutting event? You likely have ritualized and sometimes unconscious behaviors you do surrounding your self-harm behavior. Become aware of these will help you notice when you are going to cut.  Engage in mindfulness exercises to bring your unconscious "rituals" to the conscious. Take explicit notes on each action you engage in. For example, “I am going into my room. I am closing the door. I am rolling up my sleeves.” These thoughts will interrupt your rituals and make yourself more aware. Practice being mindful by going to a quiet room and noticing your posture, where your arms hang, the temperature and smell of the room, etc… Keep practicing this and soon, you will be able to become aware of your cutting rituals. Visualize how your life would be if you didn’t cut. Do you think you would feel more fulfilled or could you do certain things that your cutting is holding you back from? Think about the future repercussions of your cutting behaviors such as your children asking about the scars on your arms, or jobs you might miss out on. Visualizing your life without cutting should help motivate you to end the behavior. Further motivate yourself by telling yourself that you can stop and you will stop.
A:
Decipher the root of your cutting behavior. Get in touch with your feelings. Identify your triggers. Understand your cutting rituals. Imagine your life without cutting.