Inventors! Documentary
When it comes to documentary filmmaking, few subjects are as delightfully unpredictable as Dominic Wilcox.
In this short film, I had the chance to follow his playful yet powerful Little Inventors project—an imaginative global initiative that turns children’s wildest invention ideas into real prototypes. The result is a story full of joy, surprise, and inspiration—everything I love about working in documentary.
A World Where Ideas Come First
Dominic Wilcox is a creative polymath whose work walks the line between the surreal and the socially useful. Known for his inventive sculptures, speculative design, and conceptual art pieces, Wilcox launched Little Inventors to champion creativity where it begins—with children. The idea is beautifully simple: encourage kids to draw invention ideas, then match them with adult makers who bring them to life. As a project, it’s part education, part play, and part pure inspiration.
When I first learned about Little Inventors, I was immediately intrigued by its blend of imagination and collaboration. As someone whose documentary filmmaking practice often focuses on artists and educators, I saw this as an opportunity to capture a unique creative ecosystem in action. Filming this meant stepping into classrooms, workshops, and makerspaces—spaces alive with laughter, curiosity, and glue sticks.
Behind the Camera
From a technical standpoint, the project gave me a rich variety of scenes to work with. I filmed on the Panasonic GH4, which offered excellent colour rendering and detail when capturing the children’s drawings and prototype builds. I also made use of my iPhone, which was particularly useful for handheld, mobile moments—like children presenting their inventions or engineers soldering tiny components. Its compact size allowed me to move fluidly around participants without disrupting the activity or making children feel self-conscious.
Throughout the shoot, I kept lighting natural and unobtrusive. I wanted the film to feel like you were stepping into a real moment of excitement and concentration—not something overly staged. This approach is at the heart of my documentary filmmaking style: minimal interference, maximum authenticity. Many of the most moving moments—like a child seeing their idea brought to life for the first time—happened when the camera simply waited, quietly.
Crafting the Narrative
The structure of the film followed the natural arc of the project: idea generation, sketching, prototyping, and the final presentation. Interviews with Dominic Wilcox provided a thoughtful throughline—his reflections on imagination, design, and the importance of encouraging young minds brought the story full circle. I used these voiceovers alongside shots of invention drawings and footage of the children working and reacting, layering everything with subtle music and ambient sound to keep the energy light and playful.
One of the most rewarding challenges of documentary filmmaking is balancing story clarity with emotional depth. With a project like this, the temptation is to over-explain the process—but what matters more is how the experience makes people feel. I wanted viewers to come away with a sense of joy and hope, and a deeper appreciation for the power of child-led creativity.
Celebrating Collaboration and Community
The film is also a celebration of collaboration. I filmed artists, engineers, teachers, and children all working together, united by curiosity and care. One of the most touching moments was filming a retired engineer who had volunteered to help make a young girl’s invention—a dog-walking device—real. Watching generations connect through shared creativity was a reminder that documentary filmmaking isn’t just about documenting—it’s about amplifying those connections for others to witness and feel.
Dominic’s belief that “every child is an inventor” felt like more than a slogan—it was a call to action. The adults involved didn’t patronise the children’s ideas. Instead, they took them seriously and committed to making them real, no matter how silly, strange, or seemingly impossible they first appeared.
Why This Film Matters
At a time when creativity is often undervalued in education, Little Inventors shines a spotlight on what can happen when imagination is given space to breathe. This film doesn’t just showcase inventions—it celebrates the thinking behind them, the joy of the process, and the confidence that grows when children are truly heard. For me, as a documentary filmmaker, who has worked with lots of artists, this was one of those rare projects where story, subject, and sentiment aligned perfectly.