As a child, going to the zoo was the most awe-inspiring experience - I wanted to replicate that feeling in my film “Day at the Zoo” and view it through the eyes of a jaded twenty-something, who re-discovers this lost sense of wonder. My goal was to make an amusing and heartfelt film about an unlikely family bond in the spirit of a buddy movie. Directing a 6-year-old with a limited amount of film stock was challenging, but I rarely had to adjust Callan’s performance, since his youthful energy came across in every scene. We chose to shoot on 16mm film so the movie would feel a bit like a childhood memory, grounding the film in Peter’s perspective.