How many times have you seen a child actor on a TV show or in a movie and though “Wow that looks like fun! Bet my son / daughter could do that!” Probably, however, there are many aspects to being a child actor that are not known to many and rarely will you open a parenting magazine and read an article on it. So how do you know if your child is star material?
When my oldest child was just three she declared loudly to me that she was going to be a star. I told her she could be whatever she wanted to be, and like most parents, thought she was the cutest girl in the world and assumed that by the time she was five, she would come up with something else that she wanted to be. Didn’t happen. At age seven she got her very first role as a lead in a school play and everyone commented on her amazing presence on stage. By age eight she landed another role with a prominent youth theatre group in our area in their summer production. She had several rehearsals a week and often they ran until quite late. She wasn’t fazed at all and in fact she loved it. On opening night she was spectacular and I realized this wasn’t just a phase that she would outgrow. It appeared as though it was her destiny if you are one to believe in those types of things.
Over the years she has performed in several great musical theatre productions and recently did some TV work. However, she wasn’t the only one of my children who had a burning desire to perform. Her younger sister and brother caught the acting bug as well and last fall they all signed on with an agent in Toronto.
The decision to seek representation with an agent wasn’t a quick one. For years Marie kept asking me but I put her off and told her she would have to wait. I had too many younger children at home all day at the time and my husband of course was never here. I knew that it would also be a lot of work on my part and that at the time there was no way I could do it, but when I finally agreed to start looking I didn’t rush. I knew it was important to make sure we avoided scammers, and so called reputable agents who still felt the need to require some form of money. I wasn’t willing to pay a dime!
Fortunately we found a great agent who not only cares deeply about his talent but for all children and is an active leader in giving back to the community. In fact this was the selling feature as Marie is a proud activist for Free the Children.
The biggest misconception is that child actors don’t really have to work. This couldn’t be farther from the truth! Many of them probably work harder than most adults do in a given work day. Is it fun though? Yes, but it is both physically and mentally demanding as well.
Children actors really need to be able to focus and take direction well. The last thing a director wants is a child who cannot sit still, is rude, and needs to be walked through every little direction step by step by step. I have yet to meet a casting director or producer who is mean and they seem to all really love children but they have a job to do and so does each child actor. They are being paid, just like adults are in the adult workforce and they are expected to behave professionally.
After my sons first photo shoot for a print ad I thought maybe he would change his mind and not want to continue in this business. He was on set for two or three hours (with a few breaks here and there) and had over 1000 pictures taken. But it wasn’t just about posing and looking cute. He had to show so many emotions in that time I think I would have started to get ansty! He had to go from being happy to surprised, excited, happy, sad, and the hardest one of all for him – to look embarrassed over his father’s reaction to a movie. He loved it though and had a great time, chatting with the photographer, his pretend dad, and others on the set and informed me after that of course, it had been hard, but fun as well. There was no way he wanted out!
Sebastian’s first photo shoot:
Aside from the work there is another side to the business that is probably the hardest. It is extremely competitive and very hard to get that first break. Child actors MUST be able to deal with rejection and not take it personally. For every 100 auditions they get they will be lucky if they get one job. My oldest son and daughter were one of the lucky ones. Marie had about four auditions before she landed her first job and Sebastian had about eight. My younger daughter though hasn’t had a job yet despite several auditions. Is she jealous of her siblings? Of course what child wouldn’t, yet she is also happy for them and has been able to learn a few things from them because of their experience.
Parents of these little actors must be flexible! Chances are you will get about 24hrs notice for an audition and this is only if your agent is good and organized (thankfully ours isJ)! If long scripts are involved then you will get more time.
Still think your child is suited to be a star? Then be sure to read the continuation of this post in a few days for tips on how to find an agent and how much money, if any, you should spend.
Until next time
Chantel, momof8crazymonkeys
My pleasure Ron
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“even tho im sure she paid for a beautiful funeral, Madonna she be ASHAMED of herself to not attend her maternal grandmothers funeral….this really shows what an egotistical twat Madonna has become….cant make any effort to do the right humane thing…i bet she told her father she was tooooo busy editing her new film…..poor excuse and the example she sets for her children is blinded by fame….MADONNA HAS LOST HER LIFE AND SELF TO FAME…..many regrets will be on her horizon.”
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Sorry for the huge review, but I’m really loving the new Zune, and hope this, as well as the excellent reviews some other people have written, will help you decide if it’s the right choice for you.
Zune and iPod: Most people compare the Zune to the Touch, but after seeing how slim and surprisingly small and light it is, I consider it to be a rather unique hybrid that combines qualities of both the Touch and the Nano. It’s very colorful and lovely OLED screen is slightly smaller than the touch screen, but the player itself feels quite a bit smaller and lighter. It weighs about 2/3 as much, and is noticeably smaller in width and height, while being just a hair thicker.
Between me and my husband we’ve owned more MP3 players over the years than I can count, including Sansas, iRivers, iPods (classic & touch), the Ibiza Rhapsody, etc. But, the last few years I’ve settled down to one line of players. Why? Because I was happy to discover how well-designed and fun to use the underappreciated (and widely mocked) Zunes are.
Hands down, Apple’s app store wins by a mile. It’s a huge selection of all sorts of apps vs a rather sad selection of a handful for Zune. Microsoft has plans, especially in the realm of games, but I’m not sure I’d want to bet on the future if this aspect is important to you. The iPod is a much better choice in that case.
The Zune concentrates on being a Portable Media Player. Not a web browser. Not a game machine. Maybe in the future it’ll do even better in those areas, but for now it’s a fantastic way to organize and listen to your music and videos, and is without peer in that regard. The iPod’s strengths are its web browsing and apps. If those sound more compelling, perhaps it is your best choice.
Sorry for the huge review, but I’m really loving the new Zune, and hope this, as well as the excellent reviews some other people have written, will help you decide if it’s the right choice for you.
Yesha that is to bad that agents in the San Diego area require money – what are they asking for exactly? I am curious. The biz is for sure much more competitive there than here in Toronto but competitive enough. If the two of you work then it may be more difficult however, I believe here by law auditions must take place after school if during the week, as I have never been called to one during school hours. The casting directors seem pretty good about this. However, that said, I live in a suburb outside of Toronto so if I want to miss the traffic I need to take my kids out of school usually a bit early. Hopefully my follow up article (which should be very soon) might still help you. I would definitely encourage your son to continue with community theatre – the experience they gain through that is amazing.
Chantel,
This is a great article – thank you!
Not sure how to go about finding agents who don’t need money in the San Diego area though. My 12 year old has been doing local plays for the past few years and (of course) we think he has the talent and stamina for more. We always talk about the fact that we should get him into the biz but are hesitant to dish out the dough as we both are full-time working parents and really care about spending family time together with all 3 boys.
I’d love to read your follow-up article and hear any suggestions you could give us. Thanks again!
Both my kids are with an agent so this post was very interesting & hit 100% true with our experience also. My younger son was lucky, got a movie on his first audition, yet nothing since, almost 2 years later. My older son has done some print work but nothing else in the same 2 years. Summer does get very busy with auditions though so I would never recommend this for parents who are both working out of the home, as it can get hectic. Everyone I have met on the job is also super with kids & very nice to the parents too!
Hi paula – I sent you an email (hopefully the one that came up was correct) with some additional information you. Let me know if you got it okay:)
Hi Chantel,
Funny I just read your story on child acting…..I am actually meeting with an agent tomorrow for my 4 yr old and was wondering who you use (if you want to share the name!!) I have never done this and don’t know who, what or where to start!!!
Thanks and I look forward to following you!!