Signals Casting Directors Always Look For But Will Never Tell You, When Casting Kids For A Major Role

INSIDE

8PLUS. EDITORS NOTE

Marketing and Promoting Dynamic Kids in TV, Film, and Commercials.

KidTalentUSA

2 Types of Child TalentsGrace Chapman,Orlando, Florida

ON THE COVER

Summer 2010

! ! !Parents ask me all the time, “How can I get my kid into better roles in movies or tv?”

Hereʼs the short answer. If youʼre interested in your child being in show business..know this...

The business of show business is not easy. For parents with kids pursuing show business, know that show business is about endless competition, great subjectivity, critic opinions and often high rejection. Itʼs a business where you can meet great failures today for a chance of even greater rewards tomorrow. Itʼs not for everyone.

For the most part, as it relates to kid performers in the business there are two general types of talents. Two.

Type 1- Those that are actively and consistently ʻworkingʼ child performers - in other words, they can bring in a steady paycheck, are invited to auditions repeatedly or are frequently directly booked and have a seemingly endless base of casting directors with active projects interested in working with them or auditioning them for roles. These talents are trending hot and are gaining success financially or are getting there steadily.

Type 2- Are those who are working to become type 1s. Many of these talents are highly talented but are waiting for what is called “the big break” in the industry. They go from audition to audition, may book some minor extra or print roles and besides limited bookings desire to do more in the business. For many as they wait on the golden opportunity to expand, their parents spend time, energy and resources developing their talents to get to where they want to be in their careers.

The special insider secret known about both types of talents within the industry, ( besides about a ʻgajillionʼ dollars of earnings ) is that both types of talents (those that are successful and those who are still seeking a certain working level of success) arenʼt really all that different- for the most part.

Now before you start waving your arms this is taking into consideration, your child must have some core talent, a unique look, and certain resources, as well as the energy to pursue auditioning and network opportunities. Besides that, the keys and signals a casting director looks for in booking a talent for a role paying $100 or $1,000,000.00 really isnʼt all that different.

Drawing from real world experience in national and international broadcast media production, directing, and casting in childrenʼs media, interviewing celebrities and directors, and as a media coach over the last 20 years, when looking purely at talent you find both types share fairly similar abilities.

In my interviews with many successful child talent and parent manager teams. the so called ʻbig breaksʻ come from not just preparation but penetration to audition before the right casting directors and decision makers. The key difference between the two types is Type 1s ability to get noticed by the right people and to also pull off a successful performance when it counts the most.

KID TALENT USA takes my many years of education, interview feedback, research and field knowledge in childrenʼs entertainment media to help you understand the best ways to promote and market your talents in a focused direction to save you the headache of making mistakes you would otherwise make.

Enjoy and hopes this helps.Dallas Deane

PS. Donʼt use the word Gajillion if youʼre older than 8. It may confuse some people.

EDITORʼS NOTE

Kid

Tal

ent

USA

SIGNAL #1 THE KID IS MOTIVATED!

Casting directors and top agents agree, when screening a young talent for a role, a young performer’s visible motivation to perform

without parental prodding is at the top of the list of expectations. Obviously this doesn’t apply for infants or very young children

in the beginning stages of speech. However, industry professionals state nothing is more important than the kids self motivational energy. A young talent’s own self

burning desire to perform and perform well. The source of motivation is often one which can be seen immediately and says one child agent, “Show

business must be in their blood”. Once the talent arrives to audition there should never be a question if this talent is properly motivated. Where this area

gets called into question is when there are visible signs of anything less than a motivated young talent, or an even bigger flag , is an overt display from the parent manager who seems to be more motivated than the talent.

Young talents who are properly motivated during an audition , for the most part remain motivated to succeed during the entire project. Not that fatigue or feelings of rejection will never play a part in the process, but these feelings are minimized when the motivation of the young talent is evident. If your child talent often verbally or indirectly complains about not wanting to continue perhaps gauging the motivation meter is in order.

Says one very well known children’s casting director, “You should never push a child into show business, especially those children who aren’t motivated from the start to be in front of people, cameras, and especially those who aren’t motivated to follow directional cues. If the child isn’t motivated today they won’t be tomorrow.” The child most casting directors and top agents want to see are the ones that will beg to perform, has a strong desire to audition, may get rejected over and over again and yet can still want to perform for family, guests, and a room full of strangers. These are kids that never met a camera they didn’t like.

#1

Signals Casting Directors Look For But Will Never Tell You, When Casting Kids For A Major Role8

SIGNAL #2 THEY GOT THAT WINNING LOOK So what exactly is the winning image or look in show business?… Is it the prettiest

blonde haired All-American girl, the cute little Asian boy, or the freckled face baby with the red hair? Chances are it could be either or it could be any or none of

them.

That’s right show business is all about subjectivity. That means the look your talent presents must be the right look, at the right time, for the right

role, in the right production in front of the right eyes.

As a parent or manager your job is to discover what your talent’s winning look or looks are and promote that look to the right players within

the industry. A winning look is what makes casting directors REMEMBER your talent. Its their branded look. You should find out what this look is and always have it

featured in head shots, talent reels, business cards and you should always be prepared to have that very same look on your talent in every audition when its appropriate.

As far as agents go certain looks are easier to sell than others. Many casting directors will say that a smaller child has a better chance than one who looks big for their age. A nine year old girl for example, who looks twelve will have a harder time competing against a 14 year old who looks 12 in her type category, while a 9 year old who looks 7 has a greater advantage competing against younger performers at auditions. Its all relative.

In show business creating the right look or image is about understanding popular tastes and styles and being able to adapt your presentation to really make that look work. So it’s not necessarily the child with the prettiest all American look and the straight hair thatGets the call. It’s the one that has the most ‘sell-able’ look for that part.

Many casting directors will state they are looking for real or natural children, those who are photogenic, and don’t overplay the camera. Or they may call for a role actor or a specific type. The image you present before, during and after the audition should be consistent with what your role is calling for. In many cases, directors call for unique looks ( e.g., a very big child, a very freckled faced girl, or the boy with the very big ears) these are exceptional role characteristics that are called for occasionally. However if you’re seeking consistent work in show business remember your look must be sellable and be appealing to as broad of an audience possible. Now in speaking on looks keep in mind there are hardly ever calls (certainly not commercial calls) for children who have bad teeth,

#2

SIGNAL #3 MAGNETIC TALENT!Nothing replaces talent, not anything. While sheer, natural talent

comes from within, there is a lot to say about developing and then wielding a young performer’s talent. Whether acting, singing,

music, dancing, art, sports or juggling. Talent is not a good thing for show business it is a great thing. And the more talents your child has

to show casting directors the less they may have to do and spend to train your child for that part. There also is the point that the

talent must be marketed to the right eyes and ears at the time the talent is ready. Says one very well known child

agent in New York, “ There are a lot of talented kids. Tons of them. However, there are only a handful of talents that will develop their talent

to a professional level.” The truth is, talent is what you make of it. Just because little Madison had a great time acting in school or singing beautifully in the local

choir, for family, or for friends doesn’t mean Madison will flex those “golden pipes” into the professional performance level talent which commands a commission for his or her skill set.

#3

#1 source for show business talents to increase bookings in TV, Film, and Commercials.When they look better they book sm

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Sure, you know she’s talented. Who else knows it?

SIGNAL #4 DYNAMIC READING AND MEMORIZATION ABILITY

Reading is not only essential in the business, but excellent reading is expected by casting

directors. When it comes to working in show business on a major

production the better young talents can read and memorize

quickly. The ability to read, memorize

and execute lines quickly is critical to being noticed by casting directors. The business of major

entertainment productions often requires rewriting script lines , camera shots and blocking positions which require great reading abilities. In turn it requires kid talents to be excellent readers and

possess great remembrance. The sooner your child can read and memorize lines without referring to a script or what we call in the industry

going “off book” - the more valuable they are to the production. Often kids require attention and time to read and memorize and casting directors are trained to identify only the very best readers and rememberers and to filter out the poor readers. Knowing that if they book the wrong child talent the process of beginning the script memorization must start over with a new talent which costs the production both time and money. If your young talent isn’t currently at reading level obviously you get a pass on this one only until they can read. However the sooner they can read the better. If your three or four year old is at a six year old reading level, you’re on track to edge out the competition. The younger the talent is who can read the more unique and desirable they are to casting directors and they will be spotted. Many times a casting director will hand your talent sides at an audition for a reading test immediately. Asking the talent to look over the sides without help and then to perform upon demand isn’t out of the ordinary in the business. What casting directors are seeking is fluency of delivery and reading that is convincing, along with the ability to inhale or take in the essence of the part they are reading for in a script.

The way your child reads the short script tells casting about how long it will take to learn the entire script and at what level of difficulty or challenge it will be for the talent.Your goal should be to make your talent a quick reader, who can read for meaning with personality and expression.

#4

SIGNAL #5 A REALLY LIKEABLE TALENT WHO IS EXPRESSIVEThis signal is personally the one which I find to be one of the absolute

most important. People in every walk of life do business and hire people they like. Kid talents in show business are no exception. There’s

something every casting director says about every talent they book. Says international kids casting directors Gill King and Susan Kennedy , of Marathon Casting , “You simply have to like the kids for the part almost from the start!” Its hard to imagine every kid not being ‘likeable’ but its true that not every kid is right for show business. Some children simply find it difficult to express

themselves in front of other children, much less a room of adults. Therefore to really compete for major roles your

child must be highly like-able , easy to work with and able to express themselves naturally to connect with the casting team.

A screen friendly attitude goes a long way and demonstrating your talents, motivation, reading and memory all has to do with natural communication ability. Every winning talent has the ability on one level or the next to communicate expressively. Natural expressive communication means more than a talkative child talent, but it especially includes the child that listens closely and has natural inquiries.

One of my most recent clients in L.A. has a daughter who seems to really understand how to work an audition and is currently experiencing dynamite booking success. When asked about how her day was before auditioning, the response to “How are you?” isn’t just “Okay”. But it’s, “Fantastic!, We’re doing great! We’re so excited to be here! We had a long trip and stopped by a Denny’s” In other words, the difference in the child that is naturally expressive demonstrates an intellectual curiosity that sells casting directors on personality and intelligence. While an expansive vocabulary is great, what really hits a home run is the child that seems to communicate unrehearsed, and is not afraid of speaking in public, especially to grown ups at the audition. At times an accent may even benefit a child talent and can be memorable enough to endear casting directors looking for real role characters.

#5

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SIGNAL #6 A Creative Imagination and Improvisation Ability

If you were to Google the definition of the word ‘imagination’ you would find amongst other things, creative ability. Casting directors booking children primarily for episodic comedies, game shows and commercials state that the most desirable qualifier is a kid that can use their imaginations in their performance. This indicator helps casting directors see how young talents will be able to improvise in a variety of settings. It also demonstrate that their minds are active and thinking about what is and what could be. The reason why this is important in show business is that a vivid imagination plays a gigantic part in the child talents dreams of her career and it positively affects how she sees herself in the audition, the production and beyond. A great indicator of acting ability as early as youth is your young talent developing imaginary character friends and having conversations with them.

SIGNAL #7 A great listener who is coachable and can handle rejection!Criticism and rejection is part of show business. For one role on a major project, one

casting director at Disney Corporation, once received as many as 5,000 submissions and only called in five of them. Casting directors

are looking for children and parent managers with high emotional capacities to listen to criticism and improve. Talents

which are coachable make the best talents. Often its the experience that a child who can’t be coached is as a result of

having a parent who also cannot be worked with- and that’s an immediate red light in the casting game. In show business

you listen to honest criticism and drown out negative useless and baseless criticism.

Booking success is produced by understanding that you can be turned down but you can’t be turned off. Rejection is the name of the show business

game. If auditions are the game, being able to handle rejection is your exercise. The best parent and child talent teams understand that its not only part

of the business its a necessary part. The most successful young talents are coached to appreciate rejection as a message of getting closer to success. Learning something from the experience and executing on the next pass is vital. In fact, casting director notoriously remember talents and their strengths and weaknesses and watch for development. The best booked talents persist in auditioning despite any turn downs and request feedback. The parent manager who wants to win must always- always- always ask for quality

#7

#6

feedback where and when available from the talent agent or by following up with the casting team. Even outright rejection helps the young talent to develop and mature skills in accepting that the business isn’t always one in which you book every role. What’s important is that you are noticed and perform exceptionally well before and during the audition.

SIGNAL #8 A prepared talent that looks the part of a star!

Success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration, so says Thomas Edison. The top names in casting directors have teams working hard to book only the best young talents for the roles. Casting directors use talent agents who are credible and don’t waste time with bad send outs. As a young talent who wants to land a major role,it helps to be ready for success. If you make the job to find you easier for talent agents and directors to find you, you increase your chances of success. The top working young talents in show business didn’t get to the top by accident. When you think of leading young talent names in major films, or tv series, understand that they reflected the makings of a special talent before they became super successes. Have you ever thought what makes those young talents well known? Why does everyone remember them? Because they have created a personal star brand that stands out, and along with their talent ability have let the most important people know about their talent. And that’s what you need to do.

“Well my kid’s not famous?” You might say. Or perhaps, “We don’t have the financial means to compete like that?

Well rest assured your young talent doesn’t need to be a national celebrity to be famous. If they’re talented and have been noticed by one person.. they’re at least slightly famous! At least on some local level. Your job is to effectively promote your talent and define what’s so unique about their talent. Remember you don’t have to spend a lot of money, you just have to look like your special enough to be given the shot.

ASK YOURSELF Does my talent have a personal brand? A killer headshot? An effective website ? A great comp card? A digital signature? A dynamic voice over reel? Do we have the tools in place to draw attention of the top talent agents and casting director to, increase audition invites and increase our booking to audition ratio?

If so you’ve done a great job - keep going. If not, consider a talent marketing makeover or at least consult a professional. At the very least make sure your child has a professional looking headshot.

If you’re serious about increasing the attention you want for major bookings Namely, top agents, casting directors and players in show business who can help promote your young talent’s success story. People, including casting directors, love working with already successful professionals. Being poised for success through preparation can never take anything away. Not being so always does.

#8

Next Rachel Ray?She could be. If you help her. Your talent

being seen in the right place, at the right time, can make all the difference to a young performer’s career. Leading casting directors and top agents agree besides the audition, being professionally visible in the

industry is the best way to stand out . With talent websites, demo reels, and head shot packages starting from only $299 for a limited time, why wouldn’t you at least find out how you can give your talent the

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