How do you become a child actor

How to Become an Actor as a Kid — 8 Steps for Child Actors

child actors Explained

How do we define child actor?

The term “child actor” may seem self explanatory, but there are a few details that distinguish them from other types of actors. Let’s take a look at the definition of child actor to give us some base level insight on how to become an actor as a kid.

CHILD ACTOR DEFINITION

What is a child actor?

A child actor is a child who acts in stage plays, television, or cinema. Child actors take on the role of young characters. By law, the education of a child actor must not be disrupted whether that education is public, private, or home schooling. Productions must also have a set teacher so that the child actor may continue their education while working on set. These are only a few of the explicit laws created to protect child actors.

Many child actors who find success find difficulty in the different lifestyles and stardom. Many child actors do not continue their career in acting due to these difficulties. However, there are many child actors who continue their acting careers to be successful.

Famous child actors:

Macaulay Culkin
Haley Joel Osment
Lindsay Lohan

how to audition for movie as a Child

How to become an actor as a kid

Getting started as a child actor is similar to starting an acting career at any age. Breaking into the industry requires persistence and hard work. If you are a parent of an aspiring child actor, this goes for both you and your child.

Child actors (and children in general) learn fast and are able to grow their skill set rapidly within a small amount of time.

That said, children also love being children. Child actors who love to act and perform will most likely stick with it longer. Here are a few ways children who are passionate about acting get started.

1. Get an agent

If you are the parent of an aspiring child actor, you may be weary of getting an agent. Don’t be. Be weary of getting a bad agent. Good agents, however, are essential to getting opportunities with different talent agencies.

Here's actress Tessa Netting on answering questions about how she got started in her career, including how she landed an agent.

How to become an actor as a kid • Ask Tessa Netting

The more you work with agents, the more investment they will have in you and your child. Getting started in the acting world can also be intimidating. An agent or a manager can help be a liaison between you and this new industry.

2. Take professional headshots

Once you get an agent they will ask you to get new, professional headshots of your child. Getting creative with these headshots is a great way to have your child stand out. Let your child have fun and show their personality in their headshots.

How to be a child actor? Start with a headshot

3. Enroll in acting classes

As an aspiring child actor, your child must have fun acting of course. So let them practice it by enrolling them in some acting classes. Especially at their young age, children are able to learn incredibly fast and still have a big imagination.

Acting classes can also help you network and learn from other parents of child actors. Not to mention, taking classes can help add to your child’s acting resume. For example, if they practice voice over acting in class you child can act voice over acting to their skill set.

Child actor voice over acting

4. Practice a monologue

Work with your child on nailing down their favorite monologue. Most likely, your child will be asked to perform a monologue of some sort in an audition for any speaking role. Having a monologue dialed in will help them get the part.

5. Audition

Your agent or manager will help you get auditions. It is your job as a parent to prepare your child for the audition, get them there, and communicate with them in the face of both success and rejection.

Here's a fantastic example of how to audition for a movie as a child. This is young actor Henry Thomas pouring his heart out during an audition for one of Steven Spielberg's best movies, the classic E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

How to become an actor as a kid • Kill the audition

Your child should be having fun throughout this process and should understand that every step is an opportunity to learn.

how to be an actor as a kid?

Working with child actors

On the opposite side of production, working with child actors also has its own implications both by law and in practice. Here's a video that breaks down a lot of the legal considerations when working with children.

How to be a child actor • Rules and regulations

Here are a few things to keep in mind when working with child actors if you are taking on the role of a producer.

1. Getting a set teacher

By law a child’s education cannot be disrupted by their work on a production. Set teachers (also called studio teachers) are required by child actor labor laws. Essentially, set teachers act as a child actor’s tutor and supervisor. Keep in mind that your production will have to pay for the set teacher who’s day rate can cost hundreds of dollars a day.

Set teacher with child actor

2. Time restrictions

Another law that pertains to child actors is working time restrictions. Child actors are only allowed to work a certain amount of hours per day. How many hours they are allowed to work depends on their age.

A child’s time on set must be divided between work time, education, and recreational time. For SAG productions, a report of these times will be listed on the Exhibit G Form.

3. Obtaining Child Actor Permits

Once you cast a child actor, you must ensure that their work permits are up to date. This is ultimately the responsibility of the parent of the child actor. But open communication with the parent begins with ensuring all documentation and permits are in order.

A production will also have to apply for a permit to employ minors. While this may depend on the region your production is taking place in, most regions will require any individual or business entity to obtain legal permits to employ minors as an artist, performer, or entertainer.

how do you become an actor as a kid?

Famous child actor roles

Some of the most memorable child actor performances have come from a combination of a great child actor, a great story, and a great director. Steven Spielberg is notorious for his ability to direct child actors which is no easy feat. It is a part of Spielberg’s directing style to use the wonder and imagination of kids in his films.

It is no wonder that some of the best child actor performances have come from some of Spielberg’s best films such as Hook, A.I. Artificial Intelligence and War of the Worlds.

But what are the best performances in cinema by child actors? Check out this top ten list of best child actor performances in the video below.

Top 10 Great Movie Performances by Kids

Child actors are incredibly vital to cinema. Cinema tells stories from all walks of life with the inevitable inclusion of the perspective of children. Child actors who choose to act because of their passion and excitement for it can bring an incredible amount of value to a film. They are capable of delivering brilliant performances that create memorable films.

UP NEXT

Best Casting Websites

Once your little Brando is ready for auditions, here are some of the best sites to find them. We included a breakdown of the pros and cons of each site, along with tips on how to nail the perfect audition. Let’s go!

Up Next: Casting Websites →

How to Become a Kid Actor... All You Need to Know

3/5/2022

So, you want to become a kid actor?

In this guide, I'll cover everything you need to know, from the training you need (hint: it's less than you think) to how to start finding auditions ASAP. We'll also talk about how to get your parents on board if they don't support you.

Ready to get started?

The fastest way to become a kid actor (even if you have no experience) is to just start submitting yourself to auditions online. Some of those submissions will lead to auditions, and some of those auditions will lead to acting work!

As a kid, you'll have a much easier time getting acting work than most adults do because casting directors (the people who'll hire you) don't expect you to have many credits on your resume. So the sooner you start submitting yourself for real projects, the better!

How to Become a Child Actor With No Experience

So how do I become a child actor with no experience?

Well, there's no need to spend years training and taking acting classes before you can start getting paid acting work as a kid – in fact, booking paid acting work (whether you're experienced or not) is just a numbers game. Here's what you need to do:

Create a profile on 2-3 casting websites. Start by visiting the three main casting websites (if you're not based in the USA, these sites might be different) – Actor's Access, Backstage, and Casting Networks. Create a profile and make sure it's up to date by including some photos of yourself and any credits or training you have. If you have nothing yet, don't worry! Some casting sites charge a fee, so you might need to discuss joining them with your parents if you don't have money (we'll discuss how to get your parents on board soon).
Create your three basic marketing materials. The three main things you'll need as an actor are a headshot (if you can afford it I recommend hiring a professional headshot photographer, but if can't, any un-retouched photo of yourself that shows your face clearly will do), a professionally formatted acting resume (it's OK if you don't have credits or training yet), and footage of yourself performing (just use a smartphone to record yourself doing 2-3 monologues). Upload all three of these onto the casting profiles you created in Step 1.
Submit yourself for lots of projects. Try to submit yourself to at least 5-10 projects every week (make sure to follow the submissions instructions attached to each project). As a kid just starting out, you should wind up getting at least 1-2 audition or self-tape invitations each week.
Some of those auditions will result in bookings. You can expect to book 1 out of every 5-10 auditions you get (as long as your acting technique is good and you're decent at natural acting).

The acting industry does not require you to have any formal training or experience as a kid – if a casting director likes your look and thinks your acting is good (from the monologue you submit), they'll bring you in for an audition. And if you do a good job at the audition and they think you're right for a part, you'll get hired!

Related: How to Prepare for an Audition

How to Get Your Parents on Board

A lot of parents don't like the idea of their kids becoming actors since there's so much rejection and it's a challenging career path.

However, if you feel like you were born to act, you'll need to convince them! Here are some things you can say:

"Kids are naturally talented and creative." Talent and creativity are very important for actors, and a vivid imagination almost always results in great acting, which casting directors love.
"Kids have less inhibitions. " Most kids are less worried about what people think, meaning they don't let their emotions and fears get in the way of their performance. That means you'll probably be better at auditioning than many adults!
"It's WAY easier for kids to build a career in acting." There are fewer kids performing than adults, and since most parents think their kids need years of training before being able to audition for real projects, you'll have a much higher shot of booking the role (since you're one of the few actors who knows you don't need to spend years training first).

Now that you've explained why becoming an actor as a kid is a good idea, you'll also need to show them that you can handle it. Here are a few other things to consider doing:

Explain how passionate you are about acting. Why do you love it so much? How would you feel if you were unable to do it? Remember – acting is about more than fame, so if that's all you want, you're unlikely to convince your parents. Focus on what you love most about being on stage and why you find acting to be so fun.
Explain that you'll keep up with your other responsibilities. Will you be able to keep up with your household chores and schoolwork? Why are you so sure, and can you prove it? You might want to ask your parents for a trial run, where they let you try acting for a period of time, such as a month or two, and you show them you're able to keep up with everything.
Buy (or rent from the library) some books on acting. If you read books like these in your free time (instead of playing video games or hanging out with friends), your parents will see how serious you are about acting and might be more inclined to let you try it out. I recommend checking out my book Get Cast if you're looking for a good, easy read to start out.
Get a work permit (but only after you've done some free acting work). Anyone under the age of 18 is generally required to have a special work permit to get paid acting jobs, so your parents might need to help you get one. That said, you won't need a work permit for unpaid projects, so you can start by submitting to unpaid student films and other small productions to get experience (you can find student films using the acting websites we discussed earlier).

Some Things to Keep in Mind

Here are a few simple tips to keep in mind on how to become a kid actor:

Take 1-2 acting classes a week to further your training, but don't do more than that. Classes are great because they can help you improve your technique and learn how to deal with challenging situations that might arise in your acting career, but spending too much time in classes and too little time actually finding acting jobs and performing in real productions will cause you to get stuck. Spend about half your time in classes/workshops and the other half submitting to real auditions.
Joining a local theater is a great way to meet people and get experience. You can find community theaters by Googling or asking friends in acting classes. You'll learn how the industry works, make new connections, and get familiar with the process of stage and screen acting in these small groups.
Take every rejection as a "close, but not perfect yet!" Don't get discouraged when you get rejected at an audition – it happens all the time! In fact, even the best of the best actors only book 1 out of every 4-5 auditions they go to – and that's the best of the best! Use rejection as an opportunity to find one small thing to improve each time, and if you keep improving, eventually you'll start getting lots more acting work!
You gotta be good to get anywhere. Remember – casting directors are smart. If you're not a great actor and your acting looks fake, you'll NEVER book the role, no matter how many auditions you go to. That's why having a good understanding of natural acting is so important. Record yourself on camera and play it back, taking note of anything that looks phony. Be strict with yourself because if you're not, you're only hurting your own career in the long run!
Make sure to have at least two monologues prepared. Oftentimes, when you go to auditions, in addition to performing the sides, you'll also be asked to perform a monologue. I recommend reading this guide to learn how to find a good monologue: How to Find the Right Monologue for You.

Getting an Agent Should Be Your 6-Month Goal

An agent is someone who will submit you to high-level, professional productions so you can start acting in real movies and TV shows. Luckily, it's easier for kids to get talent agents than it is for adults!

Before looking for an agent however, I recommend following the steps outlined in this article to get auditions by yourself because most agents want someone who has at least some experience. Spend the first 4-6 months submitting yourself and then once you have 3-4 credits on your resume, you can start the process of looking for an agent. Hopefully your parents will be on-board by that point too!

When you're ready to start looking for an agent, read this guide: How to Get an Acting Agent: The Ultimate Guide

Don't Waste Your Time on These Things:

Three common things new actors spend too much time on (that distract them from more important things) are:

A Website: As a kid actor just starting out, a website is way too much. In your first 1-2 years, I recommend sticking to the basics of submitting yourself and looking for an agent. Don't worry about a website until you have at least 5 paid acting credits on your resume.
A Personal Brand: Figuring out your brand and aesthetic is difficult when you're first starting. It's better to first find out your Type and then just start submitting. Focus your time and attention on getting more auditions and booking them, and only work to figure out your personal brand once you've got at least 3 credits on your resume, which is probably going be about 3-5 months from now (if you have no experience yet).
A YouTube Presence and/or Creating Your Own Productions: Although it's helpful to have videos you've created online to demonstrate your acting ability, most casting directors and agents are too busy to spend their time looking through your YouTube profile and watching your short films/plays. For that reason, unless you absolutely love making your own videos, you can generally ignore advice that tells you to create your own productions and try to build a YouTube presence.

How to Become a Kid Actor: Conclusion

As an overall takeaway, start by creating some profiles online and putting together your three main marketing materials (headshot, resume, and clips). Then start submitting yourself!

Spend about 6 months doing that and then you can start the process of looking for an agent, by which point your acting career will start to take off.

Just remember that becoming a kid actor requires patience and at least 6 months of consistent work before you'll start seeing results – but once you get there, the sky's the limit!

I wish you luck and hope to see your name on the big screen one day :)

Enjoyed this article?

Book more work by thinking "Outside the Industry."

Knowing the basics of how to become a kid actor is just one part of growing your acting career.

As someone who has worked with people in thousands of industries (through my headshot business), I've been able to take growth strategies that work for businesses and apply them directly to actors – to help them grow their careers faster than most would think possible (examples: one of my clients landed his first-ever Broadway role in just 4 weeks of working with me, and a brand-new actress signed with a high-level agent in just six weeks of working with me).

I'd like to invite you to my free insider newsletter where I share my best material, including:

How to network easily and authentically with casting directors – even if you hate self-promotion.
How to find your Type and Brand in just 18 minutes (it doesn't require awkwardly asking lots of random people for feedback)
How to find a hardworking and reliable agent – even if you don't have a strong resume or reel
And much more...

Download my free Actor's Toolkit to get started and you'll hear from me a few times a week with unique "outside the industry" strategies. I promise they'll help you build a career you're truly proud of.

Send Me the Toolkit!

Martin Bentsen (author of this guide) is an actor marketing coach who uses “outside the industry” thinking to help actors book more work. He’s helped over 6,000 actors with their careers and actor headshots since 2009 and his photography studio City Headshots is ranked #1 on Yelp. He’s spoken at NYU, The New England Theater Conference, The Actor’s Green Room, and other venues.

Want to book more acting work by thinking different? Start with his free Actor’s Toolkit to create new opportunities right away, or visit his website at www.martinbentsen.com.

Some Additional Q&A

Is Netflix Looking for Kid Actors?

Netflix and plenty of other production companies are looking for kid actors. if you google things like "how to become a kid actor on Netflix" or you read my Ultimate Guide to Getting Acting Work on Netflix, you'll quickly learn how to start getting those opportunities!

How to Become a Child Actor on Disney Channel?

The best way to get acting work on the Disney Channel is to get an agent and ask them to submit you to those productions. read my Ultimate Guide to Getting a Talent Agent for more info.

How a child can become an actor

The main feature of children's perception is the readiness to act here and now. If the kid is passionate about some idea, then he strives to start implementing it without delay.

But what to do if a daughter or son has the idea of becoming an actor? After all, this is only in the movies, a charismatic child meets a producer in the store by chance and wakes up as a star. In the real world, such cases are one in a million. And even in order to get into the crowd, you need to go through a casting. nine0003

How can a child get a movie role?

There are several ways that a student can become an actor:

Be related to the world of cinema and theater . If there are artists in the student's family who can recommend a baby, then such children are taken much more willingly. Indeed, in creative families, a daughter or son is familiar with acting skills from early childhood.
Live with parents who actively promote them . Many mothers and fathers, out of ambitious motives or in an effort to give their child an all-round development, take him to various castings and selections. Much depends on the perseverance of the parents, their willingness to go to various screenings throughout the country. nine0014
Attend thematic circles and sections . From childhood, the guys get used to the audience, the light of spotlights and, visiting auditions, behave naturally and naturally. This category of young actors is the easiest to work with.

What skills does a child actor need?

For a start and successful development in the field of cinema, regardless of age, it is important to meet certain standards:

Acting skills - the skill must be actively developed by attending clubs, video lessons, studying with a tutor. nine0014
Practice – to feel natural in front of the camera, it is important to practice: your YouTube channel, participating in events and school plays, reciting in front of loved ones.
Diction is one of the key conditions for working as an actor. It is necessary to systematically train speed, clarity, different intonation.
Memory – memorization of large texts is obligatory for those who have chosen the acting path. Without the ability to memorize large amounts of information, it will not work to play a role. nine0014
Appearance – you need very different types. Therefore, it makes no sense to chase the standard, it is better to develop and improve your data: go in for sports, monitor the condition of the skin, hair, nails.
Outlook – the more abilities and communication skills, the more interesting the person. So instead of dreaming about your favorite series, it’s better to read books, learn to fence, ride a horse, run skiing.
Sincerity - you need to learn to live emotions, not to play. Watch good films where the heroes of the tape received awards. Watching how they live the situation, you believe every word and emotion. This is true craftsmanship. nine0014
Independence - tours, work on the set - all this makes young actors grow up early. It is important to be responsible for your actions, to be organized and attentive without reminders.
Confidence - believe in your talent, knock on all doors and attend auditions.
Resilience - on the way to success you will have to work hard, endure criticism and even condemnation. It is important to learn to be disciplined, to distinguish constructive advice from hurtful remarks, and also to keep self-esteem stable. nine0014

Conclusion

The way to the red carpet is quite difficult. Not always one child's desire is enough to become an actor. Parental support, development, as well as discipline and self-confidence are important.

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How can I help my child become an actor? Tips for parents.

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Knowledge base

The child wants to become an actor - how to help him with this? nine0003

Help to take the first steps
Provide comprehensive training
Take your child to a casting
Explain that the role is not the main thing

Is your child charismatic and artistic, does he like to transform and does he dream of becoming an actor? The acting path is interesting and creative, but it is not as simple as it seems at first glance. Before shining on stage or acting in films, an actor undergoes a long training at an acting school. Parents need to tell the child in advance all the nuances of the chosen profession and help him develop acting talent. nine0003

Help to take the first steps

Enroll your child in an acting school. Experienced teachers will help remove mental and bodily blocks, liberate yourself, and teach you how to confidently stay on stage. Without inner freedom and confidence, it will not be possible to build an acting career. In addition, classes at school will help the child make new acquaintances with peers who also dream of the stage.

At the Names Production Children's Center, we often hold master classes for children with famous actors, arrange castings for teenagers and toddlers. And our students almost immediately apply the acquired knowledge in practice. They participate in theatrical performances and festivals, are filmed in the section "View from below" in the show "Evening Urgant". nine0003

Provide comprehensive training

Charisma and natural talent for reincarnation alone are not enough. An actor must have many qualities. For example:

clear diction and well-trained voice;
good speed of thinking;
good memory for memorizing roles;
the ability to psychologically abstract from personal problems at the time of the speech;
developed emotional intelligence;
plasticity and the ability to feel your body;
high erudition.

It is impossible to do without a comprehensive development of the personality. Classes in a children's theater studio provide such development, but additional vocal and choreography classes may be needed. It is also useful to read the history of the theater, and biographies of famous actors, to attend theater premieres. This is necessary for a stronger immersion in the topic and broadening one's horizons. nine0003

Take your child to a casting

Casting for children in Moscow is not an easy test for a child, but it can clearly show all the features of an acting life. This industry is highly competitive. At the casting, you have to wait a long time for your turn, and the waiting conditions are not always comfortable. Acting castings in Moscow and other cities will require patience, determination and stress resistance from the child - the qualities necessary for an actor.

Explain that the role is not the main thing

You should not ask the teacher to give the child the main role. Usually acting teachers - experienced actors or directors themselves - see what the student is ready for. In addition, the absence of main roles is not an indicator of your child's talent. Perhaps the time just hasn't come yet. Do not treat child acting with excessive fanaticism. In addition to studying, let the child enjoy communication with friends, play, creativity and free time. By the end of school, he will decide for sure whether he wants to become an actor or choose another profession. nine0003

The production center for children "Imena Production" invites pupils from 3 to 18 years old to take acting classes. Classes in our center will help the child to express himself, relieve him of shyness, develop concentration, memory and emotional intelligence, teach him to effectively interact with other people. These skills are important not only for those who dream of devoting their lives to the stage, but for all children.

Acting All tags

07/22/2020.