How to Market Your Child Actor Part 2

How to Market Your Child Actor for Increased Auditions and Call Backs

Part 2 of 3

As you may recall, in Part 1 of “How to Market Your Child Actor,” we discussed three ways to market your child actor: (1) Headshots for Kids; (2) Postcards and Mailing Lists for your child actor; and (3) Social Media for child actors.

In this section, we cover four additional ways to market your child actor: (1) Keeping your agent and/or manager in the loop; (2) websites that provide public information for casting projects; (3) casting director workshops; and (4) training.

Agent/Manager

Your child’s agent/manager will submit and pitch your child, but keeping the agent and manager “updated” on your child is your job. Yes, they will know your child booked and filmed something as they are a part of the process, but they are also busy and may not remember when a movie is out, or a when a show is airing on TV to watch. Often times, early in the process, you will be self-submitting for smaller projects (shorts and student films) of which they have no knowledge. Always keep your child’s representation in the loop; this shows that your child is working and likes working. Also, let them know of any training or other projects your child has completed. This is a way to show they’re working on their craft and serious about it. Letting representation know what other special interests and talents your child has may also be advantageous as there may be a project out there that requires such talent.

Websites for casting projects

There are several subscription service websites which will email projects that fit your childʼs profile.

Some of these are:

Actors Access This site has eco-cast where you can upload video auditions to send to casting directors. Casting directors use Breakdown Services which is attached to Actors Access.

Casting Networks (aka L.A. Casting) This site lists commercials, shorts, films and TV shows.

The Casting Frontier This platform primarily lists commercial work.

While these are reputable and legitimate casting sites, agents and managers are ultimately the source which will see the major breakdowns that the general public does not. If you do not have representation, you will be limited by what the general public is allowed to see and submit. All of the above subscription casting services will allow you to self-submit. Always go with your instinct when you are self-submitting your child, and do your research. Some projects may not be legitimate or legal.

Agent Cindy Osbrink dutifully watches over her client Elle Fanning in an interview with HMB’s Jordan Bobbitt

Casting Director Workshops cost money, but *can* be worth it. We arrived in Los Angeles from an extremely small and limited market, and this was the quickest way to get in front of casting directors that werenʼt necessarily casting for projects. Casting directors will sit and answer questions for about 20 minutes, and then each child is taken is into an audition room where they go through a mock audition and get feedback and redirects. This can do wonders for a child who does not have much audition experience.

There are several locations in Los Angeles which host casting director workshops, Actor Training in LA L.A. Film & TV Workshops and Actorsite have programs that cater to child actors. Wherever you choose, make sure they permit your childʼs age range in the class. Some only allow adults, or children 15 or older.

Training

Training falls under marketing in the sense that your child is taking the time to learn about being in front of the camera, learning techniques and teaching the brain how to act, respond, and listen to the other actors. This process not only improves their acting skills but makes them more marketable as an actor. While the best training is always “doing,” taking acting classes will increase your child actors marketability.

Originally Published November 20, 2012

In the third and final portion of “How to Market Your Child Actor for Increased Auditions and Call Backs,” we will discuss the top two most important ways to market your child.

HMB Writer/Contributor Valerie Sullivan is Momager to Cody Sullivan, age 13.