Post by MJ Ferruzza on Jun 24, 2007 11:32:52 GMT -5
Marketing the Acting Child
As a casting director and acting coach, I was given an emergency casting for a local, but union commercial. They were looking for a diverse group of children within a certain age range. I agreed to help with the casting using my resources. Over the years, I have had a great number of talented children in my Creative Kids Talent Workshop program. Most children come to me to work on bolstering their personality, creative thinking and self esteem. Another group of these kids are interested in acting and want to learn about stage, film and voice technique for the actor. I lump the final group of Creative Kids as die hard actors who get listed with talent agents, have their own resumes and demos and use my program to hone their audition skills for plays, commercials and film projects.
The problem I face as an acting coach and counselor is that some of the parents who place their kids in my program tend to forget about the marketing aspect of the business. Keeping headshots current, a good resume or even an actor's web page help promote talent these days. Most parents rely on school pictures or photos from GlamorShots™ as their primary marketing tool. These will work in a pinch, but do not reflect the professionalism some producers and directors are looking for when casting a project.
So I now list some easy ways to get your marketing current, quickly and effectively.
1. A one on one live consultation: www.keen.com/mjfprod
2. A marketing class: www.actindy.com/career
3. Get a good head shot! (If your child's pictures are 1 ½ + year old, get new ones!)
4. Look into having a comp card designed and printed.
5. Put together a contact/update letter listing all statistics, sizes and relevant numbers & addresses. (Be sure to attach 2 current pictures – adhere by glue stick.)
6. Put a resume together.
7. Make an online resume.
8. Study what other talent are using to promote their acting career.
9. Don't play innocent. (Professionals KNOW what they need or should have.)
10. If you believe none of these pertain to you, read this: www.actindy.com/advice.
As a casting director and acting coach, I was given an emergency casting for a local, but union commercial. They were looking for a diverse group of children within a certain age range. I agreed to help with the casting using my resources. Over the years, I have had a great number of talented children in my Creative Kids Talent Workshop program. Most children come to me to work on bolstering their personality, creative thinking and self esteem. Another group of these kids are interested in acting and want to learn about stage, film and voice technique for the actor. I lump the final group of Creative Kids as die hard actors who get listed with talent agents, have their own resumes and demos and use my program to hone their audition skills for plays, commercials and film projects.
The problem I face as an acting coach and counselor is that some of the parents who place their kids in my program tend to forget about the marketing aspect of the business. Keeping headshots current, a good resume or even an actor's web page help promote talent these days. Most parents rely on school pictures or photos from GlamorShots™ as their primary marketing tool. These will work in a pinch, but do not reflect the professionalism some producers and directors are looking for when casting a project.
So I now list some easy ways to get your marketing current, quickly and effectively.
1. A one on one live consultation: www.keen.com/mjfprod
2. A marketing class: www.actindy.com/career
3. Get a good head shot! (If your child's pictures are 1 ½ + year old, get new ones!)
4. Look into having a comp card designed and printed.
5. Put together a contact/update letter listing all statistics, sizes and relevant numbers & addresses. (Be sure to attach 2 current pictures – adhere by glue stick.)
6. Put a resume together.
7. Make an online resume.
8. Study what other talent are using to promote their acting career.
9. Don't play innocent. (Professionals KNOW what they need or should have.)
10. If you believe none of these pertain to you, read this: www.actindy.com/advice.