A Must-Have Checklist to Prepare Your Child to Start an Acting Career

Starting an acting career can be exciting, but also nerve-wracking, especially if it’s your child who will be performing. You want to make sure they have everything they need to succeed and receive that standing ovation. Here is a checklist every parent should have for their budding child actor. 

What You Need for Auditions

In order to be prepared for and succeed at an audition, you need to have a few things. 

1. Headshots- Professional headshots that casting directors can use to connect a face to a name.
2. Resume- This has all of the acting education and work experience that your child has done, as well as basic information about them, including any special skills they may have (piano, singing, accents, etc.).
3. Sides- These are the short scenes your child may be given to perform at an audition.
4. Monologue- A short speech from a stage or screen scene, performed by the actor. There are collections of monologues available at many bookstores.
5. Reel- This is a collection of your child’s film and tv acting credits. These can be professional credits or taken from an acting class performance.
6. Slate- Your child will be required to introduce themselves with a term called “slate.” How your child’s slate goes depends on the casting director and the audition, but they will always say their name during the slate. 

Why Training is Important

Training not only prepares your child for the acting world but also lets the casting agent and director know you’re serious. ClasShare offers comprehensive acting courses that help prepare your child for the acting business. After taking these courses, your child will be confident and prepared, and you can then add them to your child’s resume.

Here is a checklist of the fundamental acting courses your child should take: 

• Business of Acting:  

Everything you need to know about headshots, resumes, slate, commercial acting and where to find acting jobs.

• Intro to Acting: 

Vocabulary in acting, facial exercises, body movement, short scenes, character building. 

• Audition Techniques: 

This is a perfect opportunity to learn the where, when, what, and how of auditioning. Keep an eye on the audition checklist for an acting career for your child.

• Acting On Camera (Film Acting) 

This course focuses on techniques specific to acting on film. You’ll learn the differences between stage, television, and film acting. 

• Monologues 

You will learn what they are used for, where they come from, what types of monologues are needed for auditions, and how to prepare and perform monologues. 

• Let’s Make A Film 

Every actor needs a reel. This is the opportunity to showcase everything you’ve learned on a short film video.  

Gaining Work Experience

Work experience is a key component of your child’s resume and is ultimately the end goal. If you want your child to be in films/TV or commercials (which will earn the most income), then you need to have related work experiences in order to be casted. ClasShare provides commercial and short film opportunities to our students. In ClasShare, this is an audition checklist for acting that can help your kids develop upcoming talents.

Take the Leap

Getting your child started in the acting business can be intimidating when you don’t know where to start. ClasShare is here to help your child grow into the budding young actor we know they are. Taking the leap into the acting business is no easy feat, but we’re here to help and guide you along the way. You got this!