Child actors... Where do you get them?

I would call casting agents in your area. If you are guerrilla/very low budget, I would suggest contacting local schooldrama departments or local church youth programs (if your project is "Church friendly") , or sombody that runs a local community theatre group.
 
David G. Smith said:
I would call casting agents in your area. If you are guerrilla/very low budget, I would suggest contacting local schooldrama departments or local church youth programs (if your project is "Church friendly") , or sombody that runs a local community theatre group.
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School drama's are a good idea. I wonder how open a school usually is in collaborating with a film maker.
 
Ironman said:
School drama's are a good idea. I wonder how open a school usually is in collaborating with a film maker.
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I would try to contact the drama teachers directly. I was a drama geek BITD, and those folks are more laid back than school administrators. I would also imagine in this day and age, your project would need to be pretty "PC". Any thing too violent, or in any way extreme, may scare them off.
 
I really look for young actors who are registered with a casting agent, or even a casting website. This way their parents are usually always on board to begin with. This cuts down the run around. Also, Ive seen young / older drama students brought in and they dont know the process, a little shy about the process whatever and flake on you.
 
Noel Evans said:
I really look for young actors who are registered with a casting agent, or even a casting website. This way their parents are usually always on board to begin with. This cuts down the run around. Also, Ive seen young / older drama students brought in and they dont know the process, a little shy about the process whatever and flake on you.
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Definitely the way to go. You're going to need their parents to sign all their paperwork anyhow. Best to go through a casting director or SAG.
 
If no one's looking.....any day care or school.

J/K

We have cast a few kids in projects. C/L is a start. Hold a casting call just like any other role. The nice thing with kids, many times you want them to be themselves (kids) on camera, so having actor's training, an agent, and a whole entourage is not really needed. But their schedules are more complicated because of parents needing to be involved. And that's a MUST! Parent/guardian has to be on set at all times. No "drop-offs"!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
My last project was fun because I had to cast such a diverse age range, including a child actor. I was excited because it represented a new challenge for my directing. Was also not sure what to expect having never worked with such a young actor, she's 10.

I posted on LACASTING, being in LA, and got a fair amount of responses. Sent the script, and auditioned a handful til I found the right one. She was just great to work with, mom was with her and was also great. Also having a mom on set means an extra pair of eye's hands :)

Needed an extra person to cue the actor off screen, all positions were busy so Mom's came in and saved the day. Always great having an extra person on set.
 
Thanks for the input guys. The gig will be ultra low budget (£1,000s) and I'd like to ultimately avoid casting agent's fee's and put that money in elsewhere that'd enhance the film visually but I'm guessing if all else fails, I won't compromise the picture.

The genre is action fantasy and I would guess its an 18 (R) rated otherwise a definite 15 (PG-13) rated so I fear if I take the non-casting agency route, the amount of explaining and persuading I have to do :o
 
Doc Bernard said:
Parent/guardian has to be on set at all times. No "drop-offs"!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Yes!

Sadly, I once did a film (as B Camera Op) where a 9 year old girl was cast, and her father simply dropped her off in the morning and came back at the end of the day. During the 8 hour shoot (which was way too long for a 9 year-old to begin with) she was given *no* formal breaks aside from a short lunch (with the rest of us), and was acting in every scene shot. Towards end of the day I could see her getting seriously antsy and stressed, but she was a trooper so she didn't complain. It was my first time with the director, who was a friend of the child's father, so I didn't feel it was appropriate to intervene, but I was very tempted to do so.

The girl, like any 9 year-old, obviously needed regular breaks where she could go back to being her kid-self for a little while (and provided with some kind of appropriate activity - toys, TV, books, whatever). The day should have been limited to 5 hours or so (maybe even less?), and *the father (or another guardian) should have been there*. The situation as it played out bordered heavily on outright child abuse *at best*.

Not cool. Not at all...

In retrospect I wish I'd had the nerve to say something, but I suspect it wouldn't have done much good. Everyone else in the room (other cast, crew) appeared to be completely oblivious to what we were putting this very well-behaved little kid through.

Except for her, of course...
 
Local community theatre groups are good resources. And it can be a long shot especially if for a major speaking role, but I've had some luck with child actors by dealing with modeling agencies. They usually represent dozens, maybe hundreds of kids who are used to taking direction and being around cameras. The agency rep should know who of their clients might have more natural acting ability than the others.
 
I am going to ditto what a few others said. I only add to this to give another perspective and reason WHY you should look for talent agents in your area.

Theatre kids are great but as we all know, theatre does train an actor to be larger than what is needed for 99% of film shoots. Drama departments in a school might just snag you a child who is not over trained yet but it could still have you end up with a child talent who can''t take the repeated takes or take redirection.

Talent Agents in most of the country will take on child talent faster than adult talent because they are not expected to have large resumes. Most agents do make sure the kids get camera training and read them or have them do monologues. The agent will be better equipped to help you audition talent that fit the character and can handle the projected shooting days best.

Many agents will work with indie and student film projects because they often have a few 'dead on natural' child actors who need to build their resumes & reels to get bigger auditions.

Try the agents. You are more likely to find exactly what you need.

Michele
 
stage moms and dads freak me out. do what i did and bang a wife a couple of times, and you'll likely have kids! my 4 year old is a hoot and down for almost anything i have in mind (but honestly, most things are HER idea), and my newbon is already lighting up the screen. any bonehead can have kids. but only the best can be a parent. choose wisely. and hire family. so to speak.
 
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