Get the Best Family Activities
Use a connection. You may even find representation for your child through friends who are already established in the industry. Ask them to recommend you to their agent. However, if your child is the same age, gender, size, etc. as the child who already has representation, your friend may hesitate in making the introduction because it would increase the competition their child faces in an already competitive business.
Attend workshops and classes. One of the more productive ways of finding representation is to enroll your child in a workshop in which he’ll work one-on-one with industry reps. This gives kids an amazing opportunity to work in an intimate class setting with the people who hold the key to their success. In addition to providing exposure, these classes are incredibly educational. Kids are taught proper audition technique, lingo, and performance skills that help lay a solid foundation for furthering their acting careers.
Go to agent and manager showcases. Perhaps the very best way to find representation is to participate in a by-audition-only agent and manager showcase. If selected, agent and manager showcase participants have the chance to perform for a large group of agents, managers, and casting directors. Before auditioning your child for a showcase, do your research: Ask questions about the success rate of prior showcase participants and be wary of false promises. If a young actor participates in a showcase before they are ready to go to the next level, it will only hurt her chances of finding representation in the long run. The most reputable showcases only position aspiring actors who have the best chance of success in front of the very people that can help them realize their dreams.
Jessica Rofé is the founder and artistic director of A Class Act NY, Manhattan’s award-winning acting studio for kids and teens. Rofé has successfully coached students that have booked roles in feature films, Broadway productions, and primetime TV series. Her students have had starring roles in Broadway’s The Lion King, NBC’s The New Normal and The Sound of Music Live!, and the feature film The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
