Breaking in to the Entertainment Industry is not easy, and no matter what some may try to tell you, there is no shortcut or magic bullet.  Yes, occasionally child actors are born seemingly overnight and enter a fast track to fame and fortune. However, this situation is rare; even if your child is incredibly talented you’re more likely to win the lottery than gain instant success in Hollywood.

That said, there is a process that can be followed in order to launch your child’s career in showbiz.  While not everyone will become the next Miley Cyrus or Joe Jonas, parents and child performers who follow this process will have a much greater chance of success in showbiz. But first we must talk about the definition of success.

Before launching your child’s career in entertainment, it is probably a good idea to assess your expectations and your child’s expectations.  Why are you interested in this industry?  Why does your child want to be an actor, model and/or singer?  When you talk to your child about the entertainment industry, do they talk about their love for performing, or are they prone to reference the fame and fortune often associated with being “a star”?   If both you and your child have your heart in the right place, and you want to be in showbiz because you love it, you can succeed!

So you’ve decided to give showbiz a shot, but you’re not sure where to start.  A parent who does his or her research first is definitely better equipped to make it in this business.  More significantly, a parent who educates himself or herself on the ins and outs of the casting process, and makes a clear effort to follow the casting process will have a much better chance at helping his or her child succeed. 

Special Tip For PerformerTrack Members Children In Film is right ~ "A parent who does his or her research first is definitely better equipped"! Prior to ever meeting anyone... prior to ever paying for anyone's services... DO THE RESEARCH! Use the "Know Before You Go" buttons when entering a contact in your Contacts Section. Click on the IMDb button to see what projects this person has been involved with and what they are currently working on. Click on the Google button to perform a wider search (do they have a Website? A Bio? Are they on any social networks? Etc.). Click on the IBDb link to see if they are listed on the Internet Broadway Database. Finally, click on the YouTube button to see if you can find any of their work that you can watch.

The casting process describes the industry standard for the way in which an actor goes from a performer with a dream, to a working (and paid) actor, singer and/or model.  While many parents with talented children are tempted to skip a step here and there, doing so can drastically affect your outcome and in the long run, slow your progress. 

An example if this would be a parent who enters the entertainment business and immediately begins to seek out casting notices for their child.  The parent may Google “casting opportunities for kids,” or go on a site like craigslist or another actor-related site to seek out opportunities. The problem with this is that this parent isn’t following the casting process.  Unfortunately the majority of the gigs he or she may find will either me illegitimate, unpaid, or at the very least unprofessional enough that they won’t move the child’s progress forward.  In an even worse scenario, the parent may be scammed into believing that the opportunity will create success for their child, but ultimately they will end up shelling out hard-earned dollars for a dead-end result.

The casting process actually teaches us that representation is the key to gaining opportunities.  A child who has an agent or a manager first has a much greater chance of being seen by legitimate casting directors.  They will even have access to opportunities of which those without representation are unaware.
Furthermore, the casting process teaches us that every child will need things like headshots, resumes and classes.  The question is not whether your child needs these things, but more a question of who they should hire for such services.

Special Tip For PerformerTrack Members Use your My Reps section in your Essentials Log to list each agent & manager that you are signed with. This will then allow you to tag which Auditions and Direct Bookings they are responsible for getting you into! Knowing what your representation is doing for you will allow you to have better communication with them.

ChildrenInFilm.com, a social networking site dedicated to the positive employment of minors in entertainment, has multiple resources for parents of child actors.  Additionally, they teach parents exactly what the casting process is and how to figure out where they stand within the casting process.

Children In Film members can also participate in KidStart, a ten-step program designed to walk parents though the process of launching their child’s career.  In addition to learning what you need to do, you will also gain access to a valuable list of who you need to know.  Children In Film’s Membership Directory is filled with rated agents, managers, casting directors, photographers, teachers and more, all of whom can be contacted right through the site.

With Children In Film you can learn what you need to know, and then contact the people you need to know in order to get you to where you want to be.