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The parents guide: How to support your child's acting dreams...

11/29/2024

Are you a parent who has recently been surprised by the ‘I want to be an actor’ phrase? If your child has expressed an interest in acting, it can be an exciting and rewarding journey that will build their confidence, creativity and communication skills. As a parent, you play the most crucial role for them in helping them succeed and navigate the complexities of the entertainment industry.
Navigating this industry, especially as a newcomer, can feel overwhelming—particularly when you’re focused on safeguarding your child’s best interests. You want to make informed decisions that support their growth and well-being while building your own understanding of how the industry works, we hope this blog will help you in understanding the industry further!

You may be asking yourself, but where do you start?

Before diving into acting classes or auditions, take time to understand why your child wants to act. Is it the excitement of performing, the creativity of storytelling, or the desire to be on TV or film? Knowing their motivation will help you support them in the right way.

Asking your child what type of acting they would like to do whether it be screen, stage or musical theatre will ensure you can find the right training for them. The right training will allow your child to gain experience whether that's on set or stage that will allow them to understand the challenges and requirements of what it takes to be an actor.

What should I look for in an acting class?

Classes tailored to your child’s age group and experience level.
Instructors with industry experience in TV and film.
A focus on building confidence, creativity, and technical skills like camera work and audition preparation.
Spotlight accreditation.

Some acting classes such as IPM will also offer representation, this gives your child an opportunity to audition for industry casting calls through the likes of Spotlight. In addition to opening doors and building connections, this experience can significantly enhance both your child's and your own understanding of the industry, helping you better navigate the path ahead.
A child's life can already be busy with school, extracurriculars and maintaining friendships, acting can seem hard to fit in however, making a safe and comfortable home space will make all the difference.

How to support your child at home with acting:

Create a practice space where they can rehearse lines and experiment with different characters. This space will also be invaluable for self-tape auditions, providing a familiar and comfortable environment where they can perform at their best. Being in a space where they feel at ease can make all the difference in helping them deliver confident, authentic performances and nail their auditions.
Encourage creativity through activities like storytelling, improvisation, or watching films together and discussing the performances, this can make it an enjoyable and less demanding way to keep the muscle moving.
Provide constructive feedback, this will help your child grow, it is not always about being perfect but about learning and gaining confidence as a young performer.

How can I balance my child’s social life with their acting career?

While acting can be an exciting adventure and career, it’s essential to ensure that it doesn’t overwhelm your child’s education or personal life. Maintaining balance is key to your child's success.

Set a schedule that includes time for acting practice, homework, and downtime, this will ensure your child maintains a balance and scheduled time off.
Prioritise their well-being, ensuring they get enough rest and maintain hobbies outside of acting. Your child’s wellbeing, safety and joy come first, above and beyond everything else.
Teach time management skills to help them handle auditions, rehearsals, and school responsibilities effectively.

We often get asked, ‘how do I do an at home audition?!’ This can be a new and daunting experience for a parent, but auditions and self tapes are a massive achievement that we shouldn’t be scared of, but rather enjoy!

Prepare thoroughly by helping them learn their lines and understand the character, ensure you read all the instructions given by your agent and the casting director as they will likely have requirements such as IDENTS and format of the file, if you are unsure of anything, ask your agent, they are there to help!
Show personality, if asked for an ident, this is the perfect chance for your child to step out from others. Introducing themselves with a smile and fun vibe is sure to leave a lasting impression on the casting directors.
Stay positive and remind them that every audition is a learning experience, once the audition is done, there is nothing you can do, remember you tried your best and any outcome is positive. Casting directors may remember your child for another role and if nothing comes of it, they have experienced what it takes to do a real audition.
Celebrate effort, not just results—praise their bravery for showing up and performing.
Deal with the rejection together, remember to reassure your child that there are many different factors that go into casting the right person and sometimes, that just isn’t you and something else will always come along!

Many children who are in the world of acting will know about CVs, showreels and interviews far before the general public. These skills will stay with them for life and highlight the importance of building a portfolio that shows their talents.
We recommend keeping your child’s headshots up to date—typically, children should update them every six months. This helps showcase their evolving personality and charm to casting directors while ensuring their appearance remains current. If your child has representation, they may be eligible to create a Spotlight profile. This platform acts as their CV, where you can list their skills, hobbies, and any relevant experience that could help them secure roles. Agents use Spotlight to submit actors for work, and it’s the primary resource casting directors rely on to find talent.

The involvement of a parent in their child's acting career is essential for them staying safe, success and overall well being. While it is an exciting and enjoyable time, it will come with challenges that will require your guidance and support. Stay connected with attending performances, celebrating achievements and offering encouragement. Even if you think everything is going well, it is crucial to keep open communication with your child and check in regularly to what they are enjoying and how they are feeling. It is equally important to check in with instructors for feedback on progress and how your child can improve. By staying actively involved, you not only help your child build confidence and resilience but also show them that you’re fully invested in helping them succeed.

Acting is a long-term journey, and success doesn’t happen overnight. Teach your child the value of resilience and patience as they work toward their goals. And above all, remember to celebrate every step of your child’s acting journey. Whether they land a role or simply gain more confidence, every experience is a success.

Author

Abbygail Morrison

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Can I still act if I have dyslexia?

11/27/2024

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Dyslexia, often misunderstood as a barrier to success, has proven to be a hidden strength for many actors. In the world of TV and film, where scripts, character analysis, and on-the-spot creativity are essential, dyslexic actors often bring unique talents that set them apart from their peers.
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that affects around 10% of all people however, with arts this is predicted to triple! People who struggle with dyslexia often excel in creative thinking and problem solving, making them fantastic and resilient performers despite troubles with reading and writing.

Dyslexia is often associated with just difficulty in reading, but it also comes with strengths that are particularly valuable in the acting world:

Enhanced Creativity
Many individuals with dyslexia excel in creative thinking and problem-solving. They approach challenges from unique perspectives, making their performances dynamic and original.
Strong Emotional Intelligence
Dyslexia can heighten emotional sensitivity and empathy, crucial traits for actors. These qualities allow dyslexic performers to connect deeply with their characters and convey authentic emotions on screen or stage.
Exceptional Memory for Dialogue
While reading scripts may take more time, many dyslexic actors develop exceptional auditory and visual memory. Once they hear or see a scene, they can often recall dialogue and blocking with remarkable accuracy.
Improvisation Skills
Dyslexia often forces individuals to think on their feet in everyday situations. This adaptability translates well to acting, where improvisation and quick thinking can make or break a performance.

Some of the most celebrated actors have been diagnosed with dyslexia, a fabulous show of not letting anything hold you back from your dreams.

Jennifer Anniston - Known best for her role in 90’s sitcom Friends as Rachel Green, she is a very successful comedic actor and in recent years delved more into drama. In 2020 and 2022 she received a SAG award for her role in hard-hitting drama The Morning Show.

Diagnosed later in life Anniston, says she “went to get a prescription for glasses…I had to read a paragraph, and they gave me a quiz, gave me 10 questions based on what i’d just read, and I think I got three” and opened up on how her school life was a struggle as she couldn’t retain much information but attributes that struggle to developing a good sense of humour, something that landed her a job in one of the biggest sit-coms of all time!

Whoopi Goldberg - She has achieved the very prestigious EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards) one of only 21 people in the world to have achieved this. Coming from a working class background, she dropped out of high school at 17 and became heavily involved with drugs, making her successes even more inspiring.

Speaking on how she thinks her dyslexia has affected her she stated “I think perhaps it made me more introspective. Made me more thoughtful, maybe slightly slower in how I do things because it takes me a minute sometimes to figure things out.” Perhaps her thoughtfulness is what makes her performances so nuanced, perhaps she is successful not in spite of dyslexia but because of it!

Keanu Reeves - In 2022 Keanu was named the 4th best actor of the 21st century. His performances in The Matrix and John Wick franchises are thought of as cult classics beloved by thousands.

He, like many dyslexic individuals, found his school life to be a struggle and was expelled. Opening up about his early years, Reeves said “because I had trouble reading I wasn’t a good student” he turned to acting as a coping mechanism “I didn’t finish high school. I did a lot of pretending as a child. It was my way of coping with the fact that I didn’t really feel like I fit in”

Tom Holland - Best known as the most recent Spiderman, Tom is a BAFTA award winning screen actor, one of the most promising talents of his generation.

The only performer on this list to get his diagnosis young, Tom was diagnosed with dyslexia at 7 and received support throughout his school years. When he was asked advice on how he juggles an acting career with dyslexia he said “It’s just about taking your time, and giving yourself an appropriate amount of time to do the things you need to do”

Salma Hayek - Moving to america from Mexico at 25 to pursue a career in Hollywood, Salma didn’t just have to learn how to thrive in the industry despite her dyslexia, but learned a whole new language and she still ended up being a highly successful screen actor, most notably portraying artist Frida Kahlo.

Salma has now found a way to manage her difficulty while mastering her craft. “It doesn’t bother me now… Some people read really fast, but you’ll ask them questions about the script and they’ll forget. I take a long time to read a script, but I read it only once, I directed [The Maldonado Miracle] and I never brought a script to set”

Being a neurodiverse performer can have many challenges but it also makes you a highly creative individual which is a huge advantage in the acting world.

We have some tips here that are sure to help you thrive in your passion:

Use the technology available, in recent times there has been an increase in text-to-speech apps and audio books to help aid in script reading and learning. Hearing the script can aid you in memorising and visualising the script.
Focus on your visualisation skills, Creating mental images of your scenes and dialog will help you see the script as a story to learn.
Collaborate with the directors and coaches, Communicate your needs with directors or acting coaches. They can help tailor rehearsals or provide additional resources to support your process. Although this can be scary, a supportive agent will make all of the difference and remember, dyslexia is covered by the Equality Act 2010, meaning educators and employers alike are obligated to provide reasonable adjustments or support.
Break the script down, Divide scripts into manageable sections and focus on one part at a time. Annotate your script with notes, highlighting key emotional beats or character motivations.
Practice improv, Confidence can be a real mental block for any performer, but especially those struggling with dyslexia. The brain make-up causes issues with memory and comprehension, but then the anxiety that brings on can be the mind-killer. Understanding the workings of improvisation can reassure you that, being on set is something you can handle!

The creative arts and entertainment industry is becoming more aware of the need for inclusivity and representation, not just in terms of race, gender and sexuality but also disabilities and neurodiversity. Actors with dyslexia bring invaluable skills and new perspectives that are vital to be celebrated by casting directors, agents and the world.

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How can mindfulness improve acting?

11/25/2024

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As an actor it is essential to stay mindful and present as it helps reduce stress and anxiety both on screen and in your daily life. With benefits ranging from emotional intelligence to building resilience in a notoriously difficult industry, we have some proven tips to help you stay mindful in your journey as an actor.

Acting demands presence, emotional depth and resilience, as an actor, you must bring your whole self into performances, balancing the pressure with being fully present and aware. Mindfulness is a powerful tool you as an actor can use to aid your mental health and emotional well-being.

‘Mindfulness is about love and loving life. When you cultivate this love, it gives you clarity and compassion for life, and your actions happen in accordance with that.’
-Jon Kabat-Zinn

On set, mindfulness will allow you to remain versatile and composed with the pressure and chaos of a film set, whether you have had last minute scene and script changes or you need to stay focused during long days and takes, mindfulness will allow you to remain grounded.
Off set mindfulness will promote self care, emotional balance and confidence ensuring you can pursue your passion of acting without the pressures or burning out.

Here are some practical mindfulness exercises tailored for actors:

Breathing Exercises: Practising deep breathing before auditions or scenes will help nerves and centering yourself, this crucial step will reduce performance anxiety and help you feel more connected in the present moment, allowing a natural performance.
Body Scanning: Taking a few minutes to notice areas of tension in your body will allow you to release them, promoting relaxation and physical awareness. A step a lot of seasoned actors will do as this allows them to become aware of their physical state to portray characters authentically
Visualisation: Allow your mind to succeed and imagine performing the role successfully and focus in on the emotions and energy you want to bring to the role, allow yourself to build the confidence needed and prepare your mind in embodying the role fully.
Mindful Observation: Spending some time observing props, costumes and your setting in detail will improve your focus and attention to the nuances in the scene, this small but vital part will allow for genuine reactions and add authenticity to your performance.
Gratitude Practice: Reflect upon what you are grateful for and how far you have come to help shift your mindset from stress to positivity before performances, doing so will allow you to remove any negative feelings, improving your creativity and presence.

These tips will not only enhance your performances, but also nurture the well-being of the person behind the role (you)! By cultivating your presence, emotional intelligence and resilience, you will improve your craft and find balance in your personal and professional life.
Thriving on staying present, Acting goes hand in hand with mindfulness. Helping you focus on your scene partner, setting and dialog without the pressures of internal thoughts. When you are present, your performance will feel more authentic and natural, following from this, mindfulness will also help process your emotions both on and off screen. With great emotional intelligence comes exceptional understanding of the character you are portraying, allowing for deep and meaningful performances that connect with an audience. Emotional intelligence will also aid you in auditions and on set anxiety, controlling your emotions, breathing and grounding exercises will set you up to perform with confidence and power, maintaining a sharp focus and creativity, all of which will help you stand out as an actor.
It is no secret the world of acting is full of rejection, criticism, high expectations and enormous pressure. Practising mindfulness will help you understand self compassion, resilience and being kind to you and others without losing confidence or passion for your craft.

But how can I incorporate mindfulness into my daily routine?

Consider these daily practises;

Start your day with a few minutes of meditation to set a calm and relaxing tone, this can be done with reflection, reading or some time outside.
Ground yourself with breathing or exercises such as body scanning or 5 senses before stepping into any role of performance.
Reflect on performances, without judgement, and focus on what you have done well and what you could improve
Focus on the present moment and become aware of your thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgement with mindful yoga.

These daily practices will prevent burnouts, maintain balance and allow you to grow and stay open to new challenges and opportunities. Additionally, mindfulness builds stronger connections with scene partners by improving your ability to listen and engage spontaneously. Over time, these practices refine your ability to absorb feedback, identify areas for growth, and approach challenges with calm and resilience.
Though as an actor you may always be looking to improve your acting skills, mindfulness is essential in taking care of your mental, emotional and physical well-being. Through this you can remain present, emotionally available and creatively inspired, while navigating the pressures of this industry with confidence and a thick skin.
So whether you're preparing for an audition, stepping into a new role, or reflecting after a performance, mindfulness can guide you toward a more fulfilling and connected acting journey.

Author

Abbygail Morrison

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The parents guide: How to support your child's acting dreams...

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Can I still act if I have dyslexia?

How can mindfulness improve acting?

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