- Finding The Disney Auditions
- Knowing What To Expect
- Being Familiar With The Process
- Being Prepared For The Audition
- Letting The Personality Shine
- Remaining Positive
Disney famously has a long-standing commitment to providing education and support for child actors. Those are among the primary reasons why participating in a Disney audition for their productions is at the very top of the list of exciting opportunities for kids to showcase their acting skills.
However, the casting process for such a major studio and a world-famous brand can seem highly competitive and even intimidating. Continue reading below to learn about the ways kid actors can stand out in the casting process, and how parents can help them with that.
Finding The Disney Auditions
In the same way that looking out for other casting calls goes, a search for casting calls by Disney can be done through online platforms designed for children's castings, like KidsCasting, the Disney official websites, and social media profiles, as well as through talent agencies.
Parents should regularly check whether their preferred way of receiving casting call information has been updated, and once the opportunity to apply to Disney auditions for kids arrives, it is time to submit child actors for consideration.
Knowing What To Expect
Similarly to the other major film studios, Disney is known to look for talented and passionate child actors who are suited for specific age ranges. Several child actors who achieved their initial career success at Disney ultimately have successfully continued to thrive in the entertainment industry as adults. Amongst some of the notable examples are actors Ryan Gosling, Zendaya, Zac Efron, Selena Gomez, Shia LaBeouf, and many more.
Getting cast for a Disney project is often the dream of many aspiring actors, due to them providing unique opportunities for adventure and skill development while providing a supportive and nurturing environment.
Being Familiar With The Process
Before starting to apply for Disney auditions, which may include movies, TV shows, theme park entertainment, and live events, it is important that the kid actors in question already have an understanding of how the whole process works and what may be expected from them.
For such a major brand like Disney, the casting process typically can involve several rounds, including an initial screening or callbacks. During these rounds, child actors may be asked to perform monologues, sing, or dance, depending on what the potential gig is about. Kids may also be asked to read from scripts or interact with other actors, of varied ages.
This means the kid actor who has the familiarity with performing in various ways in front of an audience, in this case, made up by the casting director and their staff, will possibly be more ready to successfully perform in the various casting call rounds.
This understanding should also be highlighted when applying to one of Disney's casting calls through the child actor's portfolio, so the staff in charge of picking candidates can be aware about their experience and skills before even seeing them perform. A well-crafted portfolio can ultimately also demonstrate the kid’s dedication and commitment to acting craft to the casting director and the production team.
Being Prepared For The Audition
Parents should make sure their child understands that successful results at the Disney audition, or any other audition for that matter, are unlikely to be achieved without arriving prepared. This means potentially memorizing lines and even learning songs, as well as making other preparations.
Encouraging practice sessions at home can do wonders in building the young actor's confidence and improving their performance skills. By practicing regularly up until the Disney auditions day, the aspiring kid actor will be able to work on specific skills or prepare their lines.
Such preparations for auditions also can help to address and try to overcome any fears the kids have regarding the upcoming event by facing them in advance. By communicating with the child openly and addressing their concerns, parents can encourage the kid actors about their abilities by highlighting their strengths and talents, as well as to put themselves out there. That way child actors can learn valuable lessons about self-confidence and resilience.
Letting The Personality Shine
For child actors to stand out in the Disney auditions process, they should avoid trying to copy someone and instead focus on showcasing their own authentic and unique personality.
Casting directors tend to be moved by the individuality shown by kid actors, so parents should encourage their children to present themselves authentically. If the aspiring performer has unique interests and hobbies, as well as personal quirks, it all can ultimately help to stand out amongst other candidates.
It is also important to avoid distracting clothing or makeup choices for the audition process, which can end up overshadowing the child's personality and personality, even making it seem like they are trying too hard to stand out.
Remaining Positive
Auditioning for productions from a major studio like Disney can end up being a lengthy process. For children, it can also start to seem a little like a frustrating process. It is parents' task to encourage their aspiring young actors to try to remain positive and enthusiastic through the audition process and to not lose focus on why they are there in the first place, which is, first and foremost, to learn and grow
Such an attitude will also help to deal with the unfortunate case of getting rejected and discourage the risks of entitlement or negative attitudes towards someone else involved in the auditioning process.
While the child actor certainly should participate with the ultimate goal of landing the role, things can sometimes not turn out that way, e.g. ending up without the desired particular gig and getting offered a different role instead, or straight up receiving rejection. In those types of cases, children should still be able to view the overall experience as the next step towards it instead of as a failure.
By maintaining a positive attitude towards the whole process from the start to the finish of Disney auditions, child actors can help their chances of ultimately succeeding in this highly competitive industry.
