Vocal acting performances are in higher demand than ever before, and it happens to be a field that children often find very appealing. Learn below in a step-by-step guide about how to help your kid secure their first voice acting gig.
- Parents should make sure the child has an interest in it. The potential of voice acting aspirations can be observed in daily life.
- The kid should first gain an understanding of the process. Vocal performances are nuanced, and there should be basic knowledge about them.
- An acting portfolio is a must. It is the key part of applying to casting calls, even without prior experience.
Is The Child Showing Signs Of Enjoying Vocal Performing?
It is fairly easy for parents to tell if their child enjoys using their voice for fun during everyday settings. If the kid often exhibits playfully changing their voice in various intonations or accents, e.g., when being inspired to copy their favorite cartoon characters, it can surely be considered as at least a sign of their potential interest in such activities in a more focused approach.
Amongst other things that can indicate a child's vocal talents is spontaneous singing or humming, regardless of whether it is mimicking music they have heard, or making up their own sounds. It does not even have to be accurate, though the ability to remember lyrics on their own is also a good sign for the kid’s future acting potential, as it involves memorizing lines of the script.
How To Gauge Their Interest In Pursuing It As Acting?
Once the signs of vocal talent and likelihood of interest are all there, parents can start exploring their opinions on whether they would have a genuine interest in turning their natural inclination towards using their voice towards more focused directions and purpose.
While receiving extra encouragement for their vocal modifications from the parents, the child should be introduced to the whole concept of what voice acting is. If the youngster then sees the whole ordeal as something they wish to pursue, it is time for the next step.
How Can Kids Prepare For Voice Acting?
Voice acting requires a deeper understanding of the nuances of what is necessary for successful performances. The best way to approach this is by enrolling the kid in age-appropriate acting classes that focus specifically on vocal performances. In a child-friendly way, they will learn about understanding and working with scripts, bringing their characters to life, and narrating stories in an engaging way.
Another option is to hire an individual voice acting coach for the kid, who, amongst other things, will help the aspiring actor to develop their own unique, authentic voice, since voice acting does not always require changing it from how it naturally sounds.
Where Can Parents Find Voice Acting Job Opportunities For Their Child?
Child voice actors are in quite a demand since kids grow up quickly, and often so does the way their voice sounds. Dedicated online platforms publish new casting calls daily, so what remains is for parents to regularly search for kids' voice acting opportunities.
Amongst the criteria of finding the right casting call to apply their child to should be fitting the requirements listed by the casting staff, how well the potential candidates and their parents' own wishes are mirrored in the respective casting call, the said location of the project, and more, individually set key aspects. If everything seems right, it is time to apply for the kid as a candidate for the voice acting role.
How To Prepare For Casting Call Applications?
Even if the child gets applied to a casting call for the very first time, they will still need an acting portfolio. This means listing all their basic information, any relevant experience and training they have received, and also a demo reel that features examples of their voice acting.
Since the kid is only looking for their first acting gig, the demo reel should be pre-recorded of them reading lines of the candidate's own choice at home. The audio should be clear and with no background noises included, so the casting director can accurately assess their vocal skills without distractions regarding the quality of the demo reel.
What Is The Process Of Kids Getting Booked For Voice Acting Gigs?
Once the application has been submitted, it is time to wait for the response. In the meantime, parents and their kids can look for more casting call opportunities that they could apply to.
The answer after applying to a casting call that any candidate should be hoping for is an invitation to audition. It may be in person in front of the casting director, or online, through either an online conference call or a self-tape.
It is very important to understand that putting all eggs in the same basket approach when it comes to casting calls in any type of entertainment industry field is not a good strategy, as more often than not, the application won’t end up being the one who gets chosen for the job. It is just a part of the process that any acting hopeful will encounter at some point, and certainly should not be taken personally.
Instead, parents should keep their child’s expectations realistic and, in the unfortunate outcome of decline, promote being resilient, as it serves as a learning experience to the child on the way to getting their first acting gig.
What Is Next After The Child’s First Voice Acting Role?
If the casting call ultimately ends up as a success for the child and they get their first voice acting role, it is certainly an important milestone. If the experience up until that point has been a positive one, it is also only the beginning of their road as kid voice actors.
The next thing to do is to look for the next casting call to apply to. Before submitting the kid’s next application, the acting portfolio must be updated with the newfound voice acting experience. While eagerly awaiting the next invitation for auditions, the consistent work on improvement as vocal performers should continue as a regular part of the child's routine.
