Following performing at the auditions, kid actors and models will likely receive feedback about it from casting directors or other industry professionals. It won't always be praises and compliments only, so it is important that young aspiring actors and their parents know how to understand and use the commentary in order to achieve better results. Learn more by reading below.
Giving The First Feedback
The very first feedback, long before kids modeling for H&M or acting for Disney becomes a reality, that the child will receive for their talents is highly likely to come from their family members. Once it is established that the kid is interested in acting or modeling, parents should ensure that their youngster feels safe about revealing more about these aspirations. Since parents' role is crucial in such pursuits for young children, establishing trust, support, and understanding about it is the key to success in the first place.
Parents should strive to give feedback that is age-appropriate and fits their kid's comprehension level. While primarily focusing on the positive aspects of their acting talents, in the long run, it is advised to also point out the obvious areas for adjustments as well. Constructive criticism in a supportive manner should focus on highlighting areas for improvement while also yet again acknowledging the child’s strengths and efforts.
Encouraging Self-Awareness
As important as their parents' guidance is, ultimately it will be the children alone on the stage in front of a casting director. This is why they should encourage and help their kids to develop self-awareness about their talents and performances.
This can initially be accomplished by including open-ended questions within their feedback to prompt the young talents to reflect on their own performance both strengths and shortcomings. By really looking back at their modeling or acting efforts, they will be more ready and willing to use the feedback given by others in order to improve.
Setting Goals
Any type of feedback can only go so far if the aspiring model or actor does not have clear goals they wish to reach in the first place. Parents should work with their children to set achievable acting or modeling goals for them that are incorporated in the given feedback as the primary reason for it.
This realistic achievability can be set by breaking down the larger and more ambitious goals into smaller, more manageable steps that can ultimately lead to overall improvement. Once the set goal is reached, parents should recognize their child’s progress, also while motivating them to set the bar for their modeling or acting aspirations yet again.
Accepting Professional Opinion
Feedback gets increasingly serious once the child starts getting invited to castings and auditions. Receiving feedback from casting directors about their performance is a valuable opportunity for kid actors and models to improve their skills and increase their chances of landing gigs in the future.
It is important for the child to understand that the feedback won’t always be only flattering, so they should be prepared to effectively handle criticisms without taking offense to something they did not expect or wish to hear.
Parents should encourage their aspiring performers to carefully pay attention to the feedback given by casting directors. And do that without becoming defensive or emotional.
That can be accomplished by teaching them constructive feedback, especially the type that can be presumed to be negative, actually brings them closer to their dreams and goals by giving them the opportunity to grow and improve based on it.
Since it all can be overwhelming at times, parents should also remind their children that asking for clarifications and additional questions regarding the feedback. It will not only actually give them the necessary comprehension but also show to the casting staff that they are carefully paying attention and taking the process seriously.
Finally, parents should guide kids to reflect on the feedback received and think about how they can apply it to improve their performances going forward.
Working On Improvement
Of course, parents should encourage their children to actually follow through with the initial conclusions made after receiving the casting director's feedback. That can be done by emphasizing the importance of practice and persistence when trying to improve acting or modeling abilities.
In many cases, especially if there are significant improvements necessary, it might be worth considering professional guidance for the aspiring performer. Acting and modeling coaches and instructors who specialize in working with children and teens can pinpoint the necessary areas for improvement revealed in previous feedback, as well as give their own opinions on young actors or models' performance skill sets.
Professional input can also help kids build up confidence by allowing them to open up through various exercises, games, and performances, thus letting them leave their comfort zones and truly express themselves. Importantly, such newfound confidence won't be limited to only acting and modeling and will translate to their everyday lives as well.
Acting and modeling training also tries to instill discipline by emphasizing the importance of regular practice, punctuality, and professionalism, which is a mindset that may be way harder to achieve individually at home.
Since most parents are not from the showbiz and performing arts industries, this professional mentorship also can help children to achieve a better understanding about auditions, character development, script analysis, and other insights.
Staying Positive At All Times
Even with all the hard work following initial feedback, as well as acting or modeling classes, the young performers still might hit a setback or a disappointing result. This is when parents should once again remind their children to maintain a positive attitude towards feedback about their performance.
The reality of the acting and modeling careers is that it is a nearly never-ending striving for improvements and growth. By helping kids to see the reasons for staying motivated to work harder and improve their skills even further, and the many possibilities it can bring along the way, their attitude towards any constructive feedback should always remain positive.
Reaching acting and modeling goals can sometimes be one good casting call and audition away!
