Children are inquisitive and largely fearless. And we wouldn’t them to be any other way. When a child succeeds, parents, guardians and other family members celebrate with them, safe in the knowledge that the child’s future looks bright.
Fearless, certainly. Children have a wonderful naivety due to their innocent age, so they often don’t understand embarrassment or failure. Whilst failure comes to us all, a modelling set with children can be sublime because anything goes. True, some children can be nervous before an important day, but with heartfelt encouragement, they usually settle into the role of a child model easily. Of course, there will be photographers or film makers present, as well as the parents and other adults, so the aim for the client is to end the day with a professional marketing campaign; but that doesn’t mean there can’t be fun and giggles along the way. See some our child modelling reviews submitted by parents to get a sense of why our young models love working with us.
Is preparing your child for a first modelling like their first day at school? Well…it is up to a point.
Like most walks in life, it starts with the desire to be involved. Models can’t simply “go through the motions”. Parents need to delve a little deeper into the background of a brand’s aim: what do they want to see from their child? What qualities can their child bring to a photo shoot?
Casting calls are like auditions. Casting directors and decision makers are naturally caring and understandable, but ultimately they want the best suited child models for their advertising campaigns. To prepare your child you first need to investigate the company the child is representing.
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Generally, it’s the parent’s responsibility to prepare their child prior to a casting call or modelling shoot. They will have seen some photos of your child, so they are primarily looking at how your child interacts with strangers on set.
The question is not so much “Can you child follow instructions and directions?” as “Can your child interact naturally with strangers?” Parents can help their child prepare for modelling shoots in everyday life, e.g. making them comfortable being around other children and adults. Regular interactions with strangers can reduce stress when it comes to their modelling day.
Parents can also prepare their child by practising simple facial expressions. Because our jobs are commercial modelling ones and not strait-laced fashion shoots, our clients want to see a range of emotions – especially smiling!
Children should also be comfortable around photography and lighting equipment. It can be obvious on a first shoot if they’re not, akin to the dreaded “rabbit in the headlights” scenario. Children must know that visual and audio equipment are standard on a shoot and there to help with the overall result of the assignment. Children don’t need to know the mechanics of this equipment; just that they shouldn’t be put off by it.
Ensure your child has had a sound night’s sleep, is dressed comfortably for the assignment and has had a nutritious breakfast. And please allow plenty of time to travel to the job’s location.
Have confidence in knowing all our clients are vetted and have had long relationships with us. Creative agencies are often used by clients to make the assignments run smoothly, and these are also well-known in the industry and have worked with children of all ages before.
Good luck to your child’s next modelling assignment!
