Well now, this is a topic that interests many of our little and soon-to-be stars! Actually, it interests you as parents. If your child is comfortable and enjoys being in front of the camera, you need to be comfortable with this new lifestyle. Who knows? They might be the next Drew Barrymore, Selena Gomez, or Noah Centineo! 

Now that would be exciting!

Children have been a crucial and sweet part of the entertainment industry worldwide. Some of them continue this career and lifestyle, and others just do it as a life experience.

In all cases, you, the parents, are the ones who handle most of the responsibilities and nurture your child’s skills. We know it’s not fun to be an adult in this situation, but it’s important that you and your child enjoy this exciting entertainment industry experience!

We’ll cover some significant questions asked by parents in the entertainment industry to make sure their child is in it safely. 

Preparations

To get your child ready for their casting, shooting, rehearsal, or any other event, first, make sure that you’re not forcing them to do anything they don’t like. Children in the entertainment industry shine and are loved because they are genuine. If you see potential in your child, make sure you get them the extra attention they need:

• Enroll them in an acting class.
• Give them one on one time with acting coaches.
• Have them try to stand in front of the camera and see if they like it.
• You could work on their ability to listen, understand and execute instructions.
• Sign them up on Mixfame by creating a profile and applying for the opportunities that fit them.

General Tips for Parents

If you’re new to the entertainment industry and you really need to feel safe before you get your child to act or model, here are a few general tips given to parents to know what they’re getting into before they are dazzled by fame and the spotlight.

1. Make sure your child is genuinely interested in acting or modeling.
2. Create a life-work balance.
3. Make your child’s safety a priority.
4. Research the agency before joining.
5. Cover their educational needs (tutoring on set, homeschooling, a special program with the school…)

Tips for stage fright

Stage fright has no age! Whether you’re 4 or 80, whether it’s your first time on stage or you’ve done it for 40 years, stage fright is the body’s natural reaction when you face a crowd.

If you want your child to show confidence and be comfortable when on stage, here are some helpful tips to help them combat stage fright! With these helpful habits, the entertainment industry can be a safe space for your child to showcase their talents and shine!

1. Practice public speaking.
2. Actively encourage.
3. Watch and learn.
4. Give positive feedback.
5. Use visualization.
6. Use affirmations.
7. Keep calm.
8. Find quality coaching.

Premium and basic profile on Mixfame

To create your child’s account on Mixfame, simple and basic steps are to be followed:

•  Go to www.mixfame.com
• Sign up as a talent
• Fill in your personal info
• Start creating your child’s profile step by step

You need to be active on the platform because the more you apply to match jobs, upload pictures, follow other talents, and enter ads, the more you get exposure and could be on the front pages in searches.

First, sign your child up for a Basic Profile where you can upload 5 pictures and one video, and apply to a casting call once a month. But if you upgrade to a Premium Membership, you will be able to upload up to a hundred pictures and a hundred videos and apply to as many casting calls as you want, which means more exposure and opportunities.

How to manage your child’s account on Mixfame

As the home for some of our already successful little stars, Mixfame is proud to show some perfect examples of how a well-built child profile can take your kids a long way! 

• Write a good description including keywords related to the entertainment industry such as cameras, fashion, and modeling, then include what talents your child has to offer to the entertainment industry. What are their interests?

• Most children are into acting and modeling, so write something catchy like “I am a child, and I am a mini-model”. Using keywords related to the entertainment industry helps them appear in searches; it’s all about the algorithm.

• Having a good profile picture means having a good headshot where the eyes are facing the camera and looking straight into the camera.

• Use natural lighting, never filters or monochrome colors like black and white or brown and white.

• The pictures should be taken in different angles and frames: close-up, extreme close-up, profile picture, left and right profile, long shot, Texas shot, medium shot, etc.

• Focus on the child’s facial expressions more than their outfits or how they look in outfits, so post pictures showing expressions (sad, happy, excited, surprised).

• The background should not be busy, so take the picture in front of a solid color, or a blurry background where the child is in focus or occupies a big space of the picture (not a picture on the beach where the water takes all the picture leaving little space to the child to show).

• The child must occupy 3/4 of the picture, even if it’s a long shot, and as for the profile picture, the child should face the camera because eye contact is important to the person scrolling or scouting them.

Check Maria, Kareem, and Kyan’s profiles here to see how a great profile on Mixfame, with the right guidance, can lead your kid to stardom! 

https://mixfame.com/talent/140712/

https://mixfame.com/talent/kareemali/

https://mixfame.com/talent/94889/

Tips and tricks for your child’s account

Creating an account and maintaining it could sometimes not be enough. Check out these tips and tricks to make sure your child’s account gets viewed and attracts attention.

• Don’t post photos with sunglasses.
• Take pictures outdoors or next to a window to have a nice proper light on it.
• Upload pictures in good quality not pixelated; after uploading the picture from the phone, check it on the computer to make sure that the quality is good.
• Update any facial changes like when a child loses a baby tooth or has their hair cut. If your child is still a baby, it is recommended to update the picture every 2 months as babies change a lot during this period. When your child is older, it is still better to change the picture every six months because when we present the child with long hair, but they show up with short hair, that will affect their selection as they would be a different person showing up to the audition. 

Casting video

We ask the child to do a general casting video depending on their age. They must improvise if they are young (one to two years old). The parents can guide them a bit but not control them. They need to take a video with proper lighting, a white frame, and no close-up. It needs to be a long shot because the child will move a lot.

Ask the child basic questions such as:

1. What’s your name?
2. What’s your favorite color?
3. Can you show me a happy expression?

When the child is older, start asking them more complicated questions depending on their age like “show me surprise, excitement,” or any other emotion they could now understand and mimic.  

Working hours

In general, working hours are divided into a half-day or a full-day shoot. This could certainly vary depending on each country’s work regulations. 

• A half-day includes 5 hours, and a full day 10 hours.
• For the babies, a half-day shoot is 2 hours, and a full day is 4 hours.

The payment

How much will your child earn in the entertainment industry?

The child gets paid depending on the role: extra role, featured role, or main role.

• For an extra role, the payment varies between 130$ and 270$
• For a featured role, it varies between 270$ and 680$
• For a main role, it varies between 680$ and 2700$

The payment also depends on the usage, the project’s size, and the production budget. If the ad is showcased globally on all media platforms, it will be higher. But if it’s going to be for one month in a specific region like GCC or UAE, the usage will be lower and the rate will be lower. So, the main rate depends on the project and the usage, but it’s hard to reach 2000$ or2700$ although it can reach 800$ for children.

Advice for the parents

Make sure your child starts as an extra, especially if they don’t know about the field. By going on sets, they will be in contact with the crew and production, and they will feel more comfortable and learn how to progress.

Sometimes, the child is super shy and acts differently from their cast video in front of people, so when we present them, they freeze. Auditions are a great way to prepare them for the set life. The more they go to auditions, the more comfortable they’ll feel and become friendlier with the whole process. As Millie Bobby Brown once stated in an interview, she was auditioning for everything she could find: tv commercials, roles in series, and so on. She even got rejected when she auditioned for Game of Thrones. However, when she was about to get discouraged, she auditioned for a Netflix series that would later be a sensation and is now running on its fourth season: Stranger Things. 

You need to take baby steps and let your child be an “extra” and go on sets so they can outgrow their shyness and increase their confidence. You also need to accept that not every child will get the job from the first shot, so you need to be patient because every child takes their time but they will eventually succeed. Their breakthrough role could be right around the corner!

After all, what’s important is your child’s well-being. Follow these tips and, who knows, we might be seeing your child in the next Netflix movie or smiling wide on a billboard!

Look at our dearest Kyan Ayass who has now become Messi’s buddy after they shared a video for Riyad season. Kyan is 8 years old. He’s a model, actor, and YouTuber. He began acting at the age of 2. He’s done so many shoots, traveled to many countries, and shot with celebrities. As he says “the time I shot with Lionel Messi was an amazing experience that I’ll never forget!” He feels so comfortable working with Mixfame because he knows “He’s in good hands. Mixfame is not an agency. It’s a family!”