Assessing Your Child's Potential
Do you think your
child is cut out for acting or maybe modeling? You child's behavior
should give you an idea of his potential acting ability. Most
parents can recognize, just by looking at their children, whether or
not they possess the qualities and disposition necessary for the
industry.
Here is a list of
questions that will give you some idea of your child's disposition.
Is your child
(A) outgoing and animated
(B) quiet and shy?
-
Does your child
(A) say hello to someone when he's introduced
(B) become distracted by things in his environment and not
realize that someone is speaking to him?
-
Does your child
(A) love to sing and dance for you
(B) think stuff like singing and dancing is stupid?
-
Does your child
(A) imitate what he sees on TV
(B) forget what he was watching five minutes ago?
-
Does your child
(A) respond when he's asked his name or age by someone he
doesn't know
(B) shrug his shoulders as if he no longer remembers what
language he speaks?
The more of these questions that received an "A" answer
the greater the odds that they are the little ham that makes them
more of a natural. Your child's ability to meet new people
easily and to show off for them will be one of the most important
factors in their career.
In today's world we often need to teach our children the dangers
of strangers. This can create a certain level of conflict
within the child because the acting and modeling world requires
interaction. You are advised to have continuing discussions
with your child in this topic. Make sure they know the
difference between meeting an unfamiliar casting person or working
with a cast and crew of strangers, and speaking to strangers outside
of these industry- type situations. The rules you teach about
talking to or going with strangers should remain the same as if he
were not in the industry.
An excellent book to consider is:
"Your Kid Ought to be In Pictures" by Kelly Ford Kidwell
and Ruth Devorin
