7 answers
Alayna
Student
Van Alstyne, Texas
1
Question
Asked
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How can i becomean actor for a film at 11 years old?
Question writing tips
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7 answers
Michelle M.
Actress
3284
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Alayna !
Just because you would not be able to be in a film right now, as you are not an actress, doesn't mean that you can't pursue acting to train for the work and later on pursue the career on your own once you're 18 years old. Most of the feature film commercial filming is usually located in Los Angeles, the New York City area and Tri-State surrounding areas, Atlanta, GA and sometimes Houston or Austin.
If this is a homework "Question writing tips" assignment or if you really have the itch to act, I would be happy to give you some advice. Also, you wouldn't be cast as an 11 year old, you would be cast for the age that you look. There's a lot to learn about acting and filmmaking and it's not something to jump into beyond doing videos or plays at your middle school to break the ice and get some experience. Acting is not play, it's work and it may seem like it's a fun thing right now because when you see a film, it's the finished product and you do not see the time, energy and collaboration that went into the film, just the film that looks good.
At age 11, this would literally mean that one of your parents would have to take on the career too in order to oversee and manage your activity. It's a lot of work and your parent would have to meet with your school for arrangements for you to miss a lot of school. Your parent would have to be 100% in agreement with this and provide transportation, oversight at auditions, rehearsals and performances and pay for everything like acting lessons, registering at casting websites, perhaps acting resume and photos. You should not invest in this if you are not an actress yet and have no knowledge of the acting experience or how the film industry is run.
Also, there's no "how to" for getting a role in a film. Actors audition and are either chosen or not chosen, so even if you and your parent had the skills and knowledge while you are 11, it doesn't mean you'd get a role every time you auditioned. This industry chooses you, you don't choose it. You would be judged based on how you look and how you sound.
So for right now, students your age that are serious about acting utilize resources at their school. Join or form an acting club extracurricular and get involved in making videos with students that can write the script and direct. It's work, so it is good to start young getting the feel of it and it not just being a thought. To be an actor, you will need a strong passion for the human experience, understand life situations and have a need to reflect life. Continue acting extracurriculars during junior high and high school.
A good way to get more advanced training would be to go to college as a Theatre Major with the emphasis on Acting. You need to learn how to network and make contacts for this career and have some viable life experience both to create characters, understand situations and for your emotional well being, too. It's not an impossible career to achieve but unless you have everything in place - the skill, an available and agreeing parent, living in a major acting city, knowledge of the business, then it is worth doing it through school right now and going to college where you will really learn the ins and outs to prepare for becoming professional.
You should enjoy the journey and learning experience that leads you to this professional career. Being humble, having patience and keen insight will help you along. I hope this helps and I wish you all the best !
Just because you would not be able to be in a film right now, as you are not an actress, doesn't mean that you can't pursue acting to train for the work and later on pursue the career on your own once you're 18 years old. Most of the feature film commercial filming is usually located in Los Angeles, the New York City area and Tri-State surrounding areas, Atlanta, GA and sometimes Houston or Austin.
If this is a homework "Question writing tips" assignment or if you really have the itch to act, I would be happy to give you some advice. Also, you wouldn't be cast as an 11 year old, you would be cast for the age that you look. There's a lot to learn about acting and filmmaking and it's not something to jump into beyond doing videos or plays at your middle school to break the ice and get some experience. Acting is not play, it's work and it may seem like it's a fun thing right now because when you see a film, it's the finished product and you do not see the time, energy and collaboration that went into the film, just the film that looks good.
At age 11, this would literally mean that one of your parents would have to take on the career too in order to oversee and manage your activity. It's a lot of work and your parent would have to meet with your school for arrangements for you to miss a lot of school. Your parent would have to be 100% in agreement with this and provide transportation, oversight at auditions, rehearsals and performances and pay for everything like acting lessons, registering at casting websites, perhaps acting resume and photos. You should not invest in this if you are not an actress yet and have no knowledge of the acting experience or how the film industry is run.
Also, there's no "how to" for getting a role in a film. Actors audition and are either chosen or not chosen, so even if you and your parent had the skills and knowledge while you are 11, it doesn't mean you'd get a role every time you auditioned. This industry chooses you, you don't choose it. You would be judged based on how you look and how you sound.
So for right now, students your age that are serious about acting utilize resources at their school. Join or form an acting club extracurricular and get involved in making videos with students that can write the script and direct. It's work, so it is good to start young getting the feel of it and it not just being a thought. To be an actor, you will need a strong passion for the human experience, understand life situations and have a need to reflect life. Continue acting extracurriculars during junior high and high school.
A good way to get more advanced training would be to go to college as a Theatre Major with the emphasis on Acting. You need to learn how to network and make contacts for this career and have some viable life experience both to create characters, understand situations and for your emotional well being, too. It's not an impossible career to achieve but unless you have everything in place - the skill, an available and agreeing parent, living in a major acting city, knowledge of the business, then it is worth doing it through school right now and going to college where you will really learn the ins and outs to prepare for becoming professional.
You should enjoy the journey and learning experience that leads you to this professional career. Being humble, having patience and keen insight will help you along. I hope this helps and I wish you all the best !
Karin P.
Lecturer, Academic Advisor, Career Coach
1093
Answers
Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
Updated
Karin’s Answer
Hi Alayna,
Becoming an actor doesn't just happen overnight for most people. You need training and lots of practice.
At your age, you should look for opportunities to be in theater productions at your school or in your community. Is there a theater group in your school? Maybe you can start one. Maybe there is a teacher who is interested in theater who can mentor you.
You can also look for theater companies in your area and find out if there are any kids/teen groups. There is e.g. dramakids in your area. They have acting classes and camps for kids and teens. If your parents are on board you can get some first experiences there.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
https://dramakids.com/sherman-gunter-greenville-bonham-tx/acting-academy/
Becoming an actor doesn't just happen overnight for most people. You need training and lots of practice.
At your age, you should look for opportunities to be in theater productions at your school or in your community. Is there a theater group in your school? Maybe you can start one. Maybe there is a teacher who is interested in theater who can mentor you.
You can also look for theater companies in your area and find out if there are any kids/teen groups. There is e.g. dramakids in your area. They have acting classes and camps for kids and teens. If your parents are on board you can get some first experiences there.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
Karin recommends the following next steps:
Adeola Raji
Academic Research/Consultation
11
Answers
Ede, Osun, Nigeria
Updated
Adeola’s Answer
If you want to become an actor for film at 11 years old, my biggest advice is to start small and focus on learning. You don’t have to land a big movie role right away, most young actors begin with school plays, local theater, or even small acting classes. These help you practice, get comfortable performing, and also make connections.
You should also ask your parents or guardians to help you find a talent agency that works with kids. They can help you get auditions for commercials, TV shows, or student films. Be careful though, make sure the agency is legit and doesn’t ask you to pay a lot of money up front.
Another tip is to build experience anywhere you can. Sometimes short films, online videos, or even community projects are a great way to practice acting on camera. It may not seem big at first, but every little project gives you skills and confidence.
Finally, don’t forget school is important too. A lot of young actors balance acting with their education. If you really love it, stay patient and keep practicing, film roles will come as you keep growing and learning.
You should also ask your parents or guardians to help you find a talent agency that works with kids. They can help you get auditions for commercials, TV shows, or student films. Be careful though, make sure the agency is legit and doesn’t ask you to pay a lot of money up front.
Another tip is to build experience anywhere you can. Sometimes short films, online videos, or even community projects are a great way to practice acting on camera. It may not seem big at first, but every little project gives you skills and confidence.
Finally, don’t forget school is important too. A lot of young actors balance acting with their education. If you really love it, stay patient and keep practicing, film roles will come as you keep growing and learning.
Allison Kinney
Senior Technical Support Engineer Manager
1
Answer
Orlando, Florida
Updated
Allison’s Answer
Look for local opportunities to gain stage experience. Check if any professional or community theaters have roles that suit you. This stage experience can help you meet people who might support or guide you into the film industry.
Helena Y. Wu
Film director / producer
26
Answers
Pasadena, California
Updated
Helena Y.’s Answer
I would say, just have fun, and be yourself, Alayna! No pressure to do anything you feel awkward doing. Many child actors outshine adult actors because they are more natural.
If you love acting, just go for it. Join more activities like dancing, singing, any performance for the pubic, so you are used to the presence of an audience.
If you love acting, just go for it. Join more activities like dancing, singing, any performance for the pubic, so you are used to the presence of an audience.
Doc Frick
Career Coach and Mentor
1942
Answers
California, CA
Updated
Doc’s Answer
Alayna simply wanting to be famous will take some time and hard work for you and your parents to pursuing a career in acting. you'll want to be sure that your parents have a genuine interest in the acting career also.
While formal acting training isn't always required, it can be a big help as a child actor looking to learn the craft. Group classes, workshops, private coaching, and summer acting programs are all great options for you to break into the industry. There are a number of different workshops and camps in which you can enroll. The important thing is to get started. Acting instructors can help you develop your technique, improve your confidence and gain some general knowledge before your first auditions. Once you have some foundational knowledge and are a little older, start looking for more formal education. You can find acting teachers in a variety of different places. Research local community colleges and universities that offer night classes to identify one that works for your schedule. This may also help you gain valuable experience since you may be able to participate in student films, commercials and media projects.
CAUTION THERE'S SOME START-UP COSTS
As a child actor you'll need headshots to submit for auditions, an acting résume (even without professional credits), and possibly a demo reel. You should also have at least two short monologues memorized for audition purposes. Creating a profile on an online casting platform is the best way to find auditions as a child actor. Once you've made a profile, you'll be able to submit to casting calls based on target age range, location, and the production (TV, Movies or Plays). While major markets like New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago might offer more opportunities, they're also home to a greater number of actors. These cities are very competitive, and it could be beneficial to start your career in a Texas and gain more experience before expanding to Hollywood. Check local websites and businesses for information about local theaters in your area where you can gain some initial experience as an actor.
CONCLUSION
A career in acting is about resilience. Being an actor means hearing no and dealing with rejection after an audition; this is true for even the most famous of actors. Learn to accept rejection, and understand it’s not personal. The most important rule in acting is to keep going.
Good luck Alayna
While formal acting training isn't always required, it can be a big help as a child actor looking to learn the craft. Group classes, workshops, private coaching, and summer acting programs are all great options for you to break into the industry. There are a number of different workshops and camps in which you can enroll. The important thing is to get started. Acting instructors can help you develop your technique, improve your confidence and gain some general knowledge before your first auditions. Once you have some foundational knowledge and are a little older, start looking for more formal education. You can find acting teachers in a variety of different places. Research local community colleges and universities that offer night classes to identify one that works for your schedule. This may also help you gain valuable experience since you may be able to participate in student films, commercials and media projects.
CAUTION THERE'S SOME START-UP COSTS
As a child actor you'll need headshots to submit for auditions, an acting résume (even without professional credits), and possibly a demo reel. You should also have at least two short monologues memorized for audition purposes. Creating a profile on an online casting platform is the best way to find auditions as a child actor. Once you've made a profile, you'll be able to submit to casting calls based on target age range, location, and the production (TV, Movies or Plays). While major markets like New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago might offer more opportunities, they're also home to a greater number of actors. These cities are very competitive, and it could be beneficial to start your career in a Texas and gain more experience before expanding to Hollywood. Check local websites and businesses for information about local theaters in your area where you can gain some initial experience as an actor.
CONCLUSION
A career in acting is about resilience. Being an actor means hearing no and dealing with rejection after an audition; this is true for even the most famous of actors. Learn to accept rejection, and understand it’s not personal. The most important rule in acting is to keep going.
Good luck Alayna
Leslie Bloom
Director/Producer/Assistant Director
16
Answers
Portland, Oregon
Updated
Leslie’s Answer
Hi Alayna!
If you want to become an actor at 11, that's amazing! Here's how my son started his journey when he was just 9. He loved acting from a young age, and now he's 24 and has been in big films. It takes dedication, but it's possible. Here are some tips to help you get started:
1. Join as many plays and acting opportunities as you can, like commercials or videos. You can find scripts online to practice with.
2. Create a demo reel, which is a short video showing your acting skills. Have someone record your best scenes from plays or practice pieces. Look at examples online to see how they are formatted.
3. Learn a great monologue that shows different emotions. My son used one with 4 different voices and it helped him win awards and get an agent. If you need ideas, find monologues online that show a range of emotions, like funny or serious ones.
4. Get a good headshot. It doesn’t need to be professional; just ask someone who takes nice photos. Look at headshots of child actors online for inspiration.
5. Have your parents send your demo reel and headshot to talent agents in your nearest big city. It's often easier to get an agent as a kid because there are fewer child actors.
Remember, your parents need to support you and be with you in the room during auditions and acting jobs. Acting can be a long journey, so it's good to also think about other careers you might like. Have fun and enjoy the adventure! Break a leg!
If you want to become an actor at 11, that's amazing! Here's how my son started his journey when he was just 9. He loved acting from a young age, and now he's 24 and has been in big films. It takes dedication, but it's possible. Here are some tips to help you get started:
1. Join as many plays and acting opportunities as you can, like commercials or videos. You can find scripts online to practice with.
2. Create a demo reel, which is a short video showing your acting skills. Have someone record your best scenes from plays or practice pieces. Look at examples online to see how they are formatted.
3. Learn a great monologue that shows different emotions. My son used one with 4 different voices and it helped him win awards and get an agent. If you need ideas, find monologues online that show a range of emotions, like funny or serious ones.
4. Get a good headshot. It doesn’t need to be professional; just ask someone who takes nice photos. Look at headshots of child actors online for inspiration.
5. Have your parents send your demo reel and headshot to talent agents in your nearest big city. It's often easier to get an agent as a kid because there are fewer child actors.
Remember, your parents need to support you and be with you in the room during auditions and acting jobs. Acting can be a long journey, so it's good to also think about other careers you might like. Have fun and enjoy the adventure! Break a leg!