{"id":6559,"date":"2024-09-03T10:53:02","date_gmt":"2024-09-03T10:53:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/?p=6559"},"modified":"2025-06-02T16:26:24","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T16:26:24","slug":"emma-stafford-advice-young-performers-and-parents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/young-performers\/emma-stafford-advice-young-performers-and-parents\/","title":{"rendered":"Emma Stafford\u2019s 11 Essential Tips for Young Performers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Emma Stafford, the casting director of \u20184 O\u2019Clock Club\u2019, \u2018Biff and Chip\u2019 and \u2018Pip and Posy\u2019, shares her self-taping tips and what parents and young performers should know about the industry.<\/span><\/h2>\n

As a parent, I get that it may seem frustrating when you\u2019re trying to understand the industry. You may sometimes wonder why you\u2019re paying for headshots, drama classes and Spotlight when your child isn\u2019t being \u2018seen\u2019, but there\u2019s really no right or wrong answer. There\u2019s just such a large volume of performers, so just know you\u2019re doing everything right by supporting your child.<\/span><\/p>\n

The parents of young performers have to juggle so much at once. I get it \u2013 as a single parent myself, I\u2019ve always got lots going on: I\u2019ll be cooking the tea, answering the phone, typing emails, thinking about the projects I\u2019m working on, as well as looking after my son. So know that casting directors really are on your side and appreciate what you\u2019re juggling \u2013 we\u2019re in the same position!<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are 11 things that young performers and their parents need to know about how the industry works and what you can do to increase your casting chances:<\/span><\/p>\n

1. What to Include on Your Child\u2019s Spotlight Profile<\/h3>\n

Young performers aren\u2019t supposed to have incredibly full CVs. If you have the footage, that\u2019s great \u2013 use it. You might not have the content for a showreel \u2013 that\u2019s also fine. Don\u2019t stress. The whole purpose of acting when you\u2019re young is that it should be fun. It isn\u2019t a prerequisite for young performers to have video footage on their profile \u2013 that comes with experience. As long as I can see your face, that\u2019s really all that matters.<\/span><\/p>\n

A good current headshot is the most relevant, which is tricky when kids are growing every day! My son looks completely different to a year ago, so that\u2019s something I\u2019m always looking for \u2013 are the photos on the profile representative of the performer now?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a parent, when you feel quite out of control in this process, you can keep looking at that headshot and your child and make sure they\u2019re correct. The other thing parents can keep an eye on is the essential information on the profile: playing age, height and skills. Playing age, height and photos are, without a doubt, the most important for me.<\/span><\/p>\n

Skillswise, if your child is really good at netball, horse-riding or basketball, put it on their profile. We\u2019re always searching for those physical skills. For my project, <\/span>Hoops<\/span><\/i>, I was looking for sporty kids who could be put with a basketball coach when cast, so having an updated profile with those skills is really helpful.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Handling Quieter Periods<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s something I\u2019m guilty of as a parent as well, but take your foot off the pressure pedal. Just a little bit! I fully understand the need to feel like you\u2019re doing something to be seen and that can be frustrating as you\u2019re pushing to this perceived \u2018promised land\u2019 of a role in a TV drama or a West End show.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019ll often find that the more lived experience young performers get as they grow, the right things will come to them. It\u2019s what I\u2019ve found in my career. I have to go out in the world and get work in the same way as actors do. Put some space around the stress of not being constantly asked for self-tapes and auditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Emma\u2019s Casting Process for Young Performers<\/h3>\n

When we\u2019re casting young performers, we see people with zero credits; we see people with lots of credits. That\u2019s the job of the casting directors. For example, one of my recent projects, <\/span>Hoops, <\/span><\/i>is a complete mix of experience across the lead roles. I work with agents that I already know and have great working relationships with, as well as getting to work with agents I\u2019ve never met before or people who don\u2019t have agents. Our job is to work with the whole smorgasbord of available talent.<\/span><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t just go to the \u2018top\u2019 agents. I really leave no stone unturned when it comes to finding the right person for the right role. I recently re-briefed a role for a film eight times to get the right person and the last boy who came into the room was the one we ended up casting. Sometimes, that\u2019s the way it goes!<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Casting by Location<\/h3>\n

Sometimes location is absolutely a factor, especially when it comes to day-player roles. Production budgets are often limited for those roles. For those smaller parts, there might not be a budget for travel and overnight accommodation, so that\u2019s when we\u2019ll look at performers based in the production location and cast locally. It also means we\u2019re working with actors from that local community, so there\u2019s a level of authenticity.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Casting by Appearance<\/h3>\n

Sometimes, the appearance is really set in stone by the story of the project, e.g. the heritage of the parents who\u2019ve been cast already. There are occasionally really clear parameters that mean a performer needs to look a certain way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, sometimes it\u2019s the complete opposite and there are no restrictions on appearance, so it\u2019s just about the actor. For me, that\u2019s much more exciting, but it\u2019s not always possible and is entirely script dependent.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Neurodiversity and Auditions<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s something very close to my own heart and I\u2019m really hot on it for my auditions. We, as casting directors, want to make sure any access requirements are met (e.g. different coloured paper for scripts).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The best advice I can give is to use your voice. If you have additional needs, how can we support you? Especially if there\u2019s anything triggering, such as bright lights or being overwhelmed by groups of people.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can also say to your agent you’d prefer to audition at the beginning or the end of the day if it\u2019s a bit quieter and that you want to avoid the lunchtime period. You could also ask to meet the team on <\/span>Zoom<\/span><\/i> first or perhaps ask for additional notes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All the casting directors I know would say the same, but it\u2019s important to be open and honest about your needs. We\u2019re here to support you!<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Learning Lines for Self-Tapes and Auditions<\/h3>\n

What makes what I do so fascinating is that each of you will bring something different to the character. Do your best to get the words in the script right. My advice is to get into the habit of prepping the scripts and don\u2019t purposely add in any additional lines unless the instructions from your agent and the casting director allow for this. That said, I\u2019m not a teacher; I\u2019m not here to test you. If you don\u2019t get the words 100% as written, that\u2019s okay!<\/span><\/p>\n

Try and get off-script for every audition, as it\u2019ll help you be in the moment and we won\u2019t see you thinking about the next line. It\u2019s about inhabiting the moment and reacting to the scene as if it\u2019s your first time hearing the lines \u2013 that\u2019s what brilliant actors are able to do. For in-person auditions, you really need to be off-script.<\/span><\/p>\n

For me, what\u2019s important is that you\u2019re getting the emotions of the character correct. You need to interpret the words and bring yourself to it.<\/span><\/p>\n

8. Dealing with Nerves<\/h3>\n

One of my mantras and something I often say is, \u201cJust breathe and believe.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When we\u2019re tense, we hold ourselves rigidly and hunch in. If you just breathe and talk on that out-breath, you\u2019ll feel calmer than when you talk on an in-breath, which might make you talk quickly and sound panicked. That \u2018breathe and believe\u2019 mantra will help you feel a little bit more grounded.<\/span><\/p>\n

9. The Benefits of Self-Taping<\/h3>\n

Self-tapes have really helped increase the variety of performers we can see. It means performers don\u2019t have to travel to castings and we\u2019re being mindful of the cost of travel and eliminating unnecessary environmental impact. It\u2019s made my life easier as I don\u2019t have to travel back and forth from Bolton to London all the time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We can see more people as we don\u2019t have to schedule in time slots. I\u2019ve found that if I do a round of self-tapes and follow that up with a round of in-room auditions, we\u2019re getting better in-person auditions because once you\u2019ve done the tape and been given a recall, there\u2019s a degree of confidence in the work you\u2019ve already done. Actors get more from being in the room as we can help with nerves or content in the scripts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I do love self-tapes as it helps me to see you on screen, which is ultimately what I\u2019m casting for. Once I\u2019ve seen the tapes, I\u2019m excited to get performers in the room.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

10. Emma Stafford\u2019s Self-Tape Tips<\/h3>\n