One of the most common questions I get asked is “ what should my child wear to a casting?”
Gosh this brings me back to when my daughter was a little peanut and I was just learning the business. I remember walking into a casting with my freshly groomed daughter . Her hair was done, she had a little color on her cheeks , and I dressed her in the cutest gosh darn outfits you could imagine . Then I watched other kids walk in looking like they literally had just rolled out of bed with mismatched socks and hair in knots. Somehow those kids would book everything and it baffled my mind. Now I understand.
If you were a painter and you were getting ready to paint a canvas would you want an already painted canvas ? Probably not . You would want to pick the colors , imagine what you were going to paint , and put your creative juices onto paper . Well , same goes for art directors . They want to see a child and imagine what they are going to create with their canvas. They want to envision what will happen when their imagination comes to life . If you come to the casting with a freshly painted canvas your not giving them the opportunity to create and that can get boring . Now I’m not saying to have your child walk in looking like a ragamuffin but they shouldn’t walk in looking like they are about to get photos taken by glamour shots either . Casual attire is always good , like how they would dress if going to a movie with a friend . I always say stay away from white . Most castings have a white backdrop set up so you don’t want your child to blend in wearing the same color as the backdrop . Wear jeans or shorts and a casual top that complements your child’s skin tone. If you put makeup on your child keep it to a minimum . A little blush can go a long way . No mascara or eye makeup is ever necessary . Make sure to have hair similar to your headshot photo unless going for an acting role that requires something charactery. Kids should always look like kids. No heels, sexy attire , hats, or bows . If your going for an acting role try to dress according to character and use your best judgment for that role.
All in all what you wear doesn’t really make or break your chances of booking a job. It really is about the child as a whole and if they are a perfect fit for the job and what the client is looking for .