How Many Hours Do Child Actors Work?

It is possible for children to become actors and work legally the same way as adults do. Their work starts with child acting auditions and proceeds further. Let’s discuss how many hours can they devote to the filming.

Child actors and their labor

Age limits vary greatly in different regions. For instance, a lot of filming takes place in California, and the following rules apply here:

  • The child must be 15 days old so that he can work. In addition, it is illegal to work with premature babies under the age of one month.
  • Children younger than 6 months of age can have 20 working minutes a day and no more than 2 hours on the set.
  • Up to 2 years the whole time is increased to 4 hours a day, but work is still no more than 2 hours.

That’s why directors often look for twins on kidscasting.com. As two different children look the same, 2 hours of work turn into 4. Also, if one child is not in the mood, the other can take over this work. In addition, children are allowed work from 9:30 to 11:30 or from 14:30 to 16:30.

One of the parents must be present when the filming proceeds, so the child will not be left alone.

The following rules are also generally applied:

  • For the age 2-6 – 6 hours per day on set with 3 working hours.
  • From 6 to 9 there can be 4 working hours and 8 hours on set.
  • Actors aged 9 to 16 are allowed on set for 9 hours with 5 hours for work when they are studying. If there are holidays working hours are increased to 7 per day.
  • 17-year-olds have 6 hours for work and 10 on set. If it is no studying, then they can work 8 hours.

However, this does not mean that the child will play all this time. Transforming into character, preparing hair and makeup, and walking from the studio to the location are also considered work time. Thus, the more complex the appearance of the character, the less time is left for acting.

Role of acting classes in becoming a commercial actor

Developing a successful career as an actor requires a lot more than just talent. It is a dynamic concoction of practice, patience, and hard work that helps actors hone their skills and sharpen up their craft. From portraying the character of an ancient messiah to playing the role of a futuristic robot in the sci-fi genre, an actor has the potential to dabble in multiple entertainment channels. The stage is too big for the actor since they have the opportunity to indulge the silver-screen, theatre, and even commercials on television and digital media!

Experts from the industry are often noted saying that an actor cannot be successful in the mainstream until they prove their merit in commercials. The relatively short-lived but high-pressure experience of working for a commercial is necessary for every up-and-coming actor.

If you are planning to build your portfolio to impress the casting directors, then performing well in a commercial is essential for you. Once your face is televised, you open doors to abundance for yourself. This implies that finding a successful role in a major project as an actor is technically based on your performance in an advertisement.

Commercials play an important role in the career of an actor. If you are looking for a little help in improving your performance in commercials, then the next few points will act as a salve for your curiosity!

Training sets the right stage.

As a newcomer in the industry, you must understand that knowledge and practice are two critical components for the brew of success in the field; the third being talent itself! In this context, you can either travel the earth to both ends in search of the perfect mentor, or you can directly enroll in a commercial masterclass.

Just like you attend school and college for preliminary training of adult life, similarly, taking admission in such classes will help you learn a lot more than just craft. So, if, for example, you reside in New York, exploring the best Commercial acting classes in NYC and choosing the one as per your liking and preference will definitely take your talent to the next level.

You can learn essential marketing skills to find roles without representation, or learn to set the right lighting and camera angles for solo shoots and online auditions during the pandemic. The insight from experts is necessary for you so that you don’t repeat the rookie mistakes others have made in the past.

 

Remember the difference between acting and drama.

An acting class is the affordable version of drama school. Since drama school teaches the dynamics of theatrics and the construction of the ideal scene from a literary perspective, an acting class is a brief therapy to brush up your skills of expression in front of a camera.

Many people with sound technical knowledge of camera and creation tend to fail in scenes as soon as the camera is rolling. 

This is why an acting class is necessary for you to cut down the stage fright and help empower your dialogue delivery. While drama school is a luxury, only a few students can afford, short-acting classes for commercials and skill-specific needs help the student enhance on the skills that they already have. Suppose you are a full-time student in another institute or are working multiple jobs. In that case, an online commercial class can be a lot more helpful to you as opposed to the traditional route of scholarships and support in drama school.

It boils down to your own goals and intentions with the craft. If you are looking for a quick brush up to start building your portfolio, or if you are planning to go the long route and start learning dialogue delivery and facial expressions from expert casting directors, then an acting class will give you more practical advice.

Experience matters

Experience is essential for any actor. It helps you explore the horizons of your talent while also enabling you to interact with fellow newcomers with similar circumstances. An acting class will help you gain experience quicker than the standard method of seeking casting directors. Most directors that visit acing classes for keynote speeches tend to look for fresh talents from such events.

If you catch the eye of leading commercial director, then you can easily land a commercial without groveling to the gods of music, literature, and drama!

The interactive exercises for commercial acting play a critical role in developing the self-confidence of the actor. It helps to establish the actor in the murky waters of competition and politics in the field.

 

Final Thoughts

If you are planning to work on your skills as an actor, then enrolling in an acting class is your first step on the yellow-brick-road to success. We suggest our readers to start learning from commercial acting so that they can build an impressive portfolio and then gradually invest in expensive learning programs to have steady progression. But in the end, the choice is all yours! The opportunities are infinite!

 

About The Author 

Ashley Rosa: Ashley Rosa is a freelance writer and blogger. As writing is her passion that why she loves to write articles related to the latest trends in technology and sometimes on health-tech as well.  She is crazy about chocolates. You can find her at twitter: @ashrosa2.

16 Celebrities You Didn’t Know Had A Twin

When it comes to celebrities, we usually don’t know much about their families unless their siblings or parents are famous, too. But, these celebrities happen to have a twin who shared the womb with them—and, some even got the shared talent.

1. Jon Hader of Napoleon Dynamite actually has a twin brother, Dan, pictured below.

David Livingston / Getty Images

2. Rami Malek has a twin brother, Sami, that looks so much like him that sometimes they switch places.

Kevin Winter / Getty Images, David Becker / Getty Images

3. Giovanni Ribisi has a twin sister named Melissa.

Charley Gallay / Getty Images

4. Aaron Carter not only has a famous brother, but also has a twin sister, Angel.

Chad Buchanan / Getty Images

5. Aston Kutcher has a twin brother named Michael.

Adam Bettcher/Getty Images

6. Gisele Bündchen has a twin sister, Partricia, and is one of five siblings. 

7. Jill Hennessy who starred in Crossing Jordan and Law & Order has a twin sister named Jacqueline.

Jamie Mccarthy/Getty Images

8. Eva Green, who starred in Casino Royale and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, has a twin sister named Joy.

Mike Coppola / Getty Images, National Post Music / Via youtube.com

9. Elvis Presley was a twin, but his brother Jesse died during birth.

Getty Images

10. Vin Diesel has a twin brother named Paul.

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