Is Casting For Teens Different Than Casting for Younger Kids?

If you’ve got a teen who is interested in acting or modelling, they will need to get used to casting. Casting for teens is the process of holding auditions to determine who is best suited to a role. For younger kids and babies, auditions aren’t too difficult. But when children become teenagers, the expectations are a bit higher.

We expect a different level of maturity and behaviour from teens in everyday life, and casting directors expect more too. Here are some of the big differences between casting for teens and casting for younger children.

Learning lines

In the case of casting for teens in acting roles, one of the biggest differences is that casting directors expect a little more. That usually surfaces in the form of learning lines. Prior to an audition, teen actors might be given part of a script to learn, because they’ll need to perform it at the audition.

This expectation doesn’t really exist for babies and younger kids, because their roles often don’t have lines. Not all teen roles have lines either, however it is more common. So, if you’ve got a teen who is following their acting dreams, they’ll need to be good at practising and memorising lines

Casting for teens clothing

While appearance isn’t everything, many casting directors indeed want a certain look. Teens who audition for roles should have a good understanding of the character. It could be for a commercial on the beach, in which case, casual beach clothing is expected. The role may call for the teen to wear a suit, so your teen should dress accordingly for the audition.

As a parent, you’re not dressing your teen anymore. However, it pays to be aware of these requirements so you can guide them through the audition process.

Ability to take direction

When younger children attend auditions, they don’t need to take a lot of direction. That’s because casting directors are more just looking for a certain personality, temperament or look. However, as children get older, there’s an expectation they can take direction.

For example, your teen may have learned some lines before the audition. They perform those lines, but the director wants to see a little more. They may ask the actor to perform in a certain way, and they expect that a teen actor can handle that.

It could be showing different emotions, reading different lines or even auditioning for an entirely different role. It pays to be ready for anything when auditioning.

Need help finding casting for teens?

Casting Kids has become known as one of the most respected child modelling and acting agencies. That’s because we have genuine care for our kids, and we also have an impressive list of clients. This means more audition opportunities for your child, and a better chance of success. We’re fully inclusive, and will represent any child from 0-16 regardless of abilities. To find out more about how we can help your child achieve their dreams, contact our friendly team today.