First and foremost…ALL babies are Beautiful ! Why wouldn’t they be? After all, they have brand new flawless skin, sparkling eyes, and unique distinctions that promote a fresh innocence for any client’s product or advertising needs. So what gives with getting your child represented by a talent agent?
At Avant Agency, we begin by screening the parent first:
Does the parent have a realistic understanding of frequency of bookings available in a year for a baby or toddler in this market?
Our baby division is very limited due to the fact that the baby market in San Antonio/Austin area is very slow. Advertisements where you have seen babies/toddlers are shot wherever the corporate headquarters are located; then the ads are distributed nationally ( they are syndicated) However, because our city offers demographic and geographic diversity, we do receive special project media campaigns, from time to time. An infant or toddler may on average expect being booked – maybe three times a year.
Does the parent understand their responsibility in keeping pictures, stats, sizes -current – at ALL times!
When a client is ready to cast an infant or a toddler it is imperative that what they see in the casting systems, are “what they get” in real life. If a six month infant is needed – they do not want to see a picture of an 11 month baby when he was six months! That is not what they are needing. It is a waste of time for a casting director to request a child based on the photos in the system that are no longer current or accurate. Is the parent willing to take this on as a business….for their child, whether they are getting audition requests or not? One does not know when the request for a baby or toddler comes in – so parent must be ready with correct information at all times….no excuses.
Does the parent realize they may need to drive their infant or toddler out of town for the audition?
More than half of the auditions will require the child to audition in Austin. Normal turn around notice may be one day notice. Does the parent have the time and flexibility in their schedule and reliable transportation to get to the audition? Do they have child care, set in place for the other children they may have? If not, then this would eliminate representation for the child because it would be pointless, if you could not get your child to the auditions.
If a parent can pass this initial screening criteria, the next step would be to schedule an appointment with the agency at 210-308-8411, with the responsible parent. We do not need to see the child in person for this appointment. We do need to see current photos of the child and a short 30 second video is also helpful. We will interview the parent and review the child’s information at the appointment, and at this time we will evaluate whether we feel the child would make a good fit with our agency, and we will determine if a further interview with the child is necessary.
The Babies and Toddler Division represents children between the ages infants – 5 year olds.