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cast Finding Child Actor

sfoster

sfoster

Staff Member
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I’m beginning my search for a child actress next week. Aiming for an 11 year old white girl to play an elf in my Christmas action movie.

Somehow I don’t think the normal actors mailing list and Facebook groups will cut it. I need to branch out to parents and different areas.
i suppose I could try contacting a casting director or talent agency.
Anyone have any thoughts on the matter? Maybe a cool idea of where I could find one.

I do know a couple girls but I want to have all my options considered. That’s the job right? Consider all the options.
 
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sfoster said:
ON THE OTHER HAND!!! The soul of this movie is not a drama.
nobody ever went to an arnold or keanu movie for the incredible acting lol

It's about the imagery of a tiny lil xmas elf with two handguns shooting bad guys.
some of these girls are ridiculously adorable looking models and would make for the puppy parade of action movies

theres definitely a market for something like that.

Either way I get to practice my cinematography and gun play in an all-out action movie which is the point for me personally
such a tough decision. i said i will decide on the 16th.
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Have you seen the series, HANNA on Amazon Prime? It's not exactly like what you've written here but this is a teenage girl who's been raised as an assassin. Might be worth watching. Seems to me I read in an article a few months back that it actually started out as a web series.
 
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Unknown Screenwriter said:
Have you seen the series, HANNA on Amazon Prime? It's not exactly like what you've written here but this is a teenage girl who's been raised as an assassin. Might be worth watching. Seems to me I read in an article a few months back that it actually started out as a web series.
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Yeah thanks. Good Rec.
While I’m here I might as well post the costume design I just made

IMG_1867.jpg

drive.google.com drive.google.com
 
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This super adorable girl did an audition and at the end she said she really wanted to do the movie bc her grandpa watches action movies every night and she wants to be in one for him to watch with her. Damn!!! She wasn’t able to take direction tho unfortunately. I’m finding that’s the problem with most kid actors is if you want to change the performance at all
 
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onebaldman said:
Oh, okay. So its literally an action scene! Noice. That should be a good time. Are you planning on having it released this Xmas?
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3 action scenes and also a drama scene of child holding her dying mom

There is an indoor gunfight at the beginning and an outdoor gunfight at the end.
And there is a hand to hand brawl between 3 girls in the middle.

This is a christmas movie so i'm planning on filming during christmas season and make my production effort much easier.
I dont want to have to do all those decorations from scratch... so film either december or january.

Also once I decide on the child star I have to get this costume made

Razzledazzle.JPG

drive.google.com drive.google.com
 
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That's a short timeframe for choreographing fight scenes! Dang, you must be hyped as hell to cut it that close, so the project should be a good one.

Have you done fight films in the past? How hard is choreographing those with small budgets? I wanted to do some sort of sword fighting film at some point, so just curious.
 
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onebaldman said:
That's a short timeframe for choreographing fight scenes! Dang, you must be hyped as hell to cut it that close, so the project should be a good one.

Have you done fight films in the past? How hard is choreographing those with small budgets? I wanted to do some sort of sword fighting film at some point, so just curious.
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Not a single parent asked me any questions like that 😄
I have done one quick scene that could be considered a shootout because both people fire at each other, but other than that I've never done any fight films or action movies!!! Muzzle flash, gun smoke and blood spray were all actually really easy.

I feel the walls closing in a bit, but I really need that bc my life is a big empty hole and this gives me something to cling onto and focus my time and energy toward. I'll take the stress of the deadline.

It just takes some creativity to make it fun, for example I have my girl hiding behind a car while everyone shoots at her.
When they start the windows are all up, then a close up of her hiding behind a tire and I just drop a bunch of "glass" all over her from the bullets.

Go back to a wide shot and the windows are rolled down. So thats gonna be my method of shooting out the windows while she hides for cover.
I will need to learn how to add bullet holes and debris in post and then do tracking with them but that stuff all seems so fundamental that i know it's covered in tutorials.

For sure I will have to pay some of the extras to come out and get shot in the final scene. there is nothing fun or rewarding about that as an actor.
but i placed the scene in a grass yard and its winter so everyone has on really bulky clothes. wear knee pads and fall onto grass, i think i can convince people to do that.
 
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I cast the part of Razzle Dazzle! Definitely a learning experience auditioning kids.

And I'll be damned the model did the best zoom audition, I did not see that coming.
I even messaged her with something like "dont get your hopes up" in my audition request LOL!!!

Anyway long story short she is 10 years old, has an icy scowl that pierces through the lens of a camera, and can take direction.
Bonus she lives less than 30 minutes from me. That's convenient for costume alterations and rehearsal purposes.

I think I could technically post her picture now as she is part of my production officially.
Keep in mind she is a professional model already. But I will wait to post a picture of her until I create a preproduction thread :)
 
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sfoster said:
I cast the part of Razzle Dazzle! Definitely a learning experience auditioning kids.

And I'll be damned the model did the best zoom audition, I did not see that coming.
I even messaged her with something like "dont get your hopes up" in my audition request LOL!!!

Anyway long story short she is 10 years old, has an icy scowl that pierces through the lens of a camera, and can take direction.
Bonus she lives less than 30 minutes from me. That's convenient for costume alterations and rehearsal purposes.

I think I could technically post her picture now as she is part of my production officially.
Keep in mind she is a professional model already. But I will wait to post a picture of her until I create a preproduction thread :)
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Very impressed you are putting this passion into the venture, it's a tough task you've set up but think it could really pay off if done right. You got some great visuals there to go at. Really looking forward to following all the steps of the production. Good luck bud, hoping the shoot goes well.
 
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sfoster said:
I cast the part of Razzle Dazzle! Definitely a learning experience auditioning kids.

And I'll be damned the model did the best zoom audition, I did not see that coming.
I even messaged her with something like "dont get your hopes up" in my audition request LOL!!!

Anyway long story short she is 10 years old, has an icy scowl that pierces through the lens of a camera, and can take direction.
Bonus she lives less than 30 minutes from me. That's convenient for costume alterations and rehearsal purposes.

I think I could technically post her picture now as she is part of my production officially.
Keep in mind she is a professional model already. But I will wait to post a picture of her until I create a preproduction thread :)
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I'm sure you have this all handled....... BUT

Just to make things not creepy, you should have a contract drafted up and signed by the parents for permission to use her in your film. Just think from the mindset of the FBI, and you can't go wrong. Haha.

This is the form I used for my child actress, who was also a professional model. So far, I've had zero issues. Plus it makes you seem way more professional, and less like a stalker.
 

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onebaldman said:
I'm sure you have this all handled....... BUT

Just to make things not creepy, you should have a contract drafted up and signed by the parents for permission to use her in your film. Just think from the mindset of the FBI, and you can't go wrong. Haha.

This is the form I used for my child actress, who was also a professional model. So far, I've had zero issues. Plus it makes you seem way more professional, and less like a stalker.
Click to expand...

absolutely want something signed from every actor before you begin shooting, this is a great tip. I will get her to sign this when i try out the wig on her next weekend.

I got an amazing wig off etsy that was like $300 for 70% off
best wigs are always drag queen wigs.
 
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Spent 10 minutes looking for one of my prop guns and couldn't find it. fml.
So i couldn't take any real promo shots. sucks to be me.

But at least I liked one of the wig colors. so here ya go a shot of my girl from our hair test today.

DSC00159.JPG

drive.google.com drive.google.com
 
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