FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We will send you our acceptance form/contract which we will ask you to complete, sign and return. For ages 11+ we will also send you details of how to join Spotlight, discuss headshots and then once we have your completed forms, professional headshots and you have set up Spotlight we can start submitting you for jobs. We do have a photographer who I have used for many years, he will gladly help but if you would like to find your own photographer that is fine, but the headshots must be at a very high standard
Spotlight is a casting platform that connects professional performers with casting opportunities around the world. Performers on spotlight are recognised by agents and casting professionals as the most talented in the industry. That’s why spotlight is used every day by casting directors looking to find the best performers for their projects. Young performers can only join through a spotlight registered agent by invitation. An annual membership currently costs £106.00.
Unfortunately, in this industry there are no guarantees, and no agency can or should state this. However, we will put you forward to all assignments that you or your child meets the brief for..
The agency earns from commission. We take commission from all fees earned but not travel expenses or chaperone fees. Our rate is 15%
That depends on the client but generally 30-90 days after the job. Please note though that sometimes this can take longer
Sole means that you can only be represented by us as your agent. It means we will work with you exclusively and is what most Casting Directors favour because they know that the person submitted has only been submitted once and not by several different agencies that then becomes a fight as to which agency to go back to.
A lot of roles require different accents, eg, Northern, England, Southern England, Irish, Scottish, American, neutraul and of course your own. If you get an audition for a role requiring a certain accent you will have to work very hard to master the accent. There are many You Tube videos to assist or you can pay for a voice/accent coach. Either way it requires a lot of time and effort.
Your Agent works incredibly hard to get you in front of the right casting director. If you fail to turn up for your audition or any work you have been offered, it impacts both you and the Agency in an extremely negative way. This will likely result in the casting director never wanting to use you as an actor again or the Agency when casting other roles. If this happens we will terminate the agencies agreement
At a casting you will wait inside a given area with other parents and children also waiting to be seen, you may be asked to fill out some paperwork too with details of previous shoots they may have participated in age, height etc. Usually, you will be asked to stay in reception while your child goes through to the casting room where your child will meet the casting director and maybe some of their colleagues. Let your child know in advance that this will happen. It’s so important for your child to be full of smiles, chatty and to have fun. They will be asked to introduce themselves and then they will do the script they have learnt.
After the casting you then have the dreaded stomach-churning wait. Unfortunately, this is a busy industry and casting directors, and agents don’t have time to feedback from every single casting.
In most circumstances you usually hear back the week after, or that same week if you are pencilled (shortlisted) maybe asked for a recall (2nd casting etc) or if you are confirmed (booked). If for a large film role you could be waiting longer. They will contact us who in turn, will then contact you. Please don’t be disheartened if you don’t hear from us, just keep going as something lovely may happen. Even to be short listed is a great achievement as 100’s of children may have gone for the same role.
If you are pencilled and get the role, to enable your child to take part in a shoot you will need a licence, there are a few exceptions but if aged 16 or under and still in full time education you will need a licence from your local LEA to work in the UK or an international licence to work abroad.
To get a licence to work in the UK, production will send you a licence application form via Penny Lane Actors Agency. You will need to complete it and send it back to our Agency along with a recent headshot, copy of birth certificate or passport and if filming on a school day a school letter authorising time off. For overseas you also need a doctor’s letter. You will need to let us and production know who is going to chaperone – this has to be a biological parent or a licenced chaperone.
To have time off during school term time for shoots you have to have written permission from your child’s head teacher, so if your school is strict with attendance this may not be the right time for your child to begin doing this, or you can always try and come to an agreement with your school.
The demand for self-tapes is huge thanks to Covid I personally think it works to the advantage of the actor as it saves a lot of time and expense. Self-tapes are requested from casting directors in lieu of an actual casting in the room. Just because you are self-taping doesn’t mean you can skip the preparation required for any other kind of audition – Self tapes requests come with detailed instructions. ALWAYS FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONSANDLEARN YOUR LINES, make bold choices and create compelling characters. Film with a plain wall and no distractions in the background. Use plain colours, don’t wear patterns, no graphics, no zig zags, nothing that shimmers on camera, no words on t-shirts. Zoom in so we can see facial features clearly. Always, tape in LANDSCAPE – turn your camera on its side, remember to check the background for any distractions. Eye line – set the camera up level with the actor’s eyes and the actor should look just to the side of the camera as their line of sight. Check if the tape needs to be sent as one file or separate ones. Name the files and then send via we transfer.com. Always send to Penny Lane Actors Agency, unless the upload link is there, and we have directed you to upload the tape yourself.