Acting Classes for Kids – So you need a resume?

Picture of actual student, Mayan.

So you are getting your headshots and now you need a resume to attach to the back side of them.  But you are just starting out, and you have no acting experience. What should you do?  …. You still create a resume that depicts training and/or experience, skills, talents in other areas.  Here is a step by step instruction.

1. The resume must be 8×10.  Even though you will print on 8.5.x 11 you will want to go into your Word program and go to page set up and pick 8×10 for paper size.  this will make it easier to print and cut off the edges (.5 and 1 inches) when you are done.

2.  Your resume will have a title at the top and broken up into different sections.

1. Center your (child’s) name in bold at the top.
   1. For agent auditions, include an email address and cellphone and a parent contact name  (MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT WRITE YOUR HOME ADDRESS OR HOME PHONE NUMBER.  YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE THESE  MAY END UP).
2. Put age, height, weight, eye color and hair color.
3. Section 1: “Experience” or “Performance.”
   1. For this section, you will want subsections… a) Film b) Television, c) Commercials, d) theatre.
   2. If you do not have performances in one or some of these, do not list it.
   3. You can list performances at school or church plays.
   4. I suggest that for each subsection you have a table  with three columns: 1) project title, 2) type of role (lead, supporting) and 3) the name of the production company.
   5. Use a table if you wish with invisible lines to line up the three categories.
4. Background work is not considered “acting” enough for your resume. With that said, for youth…
   •Only list background work with lines.
   •If background is all you have, list as “other performances”
   •Once you get an agent, they will guide you how to revise resume
5. Section 2 “Training” or “Education.”
   •List classes for acting, singing, dancing, speaking or martial arts –definitely list AYA.  You want a table in this section also with three columns:  1) Type of classes, 2) School/instructor and 3) Location/date
6. Section 3 “Skills, Talents and Hobbies”
   •Add whatever skill your child/you have: Knit, Sing, Skateboard, Able to read lines in Spanish, Soccer, Gymnastics, Burp on demand, Cry on demand, paint, etc. (make sure you do exaggerate.

3.  When you print your resume, it will print on 8.5 x 11.  Ensure the resume prints to top left so that it is easier for you to cut the .5 and the 1 inches so it can be attached to back of resume. Attach with staples.