Question:

Hello Mr. White,

I came across your website while looking for a suitable acting school for my six year old son. He is young, but he has shown an interest in taking acting lessons.

Are there any that you would recommend nearby our home in Florida?

Look forward to hearing from you,

Lee

Answer:

Hi Lee,

Thanks for the email.

To be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t have the foggiest idea of any acting schools for children in Florida.

I’d say that at the age of six, casting people don’t really put a lot of stock on performance. And, at that age, kids can either “bring it” or they can’t.

There’s not really much to teach, as far as emotional preparation goes. It’s all just kind of imagination games and getting them to give an appropriate response to the scene at hand.

Your best bet would be to teach him how to memorize lines, hit marks and action match. You could make a game out of it and keep it fun for him, which would in turn show you if he actually has the rare combination of patience, understanding and maturity to do that kind of work hour after hour before you spend any money.

I’ve always been very dubious of acting schools that cater to children, especially “out of market” ones that aren’t located in Los Angeles or New York. Even then, I still really believe that a conscientious and caring parent is the best first introduction to acting.

Beyond this, if you want to know what the film and television world is like and what he’d have to learn, check out my book Acting for Film and Television. It’s all in there.

Hope this helps and best of luck!