CASTING AGENT HAS AN EYE FOR TALENT

CHILDREN'S EXPRESS

Kid actors are everywhere, starring in movies and television shows, doing commercials and public service announcements, even doing voices on radio commercials. But how do kids get started and what does it take to be a kid actor? Children's Express talked to Judy Welker, an Indianapolis casting agent, to find out.

"I look for something in the eyes immediately. A smile will carry you through more than anything else," said Welker, who has been acting most of her adult life. "Probably, if you have that upbeat personality that says, `I'm not afraid to try. I may not be any good but I want to do this,' I will see that."

No one excluded

Welker stresses that acting is for anybody who wants to do it. She says the first thing she does is look the child in the eyes and ask why he or she wants to act.

"If that child looks over at the mother for an answer, that means nine times out of 10, it is Mom that wants him or her to be (acting) and not the kid," she explained. "If I watch the eye contact and it lets me know that the kid really wants it, that's all I care about. It doesn't matter to me what that child looks like. There is room for all kinds of kids. You don't have to be beautiful; you can just be an ordinary kid."

Welker, who runs Artistic Enterprises, stresses that getting into acting does not have to be expensive. She says you don't need portfolios or fancy composite photographs _ you just need a head shot.

Welker also suggests free-lancing, which is working without an agent, as a cheaper alternative. Free-lancers must contact casting agents themselves to find out about jobs.

"When I hire a free-lance talent, those kids get to keep the money they make because a casting director doesn't take commissions out of their work," said Welker, who hires free- lance kids as often as she hires kids who have agents. "And if I hire through a talent agency, I pay the talent agency and they take a percentage of what (the kids) make."

Practically everyone has talent

How do you know if you're talented enough? Welker says there is no such thing as not having talent.

"If I come across a kid that doesn't have talent, it is usually because that kid is not interested in this business," she said. "Kids are open. It is practically impossible for a kid not to have talent."

Welker warns kids to watch out for scams. She says beware of photographers who want you to spend a lot of money on unnecessary shots. She also warns about agencies that won't sign you up unless you take one of their classes.

It's also important to remember that acting takes hard work and determination. "When you get on a real set, all the glamour goes out of it real quick because there is a lot of waiting."

"It takes a lot of patience to be an actor. You may get on the set at 9 in the morning and not get to shoot until 5 in the afternoon or 8 in the evening. So when you've done that a couple of times, the star-struck thing goes out the window and you realize that this is a working business. It is fun, but there is a lot to it."