August, at Children In Film, is based around the theme of education. For young performers this is a two-part theme: an education as a student of the showbiz industry, and an actual scholastic education. This topic involves everyone including agents, managers, producers and other industry professionals who work with minors. So listen up class because eventually there will be a test.
Most of the year Children In Film focuses on showbiz education; this is why we have articles about Following the Casting Process and also why we developed the KidStart Program (a step-by-step guide to launching your child's career in entertainment). But you may recall that Children In Film got its start decades ago by becoming the industry's experts in terms of school on set and entertainment labor laws; this is still a top priority for us!
After a long, hot summer it seems that everyone has forgotten the importance of a good education. August rolls around and those of us at CIF find ourselves frequently reminding producers that they must provide education on set, parents that their children must maintain C or better grades and casting directors that auditions should be held after school hours.
So let's shift the usual discussion from the biz to the books and recap the details of a child performer's scholastic education.
Child performers (and their parents) need to prepare themselves before they even book their first job. Teachers should be informed about the possibility of missing school for work, and a plan for time missed should be created ahead of time. Students must maintain a C or better average because in states like California, an Entertainment Work Permit will not be issued if grades aren't maintained, and without a Work Permit, the minor will not be permitted on set. If you homeschool - whether it is because your child works frequently, or because you plan to travel to a major market for months at a time - make sure you understand the Rules and Laws regarding homeschooling as well.
Industry pros most also be prepared. This means knowing and understanding the labor laws and union rules regarding the education of minors on set.
Agents and Managers must be continually aware of their young clients' schedules, paying careful attention to avoid multiple bookings in one day, and communicating heavily with the parents regarding the child's educational needs. Yes, in California, for example, your child can work two or more jobs in one day, so long as the child's work schedule does not exceed the maximum amount allowed by the law and provided that three hours of education has been provided as part of the minor's work day. Remember, only parents and talent representatives really know when a child has multiple jobs in one day or one week and ultimately they have the responsibility of making sure that the minor's educational needs are being facilitated by production.
Although auditions are not covered under child labor law because they are not technically considered work, the SAG commercial agreement requires that "Calls for auditions and fittings for children of school age shall be after school hours, provided such calls are completed prior to 8:00 PM."
Producers must understand that when it comes to child actors, education MUST NOT and CAN NOT be neglected. Here's why:
- In California, and many other states (check out our labor laws section to find information about your state) child actors with below average grades cannot receive a work permit, which means they cannot work! Think about what that means in terms of reality TV. Troubled youth who are often featured in reality shows (think Teen Mom, Hoarders, etc.) may cause a challenge when it comes to obtaining work permits. And yes, reality TV shows must follow the same rules as any other TV show employing minors.
- SAG contracts as well as the labor law in several states require that children who miss more than two days of regular school for work be provided with three hours of educational instruction by a credentialed teacher.
- Although graduated minors (note there is a difference between graduated minors and emancipation) may work any hours as an adult, minors have often obtained these certificates so as to specifically exempt themselves from the rules pertaining to performing children. However, these kids are often still enrolled in regular school and are simply holding this card as a career advantage. Though it probably seemed like a good idea at the time, it is unreasonable to expect a child to work all day and then go home and make up missed assignments and then be fresh for work/school again the next day. In order to help with planning for education on set, we've dedicated an entire section of ChildrenInFilm.com to education.
