How to Be a Child Teacher on Movie Sets
- 1). Obtain your teaching degree from a college with a reputable education program. Ideally, select an institution in a state where films are often made. The most common places where actors and their teachers find employment are in California and New York, but places like North Carolina are starting to become popular movie-making locations. Keep in mind the ages of children with whom you wish to work so you can decide whether to enroll in elementary education programs or those for teaching middle school and high school. Obtain your state teaching certificate.
- 2). Hone your teaching skills with internships and tutoring jobs while you are working on your degree. Take the opportunity to learn as much as possible on the job with different children in one-on-one sessions. This will help you learn how to address the needs of various children so you can effectively teach any young person you are assigned. This will also give you references and recommendations to use on your resume.
- 3). Make contacts in the film industry as often as possible. Attend industry events open to newcomers. Introduce yourself to everyone and hand out a business card which proclaims you as a professional teacher and tutor. Follow up with individuals who contact you. Write to producers and to the parents of child actors, informing them of your teaching services. Persistence pays off in the long run, though you may have to take jobs off film sets to make a living while you are trying to break into the business.
- 4). Ask to observe operations on a movie set. Many filmmakers are willing to open their sets at particular times to those interested in the business. Be polite with your requests, explain who you are and what your aspirations are and take advantage of any opportunity you receive. When you are invited on a set, be careful to stay out of the way, listen and don't talk unless someone asks you a question. Express your appreciation at the end of the day and send a thank you card a few days later.
- 5). Create a portfolio that highlights you skills, education and experiences. Work on a cover letter that is concise, clearly defines your objectives and encourages the producer or other reviewer to want to read more about you. Your resume should be the second page. It needs to highlight the chief points and give all the necessary information for a potential employer to access quickly. The rest of your portfolio delves more in depth into your unique vision and method of teaching. Include written recommendations from the parents of children you have taught.
- 6). Advertise your services as a teacher for child movie actors. Place ads in trade magazines and send out short informative notes to producers and parents of actors. Contact all the individuals in the industry whom you met while obtaining your education and working on internships. Get your name out as much as possible. Ask for face-to-face meeting. Follow up on mailings by calling to request interviews with potential clients. Keep a detailed record of whom you contact, when and information about each person's response.
- 7). Develop a streamlined curriculum to meet the needs of the busy child actor. Find out what you need to teach and how to communicate it quickly to the child employed on a film set. These kids often don't have long periods to concentrate on studies, so be flexible in your teaching so that they get the most out of little chunks of time. Review and repeat information as needed and constantly assess whether the child has understood the material.
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