How to help your agent help you!

As a parent you play a vital role in your child’s career. It is important that you update all facets of your child’s AT2 profile on a regular basis so your agent can ensure the right information is passed on for all opportunities. 

Time is of the essence in this industry with jobs turning over quickly, so the more progress updates the better!

We have put together a checklist for you to ensure you are on track and filling in your child's AT2 profile in the best way possible.

NOTE: Your agent may have pre-filled in some of the below sections. 

1. ‘PROFILE’ section  

• Select Ethnicity - this field is highly important. Note: you are able to tick more than one ethnicity.
• Select Complexion. 
• Select Hair colour.
• Select Hair Length - please update regularly in accordance with hair cuts.
• Select Eye colour.
• Away Status - when you are unavailable, such as going on a holiday, we recommend filling in this section so our casting department know when you can’t attend castings.
• Measurements - Fill in ALL fields. Update measurements & sizes every 6 weeks if your child is under 3 years and as often as possible for all other ages. 

For a detailed explanation of taking measurements and sizing we encourage you to read our previous blog 'A Fool Proof Guide to AT2 - Part 2' .

2. ‘PHOTOS’ section

• You have 10 spaces on your profile to upload photos. These can be happy snaps from home, professional shots or skill related shots (eg; playing piano or dancing) and they can be taken on your phone. 
• You MUST be able to see their body and face clearly in the images.

For instructions on how to take great head and body shots check out our previous blog 'How to take the perfect natural head and full body shot' and for how to upload check out 'A Fool Proof Guide to AT2 - Part 2'.

3. ‘RESUME’ section

• It is a good idea to upload a resume containing name, education, list of jobs, castings and extra curricular activities/classes on your child's profile. 
• If your child does not have vast experience a letter can also be great option and is a unique way to show off your child’s personality. 

Check out the following example written by Luke as a guide. 

• Ensure resumes and letters are updated regularly according to your child's developments. 

For detailed instructions on what to include and how to upload a resume check out our previous blog 'A Fool Proof Guide to AT2 - Part 3'.

4. ‘SKILLS’ section

Ensure you have gone through all fields and inputted all of your child's skills:

                 - Accents

                - Languages

                - Instrumental

                - Dance

                - Vocal

                - Circus

                - Sports

                - Performance Skills

• It is vital that you fill out this section, clients often look for specific skills for a campaign, so the more they know the better!

5. ‘VIDEO’ section

• We suggest that you record a chat to camera of your child and upload it to their profile. This will provide clients with an insight into your child’s personality and show off their ability in front of the camera. 

For hints on how to create a chat to camera and upload to AT2 please read our previous blog 'Hits and Tips for how to film a chat to camera'.

If you require any help with any aspect of AT2 please contact Bettina HQ via the email address: info@bettina.com.au or call our office on 1300 888 611.

We are always happy to help :)

HINTS AND TIPS FOR HOW TO FILM A CHAT TO CAMERA

Adding video to your child’s profile gives a client additional insight into your child’s personality and features whilst displaying their confidence in front of the camera. It is an added feature that can help to your child's future career possibilities. 

What is a chat to camera?

A chat to camera is a short introduction of your child speaking directly to the camera introducing themselves.

Clients are often requesting from our casting department chats to camera to grasp a better understand of the talent they are considering for a campaign. To already have a chat to camera uploaded to your child's AT2 profile is greatly beneficial and will greater the likelihood of your child being booked for a job. 

A chat to camera is great practice for your child. The more they practice being in front of the camera and getting comfortable with speaking about themselves the better. Clients will often request this at a casting or audition. We recommend playing the footage back to your child will help them to learn how they appear and sound on camera, if they need to project their voice more or hold more eye contact with the camera etc. 

No need to worry if you don’t have a video camera on hand, it is quite ok to film using a smart phone. Just ensure that the lighting is adequate and that the child’s face and features are clearly visible.

What to say in a chat to camera?

Introduce yourself with “Hi my name is….from Bettina Management.

Tell us a little bit about yourself; hobbies, favourite movie, do you have any pets. Anything that feels natural for your child. 

How to achieve a great chat to camera:

Shoot the audition in a medium close up (meaning a shot from mid chest up).

Film your chat to camera on a plain background and ensure the actor is clearly visible.

Be wary of background noises while making sure you are clearly audible. Even the slightest background noise such as muffling or distant voices can detract from the audition. 

Having a clear natural voice projection is key! Get your child to talk to the camera as if they are talking to you, a normal voice tone and volume.

Ensure that you play back the chat to camera before uploading to check that you can clearly see and hear your child.

We asked our resident actor from Bettina HQ to provide you with an example of a chat to camera and we have also included another showing to not be afraid to add personality.

How to upload your chat to camera?

1. Log onto your child’s profile and select the ‘video’ tab
2. Press the blue button ‘New Videos’
   
3. Click ‘Add’ and select your chat to camera file and upload your video.
   

Once it is uploaded - your child's profile will look like this:

.

No need to remove existing videos on your child’s AT2 profile as it allows your child’s profile to have more than one video present on their profile at any one time just as long as they don't total more than 5 minutes in total. 

Just remember updating your child’s chat to camera on a regular basis is important to ensure client’s are receiving the most current and accurate representation of your child. 

Thanks Everyone!

A Fool Proof Guide to AT2 - Part 3

The Nitty Gritty

Part 3 of 3

This last section on our guide to AT2 will focus on the Video and Resume features that are available. The most commonly asked question about these features is 'Are they necessary?' There are certainly uses for both of them, regardless of experience. The more information the better!

Luckily with our AT2 package, the video function is accessible to us all. The video could contain a few things:

1. The most common video is a 'Showreel'. A Showreel is a collection of featured work and is always requested in the adult acting world. If your child has a few TV commercials or featured work examples under their belt, collate the clips together to create a visual example of all recent jobs. If your child has completed one TV commercial (or video clip, featured in TV series, background of TV series, extra in film etc.) simply show a video of just that experience.
2. If your child hasn't received any work, the video could be one of a dance concert, school concert, musical production performance or something similar that demonstrates skills and abilities.
3. With the absence of both of the above, it is acceptable and often helpful to upload a video of your child talking to the camera or playing/laughing/moving so that clients can visualise outside of the limits of a photo to gauge interaction skills.

Uploading a video is similar to uploading a photograph (please refer to Part 2). Simply go to the 'Video' tab > press 'Edit' > and upload your video.

Once it is uploaded - your child's profile will look like this:
Sorcha has uploaded a video of her acting at home to display her skills:

And Dominic has uploaded a video of a Worksafe TV commercial he is featured in:

Let's move onto the Resume section.

There are two types of resumes that you can use on the AT2 site - one is a generic PDF resume, and the other is a credit resume which means you can secure attachments of examples of work.

When you click the Resume tab this will appear:

PDF Resume: Irrespective of whether your child has experience or not - it is still possible to have a resume should you so desire. For a child without any experience it can be helpful to simply fill out a resume detailing your child's hobbies, interests and personality. Make sure that you include any extracurricular activities or achievements to date as well. For children that have had work, make sure that you put all of the jobs and dates in chronological order. You may also jot down the castings you've attended (even if you didn't get the job!) because every bit of experience counts, and all castings contribute to confidence and as a stepping stone for the next one.

See below for an example of a PDF resume for Dominic detailing paid work:

 Example of a PDF resume for Keshika complete with all skills, education and relevant experience:

A Credit Resume is a great way to show examples of work your child has completed to correlate with the written description. Click 'Add Table Section' to start. The below will pop up and this is where you enter the names of jobs:

So for example, you could put in: Target May 2013 or Australian Country Spinners 2010
On the right hand side is a little icon of an image - this is where you click to upload the Target image or the Australian Country Spinners image.

Once entered it should look like this:

This type of mini resume is probably ideal for parents who have lots of copies or images of printed work or links to videos of ads. It is a quick, concise way to get an overview of all experiences. For other children, a simple PDF resume will suffice.

Last important things to note:

There is a tab for Skills that has an array of tick boxes from accents to dance experience to singing to sporting ability. Whilst we do have on our file most of your child's abilities, these do change or exceed (for example beginner, intermediate, advanced) - be sure to edit when needed. This will make it easier for clients when they are searching for specific abilities on the AT2 database. 

Finally, of course any help needed with any aspect of AT2 can be directed to our Bettina HQ to email address: info@bettina.com.au. We want everyone to make the most of their AT2 membership. Hopefully this 3 part series has been able to help some of you to gain a stronger grasp of the AT2 site. Remember, if you have any ideas or questions that you would like to see in further posts please email: jade@bettina.com.au

Thanks everyone! 

A Fool Proof Guide to AT2 - Part 2

The Essentials

Part 2 of 3

Now that we have The Basics covered, it's time to take a look at the aspects of AT2 that can significantly help or hinder your progress.

Sizes

Changing clothing sizes is imperative to ensure your child is being submitted for the right jobs at all times. As soon as a clothing or shoe size changes we need you to update this on AT2. We won't know it has changed unless you tell us! And we know how fast theses things can happen, kids grow.. all the time!

In order to change the clothing size click on the tab 'Profile' and then where the tab says 'View | Edit' press 'Edit'. The screen should look like this:

To get to clothing size, scroll down! Look at the arrow below for where you need to change the shoe and clothing size:

It is also beneficial to call us and let us know too, so we can alter it on our internal database!

Photographs

With our package on AT2 - you have the option to upload 10 additional photographs of your choice.

Before we learn how to upload the images, let's make sure they are in the right format first!

> It's much easier if the image is formatted to a 'JPEG.' file If it is not already in a JPEG, go to the photograph where you have it stored and press 'Save As.' Underneath the 'File Name' there will be a drop down box for 'Save as type' as shown below. Simply make sure the 'JPEG' option is selected.

Alright, now for the fun part. Follow the instructions to upload a photo:

1. Click the 'Photos' tab.

2. Where it says 'View | Edit', click 'Edit'.

3. The screen will then look like this:

4. When you click 'Add New Image' this screen will pop up:

5. Click 'Add Files' and find the photograph/s you are wishing to upload. You are able to upload more than one at a time which is handy and saves time!

6. After the photo uploads, the next screen will show the images one by one and have a button that says 'Auto Crop & Resize' - click that button, then press 'Submit & Finish'. All done!

NB. If you have wish to change the default picture at any time throughout the membership, please let us know first. Sometimes, if a parent puts up a photograph that is not suitable for our clients as a default without alerting us, we will not be able to submit the photograph forward to the client on account of professionalism.

Similar to the extra photographs, even if not serving the purpose of a default photo per se, the photographs can and will still be looked at by clients and casting directors alike. Some photos that look great on the fridge may not be appropriate for AT2! They should still retain an element of professionalism, despite being taken at home for fun.

Below are a few examples of appropriate and inappropriate photos for AT2.

Here are some good examples:

In these gorgeous photos we can see the child's face front on, we can see his unique features i.e. blue eyes, shape of face (nose, mouth) and also, with the first photo - a bit of character in his smirk. Note the below photograph too:

It can be easy to simply stand your child in front of a wall in the house as naturally as possible and get them to show you a big smile. The clients need to see exactly what your child looks like in an everyday situation. We don't encourage fanciness and frills, clients are searching for cute and happy kids.

Now for some inappropriate examples:

Despite the undoubted cuteness that radiates from each of the above photographs, things such as food, baths, not looking at the camera, being too far away and hiding the face with a hat are features that aren't ideal to be presented to the client. Also, for the older kids self taken images 'selfies' aren't necessarily appropriate either, but please check with one of the staff first. 

We are always available should you require further assistance with AT2! You can email info@bettina.com.au  with any images for us to check or for help.

Stay tuned for Part 3! Also, if you have any questions that we have not yet covered (next part will cover videos and resumes) please let me know: jade@bettina.com.au

Thanks everyone!

A Fool Proof Guide to AT2 - Part 1

The Basics

Part 1 of 3

AT2 is an integral part of the casting/entertainment industry and Bettina membership alike. 

This is the start of a 3 part series to guide you through all the ins and outs of AT2. 

Let's start with the basics, sometimes even the initial step of logging in can seem harder than necessary if you haven't received your log in details. Let's clarify why - firstly, you should receive an email sent to you directly by AT2 with your log in details. Depending on individual privacy settings, this email could automatically be delivered to the 'Junk' folder due to the fact that the email is not from an individual person, but rather 'AT2' as a name.

If you fail to receive this in accordance with the time frame set out by us initially, do call the office and we can organise for them to be delivered to you ASAP!

The link you need to go to is - http://au.at2casting.com/AU/home/online-casting-system

Once here, enter your log in details, then you will see the screen below (surname has been omitted for privacy):

Let's take a closer look at the top row of tabs:

The most important tabs you will need to use will be 'My Profile', 'Brief Inbox' and 'Messages'.

The 'My Profile' tab is where you go to maintain all personal details about your child.

The 'Brief Inbox' tab is where you go to find any invitation to participate in unpaid work. When you click this tab you will then need to click the tab 'iCast Briefs' (as shown below):

The reason that you don't stay in the tab 'Briefs from Agent' is because we will never offer you or alert you to paid work or castings through AT2. Our first point of contact is a phone call, then text, then email. 

Through 'iCast Briefs', you will receive notices and inbox messages from independent producers, boutique clothing labels, student films and more. IF you are interested in participating further you will need to coordinate all communication with them via the messaging system which can be accessed via the tab 'Message.'

Check all communication regularly! Even missing out on something one or two days late can mean that the opportunity is no longer available... which is no fun. 

Keep an eye out for Part 2 tomorrow... XX