Frequently Asked Questions

No, it is completely free to join the agency. If your child is successful in securing a job, it will be paid minus agency commission. The commission rate is subject to job type and the contract made between ID Talent Runway and the Artist.

Once your completed application has been submitted we look to make a decision within 14 days of your application, this will be via email. As well as selecting talent solely based on their email application (photos / idents), we may offer you a face-to-face audition.

We will also email you if we have unfortunately decided not to offer your child representation this time around, but we do suggest re-applying as their talent improves or they have had more experience in front of the camera.

Generally all castings are after school, between the hours of 3-7pm and normally London based. However, nearly all work is done during school hours, so if you are not happy for your child to take time off school you should not apply to be represented by our agency.

A nice natural snapshot, with a plain background from a mobile phone is sufficient if you do not already have a portfolio.

If your child is accepted into the agency or offered a face-to-face audition, we can organise a portfolio shoot / headshot session with one of our trusted photographers. This shoot will include all you need for us to submit your child to clients: headshots, midshots and a full length shot.

This licence is obtained from your local council for each job a child is confirmed for. We gather all the relevant paperwork from parents and the production company to then submit to the council. Some local authorities can complete a licence in 24 hours and some take as long as 14 days, so please bear this in mind once confirmed or sometimes pencilled for a job.

To obtain a child performance licence the following paperwork is required:

• Part 1 of licence form — this is for the client to complete.
• Part 2 of licence form — this is for the parent to complete.
• Signed self-certified medical declaration — this is for the parent to complete.
• School letter from the head teacher to authorise the day from school — this must be obtained by the parent.
• 2x passport photographs.
• Copy of birth certificate or passport.

The above list of paperwork is then presented to your local authority for the licence.

A school letter is also required if the work is during school hours and your child will be missing school time. A letter of authority is required from the school to agree to the absence. Some schools can get this to you the next school day, however some can take up to 5 days, so again please bear this in mind with time restraints.

The licence is only valid for the one job; unfortunately the process is repeated every time. Some local authorities will offer an open licence for the year. This means that only the client needs to complete part one of the form for each job.

A general Ident is something we offer on our website for all clients looking to book talent. This gives a basic outline to the client about each of our talents. In some cases, clients may ask for a more specific self tape before requesting to see the child for a casting. A Self Tape is a short video of the child introducing themselves and usually talking about themselves — their name, age, agency and so on.

Please take note of the below in order to film a respectable self tape:

• Film in landscape.
• Ensure you have sufficient lighting so we can see your child well, and use a plain background — white or cream is best. If this isn't possible, just ensure nothing too patterned or busy.
• Use a head and shoulders shot for all idents. The camera should be close enough to see facial expressions; hold it as still as possible. If dancing or showing another talent that needs space, start with the head and shoulders introduction, then move back to show the talent.
• Always have the child introduce themselves at the start — full name, age, agent (ID Talent Runway) and any other information requested by the client. Then show the child's profiles by turning slowly side to side and back to the front.
• If the self tape has script work and someone is reading the other lines, have them read off camera — we want to see the star. Always be 'off book' where possible: be familiar with all the lines before you record, and read the whole script first to get a feel for the scene and character.
• Don't just do one take. Do a couple, then sit down and pick the best before sending it across to us.