Ensure Your Minor is Eligible to Be Booked by Central Casting
Did you know that once your child is registered with Central Casting it’s possible for them to become inactive and ineligible to be booked on our productions? There are plenty of opportunities for your minor to work as a Background Actor and with summer break right around the corner, now is a great time to make sure they are registered and eligible to work.
At Central Casting, we book babies from 15 days old to teenagers 17 years old to work in movies, TV shows, and many other productions. To onboard your child, make a reservation to attend a Talent Onboarding session at your local office, then fill out your minor’s online application by following the link in your confirmation email. This step must be completed before attending Talent Onboarding, including all mandatory fields that are marked with a red asterisk. Anyone arriving without these mandatory fields, including the measurements section, filled out will be turned away and unable to onboard. During Talent Onboarding, we will review your minor’s required Form I-9 documentation then you’ll fill out paperwork and your child will have their photo taken for our casting platform.
Children grow quickly, don’t forget to regularly update their online profile with current photos and their accurate look information.
Choose your location for work permit information
Los Angeles
At Central Casting Los Angeles, two important factors in determining your child’s booking eligibility are work permits and anti-harassment training completion status. If your child is inactive in our system or if you want to prepare so they don’t have gaps in eligibility, follow these steps.
1. Renew your child’s entertainment work permit
In California, entertainment work permits are valid for six months, after which they must be renewed. To renew a work permit, visit the California Department of Industrial Relations website and follow the instructions. You may be required to provide documents completed by their school and physician. Follow all steps closely to avoid a rejection. Be aware that once submitted, it can take weeks to receive the approved permit from the state.
Note: When you receive your minor’s permit, there may be information about a Coogan Trust Account. Trust accounts are not required for background work in California.
2. Submit your child’s updated permit on our Minor’s Permit Update page
3. Complete anti-harassment training with Central Casting
California recently passed laws aimed at preventing harassment. Part of these new laws require employers to provide anti-harassment training to its employees.
Anti-harassment training is required for Background Actors registered with Central Casting Los Angeles. This training must be taken every two years through Central Casting to remain eligible to be booked.
Minors age 13 and younger who registered before January 1, 2021 have a training requirement. In this case, a parent or legal guardian should take the training in place of the minor. If you have multiple minors age 13 or younger, the parent/guardian only needs to take the training once. If you have multiple minors under the age of 14, after completion of training, please contact technical support to verify all children are marked as complete.
Minors registered after January 1, 2021 who are age 13 or younger do not have an anti-harassment training requirement until they turn 14. All minors age 14 and above (regardless of registration date) need to take the training themselves to remain active and eligible to be booked.
For more about anti-harassment training, please visit our Required Training page.
New York
To work on our productions in New York, minors must have a valid child performer permit on file, have a trust account, and have completed required anti-harassment training. Here’s what you need to know to ensure your child is eligible to be booked by Central Casting.
1. Renew your minor’s child performer permit
New York child performer permits are valid for 12 months. You can obtain a child performer permit by applying and filling out the necessary forms on the New York Department of Labor (DOL) website. You may be required to provide documents completed by their school, physician, and proof of a trust account. Follow all steps closely to avoid a rejection. If you need to receive your permit by a certain date, the DOL says to allow 15 days for processing.
Note: If you are applying for the first time, you are eligible for the 15-day permit. First time applicants are also eligible to apply for the 12-month permit.
Per New York law, minors must also have a Child Performer Trust account. You can learn more about trust accounts on the DOL’s Child Performer Trust Accounts page.
2. Email your child’s updated permit to Central Casting at regccny@centralcasting.com
3. Complete anti-harassment training with Central Casting
The State of New York and New York City recently passed laws aimed at preventing sexual harassment. Part of these laws require employers to provide anti-sexual harassment training to its employees.
All Background Actors registered in New York must take anti-harassment training every year through Central Casting to remain eligible to be booked. Parents or legal guardians of minors age 13 and younger should take the training with the minor when possible, but the parent/guardian must at least take the training and explain it to their minor if the minor is too young to understand the material. By taking the training in place of a minor age 13 or younger, the parent or legal guardian is certifying that they have completed the training and will explain the material to the child. Minors age 14 and above need to take the training themselves to remain active and eligible to be booked.
For more about anti-harassment training, please visit our Required Training page.
Georgia
For children to be booked by Central Casting Georgia, they must have a minor’s certification number on file from the state of Georgia. It’s quick and easy to obtain a certification number, just visit the Georgia Department of Labor (DOL) website and fill out the application. After submitting, you will receive an email from the DOL within one business day with your minor’s certification number. Central Casting uses this number to secure a work permit for your child; we cannot book them without it.
Note: This certification number must be renewed annually for your child to remain eligible to work.
Louisiana
In order for your child to work, Central Casting Louisiana must acquire a minor work permit from the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC). Once booked, a Casting Director will reach out with instructions on what we need from you to complete this process. Often, you will need to send us a completed consent form from the LWC, proof of age document, and other documentation. When you receive this message, please read the instructions carefully and respond promptly so we can obtain the work permit before your child’s work date. You will be required to fill out this information each time your minor is booked on a production.
Now that you’re set to ensure your minor is active and eligible to be booked by Central Casting, learn more about how to find work and how to prepare your child for set.
