The Secret to Casting Kids in a Comedic Commercial

acting adviceAura Casting directorBay Area communitycasting associatecasting commercialsTalent agentVirtual casting

Feb 23

One of the most important aspects of creating a successful commercial is casting the right actors. However, when it comes to casting kids in a commercial, the process becomes a little more complicated. Aura Casting recently collaborated with Lowe Helzer on a hilarious spot for Oomph Sweets, which we feel successfully highlights how finding the perfect people translates to a brilliant final commercial.

We received over 100 submissions for this project, between the lead male and the children! We did tell the actors that if booked, they would be participating in a water balloon fight, so that may have boosted the excitement.

The first step in the casting process was identifying the kids who had a natural presence on camera. This was an essential requirement because not all kids can behave naturally in front of the camera, or even be willing to give it a try. We looked for kids who had an outgoing personality and were able to act naturally on camera. It was crucial to try to capture the essence of the Oomph Sweets brand in their performance.

Another critical element we looked for was their ability to improvise. In comedic spots, we often have to make adjustments on the spot to get the perfect take, and we needed kids who were willing to try out new things without getting nervous or overwhelmed by the camera.

Eventually, we landed on a small but diverse pool of kids who had all of the qualities that we were looking for. It was ultimately talent, natural presence and willingness to try new things that helped us decide who fit the vision of the production team.

Working with kids on set requires a delicate balance of flexibility, patience and creativity. If you’re ready to start the casting process, we’re here to help. We know that our work ultimately plays an integral role on the shoot day, so we want to make sure you’re as prepped as possible ahead of time.

Ready to see more of our work? In this commercial, we had a cast of 11 kids - two of which played younger versions of the lead role!