The Free Nationwide Talent Representation Open Call Details
Open Call 11 Is Here: Opportunity for Young Actors Ages 6–21
Every parent of a young actor eventually runs into the same frustrating question:
How do we actually get legitimate agents and managers to see my child?
You can train. You can get headshots. You can build a résumé, create a casting profile, shoot self-tapes and learn how the business works.
But eventually, somebody has to open the door.
That is exactly why I created the Child Actor 101 Talent Representation Open Call.
And as of August 4, Open Call 11 is officially underway.
Young performers ages 6–21 from across the United States may submit through Labor Day, September 7, 2026.
And just as it has been from the beginning:
IT IS COMPLETELY FREE.
No submission fee.
No showcase package.
No required class.
No required coaching.
No requirement that your actor has ever purchased anything from Child Actor 101.
The purpose of Open Call is very simple: give prepared young performers access to legitimate youth talent representatives they might otherwise never have an opportunity to reach.
OPEN CALL 11
Submissions Open: August 4, 2026
Deadline: September 7, 2026 at 11:59 PM Pacific
Ages: 6–21
Cost: FREE
APPLY HERE:
https://pages.childactor101.com/opencall
Why I Created the Child Actor 101 Open Call
There is no shortage of ways to spend money trying to get a young actor in front of industry professionals.
Some showcases and conventions cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Families travel across the country, stay in hotels, purchase packages and sometimes pay additional fees simply for access to a relatively small collection of representatives.
That model has never sat particularly well with me.
Because talent isn’t limited to families who can afford the admission price.
A remarkable twelve-year-old actor might live in Fresno.
Or Kansas City.
Or Tampa.
Or Albuquerque.
Or a town three hours from the nearest professional casting office.
A parent may know absolutely nobody in the entertainment industry.
That doesn’t mean the actor shouldn’t have an opportunity to be discovered.
The Open Call turns the traditional model around.
Rather than requiring hundreds of young actors to travel somewhere and pay for access, we bring the actors together digitally and give verified youth talent agents and managers access to review them.
One submission can be seen by representatives serving multiple entertainment markets around the country.
Previous Open Calls have included industry professionals serving markets including Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Florida, Colorado and other areas where television, film, commercial and theatrical work is happening.
That makes this one of the broadest free youth representation opportunities available anywhere in the country.
And I am incredibly proud of that.
What Happens After You Submit?
Open Call isn’t a contest.
There isn’t a winner.
There isn’t a secret ranking system where somebody gets crowned America’s Next Top Twelve-Year-Old.
Representatives are looking for different things.
One agent might need an eleven-year-old boy with great comedy instincts.
Another may be looking for teenage dramatic actors.
Someone else might need strong singers.
A regional agency may see a terrific actor who lives conveniently within its market.
A manager may simply see something distinctive in a personality slate and want to know more.
That’s how representation actually works.
Representatives aren’t asking:
“Who is objectively the best actor?”
They’re asking:
“Who might fit my roster?”
“Who do I know how to develop?”
“Who could I submit?”
“Who am I missing?”
Every eligible Open Call submission is placed into the private representative review system.
Beginning September 15, participating agents and managers can review the performers.
If a representative is interested in somebody, they request an introduction.
Then the parent receives the representative’s name, company information and message and decides whether they want to respond.
Your guardian contact information is not simply handed over to everybody reviewing Open Call.
That part matters enormously to me.
Your Child’s Information Is Not Being Published to the Internet
Because we’re dealing with minors, privacy has been designed into the Open Call rather than bolted onto it afterward.
Representatives can see the professional information needed to evaluate the performer: materials such as headshots, location, representation status, résumé, casting profile, slate and submitted media.
They cannot see the guardian’s private name, phone number or email address through the review gallery.
If a representative wants to connect with your actor, Child Actor 101/Pages101 facilitates the introduction.
The family stays in control.
Your child’s Open Call profile is not turned into a public searchable talent directory.
It isn’t sold.
It isn’t a giant public webpage containing everybody’s personal information.
It’s there for the representatives authorized to participate in Open Call.
Who Can Submit to Open Call 11?
Young performers ages 6–21 may participate.
Actors can live anywhere in the United States.
You do not have to live in Los Angeles.
Both union and non-union performers may submit.
Actors with existing representation are also welcome.
For example, your actor might already have:
A regional agent but need Los Angeles representation
A theatrical agent but no commercial agent
An agent but be interested in management
Representation in one market but not another
The application allows you to explain both the representation your actor currently has and the representation you’re seeking.
Every submission must be created and authorized by a parent or legal guardian.
What Do You Need?
One of the things I want families to understand is that you do not need thousands of dollars worth of materials to submit.
Current, useful material beats expensive material that doesn’t represent the actor.
Here’s what you’ll encounter in the Open Call application.
1. Current Photos
You’ll need at least two recent headshots or high-quality snapshots.
Ideally:
Commercial
Happy. Genuine. Joyful. Approachable.
Usually a natural smile.
Theatrical
Confident. Relaxed. Thoughtful. Serious.
Think television and film rather than “theatre.”
You may also include an optional third image showing another believable character type or lighter theatrical look.
And yes:
Recent snapshots are absolutely acceptable if your actor doesn’t have professional headshots yet.
Please don’t book an emergency $1,200 photography session because Open Call exists.
2. Personality Slate
This is one of my favorite parts of the submission.
And one of the parts parents are most capable of accidentally destroying through excessive preparation.
Your actor has up to 90 seconds.
They introduce themselves with their:
Name Age Location
Then they’ll choose two personality prompts.
Maybe it’s a strange hobby.
A favorite book.
A funny story.
Their pet.
Something they’re weirdly good at.
Why they love acting.
Something they’re obsessed with.
The purpose is not to deliver ninety flawless seconds of memorized dialogue.
We want to meet the kid.
If your child is dry, let them be dry.
If they’re naturally hilarious, fantastic.
If they’re thoughtful and take a second to answer something, let them think.
If they’re gloriously peculiar, please don’t sand off all the peculiar parts.
Personality isn’t something you paste onto an actor.
It’s something you stop preventing us from seeing.
3. Casting Profile
The application asks for a public professional casting profile.
Actors Access and Casting Networks are the preferred platforms.
Before submitting, actually click your actor’s link yourself.
Better yet, open it in an incognito/private browser.
You’d be amazed how many people discover after submitting something that their “public” link requires a login, requests permission, goes to an expired page or somehow leads to their Aunt Susan’s 2018 Christmas album.
Check your links.
4. Acting Sample
Every actor must submit current acting material that demonstrates their present skill. Choose the strongest material available: professional footage, a demo reel or demo clip, a strong self-tape scene, or a monologue. The goal is not production value; it is to give representatives a meaningful example of the actor’s current ability.
5. Special Skill Video — Optional
If your actor has a genuinely impressive special skill, you can also submit a short video.
Examples might include:
Singing
Dance
Musical instruments
Gymnastics
Martial arts
Sports
Voice acting
Stand-up
Magic
Another unusual performance skill
You don’t need to demonstrate everything on the résumé.
Nobody needs cinematic evidence that your child can rollerblade recreationally.
Use this when there is something genuinely useful for a representative to see.
6. Résumé and Additional Professional Links
You can link or upload your actor’s résumé.
You may also include professional links that provide useful additional information, including things like:
Pages101
IMDb
Actor website
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok
Linktree
Other professional profiles
Again:
More isn’t automatically better.
Every piece of the submission should answer some version of:
“Why would this help a talent representative understand this actor?”
If you can’t answer that question, you probably don’t need it.
What Representatives Are Really Trying to Figure Out
Parents understandably become obsessed with making everything “perfect.”
But representation isn’t awarded to the child with the prettiest Canva presentation.
Representatives need to understand things like:
Who is this actor?
What are their natural types?
Can they act?
Do they have personality?
Are they ready enough for me to work with?
Do I understand where I could submit them?
That last question is particularly important.
Actors sometimes believe that proving enormous range is the goal.
It usually isn’t.
When a representative looks at an actor, one useful question is:
WHERE COULD I SUBMIT THIS PERSON TOMORROW?
Maybe they’re the incredibly bright overachiever.
The mischievous little brother.
The intense young athlete.
The deadpan best friend.
The class president.
The awkward genius.
The popular girl who’s much sharper than everyone assumes.
The sensitive kid who observes everything.
The young professional.
The rebellious teenager.
The actor can eventually play hundreds of things.
But representatives still need an entry point.
Casting begins with believability.
What Open Call Does NOT Guarantee
Let’s deal with this one very clearly.
Open Call does not guarantee representation.
It does not guarantee that an agent will contact your family.
It does not guarantee auditions.
It certainly doesn’t guarantee bookings.
Nobody ethical can promise those things.
Representation is also only one part of building an acting career.
What Open Call provides is something real and useful:
ACCESS.
It gives a young actor the opportunity to have their professional materials reviewed by legitimate youth representatives across multiple markets without charging their family admission for the privilege.
What somebody does with that opportunity depends on the actor, their materials, current roster needs, timing and approximately seventeen other ingredients nobody can completely control.
Welcome to show business.
FREE Open Call 11 Submission Guidelines
Before you pay anyone anything — including me — start here.
We’ve created a completely free Open Call 11 Submission Guidelines & Tips Sheet that walks through the application and gives you practical advice on:
Choosing photos
Commercial vs. theatrical looks
Type
Personality slates
Acting samples
Casting profiles
Résumés
Special skills
Representation information
Local-hire information
Links
Common mistakes
Final submission checks
READ THE FREE GUIDE:
https://pages.childactor101.com/opencall/guidelines
If you read that guide, understand what you’re doing and feel confident putting everything together:
Wonderful.
Go submit.
There is nothing else you are required to buy.
Want More Help? Open Call Prep Workshop
Some parents want the checklist.
Other parents want somebody to sit down with them, explain why these choices matter, show examples and answer their questions.
So I’m teaching one live:
OPEN CALL 11 PREP WORKSHOP
Monday, August 17, 2026
5:30 PM Pacific
Live Online + Replay Included
$49 flat price
During the workshop we’ll go through the entire submission process, including:
Choosing strong commercial and theatrical photos
Using snapshots when professional headshots aren’t available
Identifying useful character/type photos
Building a personality slate that actually has personality
Showing charisma without manufacturing it
Choosing believable actor types
Deciding whether an acting sample helps or hurts
Reels vs. demo clips vs. self-tape material
Casting profiles
Résumés
Special skills
Additional links
Common submission mistakes
Making materials feel professional without overproducing them
We’ll also have live Q&A.
Can’t make the workshop live?
Everyone who registers receives the replay.
WORKSHOP REGISTRATION — $49
https://buy.stripe.com/bJeeVdaKj3np7Ix5Oa2wV0q
THE WORKSHOP IS NOT REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN OPEN CALL.
Open Call Submission Review — $39
There’s another optional service for families who don’t necessarily need a class but would like a professional second set of eyes on the finished materials.
The Open Call Submission Review is $39.
You assemble the submission you’re planning to use, and I’ll review things such as:
Selected headshots and snapshots
Personality slate
Type choices
Acting sample, when included
Overall presentation
Weak, confusing or unnecessary material
You’ll receive clear notes about:
What’s working.
What I would keep.
What I would reconsider.
What I’d change before submitting.
And an overall ready-to-submit assessment.
SUBMISSION REVIEW — $39
https://buy.stripe.com/4gMeVdbOn8HJaUJ0tQ2wV0r
The review is feedback. It does not include reshooting, editing or creating all of the materials for you.
And purchasing a review has absolutely nothing to do with how representatives see or consider your child.
They won’t know who purchased one.
A Very Important Promise About Paid Services
Because Open Call is free, I want the boundary between the opportunity and anything Child Actor 101 sells to be extremely clear.
No purchase gives an actor preferential consideration.
Representatives reviewing Open Call submissions do not see whether an actor purchased:
The Open Call Prep Workshop
A Submission Review
Coaching
Classes
Demo scenes
Pages101 services
Any other Child Actor 101 product or service
Buying something doesn’t move your actor higher.
It doesn’t place a badge on the submission.
It doesn’t unlock a special representative gallery.
It doesn’t improve their review priority.
The paid services exist because some families want additional education or feedback while preparing their materials.
Open Call itself remains free.
Period.
Open Call 11 FAQ
Is Open Call really free?
Yes.
There is $0 fee to submit to Open Call 11.
Optional educational and review services exist, but none are required.
What ages can participate?
Young performers ages 6–21 may submit.
A parent or legal guardian must create and authorize the application.
When is the deadline?
Open Call 11 submissions close:
Labor Day — Monday, September 7, 2026 at 11:59 PM Pacific.
Do not interpret that as a personal challenge to begin uploading everything at 11:47 PM.
Technology can smell fear.
When do agents and managers begin reviewing?
Representative review begins September 15, 2026.
Does my actor have to live in Los Angeles?
Absolutely not.
Open Call is nationwide.
Regional performers are encouraged to participate, and representatives serve markets throughout the country.
Can actors who already have representation participate?
Yes.
You can indicate your actor’s current representation and explain what additional type of representation you’re seeking.
Does my child need professional headshots?
No.
The application accepts recent, high-quality snapshots when professional headshots aren’t available.
Good lighting, a current appearance and a photograph that clearly represents the actor matter more than an expensive photography invoice.
Do we need Actors Access?
The application asks for a professional casting profile. Actors Access and Casting Networks are preferred.
Whatever link you provide needs to be publicly viewable by the reviewers.
Should the personality slate be professionally filmed?
No.
Clear picture.
Good sound.
Reasonable lighting.
Simple framing.
And, most importantly, an actual human personality.
You do not need a production crew.
Can siblings submit?
Yes.
Each performer should have their own individual application and materials.
Can we submit from outside a major entertainment market?
Yes.
Absolutely.
That’s one of the major reasons this opportunity exists.
Be accurate about where your actor lives and which markets they can legitimately work as a local hire.
Will Child Actor 101 give everyone submission feedback?
No.
The free Open Call does not include individual submission or performance feedback.
We may contact families if there’s a technical issue that prevents a representative from viewing something.
Families who specifically want professional feedback can purchase the optional $39 Submission Review.
Will you publish the list of agents and managers participating?
No.
There are good reasons for that.
Industry representatives understandably don’t want their contact information distributed publicly and then receive hundreds of unsolicited emails, phone calls and submissions.
Participation can also change during the review period depending on representatives’ evolving roster needs.
All Open Call reviewers are verified industry professionals authorized to access the private system.
Will representatives see my phone number or email?
No.
Guardian contact information is kept private from reviewers.
If a representative requests an introduction, Pages101 contacts the guardian with the representative’s professional information.
The family decides whether to respond.
How quickly will we hear something?
There is no universal timeline.
Some representatives may request introductions during the initial review period.
Another representative may return to the gallery later when a specific roster need develops.
And some actors will not receive an introduction request.
A submission creates an opportunity to be seen. It does not guarantee representation.
Does buying the workshop or Submission Review improve our chances?
No.
Representatives don’t know who purchased anything.
No Child Actor 101 purchase changes an actor’s placement, visibility or review priority in Open Call.
Can I change the application before submitting?
Use the application draft/review tools to carefully check your submission before finalizing it.
Don’t rush.
Open Call remains open through Labor Day, so there is time to assemble good materials thoughtfully.
Before You Hit Submit
Do one final sweep.
Are the photographs current?
Does the theatrical image actually look like your actor?
Does the commercial image feel alive?
Does the personality slate reveal something specific?
Do all the links work?
Is the casting profile public?
Is the résumé current?
If you’ve included acting footage, is it truly helping?
Have you accurately described current representation?
Are the local-hire markets legitimate?
Is the guardian contact information current?
Then stop fiddling with it.
At some point, preparation becomes procrastination wearing nicer clothes.
Hit submit.
Open Call 11 Is Open Now
Twelve thousand families are now part of the Child Actor 101 community.
What started as an idea for helping parents navigate an extraordinarily confusing industry has turned into a network capable of creating opportunities I couldn’t have imagined when it began.
Open Call is one of the things I’m proudest of.
Because the premise remains almost stubbornly simple:
Talent can come from anywhere.
Opportunity shouldn’t belong only to the families who can afford to buy access.
So if you have a young actor between 6 and 21 who’s ready to be seen, take a look.
Read the free guide.
Build the materials.
Let us meet the actor.
And submit.
OPEN CALL 11
Ages 6–21
FREE
Deadline: September 7, 2026 at 11:59 PM Pacific
START YOUR APPLICATION
https://pages.childactor101.com/opencall
FREE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES & TIPS
https://pages.childactor101.com/opencall/guidelines
OPTIONAL OPEN CALL PREP WORKSHOP — $49
August 17 · 5:30 PM Pacific · Replay Included
https://buy.stripe.com/bJeeVdaKj3np7Ix5Oa2wV0q
OPTIONAL SUBMISSION REVIEW — $39
https://buy.stripe.com/4gMeVdbOn8HJaUJ0tQ2wV0r
Let’s find some actors.
