Hot Spots for Kids

So, you want to be in commercials . . . but you''re nervous about cold readings in auditions? Now you don''t have to be! Hot Spots for Kids offers you all kinds of material to practice with, so doing commercials will be a cinch. There are commercials for boys, girls, and either. Some are short; some are long. The commercials range from silly to serious to hilarious. Try them all! The more you rehearse, the better your cold readings will be. And the better your cold readings are, the more callbacks you''ll get. See? There''s no need to be nervous. You can do it! Just remember . . . even though they''re called "cold readings," they can be hot hot hot!Bonus Section Inside: Tips from the Top: An Interview with Ken FeinbergWant to get cast for more commercials? Renowned actor/director/writer/producer Ken Feinberg shares some hints to help you achieve more auditioning success. Learn what to do - and what not to do - to get more of those callbacks.Tips from the TopBoys Commercials Ages 4-8 Ages 9-12Girls Commercials Ages 4-8 Ages 9-12Boys or Girls Commercials Ages 4-8 Ages 9-12One-Liners Ages 4-12KAREN MILSTEIN is a freelance writer with an extensive background in advertising, marketing, and publishing. She received her BA in English Writing from Rider College in New Jersey and was recognized for achieving the highest GPA among graduating English majors. She was also the editor of the college''s creative writing magazine and the president of an honors-English fraternity.Karen''s passion for writing began at a young age, when she was an avid reader of murder mysteries. As she matured, so did her appreciation for the written word. Karen has written for organizations large and small (from Ernst & Young to her family''s jewelry business) and has created award-winning advertising campaigns. Her switch from full-timer to freelancer has enabled her to select work that is intrinsically and increasingly rewarding.Karen currently lives on Long Island, New York. When not writing, she is pursuing other passions, such as wildlife rehabilitation and dessert catering.IntroductionSo, you want to be in commercials. Good for you! Commercials are a great way to break into acting . . . and how cool would it be to see yourself on TV?! A lot of actors rehearse their monologues over and over again but don''''t realize they can also prepare for cold readings. Just because they''re called "cold readings" doesn''t mean you can''t prepare for them! Even if you don''t get to see the exact words (called "copy") until you walk into your audition, you can still practice with commercial copy to get used to the world of TV. You can use that copy again and again to learn some basic formats of commercials and how they tell a story. And you can use the copy to learn how to put your personality-the very special and one-of-a-kind you-into any commercial. All you need is the copy! That''s where this book comes in.Hot Spots for Kids is the second book in a series by Smith and Kraus Publishers (the first one was a book of commercial copy for teenage actors). I wrote this book to help young actors like you prepare for auditions-mostly to help you improve your cold-reading skills. Hopefully, you''ll find it helpful when you prepare for on-camera auditions. Inside, you''ll find 100 one-person TV commercials. Some are for boys; some are for girls. Some are for 5-year-olds; some are for 12-year-olds. Some are funny; some are sad. And some are short (one line!), while some are longer. Try them all! The more you practice, the more comfortable you''''ll be performing commercials. And the more comfortable you are, the better you''''ll do in your auditions.Aside from the commercials, be sure to read the Tips from the Top section. These helpful hints come straight from a well-known actor/director/writer/producer named Ken Feinberg. Ken has won many awards for his work, and he was happy to share some of his secrets to help you do great in auditions! You''''ll find out what the experts are looking for-and what they''''re not looking for-so you can be sure to get those callbacks.As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. So, what are we waiting for? Let the practicing begin!Milstein, Karen is the author of 'Hot Spots for Kids', published 2008 under ISBN 9781575255743 and ISBN 157525574X.