Hi everyone!
I'm not sure if this has been covered elsewhere, but I would be grateful for your opinion on glasses.
My sons both now wear glasses, one only occasionally and the other most of the time as they inherited our short-sightedness.
They were wondering whether they should wear their glasses to castings or auditions or whether if they can see well enough without them, they should try to get by.
Do you think children with glasses would be considered less for parts by casting directors?
They are quite young, but their optician has said that if the need arose he could sort out contact lenses.
What do you guys think?
I love this site, I've been 'lurking' for a while and everyone is so supportive and helpful. Thank you!
Px
Wearing Glasses
Moderator: busybusybusy
Re: Wearing Glasses
My son is long sighted and has glasses for reading. He can see fine without them so on his headshot he has no glasses, but he also has a pic on his portfolio in glasses as this gives him a quite different look. Sometimes if the brief is "quirky" we will take his glasses along and ask the CD if they want him with them on or off.
I think a lot depends on how well your children can see as if they really need them it would be totally unfair not to have them wearing their glasses. I think the main headshot is the most important consideration, if they need glasses then have them wearing them as sometimes CD want a child with glasses and they do get work (think little boy on Dr Who at Xmas). If the son who doesnt need them as much can manage then maybe one on his general portfolio without. I certainly wouldnt go down the line of contact lenses or anything tho, certainly not at the mo and for modelling/tv work as I think thats a bit drastic, its just a bit of fun at the mo, if it becomes more important as they get older then the option is still there.
You mention castings and auditions so if you have an agent maybe you can discuss with them?
I hope this helps and good luck!
I think a lot depends on how well your children can see as if they really need them it would be totally unfair not to have them wearing their glasses. I think the main headshot is the most important consideration, if they need glasses then have them wearing them as sometimes CD want a child with glasses and they do get work (think little boy on Dr Who at Xmas). If the son who doesnt need them as much can manage then maybe one on his general portfolio without. I certainly wouldnt go down the line of contact lenses or anything tho, certainly not at the mo and for modelling/tv work as I think thats a bit drastic, its just a bit of fun at the mo, if it becomes more important as they get older then the option is still there.
You mention castings and auditions so if you have an agent maybe you can discuss with them?
I hope this helps and good luck!
Re: Wearing Glasses
LakeviewP, my daughter's eyes are +4.5/+4.75, so need correction all the time , and from the age of 8 or 9 she has worn contact lenses or glasses, depending on her frame of mind. I do however think It's actually a positive thing in terms of performing (in my opinion) because it makes them versatile. There are certainly roles she's got where they've specifically requested her in her glasses, and others where it doesn't matter and she's worn her contacts
Now she's nearly 14, the contacts are almost a permanent fixture - in fact, when she's away with the school for a week, she actually uses the long-use ones that you can put in on a Monday morning, sleep in and leave in for the whole week - which are absolutely amazing, BUT she always has a pair of snazzy, fashionable glasses (which are really an accessory!) and takes them to castings in case it's more appropriate.
And when she was younger and in that "commercial" age bracket, we made sure to have photos both with and without glasses on her spotlight profile, so any potential casting directors could take their pick, as they're often after "quirky" kids, and glasses do tend to put them in that bracket! We also make sure it's on her profile that she's a contact-lens wearer, because this does mean it would be no problem for her to wear contacts (coloured or more bizarre!) if the need arose without any issue.
Now she's nearly 14, the contacts are almost a permanent fixture - in fact, when she's away with the school for a week, she actually uses the long-use ones that you can put in on a Monday morning, sleep in and leave in for the whole week - which are absolutely amazing, BUT she always has a pair of snazzy, fashionable glasses (which are really an accessory!) and takes them to castings in case it's more appropriate.
And when she was younger and in that "commercial" age bracket, we made sure to have photos both with and without glasses on her spotlight profile, so any potential casting directors could take their pick, as they're often after "quirky" kids, and glasses do tend to put them in that bracket! We also make sure it's on her profile that she's a contact-lens wearer, because this does mean it would be no problem for her to wear contacts (coloured or more bizarre!) if the need arose without any issue.
Re: Wearing Glasses
Sorry, Panda - I realise I repeated a lot of what you said without reading your post properly!!
Have to say though, we didn't go the contact lens route for anything to do with performing - it was purely because she found glasses really uncomfortable, and with an older brother who'd had contacts from age 10, the optician was happy for her to try them and she got on really well with them. She has the ones that you throw away at the end of the day (so no cleaning)
Glasses these days can be lovely, and as I say a fashion accessory, but she prefers the freedom of not wearing them.
Of course, if your DCs are pre-school, lenses obviously aren't a great (or possible!) option but just don't assume you have to wait until they're senior age or older to start wearing contacts. And I agree with Panda that if a child can't manage without glasses, then it makes no sense to have a headshot not wearing them - they should in which case present themselves exactly as the CD will find them.
Good luck - and let us know how young "quite young" is!
Have to say though, we didn't go the contact lens route for anything to do with performing - it was purely because she found glasses really uncomfortable, and with an older brother who'd had contacts from age 10, the optician was happy for her to try them and she got on really well with them. She has the ones that you throw away at the end of the day (so no cleaning)
Glasses these days can be lovely, and as I say a fashion accessory, but she prefers the freedom of not wearing them.
Of course, if your DCs are pre-school, lenses obviously aren't a great (or possible!) option but just don't assume you have to wait until they're senior age or older to start wearing contacts. And I agree with Panda that if a child can't manage without glasses, then it makes no sense to have a headshot not wearing them - they should in which case present themselves exactly as the CD will find them.
Good luck - and let us know how young "quite young" is!
Re: Wearing Glasses
Hi Nicola & Panda,
Thank you for your very helpful comments.
'Quite young' are ten and twelve - maybe not quite so young
. It is good to hear that your daughter got on well with contact lenses at such an early age, in our day it was rare for anyone under 18 to have them.
The youngest refused to wear his glasses for a couple of years but now that his eyesight is not so good he prefers to wear them most of the time. However when he is dancing or acting he takes them off as he finds them a bit uncomfortable.
I think we will take more photos of them both with their specs on for their profiles.
Many thanks again!
Px
Thank you for your very helpful comments.
'Quite young' are ten and twelve - maybe not quite so young
. It is good to hear that your daughter got on well with contact lenses at such an early age, in our day it was rare for anyone under 18 to have them.The youngest refused to wear his glasses for a couple of years but now that his eyesight is not so good he prefers to wear them most of the time. However when he is dancing or acting he takes them off as he finds them a bit uncomfortable.
I think we will take more photos of them both with their specs on for their profiles.
Many thanks again!
Px
Re: Wearing Glasses
Yes, same here - and when her older brother did sports at junior school, they made him take his glasses off, which was quite ridiculous, as he was as blind as a bat without them!! He's since played county rugby, in contacts - something he couldn't have realistically done in glasses!The youngest refused to wear his glasses for a couple of years but now that his eyesight is not so good he prefers to wear them most of the time. However when he is dancing or acting he takes them off as he finds them a bit uncomfortable
I know contact lenses in young children can cause a furrowing of the brow with some opticians, but my DC's consultant was fine with it, as was their optician, explaining that in very young babies they use contacts now instead of glasses in certain circumstances, as they're more likely to stay in place. The oxygen permeability is infinitely better than it used to be with the old-fashioned lenses.
Re: Wearing Glasses
Flo is short-sighted and has contact lenses. She is 9. She wanted the contacts because she has had stage roles that have involved wearing masks which are incompatible with specs, so she was a bit worried about falling over stuff she couldn't see. She's also aware that, sometimes, people can't see beyond the glasses...
The optician's view was that if she is able to manage them - putting them in and taking them out and hand-hygiene - she is old enough to wear them. It took her a few goes to master this, with patient support from the staff at the opticians, now she is absolutely fine with them. This was at our local Specsavers, so we're not going anywhere extra-sophisticated for this treatment.
Most of the time Flo prefers to wear her glasses and she has also been cast for roles because she wears glasses, although for films roles this can challenge the camera and lighting technicians.
So, my advice would be to go and chat with your optician and see what is possible, Your dc may not take to them, but if Flo's experience is anything to go by, they'll be fine and it will give them choices in life as well as in performing. And we all like choices, don't we?
By the way, I am 50 and I wore contact lenses from the age of 13 until the menopause made my eyes go dry. I wore the old-fashioned gas permeable ones. Recently my optician suggested I try soft lenses (like Flo's) but I just couldn't get on with them and have stuck with glasses for a while now. So sometimes the little 'uns cope better with this sort of thing than us grown ups do.
Hope this helps
Deb x
The optician's view was that if she is able to manage them - putting them in and taking them out and hand-hygiene - she is old enough to wear them. It took her a few goes to master this, with patient support from the staff at the opticians, now she is absolutely fine with them. This was at our local Specsavers, so we're not going anywhere extra-sophisticated for this treatment.
Most of the time Flo prefers to wear her glasses and she has also been cast for roles because she wears glasses, although for films roles this can challenge the camera and lighting technicians.
So, my advice would be to go and chat with your optician and see what is possible, Your dc may not take to them, but if Flo's experience is anything to go by, they'll be fine and it will give them choices in life as well as in performing. And we all like choices, don't we?
By the way, I am 50 and I wore contact lenses from the age of 13 until the menopause made my eyes go dry. I wore the old-fashioned gas permeable ones. Recently my optician suggested I try soft lenses (like Flo's) but I just couldn't get on with them and have stuck with glasses for a while now. So sometimes the little 'uns cope better with this sort of thing than us grown ups do.
Hope this helps
Deb x
Last edited by Flosmom on Mon Jan 16, 2012 10:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Wearing Glasses
I hadn't considered Contacts for DD even though she was really shortsighted but then we spent a summer holiday with friends and their DD, two years older than mine, had been wearing them for a while. I knew that DD would take glasses off when she went to dance auditions but it wasn't until I was chaperoning one evening where she had a head-dress that came over her eyes that I realised how little she could see without glasses and needed lenses. She's had them a year now, not a lot of problems but still has trendy glasses and can choose what she wants, when she wants. (now 14). Having said that, my cousin's baby had a defect in her eyes and had lenses from 3 months old - Mum had to do it all for her. Best really to discuss with optician and what they prefer as it's the child who has to get them in and out. The optician does moan about my DD's nails though and cuts them brutely every time we go there !
Re: Wearing Glasses
Hi Nicola
No problem repeating some of what I said, great minds think alike...
I did think you meant much younger LakeView, around 4 or 5 years of age but the info on here re contact lenses has been very helpful and informative I think. I wore glasses from 11, contact lenses at 14 and then got lazer zapped at cough cough and have never looked back (well actually I have, back and forward and sideways, all with perfect vision
No problem repeating some of what I said, great minds think alike...
I did think you meant much younger LakeView, around 4 or 5 years of age but the info on here re contact lenses has been very helpful and informative I think. I wore glasses from 11, contact lenses at 14 and then got lazer zapped at cough cough and have never looked back (well actually I have, back and forward and sideways, all with perfect vision
Re: Wearing Glasses
Panda, can you remember if your vision was plus or minus? Last time I spoke to the consultant. about surgery (at some point down the road, and it was probably 15 years ago to be fair) he said you could. get excellent results with surgery for minus prescriptions but the results weren't as reliable with plus. Just wondering if things have moved on significantly!
Re: Wearing Glasses
Hi Nicola - Sorry I cant 
But the free consultation was very thorough and they told me exactly what I could expect so maybe you could go to a non obligation consultation and just see? I went with Ultralase, the only reason being 3 of my friends had been zapped with them previously and were ok.
But the free consultation was very thorough and they told me exactly what I could expect so maybe you could go to a non obligation consultation and just see? I went with Ultralase, the only reason being 3 of my friends had been zapped with them previously and were ok.Re: Wearing Glasses
It's such clever stuff, isn't it?!