Tattle does open your eyes to things. If seeing adverts, take for example back to school clothes, or ebay games consoles…it would never have naturally occurred to me that the kids being chosen have been intentionally denied access to schooling or video games, so are portraying something very false to them. I know it’s an acting job and so there doesn’t need to be a correlation, but still it seems off for companies to be selecting these particular kids. At least with Nike, Heze does actually seem to have a genuine interest in their products.
I think with the kids they have lucked out timing-wise because of current media attitude toward diversity. Advertisers are are afraid of backlash for being too white, yet know the majority of their audience are white…so fairly light skinned mixed race child actors, which is a niche demographic, means advertisers keep on needing bit part child actors fitting the Grimwade physical description. Add that the kids can be shown to be very comfortable on camera, and have been trained to act mature when ‘working’…I can see them being put forward for several minor advert roles over the next few years.
When they reach adulthood, it will be a different matter, then they will actually need to know how to act/dance professionally, and the longer they go without any formal education, the larger the gap will get between them and their contemporaries.
Does their successors so far with acting/advert work really mean these kids are talented? Or just does it mean they fit a sought after demographic, are available without the restrictions of school, have parents who push them forward at any opportunity, and also that they know how to be compliant on set?
If they had genuine natural talent wouldn’t we be seeing them in speaking roles by now. If wanting to foster talent, as a parent I would think the way to do that is to have them attended a local drama club and get them used to regular practice and performing, learning lines etc. I’ve not even seen from the videos any mention of dance lessons or clubs,
if all they are doing is copying moves off the internet, it won’t get them careers as dancers, first thing a casting agent will ask is what school or club they are taught by. Even in these very narrow career options they have chosen for their children, apparently from the moment they are born, they haven’t given them the best possible opportunities to succeed. As children it’s easy for them to be made to believe that having a bit part in an advert means they have achieved something special, the kids aren’t to blame for thinking it’s a career path, that’s engineered by Tim and Ella.