RESOURCES

The total time a minor can be on location varies by age and should be carefully adhered to. All minors must have at least one hour of rest and/or recreation time on set. School-aged minors must have 3 hours of school on any school day, which may be broken up into 20 (or more) minute increments. You must allow at least a half-hour meal break, 5 or 6 hours (depending on project type) after first crew call. (Tip: feed the kids first!) The clock starts for minors the minute they arrive at their reporting location. Time in hair, makeup, or costumes is considered work time. How late a minor can work varies, but generally no minor can work past 10 pm on a school night or 12:30 am on a non-school night (maybe earlier in some states). Turnaround time for minors is 12 hours. Minors must be within sight and sound of their guardian at all times. Guardianship cannot be assigned to another adult without written permission

Make sure you carefully consider the age of your young actor when planning your production schedule. The total number of hours a minor can be on your location and work in a day depends on their age. ​ Remember that work hours include hair, make-up, and wardrobe and time on-location also includes required school and rest and recreation. Note: If the production is SAG the SAG-AFTRA contract governs minors’ work hours everywhere in the United States unless stricter work hours are mandated by the state.

SAG has very specific rules that must be adhered to when working with minors on any SAG production. The SAG-AFTRA contract governs minors’ work hours everywhere in the United States unless stricter work hours are mandated by the state. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the rules, which can be found HERE. ​ Here is a quick overview of some of the important parts of THE PRODUCERS SCREEN ACTORS GUILD CODIFIED BASIC AGREEMENT for working with minors..... Teacher Credentials: Teacher shall have proper teaching credentials appropriate to the level of education required (i.e., primary or secondary level) from Washington D.C. or any state within the United States, but need not be credentialed by or a resident of the state wherein the minor's employment occurs unless otherwise required by law. [Section 50 (D) (2)] Note: CA requires CA K-12 certification AND Studio Teacher Certification if... You are filming in California Your production is based in California (this includes your payroll office of record) You are working with a California minor ​ Teacher-Minor Ratio: Producer shall provide a ratio of not more than ten (10) minors per teacher, except that up to twenty (20) minors may be taught per teacher if the minors are in not more than two (2) grade levels. [Section 50 (D) (4)] Note: This differs from California law that only allows a ratio of 10:1 regardless of grade level (20:1 on non-school days) ​ Separate School Facility: No one shall be allowed in an area being utilized by Producer as a school facility except the teacher and those minors being taught. [Section 50 (D) (10)] ​ School Hours: Minor must be taught an average of at least three (3) hours per day, no period of less than twenty (20) minutes duration being acceptable as school time. [Section 50 (D) (11)] ​ Reporting: Producer must require the minor to report to the teacher immediately upon arrival at the place of employment. When school is in session, the teacher has primary responsibility for the education and supervision of the minor. [Section 50 (E) (1)] ​ Supervision: No minor may be sent to wardrobe, make-up, hairdressing, or employed in any manner unless under the general supervision of a teacher, parent or guardian. [Section 50 (E) (5)] Coordinator: If Producer engages any minor under the age of fourteen (14), Producer must designate one (1) individual on each set to coordinate all matters relating to the welfare of the minor and shall notify the minor's parent or guardian and teacher, when one is present, of the name of such individual. [Section 50 (E) (6)] ​ Rest & Relaxation: A safe and secure place for minors to rest and play must be provided by Producer. ​ SAG has produced a handbook for young performers that is helpful for minors and their parents to understand SAG rules and the specifics of working on set. The SAG Young Performers Handbook can be accessed HERE

The State of New Mexico has specific regulations regarding the employment of minors in the entertainment industry. Click HERE for an overview of New Mexico's requirements.....

Georgia has laws governing the safety and well-being of minors on set. Click HERE for the Georgia Department of Labor's guide to Minors in Entertainment. ​ Georgia requires that a Georgia licensed Child Labor Coordinator (CLC) be on set at all times. You will also have to hire a Studio Teacher if school is in session (even if the minor is homeschooled) or year-round for any minor from California. Note: This must be a CA credentialed Studio Teacher. The Studio Teacher may also act as the CLC if: 1. there is only one minor on set 2. the Studio Teacher is also a licensed CLC ​ ​ Lynne is a fully credentialed Studio Teacher and Child Labor Coordinator! Note: The hours a Georgia minor can work is different than that of a California minor. In some cases they cannot work as long! Check the Georgia working hours chart HERE to make sure you are following the law.

The state of California has very specific laws when it comes to working with minors. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the laws specifically pertaining to the Entertainment Industry, which begin on page 36 HERE. ​ Any entertainment employer in the state of California is required by law to have a DLSE State Certified Studio Teacher on set at all times for all Minors under age 16, and each minor must possess a valid, current, California Entertainment Work Permit. This includes, but is not limited to, all productions, union and non-union, involving minors, paid or not, that use their likeness for entertainment purposes. [8 CCR 11750] ​ ​ Here is a quick overview of some of the important sections of the Californian labor code, Employment of Minors in the Entertainment Industry, Article 1. Motion Picture Industries.... ​ Regulations cover: • California minors who work in California or are taken out of state [8 CCR 11756] • Out-of-state minors who work in California [8 CCR 11753] ​​Violations: Any misdemeanor violation of any Labor Code provision respecting child labor, or any violation of these regulations may constitute grounds for denying a Permit to Employ Minors in the entertainment industry, or for suspending or revoking any such permit [8 CCR 11758] ​ Meal time: Work day may not be extended by meal period longer than 1/2 hours ; any amount of meal time exceeding 1/2 hour is considered rest & recreation time [8 CCR 11761] ​ Turnaround: Twelve (12) hours must elapse between minor's time of dismissal and time of call on the following day [8 CCR 117601] ​ Travel Time: All travel time from studio to a location or from location to studio shall count as part of the working day of the minor [8 CCR 11759 a] ​ Studio Teacher Authority: Studio teacher, in addition to teaching, has responsibility for caring and attending to the health, safety, and morals of minors under sixteen (16) years of age and shall take cognizance of such factors as working conditions, physical surroundings, signs of minor's mental and physical fatigue, and demands placed upon minor in relation to minor's age, agility, strength, and stamina, and may refuse to allow engagement of minor on set or location and may remove minor therefrom, if in judgment of studio teacher, conditions are such as to present a danger to the health, safety, or morals of the minor and any such action may be immediately appealed to the Labor Commissioner who may affirm or countermand such action. [8 CCR 11755.2] ​ Supervision: No minor under the age of sixteen (16) may be sent to wardrobe, makeup, hairdressing, or employed in any manner whatsoever unless under the general supervision of the studio teacher. [8 CCR 11762] ​ Working Hours: See 8 CCR 11760

Here are some tips for making sure your minors on set get the most out of their "Tutor Time" and get the most time on set! Tip 1: Plan ahead for tutor time. This may mean bringing the minors in early to get school done first. ​​ Tip 2: Pay attention to the age of the minor. While they all need a minimum of 3 hours of school each day, some minors can be on set longer than others. ​​ Tip 3: Set up the classroom in advance so the studio teacher and minors can get started as soon as they arrive. ​ Tip 4: Advise all minors to check in with the studio teacher as soon as they arrive on set each day. The studio teacher is responsible for monitoring their time and needs to know the whereabouts of the minor from the minute they arrive on set. ​ Tip 5: Remind parents of their responsibility to bring school work for their child. If their school hasn't provided enough work they should provide enrichment materials. They can ask Miss Lynne for suggestions if they need help with this. ​ Tip 6: Provide extra school supplies in case the minor forgets something. (Many productions prefer to rent a supply box from the studio teacher for a small box rental fee). ​ Tip 7: Provide a comfortable area for parents to sit right outside of the classroom. They need to be accessible, but cannot be in the classroom itself during Tutor Time. ​ Tip 8: Pre-stock the classroom or a nearby area with water and healthy snacks. Avoid any food or drinks that could stain costumes or mouths. (blue, red, purple) ​ Tip 9: Provide a separate holding area for each principal minor and/or group of minors. They need a place to relax when not on-set or in school.​ ​ Tip 10: Feed the minors near the classroom to reduce travel time. Any extra time after their 30 minute lunch can be counted toward their 1 hour of R & R once they are back at their holding or designated R & R location. ​ Tip 11: Provide clear directions to the bathrooms and set up the classroom as close as possible so you don't lose valuable tutor time to long walks to the bathrooms.