Meet The FAM: Florida's Casting Company for Real Kids and Families
By the FAM | Florida Family & Kids Casting Experts
If you've ever wondered whether your child or family could appear in a commercial, brand campaign, or lifestyle shoot — and felt unsure where to even start — this post is for you.
We're The FAM, and we're doing something a little different in the Florida market. Here's everything you need to know about who we are, what we do, and why we think the casting model is the right fit for real families.
We're a Casting Company — Not a Traditional Talent Agency
This distinction matters more than most people realize, so let us explain it clearly.
A traditional talent agency represents individual talent on an ongoing, often exclusive basis. They manage a roster of signed models or actors, take a commission on bookings, and often require professional headshots, comp cards, and sometimes formal training before a family or child ever sees an opportunity. These are real investments of time and money that families are expected to make upfront. Agencies may also offer non-exclusive contracts — which we do recommend — but those upfront requirements and commission structures often remain the same regardless.
The FAM operates differently. We are a casting company, which means our role is to connect real families and kids with brands and production teams who need them for specific projects and campaigns. Rather than working through layers of representation, we work directly from the source — building relationships with brands and creative teams through our growing network, then sourcing, organizing, and presenting families to meet the needs of each project brief.
There are no sign-up fees, no upfront requirements, and no long-term commitments. We work non-exclusively, meaning families can be submitted for opportunities through us while also working with other agencies or channels simultaneously — maximizing their chances of being cast across multiple avenues at once.
We provide families with guided tips and resources to help them put their best foot forward and grow on their own timeline, taking things as seriously as they want to. We also offer optional workshops and structured environments for things like building a portfolio and gaining on-camera experience. The key word is optional. We believe families should have the flexibility to grow at their own pace, with support available when they want it — not as a requirement to simply walk through the door.
What does this mean for your family in practical terms?
No sign-up fees, upfront costs, or long-term commitments
No exclusivity — work with us while remaining free to pursue other opportunities simultaneously
No professional portfolio required to get started
Resources and optional structured support available as you grow, on your own terms
We handle the industry side so your family can focus on simply showing up and being yourselves
Our Mission: Real Families, Real Stories, Real Opportunities
The FAM was founded on a belief that's guided everything we've built: the most powerful content starts with genuine connection.
Our founders, Polina Marchenko and Amanda Sloan, both come from deep inside the industry — Polina as a strategic content partner for kids and parenting brands and a mother of two, Amanda as a working model and creative strategist who has operated on both sides of the camera. Between them, they've seen firsthand what separates content that resonates from content that doesn't.
The answer, almost every time, is authenticity.
When a real parent and child share a natural moment on camera, audiences feel it. When real siblings laugh together, it reads differently than anything scripted or staged ever could. Brands know this, and that's exactly why the demand for real family casting has grown so significantly in recent years.
The FAM was created to meet that demand — and to give Florida families a clear, supportive pathway into that world.
Our goal is not volume. It's alignment. We are selective and intentional about how we match families with projects, because the right fit creates the best content for everyone involved.
What We Do (and the Types of Projects We Cast For)
At The FAM, we specialize in casting children and families across Florida for a range of commercial and brand work, including:
Lifestyle Campaigns — Brand campaigns that showcase real family dynamics in authentic, everyday settings. Think home, family time, outdoor moments, and genuine relationships.
Commercial Productions — Television spots, digital ads, and larger scale production work that reaches broad audiences.
Social and Digital Content — Short-form brand content, creator partnerships, and storytelling built for social platforms where authenticity drives engagement.
Product Launches and Brand Collaborations — Campaigns introducing new products through the lens of real family life and genuine use.
Influencer and Creator Partnerships — Modern collaborations between families, creators, and brands for today's content-forward marketing landscape.
We've already connected Florida families with brands like iClever, Tini Glassware, Stelle, L'Aurel, Viv & Leigh, Omflex, and more — real campaigns, real families, real results.
Why Florida, and Why Now
Florida is one of the most dynamic and fast-growing markets in the country for commercial production. Year-round sunshine, diverse communities, and a booming population make it an ideal backdrop for lifestyle and family-focused campaigns. Brands from across the US — and internationally — regularly look to Florida for production, and the demand for authentic, local family talent continues to grow.
South Florida in particular — from Miami to Palm Beach to the surrounding communities — is home to an incredibly diverse and vibrant mix of families. That diversity is a strength. Brands today are actively seeking to reflect the full range of real family life, and Florida families represent exactly that.
The FAM was built specifically to serve this market. We maintain direct relationships with brands, creative teams, and casting professionals, so when opportunities arise, we can move quickly and connect the right families at the right time.
What We Look For in Families
Here's the honest answer: we look for realness.
Children can be cast individually, with siblings, or as part of a full family story. We often cast families together because authentic relationships create a natural chemistry that's immediately visible on screen. You don't need acting experience. You don't need to look a certain way. You don't need a professional portfolio.
You need to be willing to show up as yourself — and let your family's genuine personality come through.
We provide age-appropriate, supportive opportunities where families feel comfortable. Our team manages the process behind the scenes so that on the day of a shoot, families can simply be present and enjoy the experience.
Ready to Join The FAM?
If this sounds like something your family would love, we'd be glad to hear from you.
Joining The FAM gives your family access to a steady flow of casting opportunities as projects come through, direct connection to our casting team, and a community built around real families doing real things.
And if you're a brand or production team looking to cast authentic Florida families for an upcoming project, we'd love to connect.
