PILOT SEASON - PART 2...

this is part 2 of yesterday's post re: our family coming to pilot season this past february and march...and as much as people want to think that a child actor or even an adult actor will "make it" during this period of time...the truth is...well...keep reading!

so our decision was made…we would spend 8 weeks in l.a. now that lissa was signed with a prominent talent agent…we figured the worse that could happen is that she would get some great experience and begin to meet some of the west coast casting directors… at least i thought i felt that way...

the first day she was here, she was sent out on an audition…then nothing for two weeks…then another audition…and then nothing for 2 more weeks! i know…sounds pretty frustrating, and it was…but the good thing was that during the down time that she had, without friends to distract her, she graduated from high school, nearly 2 years early! so it all worked out for the best…but back to my story…

i wrote to lissa's manager online trying to figure out why lissa wasn’t going on more auditions…she was very honest with me…lissa was new to the area and for some reason, this past pilot season (and actually, it looks like this may be a trend) they were not calling in a lot of kids that didn’t live in this area…her mgr. spoke to several of the more youth-oriented casting people and that’s what they said…that if the child actor was not a local or if they didn’t have heavy duty credits, they were passing on them…the networks were skitsy this year and didn’t want to rest the success of a pilot on some newbie’s shoulders…

great! so here we are and we hear that! but being the oh so optimistic one that i am, i knew that there was always still a chance that things could change…another audition happens…then another…so during pilot season, the average for lissa for theatrical auditions was 1 every two weeks! and that’s total honesty! most people won’t tell you that…they’ll pad it to make their kid look like the best thing since sliced bread! well, it’s a bunch of crap… and yes, of course, some will go out more and some less...but i find that real honesty in this business re: your child actor is as rare as finding diamonds in the middle of hollywood blvd...

so here’s the skinny on pilot season…like it or not…it’s not for the faint-hearted…it’s not for someone that is using their last dime to allow their child actor to “give it a shot”…don’t do it!!! all you will do is spend money (between $10,000-15,000) and get extremely frustrated b/c you, just like everyone else, are going to l.a. with a set of expectations which will only prove to be false…

okay, now the upside! you know i ALWAYS have an upside! that period of time for us was the best thing that could have ever happened to us! it told us that this is where we wanted and needed to be…yes, we spent lots of money to sit around and have lissa graduate from high school…but when it was all said and done, 3 weeks after we moved back to ny, we moved here permanently…and TONS have been popping for her since then!

pilot season will make you or break you…and that’s not an exaggeration! it will make you realize what is out here and put drive under your butt and your child actor’s…or you will get discouraged and leave here broke and broken…

but, let me add this disclaimer...if you want to bring your child out here and the finances isn’t an issue to you and he/she gets into some great classes…gets to meet some casting people…and gets to experience the whole ‘hollywood’ scene…and that’s good enough for you…then you need to come on out this coming season…b/c you will get that…and that in itself can be invaluable!

okay…there it is…don’t get mad at me…you know i’m on your side! but truth does come out of my mouth and lots don’t really like that…pretense is not my middle name and will never be…so you know what i’m saying is real…

so if you’re still coming...you better get busy! you’ll need an agent, a place to stay, housing, classes, and lots of good reading or places to go for all the down time…and you will have lots of down time…trust me on that!

okay…hope your bubble is still intact…but probably a bit deflated…but if you’re still optimistic (in a reality kind of a way) then awesome…go for it! and maybe this year, we’ll get to meet!
wishing you all the best always…and you go and have yourself an amazing weekend!
hugs and out~