should you or your child actor work as an extra? part 1

the good thing about this, is that anybody can be an extra regardless of look, sex, age…you just have to live and breathe…that’s pretty much the only requirement…
but don’t sell this short…some people spend their lives doing this and love every minute of it…i mean, after all, could you imagine any TV show or film without the “atmosphere” that extras provide? watch a show or movie and imagine them not being there…it would be downright unrealistic! so they do provide a great service…but do you really want to do that?

to get a feel for how importantly unimportant extras are, let me tell you the true story behind the extras in the james cameron film, “titanic”…

cameron filmed in rosarito beach, mexico – about 60 miles south of san diego, California…he needed hundreds of extras, and b/c most of their faces would never be seen, he dressed up the local Mexicans in costumes and had them stroll the deck of the ship, as wealthy first-class passengers from great Britain…
after all…this is the magic of the movies!

there are 3 types of extras:

*day extras – this is the lowest paid extra…they are basically a “live” body…
*special extras – they perform a special skill in the background…i.e. skateboard, play an instrument, etc.
*silent bit extras – (also known sometimes as ‘featured’ extras) – they often interact with the principals in
the film or TV show…

okay…gotta run…will continue this interesting topic tomorrow…

have a great “rest of your week!”
hugs and out~

auditioning for voice-overs

most voice-over auditions are going to be realized through an agent…so if this is a real love of yours or your child actor’s, then contact screen actors guild (SAG) or american federation of television and radio artists (AFTRA) union offices and they will provide you with a list of union franchised agencies…

now, take the time and call them to find out if they represent voice-over artists…if they do, find out whom you should send your child actor’s demo tape to, alone with a resume and cover letter…if any of the agents are interested, you will here from them right away…but if you don’t hear from them after a couple of weeks, you could call them…but personally, i would call to just make sure that they received your package…if they want to meet you, i promise, they will call…

okay, all that is behind you, and you finally get that elusive audition…what now? this audition is similar to the typical acting audition, except that the casting director is only interested in your voice and not your look…

also, your audition will be recorded, so you will sit or stand where the microphone is…and normally, you may have to do a ‘check’ so that the recording engineer can adjust his levels for your particular voice…

after the above is finished, the cd will then ask your child actor to read from the script a couple of times…remember, they will keep all the recordings, whether you did two or ten, so it’s wise to change it a bit every time it is recorded…your child actor may want to change vocal tone, voice, inflections, pitch, phrasing, etc…this way they can really see the voice-over actors talent and will have a few different types of voices to choose from…more than not, if you do it the same every time, the cd will figure that you can only do that one type of voice…

hope this helps you and your kiddos…voice-overs are fun…break a leg!

hugs and out~

preparing and auditioning for voice-over work

for the next leg of this topic, maybe before discussing auditioning, we should discuss voice and diction classes…

when my daughter first started auditioning in nyc, almost every time, the casting director would ask her where she was from…we just couldn’t understand why she kept being asked this…
one day i was talking to someone about this and they said, “that’s b/c she has an accent”…
what? no she doesn’t…she sounds find…but being the type of person i am, I trusted this person’s opinion and I brought her to the best speech coach in the business, sam chwat…

he spent an hour with her and then brought me into the room…he told me that she did not pronounce her “th”…she dropped the “d” off the end of her words…her inflection was very hard new york, and she dropped her jaw every time she would say the sounds “aw”…p.s., she had tons of work to do to get rid of her “new yawk accent”, which i didn’t even realize she had…
now she speaks “american standard” – and after learning from sam, most people do not…oh yeah, she slips now and then…especially when she gets excited…and yes, she has new york “inflections” and accents, but that aids her usually and she can control it…did this take a lot of work on her part…you bet…the better part of a year…diligently practicing and recording and listening to herself several times a day!

okay…so I didn’t get to auditioning…but I did cover preparing! [pat on the back]…

tomorrow, i’ll get into auditioning…but please remember, unless you or your child actor is going to be a character voice-over specialist, he has to speak in american standard english or pretty darn close to it…he/she should be minus any regional accents…

we’ll pick this topic up again tomorrow…
hugs and out~

preparing a voice-over demo tape...

okay, so we’ve established that your headshot is your calling card…it gives people an idea of what you really look like…but in voice-overs, your headshot is non-essential…in this case, you need a demo tape or recording which actors use to showcase their voices…

but don’t be too quick to do this for your child actor…we’ve learned all too well, through experience, that they need to be able to demonstrate their vocal range and present all of their capabilities…

when my daughter first got involved in acting in nyc, she was told my agents and casting people that she had an accent and needed to develop amercian standard speaking…after all, your voice is part of the actor’s instrument, and needs to be fine tuned…

she took speech and diction classes and now you wouldn’t know that she comes from ny…(except when she gets very excited and then you hear it slip in now and then!)…if we had done a voice-over tape early in her career, it would have been a mistake…point i’m trying to make is that you need to put your best foot forward…do not produce a tape that you are not proud of and accurately depicts the abilities of you or your child actor…

here are some tips to help with recording your child’s demo tape (if you have to do this one your own)…

1. make sure that each voice that is done, is done well and can be done consistently…last thing you want is to be called in to audition with a specific voice that they heard on the demo tape and it can’t be duplicated…
2. if you have a voice that is your best, put it first…you want to grab the attention of those listening…
3. put different styles on your tape – narratives, cartoons, commercials…then pick little sound bites of of your best parts and edit them together…

your demo tape must be professional quality…if your child actor does not have an agent that has capabilities to create a voice-over demo, then you’ll have to have it done professionally to be able to compete…don’t try to do this yourself, unless you have the sound equipment that is needed…

tomorrow i’ll continue on this topic…how to get an agent…auditioning for voice-over work, etc…so check in tomorrow for part 2…

have a wonderfully, blessed day…
hugs and out~

stage fright...it can really affect an actor...

i don’t think it matters much how old you are or how many times you’ve been in productions, even the best of them (child actor or not) will get nervous before an audition or performing…that is not stage fright… i’ve seen this first hand and with some very talented, experienced actors…in fact one of them, in one of my productions, literally froze (not onstage thank God) but when she was about to go on…she ended up in a “fight or flight” mode and for her, being the trooper that she is, “fight” was what she did…

stage fright can happen to your child actor or anyone for that matter…it isn’t “age conscious” although i have to say that even though i’ve seen it happen to kids, it does happen to adults more often…

stage fright occurs when, as an actor, you are too overly concerned about your performance…when your thoughts are compulsively drawn to how you appear to others and if you will do badly…if this ever happens, you need to take your focus off yourself and put it on others immediately…and believe me, that is easier said than done…but know, stage fright can really paralyze someone…

what i would normally do is create a situation that would get their minds off of them about to go onstage or be filmed…i.e. someone needs something pinned or someone is sick and they need that person’s help…

this is so real, that there is a group called toastmasters (toastmasters.com)…also, there is a homeopathic remedy that helps for this…you can either go into a health food store that carries these remedies or go online and order it…it’s called gelsemium…

it’s very important that your child actor, if he/she deals with any form of this, face their fears and work through it…with kids, i’ve seen it happen in puberty…especially when they are stage actors and have begun to bloom at a young age…they become very self-conscious…for film/TV actors, this can happen in the audition room…many times the child doesn’t even share it with the parent…it also seems to happen after a long dry spell in the child actor’s career…they begin to question themselves…

being aware of this and hitting it head on and getting back up on that horse again is exactly what’s needed…we probably all, at one time or another has felt this or a bit of this feeling…i’ve never seen anyone not get through it…if they know that, it helps…

have a peaceful weekend…and i’ll catch up with everyone on monday…
hugs and out~

making and saving money while you or your child is acting...

to continue on yesterday’s vein, i guess the best way to handle this is to have a spouse that is able to work and provide the finances to live, if you are about to make the move to “the big city” whether that is nyc or l.a…sometimes this isn’t possible…but sure does help…

in my daughter’s music group, two of the five girls that are in the group live with just one parent b/c there other parent is back at home trying to help support the career situation…and honestly, that’s not so bad…at least there is something tangible going on…some parents make this move with just hopes…and that’s okay, if you realize how expensive it is to live on either coast…but there is some more answers to help…

get a temp. job…this is one of the most popular ways that adult actors and parents of child actor’s support themselves…the main advantage is that it leaves quite a bit of time for either you or your child to pursue acting…you take the job for that particular day and they pay you…you can choose (if it’s available) to work a day, two, several days, a week or a month…it’s up to you…
and some temp. agencies will train you in certain office skills so that they can place you…this temp. deal works especially well if your child is older and can stay by themselves for a period of time safely…also, b/c you will usually know the day or more before an audition, you can plan ahead…

also, much of what you spend for money (besides exorbitant rent) is spent on gas and food…there are a couple of ways to handle that…

auditions take place all over l.a. and surrounding towns, but there are areas that you would normally go for auditions and you will know that pretty quickly…move there…at least closer to the area where you will need to drive to (for l.a.) and learn (in nyc) the subway system pretty quickly…that is very important, b/c there you won’t need a car…and if you take one with you, your budget just skyrocketed to park it monthly! leave it home! of course, in l.a. you HAVE to have a car…so move close to the action, find a gas station that is inexpensive (relatively speaking) and lastly, learn to eat inexpensively…

what do i mean by that? buy a oookbook that is known for having “poor man’s” recipes…those that taste wonderful, but are made with chicken or ground beef…get a crock pot…tons of things that are low in price and high in taste are able to be made in those…treat yourself to fast food every now and then…wendy’s and other fast food places have 99cent menus…

cut coupons on wednesday’s and sunday’s out of the city newspapers…and many places will double coupons all the time…in ny, waldbaums and stop ‘n shop will…and in l.a., ralph’s does…i’m sure there are others…

we are in l.a. right now…after moving from ny, and all i can add is that it is very expensive, so just try to be as frugal and wise as you can so that you don’t run out of money or bankrupt your family to follow yours or your child actor’s dream…sometimes you get caught up in them wanting it so badly, that you throw caution to the wind and put your entire family on the line…be careful…so many get caught up in the whole tinseltown thing and before you know it, a year has gone by and your child actor hasn’t booked anything…i’m really not being negative, just realistic…and if you know me, i’m the eternal optimist so when i say that, please know that it’s coming out of experience…

we have been in l.a. from a busy career in our hometown area of nyc for almost 3 months and i can tell you that after being here and speaking to others that have moved here, please be ready emotionally, physically, mentally and mostly, financially…b/c you can come to this town and end up running home with your tail between your legs and no money in your pocket…and that’s being said by someone who’s daughter is the middle of a huge opportunity for her career…what do people feel like when months and months and years go by and nothing happens…THAT is what you need to be prepared for…

but through all of this…still, always follow your dream and let your child dream big and plan for his/her future…just be wise doing it and take some of these financial tips and use them…you’ll ride the wave a lot easier if you do…have a very blessed day…
hugs and out~

don’t go broke while aiding your child actor or helping yourself in this business!

that doesn’t mean they don’t cost you money…they do – and lots of it…but there is ways you can save money…

although “most things acting” that are for adults are many times the same cost for kids with a few exceptions…

1. some acting classes are less expensive for kids…so you can save a few bucks there, but it’s still going to cost you quite a bit…
2. headshots with some photographers are cheaper for kids…ask when you call around for info…that may make the difference in who you go to…
3. clothes for kids are less than clothes for adults…my suggestion, do not allow your child to wear their audition clothes for everyday life…get them 2 or 3 outfits (different colors/types) and put them away specifically for auditions…and every time your child actor puts them on, they will feel good knowing that they feel new and are their “lucky audition clothes”…well, actually, this only works when they are little…as they grow into teens, this idea goes out the window! 

there are also a few websites that give you some interesting ideas for living frugally…

www.cheapskatemonthly.com
www.stretcher.com
www.frugalcorner.com

there are also others…if you have any, please email me or leave a comment here so that others can benefit from it also…

one more important factor in saving money is where you live…if you want to live in l.a. or nyc, be aware that rents for apartments and houses are through the roof! but, if you live in the suburbs of both cities, you can find some less expensive places to live…in both l.a. and nyc, there are people who have apartments in their homes or guest houses which tend to be much cheaper…just be careful…make sure the apartment is legal, or you may find yourself out on the street with a 3 day notice…

i may continue this topic tomorrow…so much to say…so little time…
have a great thrifty day!

hugs and out~

scams! unfortunately, they will always be with us!

every year...did i say year? every month…umm…month? okay…every DAY thousands of people descend upon los angeles believing that they will be the next tom cruise, hilary duff or dakota fanning…and most believe that they or their child actor is the best thing since sliced bread (oh boy…showing my age with that saying!)…

there are a great many opportunities both in nyc and los angeles, and as time passes, in many other cities in this country and in canada…problem is, along with the opportunities that your child actor has, there are also many opportunists out there who are lurking; waiting to prey upon you…their ultimate goal? to separate you from your money…

okay, so now you know that i’m going to rant here a bit…and no, we’ve not been “taken” by these scam artists, but my niece is in the process of throwing away her money (which she doesn’t have a lot of) to one of these shysters…and her daughter is only 4! she spends $700 every other month on new pics and learning how to walk like a model…at 4 years old mind you…and i’ve tried to speak to her…but to no avail…so i have to bite my tongue and be quiet at this point…

and i’m not going to name these companies…most of us know them…but just be aware of this…if someone thinks your child is amazing…one of a kind…best thing they’ve seen in a long time…cutest, best, greatest, most beautiful, next academy award winner...turn around and walk out the door…they have a hook in your wallet and are playing on the love you have for your child…scumbags…

anyway, just know this…go to reputable acting sites on the web…many i have listed on this blog…and ask questions…DON’T sign anything until you’ve spoken to someone who can direct you to legitimate agencies, acting schools, photographers, etc. AND beware of the companies that allow you “one stop shopping”…what i mean by that is that they will supply you with a headshot photographer, online exposure for your child, acting classes, etc…more times than not, they are again, just cloaked scam artists…

lastly, NEVER pay to get your child signed with an agent or manager…that’s just totally absurd…the money that they make comes out of the funds that your child earns if and when he/she books something…also, some people have issues with paid casting director workshops…in l.a., they seem to be not as needed…in nyc, they’ve always worked well for us with an out of state casting director…other than that, in time, your child will meet the right people at the right time…last thing you want to do is to spend all your money on cd workshops thinking that it will help your child book something…more times than not, it doesn’t…but hey, if you’ve got the funds, knock yourself out…just make sure you know if it’s the casting director, associate or assistant…imho, only go to casting director workshops…

moral of this blog – keep your money in your pocket and question anyone who’s hand is reaching in there…more likely than not, they are professional scammers who will tell you anything to bilk you out of your hard earned money…buyer beware…

have an incredible week…
hugs and out~

Public School, Private School, Homeschool...which one is right for you?

this seems to be a question that is asked so many times by so many people in so many different areas of the country when your child actor is involved in this industry…and i don’t think there are any correct answers, only answers that are correct for you…so let me share with you a bit of our experience…

when we lived in ny, my daughter went to a private school…and while she was doing some stage and small things, there was never an issue…problem is when she started getting more involved in the business…unfortunately, that happened to coincide with middle school, which seems to be where schools get more antsy about taking time off…

she began missing a lot of days…at first, the teachers were excited for her, but then it got old for them, and they started giving her problems…and it was unfortunate, b/c we really wanted as normal a life for her as possible even if this was the career she chose…so when she finished her sophomore year, we felt to look into alternative schooling…

after investigating many ways to tackle this issue, we decided on distance learning through keystone high school…the reasons for us was of course, firstly, was the school accredited? and it is with even ivy league schools…also, was it available online? that was very important to my daughter, b/c she does much better typing online, reading online, etc. than with conventional schooling…although, she still had textbooks to read, etc., most of the testing and even interactive learning was online…and lastly, was the cost…keystone seemed to be less for what they offered…so that’s who we went with, and it, for us, was the correct decision…

she finished two years of schooling in 8 months…and she loved it b/c she could go to school whenever she wanted and when it worked for her schedule…

now that she’s in a girl singing group who rehearse ALL the time and perform, and then with her acting classes and auditions, she’s freed up to be able to take college courses online…we are right now looking into brigham young university…in fact, one of the girls in my daughter’s group is going to be doing her online high school program with them…great school…so that’s another option…

and believe me, there are many…and what i’m going to try to do is to have someone that is a true homeschool person write an article for this blog one day…hopefully soon…so that you can see what she does in order to teach her children at home…

but don’t forget, some public/private schools will work with you and then that may be the best choice for you and your child actor…everyone’s situation is different…and everyone has their own path…if you are contemplating this, then you just have to find the right one for you!

have a wonderfully blessed weekend…
hugs and out~

working as an extra!

some may not believe it, but many people do extra work to do just that…work….
they are not looking to get a speaking role or to be rich and famous…
i just ran into someone today that was waiting to get headshots done…as we were talking, they told me that all they want is to be an extra…they have an “extras” agent and they are happy as can be! so for those people, being ‘atmosphere’ is a job that they are proud of…and they should be…

extra work is everywhere and they look for anyone and everyone…but, as with anything else, you have to prove yourself…when you sign up with an extras agency and they call you or your child actor to work, it is important that you show up on time, have the right outfit on and do as you’re told, without causing any problems on set (i.e. bothering the “name” actors, asking for autographs, etc.)…if all went well, you or your child will get called in more and more…

extras are needed for films, TV shows, industrial films, commercials, music videos and may be filmed anywhere and everywhere...b/c of this reason, you can live in kentucky and be an extra…but don’t expect TOO much work if you live there…even with extra work, most of it is in L.A. or NYC…

forgive me for being so blunt, but working as an extra requires not much more than breathing…so if you or your child actor wants to make a little bit (emphasis on ‘little’) of spare cash doing this work, then knock yourself out…some people love it…just don’t plan on getting rich off of it! usually, you’ll get paid $50-100 to sit around on a set for 10-14 hours…you’ll eat and read and many times wonder why you ever thought that this would be a glamorous job…

and yes, you can get your SAG card being an extra…but it is on a voucher system, and usually very difficult to obtain…if you are doing it for that reason, i would suggest you get a speaking role…it probably is easier! lol
and yes, SAG extras get paid more…and you’ll make a little extra money if you have to drive out of a certain zone…also, you are paid a few dollars extra if you are asked to bring more than the outfit your are wearing…

add it all up…not a heck of a lot of money…but sometimes, for you and/or your child actor, it’s worth it to do this a few times just to get the feel of what a real set is like…but, if you are the type that enjoys just sitting around and reading and eating and talking, then knock yourself out…this may be the job for you!

hope this helped some of you…have a wonderful week!
hugs and out~

learning about filming...get some tickets!

so your child actor really wants to be part of this crazy biz…and you’d like them to see how a real set works…best thing…get tickets to some shows taped in your area…

now, unfortunately, if you’re not in nyc or l.a., that can be pretty tough…so perhaps, next vacation, go to one of those places and see a few shows…just make sure you call or email for tickets very early…most really good shows get filled up months ahead of time…but if you’re lucky, there may be a film taping in your area…TV shoots all their shows in a set…a film does the same, but may also include outside locations that could be right near you…

TV show sets can be very chaotic…it’s crammed with lights, cameras, cables, sets, props and tons of people…everyone has a job and if you watch them carefully, you will know what they do pretty quickly…all except for the group that stand to the side during filming, but then huddle together in between takes…those are the writers and many times, midstream, they will change something in the script that isn’t working when played out…

the taping for a 30 minute sitcom usually takes 3 hours or more so be prepared with food and drink (sometimes they will actually give you pizza or candy/water, etc. but don’t count on it)…

the studio audiences are very important to these shows...not only do they provide a laugh track, but they also give the actors live people to play off of and see how their jokes go over...also, sometimes at the end of the taping, the actors will go up to the audience and sign autographs or whatever...

if you’d like to see a show there are a few websites that seem to be the best at securing you tickets:

studio audiences (www.studioaudiences.com)

television ticket co. (www.freetvshows.com)

free tv tickets (www.tvtix.com)

ny tickets (www.nytix.com)

hollywood tickets (www.hollywoodtickets.com)

on camera audiences (www.ocatv.com)

and also, with the late nite shows, many times you can get them online through the affiliate station…i.e. write or call NBC for jay leno, etc…but first check the above sites…you may be able to secure them through those…


okay…have fun…watching a taping can be very exciting and give you and your child actor a close-up look at how things happen on set…

have a great day…and an even better week…
hugs and out~

fake auditions! be careful...be very careful...

re: this topic…much easier to speak out of my own knowledge than to explain what to do and not to do…but let’s give you one main rule for yourself and your child actor…don’t trust ANYONE! don’t let your child go with ANYONE! okay, now that that’s out of the way, as an adult you have to be careful also…

when i was an actress in l.a. during the 1980’s i had a very disturbing experience…i was sent out on an audition, gave the cd my headshot/resume…they asked me for my contact phone number (i’ll never forget this…it was a friday and they were going to do callbacks over the weekend, so if they couldn’t get my agent, they wanted to be able to call me directly)…and she wrote it on my resume…didn’t think much of it except that i noted that she did that…

a few days later, i got a call…the man identified himself as a producer of XYZ film and said that he had gotten my name/headshot/resume from such and such casting and was interested in me for the lead in his upcoming film…

okay…yes…you’re right…i was so flattered that it got the best of me and i answered all of his questions…where i lived…my measurements (which a bit of a red flag went up right there)…then he started asking me very personal questions about my body…I answered some of them, but then stopped and said that i didn’t like where the conversation was going and he assured me that he was who he was…i asked him to give me the name of his studio and phone number…he did and i said i’d call him right back…the number was a phony…wow – no duh…but if i didn’t realize at that point what was up, who knows – i might have met him somewhere or whatever…very scary when i think about it…

so how did that happen? after speaking to people, they figured that somebody probably dumped a load of headshots into a dumpster and this pervert looked through them and took some…my phone number was written on the back…p.s, he called me…and YES, within a month i moved…i was very scared, considering i was physically separated from my husband at the time (he was training in phoenix for 12 weeks for his job) so i was basically living alone with my 3 little babies)…eek – frightening…

20+ years later, these menaces are more savvy…now they will even put out an audition call for a screen test to search for new talent! they will ask kids/adults/whatever to show up at this place and time – i’ve even heard of one instance years ago, when they met this man in a mall…he had a camera and was taking pics of all the kids…he asked the parents if he could bring these couple of kids to the playground next door and he’d be right back…the parents ran away at this point realizing what was happening…he immediately got reported to security at the mall…did he get caught? no! and this happens all the time…maybe a different person…different place…different time…same thing!

always be on guard! if you go to an audition and you don’t like the way the place looks, DON’T GO IN! is it worth getting hurt or whatever for a stinkin’ audition? definitely not! follow your gut…if you don’t like the way an audition feels…or if you don’t have an agent or manager, and you don’t like the way someone sounds on the phone or writes their emails…go with your feelings…most of the time they are correct…

tomorrow i’m going to discuss scams…how people will do or say anything to bilk you out of your money!
for now…have a great day in this awesome business! be well and happy…
hugs and out~

cattle calls! are they really worth it?

open casting calls got there name b/c they look like just that…a bunch of cattle waiting around, moving slowly…being herded one by one into a room…

basically, they are auditions open to anyone – and normally that’s exactly who goes…anyone! this open call could be for a 10 year old blonde girl, yet you’ll see everything from a 60 year old grey-haired woman to a 350 lb. sumo wrestler standing in line next to that little girl…actually, it can be quite interesting…before my daughter had reps. and we went this route, i had many laughs standing in those lines…

there are advantages and disadvantages to ‘cattle calls’ – first of all, they are open to anyone…so it can be a great idea for our child actor to go and get some experience in auditioning…and yes, lightening does strike, and perhaps they will be noticed by a casting person and weeded out of the crowd, as well as meeting some casting director that maybe your child wouldn’t have met otherwise…

now for the bad news  many of these open calls are done for publicity only…it’s an inexpensive way to stir up excitement for a film and get the film’s name out there…it’s just human nature that when you audition for something and don’t book it, you’re interested in who did and will go to that film to see who is the one that skinned you out of that role that was absolutely yours!

many open calls are legit…usually casting only very minor roles…or agents and casting director’s use them to meet new talent…so then they are very useful and can be a real opportunity for your young actor…

either way, if you have the time and your child actor wants to go, enjoy! sometimes just meeting new people and feeling the “possibility” of booking a role is a real ‘dream-maker’ and can inspire both you and your child…

to find open calls, check out the many online services that exist and also entertainment papers on the newsstand as well as your local town or city newspaper…

have fun and remember, it’s all part of the dream…
have a wonderful day…
hugs and out~

audition pointers...revisited!

right away, if i were you, i'd get an appointment book and begin to chronicle all the auditions that your child gets...then you have all the info. that you'll need in case they are so fortunate to get a callback! mark down the day and date (obviously!)...also, what they wore to the audition...and where it was...
after the audition, write down any comments that your child told you that the casting people said to them...they forget quickly...so make sure that you ask right away! lol

okay, but let's go backwards here...how do you help prepare your child for an audition?
make sure you have the correct address, directions to get there and how long it will take...
be on time! nothing makes a worse first impression than this!
dress neatly – and “hint” at the type of role that your child actor is auditioning for…don’t dress them in a costume…
bring several copies of their headshot/resume with you…most times you’ll only need one, but just last week, my daughter went to a producer’s session, and the cd’s asst. asked her for several…so especially on a callback with producers (where there will be several in the room that would like to see the headshot and resume) ALWAYS bring more…
bring the sides (audition scenes) with you…
leave the gum in the car…
never touch the casting director (unless provoked by them)…
make sure you sign your child in and out…
leave there…buy them an ice cream (better yet a piece of fruit! lol) and then forget about it!

number 9 is probably the hardest thing to do…forgetting about the audition…it really is difficult…but the healthiest thing to do is to talk about it for a few minutes…ask them all the questions that you need to…and then let it go…this is especially hard if the child got really good feedback from the cd’s and really wants the part…but from experience, please try very hard to let it go…it can torment you if you don’t…just know that there is another audition around the corner and a role with your child’s name on it…and again, i will repeat one of my favorite quotes that a dear lady, friend and casting director, bonnie gillespie says… “if the part isn’t yours, there is nothing you can do to get it…and if it is, there’s nothing you can do to mess it up”…bonnie, forgive me…i know i paraphrased!

anyway, that’s the skinny on auditions…oh yeah, there are many more things i could blog about re: this topic, but those are the most important points…if and when your child gets an audition, just be very excited about it…that’s the first step to building a career in this crazy thing called show business!

much happiness today and always…
hugs and out~

your child wants to act - STOP! parents, do you really want to do this???

job opening – drive someone else around all the time at any time of day…pay someone else’s expenses…be a chauffeur…sacrifice your own free time…blah blah blah…yep, and this is only a small part of what is required for your child actor to be in show business…it’s a massive commitment…so not only does your child want it more than anything in the world, you have to be there with them!

during your journey, you will learn patience…foresight…perseverance…you will develop a thick skin yet have to learn psychological techniques for not only your child but for others around you who think you’ve lost your mind…
then when you get those down, you’ll find yourself disagreeing with an agent, manager, casting director, director, acting coach…etc. etc. etc…you’ll bend or break i’ll tell you…and bend you will…you’ll become as flexible as gumby! LOL

but be careful…watch out for the “bitter bug” – that’s what i and friends of mine call it…that’s the parent who’s child is in the business, but they’ve had it…they haven’t gotten where they feel their child actor should be…so they are bitter and everything that goes on in this business is shaded with bitterness and distrust…
in my humble opinion, if you get to that point, just get out! you will no longer be a help to your child and your will infect everyone around you…for me personally, i don’t go near people like that…and i can smell them a mile away…

look, let me lay it on your straight…to be a parent in this business, you have to be either a masochist or very self-sacrificing or you are living vicariously through your child…and for the sake of time and space, let me just address the last one…

i believe this is where the term "stagemom" came from...or stagedad btw...lol... child actors have been replaced…not b/c of them, but b/c of the behavior of a stage parent that is actually interfering with the production…these parents can be tough to take…they will press their child to become an actor and be the best no matter what the kid wants…they believe there is no one around as good as their child…they don’t live in reality…they believe that hollywood is waiting for their child so that this business can instantly make them the next dakota fanning! so please…heed the warning…what goes around, comes around…you don’t want to plant bad seeds in the soil of this business whether you are on the left or right coast…and it can be hard...we love our kids so much that we want everything for them right away...but there is a process...and you learn that as you go along...

so you’re still here…still reading…then maybe this biz is for you…that is, as long as this is what your CHILD wants to do…first sign of pulling away, allow them to do that…much against popular opinion, not every kid in ny or l.a. is going to stay in the business and become a huge star…my advice – every now and then do an “acting health check”…what is that? twice a year my daughter and i sit down and discuss this business…i ask her if she’s enjoying it…if she still loves it as much as she used to…if she’s happy…questions like that…her answers give me a real good barometer as to where she is re: this crazy love she has for performing…if her interest has diminished, this gives her a great platform to be honest with me, b/c many times if a child knows that the parent wants this for them very badly, they won’t tell the parent that they want to leave it, unless they are asked…then remember, you are the parent and this is your child…do what’s best for them no matter what…

that’s it from this end…running out the door…
have a happy, healthy, blessed day…
hugs and out~