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#16 Good2bme

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Posted 17 March 2008 - 05:27 PM

If you are interested in acting jobs this is a great class for your kids! Carey Shannon is amazing!!!

Check out: www.oncamerakids.com.

Several of her students have already gotten local work!

#17 Leslie

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Posted 12 August 2008 - 04:12 PM

QUOTE(Nancy @ Mar 17 2008, 12:11 PM) View Post
If you do this, look at it as along the same lines as taking painting classes at the park and rec. Yes, you'll learn some things, but the chances of your work being sold in a gallery are almost nothing.

Real modeling agencies don't want girls who have been through a class. They are taught a group of standard poses rather than to be natural. Once girls learn to do this, if they really do pursue modeling by sending pictures to reputable agencies and get signed, they actually have to work on breaking the habit of doing modeling school poses.

A friend of mine went through one of the big name (can't remember if it was Barbizon or John Robert Powers) modeling classes as a young teen. I think she was 13 or 14. She said one day one of the teachers told them that they couldn't tell their parents what they heard in class that day. They told them that if they wanted to get work in the modeling industry that they had to give the casting agents "what they wanted", and that was really the only way models ever got work. How sick is that?

Nancy



#18 Leslie

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Posted 12 August 2008 - 04:44 PM

I saw this post and thought I would put my 2 cents in on this subject matter.
My daughter is a professional actor and model in the greater Sacramento and San Francisco area. She is 10 years old and we have been in the business for over 5 year.

If you are new to the business and want to break in, it is a good idea to have some nice snapshots taken (headshot and full body) of your child by yourself, a friend or a good inexpensive photographer . You don't need to invest a lot of money until your child has the potential to get work or you have secured an agent. Most legitimate agents will give you a good referral to several photographers that they recommend to get the look they feel will represent their client the best. Some agents get more work in the print division vs. commercial or visa versa so they want a certain look.

To start off, take your photos and register locally with Media Casting. They are the best legitimate casting agency (not talent agency) in the area. Anyone can register and you don't have to be signed with an agency, but once you get one, can still get work through them.

You really don't need an agent locally because Media gets most notices for casting. He does not take a percentage of your pay, but the job pay is a little lower due to his firm is actually working for the producers to find the best talent for the least amount of money. However, once you get a few jobs on your resume, it is time to start looking for an agent in the SF area. If you secure a legitimate talent agent ie...Marla Dell, Boom, Ford etc...plan on spending at least 350-500 for a good set of pictures each year. Talent Agents work for the talent and want to market you as professionally and as acurately as possible.

The next hurdle is to make sure yourself or someone you can rely on can get your child to the auditions and be able to stay on the set if they secure a job. At first being on the set of a shoot or commercial can be very exciting for a parent but after awhile a little mundane. The crew will not cater to the parents as well as the child however, they will feed you. Bring lots of books, magazines etc.

Be prepared to spend $$ on gas going to and fron SF or LA whatever market you tend to want to target. As well as money on clothes for auditions, clothes you supply for low budget projects, acting classes, in some cases lodging, lunch and dinner for when you get stuck in traffic and it takes 5 hours vs. 2 hours to get home.

Your child must also want to do this and be able to juggle homework and other extra cirricular activities into the schedule. You must have a work permit and cannot obtain one if your child is not a high achiever at school. The set usually provides a studio teacher but not the material from your school and your child will be considered absent when on the set.

Some schools can be supportive, and some not. Our is so far.

For print work............the most sought after sizes are child size 5 10 and 12. Your child does not have to be beautiful, just full of personality and spunk but well behaved is an absolute MUST.

If you want to do commercials, movies, voiceovers and videos, plan on spending money for training. There are just way to many talented kids out there to take an untrained child to an audition. You will waste everyone's time.

The last piece of advise....Just because you have an agent doesn't mean the jobs and auditions will roll in. Plan on managing your child's career by constantly looking for work. You may land a job via an actors website or? but you will still need to include your agent in any work obtained.

This can be a very satisfying an a rewarding field but the family must be prepared to enter as a team to make it successful. Good luck to all of you who choose this route.



#19 80pants

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Posted 24 May 2017 - 09:43 AM

Big scam. If you want to get your child into the business, then try contacting Generations in SF--all they require is a picture of your child and measurements. I once heard that if you have to pay big $$$ for picutres/classes/etc... then it is a scam.

Yes my daughter was accepted and I paid the $800 dollars for the pictures.  The session was great we got a lot of pictures.  HOWEVER, communication with this company is ridiculous.  While we were waiting to hear back after the pictures were taken.... I heard nothing so I finally called them.  They said I was supposed to have develop the pictures and they lost the negatives.   How was "I" supposed to develop them when you had them!!!  YOU TOOK THEM!!!   So they blamed me and said I had to do it again because my daughter was getting older.  SO... they asked me to do it again and said her first job would pay for the $1600 (paid again!!) and that they needed updated pictures.  So I paid again they made post card and took half as many pictures that were not as good and by this time my daughter who was really interested and really good at performing and memorizing the commercials... was no longer interested.  The process took so long that is was annoying and frustrating and she just wanted to work.   So we paid them for nothing twice!!!   They had no care in the world that we had this experience.   We had many talent agencies interested in my daughter because she was so young and so good at what she did... but we had a bad taste in our mouth by now.. so we never called any of them.   Now she is much older and still good but still afraid of the drama so we just dont do it. 






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