It’s been a while since I’ve posted. With the holidays, Cody filming Uncle Bob’s Leg, and getting back out to California from Florida, getting into an apartment that had cats previously (bad smell AND I’m allergic…) it has been quite hectic, to say the least.
Hard to believe it's freeezing outside!
We got back in CA on Thursday night, and right away, Cody asked “Can I go to class tonight?!” I was exhausted, but I could take a break and rest while he went to class, so we went. Then he went again on Saturday and Sunday, and then had two auditions on Monday. One was last minute–which means….always be prepared!
I get asked the question “is it really necessary to get your child actor training, I mean really, if they have it, they have it, if they don’t then oh well.” I have heard of many famous actors that “fell in to acting” or “I went to an audition because a friend of mine was going, and the rest is history.” Honestly, child or adult, those are not the norm.
In Florida, Cody had Ann Marie at AMCTalent that helped prepare him to come out to LA. Before Ann Marie was Darla and the Oz Theater productions. Any time he got an audition while we were still in Florida, I scrambled to find someone, and unfortunately, those were the only two I knew of locally that could do coaching. With their hectic schedules, he didn’t always get coached, but when he did, I saw the benefit.
Once we arrived in LA, I found Actorsite and it’s been such a Godsend to us. They have one location just for the kids–which is the one I will talk about since it’s the one I am familiar with. What sold me first was the fact that they have mock auditions with real casting directors at least three times a week. These also include a question and answer session where parents and kids alike can ask the casting directors questions. They have fantastic teachers there, and six days each week there is some type of opportunity for learning. You can go to their website for additional information, or feel free to respond here with questions.
I will say, I have watched Cody continually improve. He improved well before coming out to LA, however, since the opportunities in LA are daily, plus the actual auditions he goes on, his improvement has increased tremendously. The best part, of course, is that he absolutely loves all of this.
So why not train him myself and save the money? Well, there are a few reasons. Primarily, I am not an actor (nor do I have the desire). I’ll teach him about real estate–THAT I know. Acting, it’s better that he gets trained elsewhere. There are SO many nuances and techniques that I have watched him learn–they all make sense once I know about them, but this is like with any business. If you’re going to learn how to do it right, go to the professionals that know what they are doing. One thing about being in California, now, too, is that we have connections to people here that can and will coach via Skype if necessary when we are elsewhere. Isn’t technology fantastic!?
So what’s the deal with training? What do they teach these kids that we, as parents can’t already figure out. Well, I’ve learned from the coaches as well, and now if I do anything, I only ask questions to get Cody thinking. A good coach or teacher will help the actor break down a script, audition piece, also known as “sides.” These are the 3-4 pages, sometimes more, sometimes less, that are used in the audition. By breaking down the sides, various teachers will have various techniques, so that the child actually sounds like a child and not just someone reciting words. The key is to sound “real” and “conversational.” It’s not as easy as you might think. There are also the emotions that go in to it.
Let me use an example…just about everyone I know can think of a movie or TV show where they have seen someone and right away they say “That’s a bad actor.” I used to say that myself about a few. I could never put my finger on it, until I started watching Cody get coached. When we, as the viewer, are looking at the actor on TV, we have to BELIEVE they are the character. If we don’t believe they are the character, they are a bad actor. So what exactly are they doing, or not doing? If you are talking to someone, you can TELL they are not listening to you because they are looking at something or someone else–it’s the same with an actor. Also, what about mannerisms? This may seem natural to us, but turn on a camera, and you have this small box. It all turns out different–and sometimes pretty humorous! That’s part of training as an actor as well.
We’re finally settling in to our routine here–if there is such a thing, and enjoying the roller coaster ride. It sure is fun!
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