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Resources Resources Resources!

I have not been a “momager” for very long.  Cody decided he wanted to be an actor when he was 8, and did local theatre productions for a few years until my husband and I realized he was serious and he continued to push for more; he wanted to do television and film, too.  So when he was 11, just two years ago, we made our first trek to Los Angeles.  My ONLY experience in LA was LAX passing through on my way to and from The Republic of the Philippines when I was stationed there in the ‘80s.  Not much to go on there!

I did as much research as I could prior to arriving in Los Angeles, and did not personally know anyone with a child actor at the time that could help me.  Cody had two fantastic people that helped him get started in Florida, the director of the theatre group he was in, Darla, and Ann Marie, now an agent.  Both taught him what they knew, and gave him a fantastic foundation, however, in the part of Florida we were in (The Panhandle), at the time they were the only acting coaches available to prepare actors—and they are only two people.  As he continued to ask for more classes, more training, we chose to head to Los Angeles and see what would happen.  Darla and Ann Marie prepared Cody well to get in front of Los Angeles casting directors, agents and managers.  It is comforting to look back now and know they helped him prepare a good foundation.  Not everyone has good experiences.  I don’t know anyone personally, but have seen the articles of people paying a “company” thousands of dollars (well over $10,000) to supposedly “guarantee” their child a part on their own show, or with top agencies.  Some companies have been exposed as frauds. Yes, there have been costs to getting my son in this industry, but you have to remember, there are NO guarantees.  If it sound too good to be true, it is.

I will be honest; it is not necessary to get in to one of these “events” to get your child “in” to show business.  And if you meet an agent or manager that says “well, in order to represent your child, you will need to pay me $XX first.”  That’s bogus.  A reputable agent or manager gets paid when your child gets paid.  There are NO upfront costs to get representation.  One cost you will have – to get headshots.  These are your child’s calling card.

So enough time has passed, your child has done local acting work, whether local commercials, plays, student film and is pushing for more.  Hopefully you have at least a few people in your corner to get you started.  Even though Darla and Ann Marie were a HUGE help to me, and always available to answer my many questions, too much information is like a firehose.  It takes time to process it and learn what works best for you.

I am an avid researcher, and for this reason love the fact that I can use the internet for so many things.  I did a lot of research prior to our first visit which helped make a bumpy ride a bit smoother.

So what resources can you check out for yourself and learn about?  Here goes!  Granted these are only a few, and do not seem like a lot, but each of these have a plethora of information.  With these links it may feel like a firehose initially, but bookmark the links and check out as you digest the information;

www.bizparentz.org (a non-profit website advocating for children’s rights in the entertainment industry) This is an excellent site not only when starting out, but as you navigate this industry.

www.sag.org
www.aftra.org
(these two have merged, the websites have not as of yet; there are changes in the process, so just be aware of this.)  Keep in mind that your child will need to do at least one union job before they are able to join the union.  Agents and Managers say to stay non-union as long as you can because once you are union, you cannot do non-union work.  On the flip side, rules are different in different states.  If you have specific questions, it’s best to call one of the contact numbers on their website.  It seems everyone’s situation is different, so it’s often best to get the word from the horse’s mouth! 🙂

www.hollywoodmomblog.com  a great resource for classes, as well as a plethora of other information.  This is run by mom of a child actor.  She can also be found on twitter and facebook.

http://networkedblogs.com/w0Puy   this is a list of places to take classes in Los Angeles.  This list is off The Hollywood Mom Blog.

Actor Training in LA is a great place for classes, coaching, and workshops

ActorsWest another great place for classes, coaching, and workshops

Actorsite is another great place for classes, coaching and workshops

http://forums.delphiforums.com/proactors  you will need to sign up for a free account here; shorthand this site is called PARF (Professional Actors Resource Forum).  I get information overload on this one so don’t browse it often.

This is a start regarding acting specifically.  Deciding to go to a larger market with your child is a big decision.  By doing your research on costs, budgeting, and what is necessary, making a trip might be the best way to go.  I recently watched a video regarding parents that paid $20,000 at an “industry event” where they were “guaranteed” their child would become a star.  I see numbers like that and I am one to look at how better my money can be spent.  With that kind of money, you can get a temporary place in LA for six months – giving your child time to get an agent and/or manager, go out on multiple auditions, as well as get in to classes, workshops and coaching.  Yes you will need to budget – but I for one, knows from experience that it can happen.

Remember that even though your child really wants this, and you want to help him or her follow their dream, it is still a business.  The challenge for you as the parent is to remain the parent, make decisions in the best interest of your child, and run a business.

Does this raise more questions?  If it does, great!  Ask away!  I will do my best to answer based on my experiences.

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WOW – it’s been a LONG time since the last post!  I need to work on this more!

Cody filmed as young Edward Fudge in Hell & Mr. Fudge in Athens, Alabama.  It was a fantastic cast and crew, and we got to meet the real Edward Fudge, his lovely wife, Sara, as well as other family members.  The film also has a fanpage on Facebook and is still in post-production.  He had a wonderful time and it was so wonderful to work with an awesome cast and crew.  The movie is scheduled to be released sometime in 2012.

This is one scene where he is imitating his father at the radio station.

SO—the short answer as to why I haven’t blogged in nearly a year…we’ve been busy!  Cody continues to have auditions; with school, auditions, callbacks, going home to Florida, vacation, spend time with family (and the dog!) and then getting settled back in Los Angeles for pilot season.  Cody quickly got new agency representation, and was going out for many pilots, as well as commercials, films and guest star roles on TV shows, and of course they all continue.  He also finished 7^th grade and is moving on to 8^th Grade soon.

The most exciting part?  We found out in a two day period he would test for two separate pilots.  He tested for Prodigy Bully first and booked it, therefore, could not test for the second one.  But what an awesome problem to have!  When he booked it, he was SO excited – as for me, it took three days for my head to stop buzzing. It is so neat to be so close on the sidelines watching him realize his dreams…and he’s only 13.

It is a surreal experience to watch movies and TV shows he auditioned for coming out now.  Green Lantern was his very first callback when we were still in Florida.  Last year was his first pilot season, and he tested for two pilots.  It was an exciting time, but two pilots he auditioned for (and did not test) were Touch and Once Upon a Time.  I love who they chose for the parts he went out for, and I think that they picked exactly the right person (not that my opinion matters in this!).  It is interesting to be able to see the choices that were made, and you realize how hard the casting directors work to get the right cast and do their part as a team to make this the best production possible.

The filming of Prodigy Bully happened over the last two weeks.  We will find out by the end of May if it gets picked up to series.  Filming was a fantastic and positive experience for Cody and he had SO much fun.  He was disappointed with one thing, though.  That it was over.  We made new friends, and he even said before it was done filming that it felt like being a part of a family.  Whether or not this goes to series, it’s been an exciting experience, and he has gotten to do exactly what he loves best – be on a set acting.

In the midst of all of this, I have met many parents new to the business and unsure where to go next–or just where to start!  When I start sharing what I have learned, I realize how much I have learned in just two short years. There is a LOT I did not know before arriving in LA the first time, but I have since found many resources I will share in my next post so the information is not buried in this one.  So stay tuned!