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Yes, it has been a while since the last post – many things have happened over the last few months – vacation, family time, premiere (Hell and Mr. Fudge), auditions, bookings (Chicago Fire), DVD release (The Measure of a Man) and music album release (Elential).  Oh, and school for my son, as well as me working on my masters.  Life is busy and fun – you only live once!

I wanted to take the time in this post to address marketing your child actor;

What is marketing about?  Is it really necessary?  I mean really, think about it, either a child “has” acting talent, or not.  Right?   Shouldn’t agents, managers and casting directors be beating down your door to get your child on the big screen then?  Not if they don’t know anything about how talented your child is, and that all they want is to be on a set and in front of a camera.

Let’s back up just a bit – what about a doctor just out of med school.  He or she has done their residency.  Isn’t that enough to succeed?  Or how about a realtor?  If someone gets their realtor’s license to sell real estate, isn’t that enough to succeed?  Does that mean they don’t have to put forth any more effort, just because they have declared their profession, paid for school and licensing fees?  Kind of silly to think a doctor would have to market themselves, but that’s exactly what they do in order to gain experience.  They build their resume, no matter how small, and market to those companies or businesses they are interested in becoming a part of, and then they have to build their clientele.  As for a realtor, getting clients requires getting out and meeting people that want to buy or sell homes.  How you find them requires marketing yourself.

As a marketing major, and through training, workshops, and having run multiple businesses myself, one thing about marketing I have learned is that any campaign you do is only going to get a three percent response rate.  That’s right, for every 100 post cards you mail, it is “average” to get only three phone calls/responses from those (not purchases, signed clients, or bookings – just a response).  Anything more is bonus.  It does not matter if you sell real estate, widgets, gadget-of-the-year, or your child’s acting, having a marketing plan that increases that three percent to anything higher requires some kind of marketing strategy.  If you combine various campaigns, and do them continually, eventually your three percent will increase.  Eventually – remember, it is going to take time.  Just think of any major company that’s been around for a few years – they do various types of marketing and branding so that you remember their product.

So what type of a marketing plan should you have for a child actor?  Honestly, that is up to you as the parent.  The primary concern is most likely going to be how it is funded.  If your child is just starting out and hasn’t made any money, you will have to determine where those funds will come from.  If you have an idea of where to start, it will make the process less stressful.

So here’s the list – some of these will be common sense to most; it is not necessarily all-inclusive, if you have more ideas, please feel free comment and share below;

1.   Headshots/Resume – Headshots are a must for any actor – your child will need one for every audition they attend.  A resume, no matter how small, is also required.  Headshot photos can also be used in the rest of your campaign.  No glamour shots.  A child should look like themselves in the picture.

Cody’s Headshot

2.   Post cards – it is interesting to be a part of so many conversations where others say “post cards don’t work – most of them get thrown away anyway.”  Remember that three percent response rate?  I am marketing to the three percent that will respond versus that 97 percent that “might.”  To me, in this business, post cards are a cost effective way to let casting directors know what your child is doing.  I’ve seen it work – and when I send out post cards, activity levels increase (auditions as well as on-line activity).  They don’t have to be big or fancy.

The trick is to do them with a purpose – meaning there is a reason to send them – not just to say “Hi!”  or “Hire me!”

Reasons include:

• new headshots,
• new representation,
• booked,
• filmed/wrapped, or
• WATCH ME on ____ (fill in the blank).

If there is enough activity, every six weeks or so is sufficient.  When there was a “dry-spell” no post cards went out for about eight months.  However, as soon as there was something to send out, I increased my mailing list to add some new casting directors.  It  was a few months, but a booking came out of someone I added to the list.  I’m still not convinced they don’t work.

So how do you find the mailing lists?  Start with the auditions your child has already been on – add those to your list to keep updated.  Add any casting directors seen at workshops, classes, intensives, or events where you meet them.  If they say they don’t like post cards, ask for an email address.  LACasting, NowCasting, and CastingAbout all have casting director addresses.

What to put on a post card?  Of course picture(s) – this is another place you can use some of those headshot pictures.  Snapshots from filming (if production is ok with it).  Representation information.  What’s been booked, filmed, or needs to be watched (make sure to add network/channel & time if available).  Also, if you have it, a link to a website, imdb page, or fan page – add that.

Where do you get post cards done?  There are a plethora of services that can be used, you can pay someone to make them up for you, or you can do them yourself.  I use www.gotprint.com – mostly because I can go pick up the post cards in Burbank, but they do quality work as well, with a quick and affordable turn-around time.

3.   Headshot Drops – There are services where you give them 50-100 copies of headshots and resumes and they will drop them to the casting offices around town that are working on projects that pertain to your child’s age range.  At the end of the month, they will give you a list of the casting offices where they were dropped off.  You can also do this yourself if you have the time to do so.  You can ask about these anywhere they provide acting classes or casting director workshops.

4.   Social media – this would be a fan page on Facebook, or a Twitter account (or both).  If there are any credits on imdb, link all of them in to each other.  Updates on Twitter will show up on imdb just like they do on Facebook if you set them up that way.  Keeping people updated on activity, what’s going on, where and when to watch filmed projects and being interactive with those that comment are excellent ways to use your social media.  If you have a website, link them in as well.

5.   Agent/Manager  – yes, the agent/manager will submit and pitch your child, as they should.  Keeping them updated on your child is also a good idea so they are not forgotten.  Yes, they will know your child booked and filmed something since they are a part of the process, but they are also busy and may not remember when a movie is available, or a show is on TV to watch.  Also, letting them know of any training or projects your child has completed is a way to show they are working on their craft and really serious about it.

6.   Websites for casting projects;

• Actors Access (this is the biggest nationwide)
• LA Casting – this has commercials, shorts, films and tv shows
• The Casting Frontier – this is mostly for commercials

Disclaimer – this is not an all-inclusive list – I am not familiar with the NY market.  Also, while these are good and legitimate sites, agents and managers are the ones that will see the major breakdowns that the general public does not see on these sites.  If you do not have representation, you will be limited by what the general public is allowed to see and submit.

When your child books a project, you want to keep these sites updated with the most current information.  When you get clips of their work, add them as well.  You can add a reel, but remember that casting directors will stop watching after about 2 minutes.  I have chosen to add clips specific to a given project so that a casting director can look at a clip that pertains to what they are casting (comedy or dramatic).

7.   CD Workshops – these do cost money, but in my opinion worth the cost.  Actor Training in LA is one place that caters to children and casting directors that cast children.  We arrived in Los Angeles from an extremely small and limited market, and this was the quickest way to get in front of casting directors that weren’t necessarily casting for projects.  In fact, they are not allowed to have workshops just to find actors for current projects.  They will sit and answer questions for about 20 minutes, and then each child is taken is to an audition room where they go through a mock audition and get feedback and redirects.  In my opinion, this did wonders for my son because he quickly realized that casting directors really don’t bite, and that he was allowed to have fun and be himself in an audition.  I think these are wonderful because you do get feedback in the room, which will help your actor to maximize everyone’s time in an actual audition.

8.   Training – this falls under marketing in the sense that your child is taking the time to learn about being in front of the camera, learning techniques, and teaching the brain how to act, respond, and listen to the other actors.  This process is making them more marketable.  While the best training is actually doing, taking classes can increase their marketability.

9.   Keeping in touch – is exactly how it sounds.  When my son works on a project, I do my best to get mailing addresses or email addresses of the director, producers, etc.  Depending on the project, we may have contact info for everyone on the project.  When I send out post cards to casting directors, and emails to those that prefer email, I also email those from past projects to let them know what he is up to.  I don’t always get responses but that’s ok.  One booking he had, afterwards he direct-booked two more projects, and was called in to audition for two additional just from that first project.

10.   Showing appreciation – another one that is exactly how it sounds.  When he books a project, I make sure we thank the agents and manager for starters – which is the easy part—that usually starts right after “you booked”!  When the project finishes filming, my son writes Thank Yous to the directors, producers, casting director, and anyone else that was a major help through the process.  Some people send gifts as well depending on the size of the project.  Keep in mind, for tax purposes, you can only write off $25 for gifts per person per year.

If you have any other ideas or ways that you market your child actor, or additional resources to add, feel free to comment below.  I’ve learned most of this from other parents of child actors and discussions for pros and cons for all of them are quite interesting.  I look forward to reading your comments!

And I must add that credit here needs to be given to my husband for editing this for me before publishing it. 🙂

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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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It has been busy this last month getting settled in.  I always mean to post more, but wow, a lot is going on!

Cody has been auditioning for some pilots, and today we officially found out that one he tested for he did not get.  More on this later.  This is our first pilot season here in Los Angeles, so we’re ready for being busy!

In this hectic month, we got new headshots for him.  His last ones were taken in April 2010, and it is amazing how much he has changed in just nine months!  Here are the ones his agents and manager chose out of the 300.  There were only about 10 I didn’t like, so it was nice to have their help!

Theatrical

Commercial

 

For those of you that don’t know, the difference between a Commercial Headshot and and a Theatrical Headshot is shown here.  Why have both?

To make it easy, commercial headshots are to bring to commercial auditions, and also to comedy auditions.  Theatrical is for the drama shows and films.

So now he’s ready to run with the new headshots!  Just in time for the auditions he’s getting.

Now, for the pilot he tested for.  It was for Disney, and while he did not get it, and he is a little disappointed, there is more to look at than “he just didn’t get it.”

For those of you that don’t know here is how the process works;

Auditions are usually what casting directors call “pre-reads” and they bring MANY in just for one role.

Callbacks can be the casting director bringing in the few they’ve narrowed down to to narrow down further, OR

It can also be a producer’s session.  This is where the producer’s are either in the room, or they will see the video (sometimes a combination of the two depending on how many producers there are).

Producer’s sessions can be multiple as well as the callbacks for the casting directors (there is no set number, it depends on the project).

Once the producer’s have narrowed it down, it goes to testing, and at this point there is just 2 or 3 for a role.  The various actors will come together to test and read together.  This is sometimes called a chemistry read.

The good points in this?  Cody made the casting director look great!   The producers also told him that he hit every single comedic timing point exactly as written and they wanted it.  He left a good impression.

Yes, he was a little disappointed–who wouldn’t be.  But he’s got a great attitude.  Of course, the fact that he had another audition today, and another scheduled for next week (so far) might have helped redirect his attention.  No, he didn’t get it, so he moves on to the next thing.  Honestly it is the best attitude to have–and I’m glad he has it.

See more of Cody’s headshots at: www.CodySullivan.com; www.nowcasting.com; or follow his fan page on facebook

 

 

 

 

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Headshots.  You’ve heard the word, you know they are necessary, but you’re not sure what exactly they get used for.  Are they expensive?  What are agents looking for?

Well, as you are getting in to this world, there are a few things to keep in mind.  All agents are different, and what they think will work will be different.  If you don’t have an agent yet for your child, don’t sweat “what if I get headshots taken now, get an agent, and then they want something different?”

I will tell you the MAIN secret that any agent, manager and casting director is looking for.  That the headshot look like the person it is portraying.  If you have an 8-year old girl, don’t dress her in formal outfits and make-up (even lipstick) for her headshots if that is not what she will show up at an audition wearing.  Glamour shots are NOT headshots.

When I was first learning about headshots, it made my head spin.  Theatrical headshots, commercial headshots, how many should I have, who should take the pictures, how many copies do I need, what will we do with them?  Also, what you would buy for wallets, and family and friends, is not necessarily what will work for a headshot.

Models have “comp cards” and I won’t be covering those here.  They are completely different from headshots for an actor.

Theatrical headshot

For starters, this is a “theatrical” headshot.  It means that it is a headshot where you are close-mouthed–dramatic-type and NOT smiling.  At first it threw me off because I thought it meant “for theater” (hence, theatrical) and that is not the case at all.  When going in for an audition for a serious part, whether film or television (versus comedy, or commercials), this is the type of headshot the casting director will require.

Commercial headshot

This is a commercial headshot.  It is used for commercial auditions, and for the upbeat, comedy-type shows and films.  A commercial headshot shows a warm natural smile (WITH TEETH).  There are times when my son doesn’t know which he should bring in, so he just brings one of each in to the casting director and lets them pick which they prefer.  This is his career, and he has to learn and remember, so he is the one that makes sure each headshot he turns in has his resume attached to the back of it.

And you’ll notice, these are not full-body pictures.  Those are required for model’s comp cards, not actors.  The most they want to see from an actor’s headshot is about stomach level on up, and that you can see the face and eyes.  And of course, it bears repeating, that it looks like your child!

Now, what about costs?  How much should headshots cost?  Of course costs vary according to who your photographer is.  From Los Angeles to Northwest Florida, I have seen them cost as little as $150 for 2 “looks” (outfits).  And that was in Los Angeles.  Beware of photographers that tell you they can “guarantee” you a booking or part because of their pictures.  I have not experienced myself, but have heard of scams out there that will “promise” you will be in a movie or on TV, or a “big star” if you use them to get your headshots taken with them, or this person that they know.  It is ALWAYS your choice who to use.

When you are looking for a photographer, ask to see previous work they have done.  Also, ensure they will sign over rights to you of any of the pictures they take.  No matter where you take them to get reproduced, you will most likely need to provide proof that you have authorization to get so many copies made.

How often do you need to get new headshots taken?  If your child is very young to where they are changing from month to month, I wouldn’t worry about spending $150 every few months to a professional photographer, unless you can get one that will do a deal for you.  Taking regular pictures/snapshots with your own camera should suffice.  As a child gets older, though, it will depend on how fast they change.  If you have headshots from where your child is 6, and they are now 10, it’s likely they have changed, and “look 6” in the headshot, but they don’t in person.  Then it’s time to get new ones.

The time frame between getting new headshots for my son has been about 18 months.

SO exactly WHEN do you need headshots?  If you don’t have an agent,  they will want to see a headshot to determine whether or not they have anyone like you’re kid on their books.

Also, every single audition your child goes on, he or she MUST have a headshot to give to the casting director.  Sometimes you will show up and they say they don’t need it, but more often than not, they will need one.  You’re better to be prepared than not.

If you decide you want to mail headshots out to casting directors, you will need copies for these as well.  This is NOT a requirement.  It all depends on what marketing strategy you choose for getting your child’s face out there.

So where can you get all these headshots reproduced?  In Los Angeles there are many places where you can get multiple copies for a good price.  Outside Los Angeles, though, if you are only going on a few auditions a month, there is no need to buy in bulk.  You can print them at home, order on-line, get them at the local drugstore, Wal-mart, Sam’s, or Costco.

I hope this helps you to understand the big deal about headshots.  It was SO confusing to me at first, especially considering I don’t come from an entertainment industry background.

Feel free to comment or ask questions!

Have a wonderful day!

Valerie