Acting/Modeling Information

If there is a "fee" involved, stay away. My BF from high school went to one of these cattle calls and was selected to go to a modeling school which cost her parents hundreds of dollars. Then, there was the photo shoot which cost them even more money, and a trip to NYC that cost them a lot more...and in the end, she got nowhere and gave up having wasted a couple grand.
I've often thought of bringing my kids in to an agency just to see if they had a chance at doing some print work for local companies or whatever, and to make a little money for their college funds, but I haven't looked into it for awhile. There are some agencies you can look up online but the names escape me, just google it and see what you come up with. I have a neighbor whose kids have done this and have ended up doing ads for Target and other local companies. Again, don't pay any money up front!!
Good luck!!

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first of all, DO NOT go to the event. when i was 15, i attended model search america. my mom spent $500 for me to be in it plus the entire trip to chicago. i still to this day have no idea how she afforded it. i also got a "call back" which was great for my self esteem and that's about it. i am now a model here in the twin cities and i have my oldest daughter who is 6 in modeling as well. i am with agency models and talent (www.agencymodelsandtalent.com) do not pay for anything except for professional pictures or acting classes if you want him to be an actor. and even then, on craigslist under gigs and under talent there are a ton of photographers willing to to tfp (time for print-your time for a cd or print of pictures taken) there are alot of other modeling agencies in the twin cities. some of them: caryn international, wehmann models and talent, meredith, vision management group, and moore creative talent. just search the name and "in minneapolis" to find the website. most of them you can email or mail a picture. some of them want you to go to an "open call". the only way the event in florida might be a good idea is if you are willing to relocate your family anywhere an agency may want you to. good luck and if you have any more questions, my email address is ____@____.com

Beth is right. 100% correct in saying that you should NEVER EVER pay for any type of "casting". The only thiny you should have to pay for are your portfolio pictures. They are a little spendy, but are good for 2-3 years depending on the child. A good agency will tell you that. I remember them even telling us "children really do not change a lot. They may gain or loose a few teeth, change length of hair, but not very much. I was almost in disbelief when they told me that. So all we did was invest a few hundred dollars into our port. photos. My DS did a few magazine shots, a few advertisments and a commercial even. Yes, they approached us, and NEVER was it through those letters that come in the mail of "You have been chosen" "Come to an open casting call". We were actually out and about and a lady approached us. I think it was the beautiful big gray eyes he had. Well we stopped as he got older not persuing it any longer, because the demands of time were very high.
When both of the kids were little we got those "You have been selected" letters too. I think it comes from mailing list, coupons and registering for baby gifts. I hear those are all "sales pitches" and that they make you make a decision right away and ask you for money. When we dealt with John C. they came to us, we had all the time we wanted to get the pictures taken. They were our pictures. They took the first head shots free; but these were their pictures. They came to us, they paid for what they wanted and they paid us to represent them. We could have done it without any cost, if we did not want to buy pictures. So I would be VERY VERY careful. I know places sucker parents in because every parent thinks they have the beautiful child star.
Now when my DD was born, again a baby born with curly hair and gray eyes. She too was a beautiful baby. I will be honest, she was not very friendly and did not go to strangers well. She would cry when strangers would go to hold her. This is a 100% of a turn off in a casting call. So, when my friend told me her daughter went to one of those "you have been selected"; casting & call backs that you speak of, I knew it was a scam when they told her the same thing as you. She too had a cryer for a child. We took her information and went to the same agency. When they gave us the spill of "We want your daughter" and showed us the kids they had done on the ceral box, the Life commercial, you know the success stories..... I just laughed at the little fat man. I then knew it was a huge scam. If you read through those long contracts they tell you they are being paid to represent you but there are no guarantees. (LOL)... I am just saying enter with caution. They play on parents emotions. Again, John C's came to us and we paid them NOTHING! Even though they do get a portion of the jobs the kids get. We got paid we did not pay them!

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel lists the Milwaukee/surrounding communities' auditions in the Local section every Friday.

hi M.:
I was a Film and Theater major in college and did some modeling years ago.
First of all the Modeling Agency should not ask you to pay for anything. If they truly believe in your child's future they should be willing to pay for pictures. You may have to have professional photo's done and a contact sheet put together to get noticed by an agency, but that is it. I have a friend who is an Artist Rep. for musicians and gets emails from Ford Models in New York on a regular basis. They are always looking for baby and child models. Check out their web page and get some info from there. Also contact the Screen Actor's Guild, I am also a writer and call or email the Writer's Guild of America on a simi-regular basis. Even though I am not a member, you have to have sold or optioned a manuscript before membership, they have a wealth of information to offer. They should also have a list of approved agencies on their web page and have checked out these agencies to be sure that they do work in the best interests of their clients. There are many so called agencies out there that are always looking for talent and are often less than honest. Given that quite often some of the employees are honest and only want what is best for you or your children. When they find out that the agency is not on the up and up they quit, so if you go into or have contact with an agency and there are always new people working there and no familar faces, be cautious.
Good luck with this indeavor, children can make a sizeable amount of money as models, think of it as a college fund for him or her. But also know that this could become your career, a parent or guardian has to be there during the shoot.

Stay away from those cattle calls. It's all about getting your money. I went to one of those as a teenager. I live in NE and got a call back to go to Kansas City. It cost me 300.00. You walked in front of casting agents "from around the country". Bottom line nothing came of it and my parents were out 300 bucks.

What I did from there was look in the yellow pages under talent agency. I had some head shots done which cost about 200 dollars. That's where your money should go. I never paid the agency one dime. I am still with them to this day and have gotten my money back in jobs I have done. I update my pics once a year. I do print ads mostly. Never pay anyone to "see" your child. It's a scam. Reputable agencies are right in the phone book. I live in the Omaha area, and when movies producers come into town they call on these agencies and I go in for auditions. I was in a film with Ann Margaret that is coming out called "Lucky". I didn't have a speaking part but was in a scene with her with one other person : ) Didn't cost me dime.

Good Luck to you!

the advice which i know you probably wont like is to let your kid be a kid, and dont even start thinking about your child doing something like that right now.

what you CAN do is find or start a local theater group. kids NEED the ability to act and do theater or shows or whatever. its easier than you think, you just have to find a play, get the script, and help the kids rehearse. check your school, the english teachers traditionally do theater too, but its not always the case. do what you can to encourage or start a program for kids in your area, and let your kid excel in that way. kids likes and dislikes are really changing during their young lives. what he loves today he might hate tomorrow, especially in a competitive world. so just let him do things locally for now.

i suppose there are "modeling" ideas locally, perhaps a local business wants a "face" for an advertisement or something. check around.

but for now, forget about competitive modeling. its cutthroat, pressurized and changes as much as your childs interests; whos cute and the top model today is tomorrows hideous beast. dont subject your young child to that :(

Hi M., I know I've seen questions about this before. I searched "acting modeling" in the search box above and found a lot of questions: http://bit.ly/4BtkPe Hope these help you as you consider the options.

I don't have any experience but I would think it would be best to start local. Look for community theatre opportnuities. If you live in the Twin Cities area I know that there are a couple of children's theatres. Also check community Ed opportunities. I know in the past I have seen summer acting classes for kids.

Good instincts! Essentially just wanted to echo what others have said.

Find a reputable agent. They will only get paid when you get paid. Most do not advertise unless they need someone for a very specific role, so just check the phone book and call around before you bring in your son. They will want to meet with your son, decide if they want to represent him and then will tell you what to expect and what you need. They will not try to sell you classes. If they recommend classes from another source, that's a different situation. Usually the best are through a community theater for not too much anyway. You may also be able to find some resources online or at your library on audition tips, etc for your son so he knows what to expect.

Get good, but not terribly expensive photos. You will undoubtedly get recommendations for who is "best" at headshots, but if you look around you can find starting photographers who will do a session for about $100 and give you a cd of photos that you can then print as you need. Just be sure to get examples of what type of photos the agency prefers (B&W or color, headshot only, etc.) Do not order up too many prints at once as you have no idea how many you'll go through or how quickly at first.

Work in the Midwest can be good, but often is quite sporadic. It's also important to emphasize to your son once he starts the audition process, that many times getting chosen for a role has less to do with talent and more to do with a certain "look" or other whim of the casting agent. The rejection can be very hard for kids, so keep an eye on that.

The most important thing is that he be very patient, follow directions well, and have the right attitude/personality to succeed in the business. I have acted and modeled myself but have not pursued it for my son despite urging from others, as I don't feel he has the right personality for it. I know he would have a hard time sitting still and following direction (but he is not quite 4). There are also long periods of waiting, whether at an audition or on a set (always bring a book or video game!). Then when it's your turn you need to be ready to go on a moment's notice.

If he just likes the idea of acting, not necessarily the tv or money part, then definitely check out some of the community theater options. It's a good way to get experience with reading, memorizing lines, performance, etc in a much lower pressure situation. Many theaters have summer programs or a children's performance that will have many roles for kids. Usually you can get on email lists for casting notices.

From your end, be prepared to sacrifice a lot of time and be willing to work around his schedule if he does get jobs. It could mean late nights or missing school, so decide ahead of time what you want your policy to be about those things. Minors usually need to have a parent/guardian on set, so it's not an activity like soccer where you can just drop off and pick up.

Best of luck to you and your son!

Caryn International is one of the only legit modeling agencies in Minnesota contact them.

You will need to get your children a portfolio of pictures and pay for that.

You should NEVER EVER EVER ever pay for anything else. If they like you, they will pay you.

I've seen so many scams where they get you all pumped up and excited then try and tell you it's $500 for them to represent you, for you to use THEIR photographer, and for them to put you on their internet website. Steer clear of people like this.

My friends little guy has done print ad's for Target and from what she's said it's a hard thing to do. She get's phone calls for casting or for work at the last minute which is hard if your a working parent or your children are in school. Then they can be quite demanding and if your kids are sick or not in the mood forget it they will drop you.The money is great but you don't work alot so balance it out. She said her son would make around $50 dollars a hour typically but it was an occasional thing.