dave@utcsrgv.UUCP (Dave Sherman) (11/07/84)
We've been toying with the idea of trying out our baby for
"acting" - presumably commercials and whatnot. We called up
a couple of agencies which advertise in the classifieds, and
the standard fare seems to be as follows: for $20 we get a
"screen test", in which they make a videotape of our little
one and decide whether she has the disposition, looks etc.
for them to take her on (no, we can't keep the videotape, I asked).
If they like her, then for a "registration fee" of $35-55 they
will register her, and try and get her slotted for acting,
or whatever.
Should we bother looking into this? We happen to think (as
unbiased parents:-) that Ariela, who's close to seven months,
is a beautiful happy baby and might just do well at this. On the
other hand, it seems like a great business for ripoff artists -
you can make a lot of money at $20 or $55 a crack.
Has anyone out there ever tried this kind of thing? Aside
from checking out the reputation of these "studios" with the
BBB and whatnot, any particular recommendations?
Dave Sherman
Toronto
--
{ allegra cornell decvax ihnp4 linus utzoo }!utcsrgv!daveandrew@orca.UUCP (Andrew Klossner) (11/14/84)
[This line needs to begin in column one]
"We've been toying with the idea of trying out our baby for
"acting" - presumably commercials and whatnot ... Should we
bother looking into this?"
Unless you're hard up for the money, I would pass. You might enjoy
having your baby on TV, but the experience is likely to be an unhappy
one for her.
I recently heard a talk show host, himself a veteran of radio/TV,
expound on this very issue. He was adamant in insisting that acting is
miserable for the baby.
-- Andrew Klossner (decvax!tektronix!orca!andrew) [UUCP]
(orca!andrew.tektronix@rand-relay) [ARPA]jfs@ih1ap.UUCP (Jesse Fred Shumway) (11/26/84)
Don't bother... brother The "registration" fee is a scam. Sadly, there are scores of people offering the same 'service' for impressionable teenage girls who've read too many fashion mags. Reputable agencies don't have staff photographers willing photograph your child for a fee. Nor, do they charge you anything up front. If they think your child has the ability to sell lots of product you won't have to pay anything other than their commission (10-20 percent) on the actual work they get for you. Only established agencies that already do a good business in the adult talent markets will have a clientele that also need babies/children for their advertisements (most babies are pictured with a "mom", no?). Any agency that is serious about increasing it's pool of young talent won't have to advertise. They'll be happy to spend the time it takes to review photos and/or a video tape of your child. I'm sure you don't want your child's role models to exhibit the vanity, surfaciousness, and duplicity that is regrettably the stock in trade of this business. May I suggest you contact your local theatrical troupe if you see acting as an expanding experience for you child. Jesse Fred Shumway AT&T Technologies IH 8b-108 Naperville, IL 60566 (312) 979-5815 , 8-367-5815 ihnp4!ih1ap!jfs