How would parents feel if presentations on getting kids into the acting business came to their schools?

I work for a reputable Kid's TV Production house in Los Angeles, and we're looking for real kids and fresh faces all the time to come in for free screen tests. I would like to come to some area Performing Arts and Magnet schools to talk to kids and parents about breaking into the business and taking advantage of opportunities to get their foot in the door. My company has 4 TV shows in a range of entertaining to educational, one of them on a national TV network. Please let me know how you would honestly feel about something like that coming to your school. It is NOT a sales pitch.

Parent Answers to "How would parents feel if presentations on getting kids into the acting business came to their schools?"

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Years ago, my son was selected to appear on Jay Leno. He was pulled from his magnet, and it was a common procedure for the talent scouts to drop by the magnet and talk to the precocious kids for different skits. It was a great experience for my son (dressing room, limo, small appearance fee, meeting celebrities, being on TV), but he showed no interest in pursuing it after he showed his unusual collection.

My feeling, being in the San Fernando Valley, is that at this point, almost every kid has head shots or is registered with a talent agent if they want to be. We all have friends in the business somewhere, and we all know what to do if we want to pursue it more.

But that said, if you talk to some of the schools and offer to hold an evening informational meeting for local schools and their parents, you might find a few people who want more information.

You might offer to speak at a PTA meeting as a guest speaker since it is a viable way to accrue a college fund--even without going full-time into the business.

Good luck!

I don't live in CA, but if such a presentation was given at my child's school, my first reaction would be, "okay, who is he/she "connected" to?" meaning who did you know on the school board or administration, to get your foot in the door? I'd be suspicious that there was a "kickback" being given to the school for every kid that showed up.

On the other hand, if you had flyers sent home via the kid's backpacks announcing a more "public meeting site" (ie, announcing a combined group meeting where parents and students of several different schools were all invited) then I'd think it was more of a "legitimate business proposition." Those who were interested could decide to show up, without feeling like they're the "odd man out" if they don't come. (In other words, a larger combined gathering eliminates pressures felt at specific school meetings where many parents know one another, and take notice of who shows up and who doesn't.)

As long as the presentation strictly stays on the topic of acting and the pursuit of acting in different areas, such as theatre, screen, voiceovers etc.
Or for modeling, runway, commercial etc.
I think it would be great for some kids who would otherwise never know.
But I would be turned off if the agency presenting wasn't successful and tried to solicite clients.

I agree with cdltnla, as long as the presentation strictly stays on the topic of acting and the pursuit of acting in different areas, such as theatre, screen, voiceovers, modeling, runway, commercial.
I think it would be great for some kids. I would like the idea,my kids are in the Contra Costa County district, as long your agency is not a school for modeling or acting it is fine with me. My teenager girl is very interested in been in acting so we have been into different places in which she got chosen from Proscouts, what I like about this agency is that contracts right away into the acting or modeling business and it starts paying right after your first work. It would be good as magnetmom says, to talk to some of the schools and offer to hold an evening informational meeting for local schools and their parents, you might find a few people who want more information.

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How would parents feel if presentations on getting kids into the acting business came to their schools?

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