Hollywood Mom Blog | Tag Archive

From the Momager Trenches Los Angeles: Baby’s First Talent Agent

Posted on06. Aug, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

0

I am thrilled to announce that my infant son Cash will now be working with Jet Set Models, the premier baby modeling agency in Southern California. Click Here to check out Cash’s profile on the Jet Set Models page.

When I was told Jet Set had accepted Cash as one of their models, I was also told that I needed 40 outdoor, clean shots of him in brightly-colored clothes with no logos or cartoon characters. Wow. to the uninitiated this may seem like a plausible request, but I was instantly worried about the obstacles I was sure to face.

1. Wardrobe - Bright colors? Ooh – that nice green onesie! But wait, there’s a monkey on it. Veto. Ok, off to Carter’s I go…

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find brightly-colored shirts for 6-month-old boys that are completely free of cute sayings and cartoon characters? 4 stores and 3 adorable outfits later, my mission was complete and they were all on clearance, thankyouverymuch.

2. Outdoor Lighting - It is best to take photographs in the early morning or the late afternoon. At other times of the day the direct sunlight causes shadows and squinting babies aren’t as cute as happily-shaded babies. However, this is so much easier said than done. Most mornings were so busy that I found myself racing against the sun, begging it not to move around the corner of my building so I would still be able to shoot inside the apartment as the sun came in through the East-facing windows.

If I tried to shoot outside, this meant releasing “the beast” (aka Shelby, my 2.5-year-old) into her natural habitat. I would, in turn, spend every second making sure she doesn’t hurt herself (or one of the unsuspecting bugs on the sidewalk) and not be able to take any pictures, completely defeating the purpose of going outside in the first place. In the end, I got the shots with some impromptu late afternoon shoots with the sun coming in from the South-side windows. The money shot, as I like to call it, I got when I managed to sneak away sans toddler to the park one early morning.

3. Supported Sitter - While I am not trying to rush his life as a baby, it would have been tremendously easier to take good pictures of Cash if he could sit up on his own. I have been saying that I can’t wait for him to sit up since day one, though, because I need 4 sets of hands to accomplish anything. Or maybe I think it will be so cute when he can sit with Shelby and really play and interact with her. But for the pictures, I had to sneakily hold him upright with one hand and then take one-handed shots with the other - causing many of them to come out blurry for obvious reasons. As of a few days ago, he’s actually started balancing solo for a fair amount of time. So for round two of pictures, this shouldn’t be an issue.

A few sunny days, plenty of funny faces, and about 400 pictures later, I had a fairly decent collection of photos. The top 40 were whittled down to 4 and here we are – ready to roll – bring on the castings!

And for those of you who are wondering, Shelby’s look just wasn’t right for Jet Set at this time. But no worries! We are shopping around for another agency just for her.

Written by HMB Contributor & Product Reviewer Michele Dahl. Follow her foray into the world of baby and toddler modeling here on HMB! You can follow Michele on Twitter @MomNamedElle

About Jet Set Models:

When you see a baby on TV, or in a film, magazine, or catalog – chances are it is a Jet Set baby! Just opened in 2005, Jet Set Babies division now handles nearly 350 singles and 250 sets of twins or triplets, so about 850 babies in all! The future Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen’s are likely here at Jet Set! We are THE go-to leader in tiny tots!Jet Set Babies are on top primetime shows and daytime dramas on every major network and cable channel. Our baby talent appear regularly on shows including “Heroes,” “The Office,” “My Name is Earl,” “Medium,” “Cold Case,” “The Closer,” “Scrubs,” “Bones,” “Studio 60,” “Gilmore Girls,” “NCIS,” “Ghost Whisperer,” “CSI,” “House,” “Crossing Jordan,” “Everybody Hate Chris,” “Dirt,” “Two and a Half Men,” “Notes from the Underbelly,” “Zoey 101,” “Nip/Tuck,” “Weeds,” and “Big Love.” The first ever babies to be signed to a daytime drama contract are Jet Set’s Claire and Olivia White who appear on NBC’s “Days of Our Lives” as “Clarie.”

Feature films with Jet Set Babies include “Santa Clause 3,” starring Tim Allen, “The TV Set,” starring David Duchovny and Justine Bateman and “Freedom Writers” staring Hilary Swank. Upcoming feature Films include “Walk Hard,” “Winged Creatures,” “Halloween Re-Make,” “Crossing Over,” “Rendition,” “Player 5150,” “The Comebacks,” and “Semi-Pro.”

Baby print work includes The GAP, Old Navy, Tommy Hilfiger, Hanna Andersson, Babystyle, Children’s Place, Ralph Lauren, Infantino, Guess, JC Penney, Carters, Gymboree, Nautica, Lands End, Kohl’s and Target and you’ll also find our brilliant Jet Set Babies in and on the covers of the extremely popular “Baby Einstein” DVDs. We are very regularly and the covers of magazines such as Parents and Parenting.

More »

Continue Reading

Lesley Bryce, Go-To Photographer for Hollywood’s Up & Comers, Gives 5 Headshot Tips for Child Actors

Posted on20. Jul, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

2

I had the pleasure of meeting photographer Lesley Bryce in June of this year when my daughter Jordan did a photo shoot for L.A.’s favorite kids clothing store, Hipster Kid (below). Lesley is an accomplished photographer and member of the Professional Photographers of America whose work you’ve likely seen in Popstar Magazine, PopCon and on the website JustJaredJr.com, among others. While I knew instantly that I liked her photography, I became better acquainted with Lesley Bryce the person during her interview this week.

Actress Larsen Thompson, photographed by Lesley Bryce

Actress Jordan Bobbitt, photographed by Lesley Bryce

As a child, Leslie felt the pull of art and the creative process. “I believe I knew at about 7 years old I would [eventually] become an artist of some sort. I was always a ham in front of the camera, and I can remember incessantly bugging my Dad to let me play with his 35mm Pentex,” she states. During her senior year of high school, Bryce enrolled in a college course in photography and immediately fell head over heels. Her love affair with photography led her to California State University at Northridge, CSUN, where she received a degree in Studio Arts/Fine Art Photography. Bryce names her influences as Richard Avedon, Annie Leibowitz, Lewis Hine, Edward Weston, Man Ray and Walker Evans. “I find I am still continually inspired by color, geometric shapes, architecture and personality,” Bryce adds.

What’s your philosophy of photography? In other words, what makes a Lesley Bryce photo a Lesley Bryce photo?

I would have to say it is telling a story through an image, revealing the emotion of the subject…this is what photography is all about. Capturing that moment in time, seeing something no one else can, and then sharing it with the world in a photograph. A ” Lesley Bryce Photograph” is colorful, out-side-of-the-box Art.

You do all types of photography: Baby, Kids, Portraits, Commercial, Weddings, Publicity shots, Fashion. Which do you consider your forte?

Location is key to a good photograph.

Capturing human emotion is my forte…capturing people for who they really are, whether it be a wedding, a portrait or fashion. The ability to shoot a variety of styles in photography keeps me alive and creative and helps me crossover elements from one type of photography to the other. It keeps the process lucid, alive and original. I much prefer natural lighting as it gives more room to let the subject be free and fluid. Location is also an important factor when story-boarding my sessions with my clients.

How much, if any, retouching do you do to your photos?

Much of my work is done in camera…I have a few secret ingredients that I use in post production!

Disney Actress, Allyson Arm, of "Sonny With A Chance"

Reviewing your portfolio, it appears you’ve done a lot of work with young, up & coming talent in Los Angeles. Who are some of the child and teen actors and actresses you’ve shot? How did that begin and do you see yourself moving in that direction?

Yes, I have[worked] with upcoming talent in LA…It really came about when I started working with my good friend Antoinette Bartsch-Newhouse, owner/designer of Three Peas Co. who had hired me to take lifestyle photographs of her clothing line. From there I was introduced to T2PR, a public relations firm and [together] these two companies have been of great help and assistance to me. I am truly grateful for their tremendous belief in me and my work.

: Hipster Kids Jordan Bobbitt, Hannah Zeile and Larsen Thompson for ShopHipsterKid.com in Westlake Village, CA.

Young talent I have photographed would include Allyson Ashley Arm (Sonny with a Chance), Chelsea Makela (Dance Flick, 2009), Amy Paffrath (I Kissed a Vampire, 2010), young musicians Destinee and Paris Monroe ( Despicable Me, 2010) and Keana Texiera (of the teen duo G-Girlz). I’ve had terrific feedback and agents are really loving the images I’ve [captured]. I enjoy the limitless creative capacity of this type of photography and look forward to continuing on this road with a number of new projects lined up.

What 5 tips would you give to parents of child actors who are about to have professional photos taken?

1. If the child has an agent, discuss with the agent before consulting with the photographer so you can give a clear description of what you are looking to have captured on film to suit your needs.

2. Parents should not put too much pressure on their child before and during the shoot. You have hired a professional to capture your child’s image, and have selected them to accomplish this for you based on their expertise, so please, let the photographer have the room to do so…I sometimes ask the parent(s) to go grab a cup of coffee so the child and I can relate to one another without the pressure of trying to please their parents…and which almost always results in their natural personality shining through in the image.

3. If you have no idea about what to wear, or the image you hope to portray, please consult with the photographer for tips on clothing, hair, and make-up.

4. Your child’s head shots are their calling cards, and can make or break whether they receive a call back, so even though you may have a friend who is a photography enthusiast, and may take photos for little money (which is so awesome of your friend), this does not mean they have the professional know how to obtain that perfect shot, the one which could ensure that prized callback .

5. Parents should also be aware that your child should have new head shots done every 6-8 months. Agencies want to know what your child looks like now….not six months ago, so keep current.

For a limited time, Lesley Bryce is generously offering our readers a $99 “Headshots Special” to acquaint you with her amazing work. Mention Hollywood Mom Blog when you call to book 805-443-2188. At this ridiculous rate, you should book with her regardless of whether or not your child has acting aspirations! You can review Bryce’s impressive portfolio at www.lesleybryce.com and follow her on twitter at twitter.com/LesleyBryceFoto

More »

Continue Reading

Counselors Corner: Handling Audition Anxiety and Rejection

Posted on10. Jul, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

0

Dear Jody and Cindy,

How can I teach my child to survive auditions, especially when he she doesn’t get the part?

You get the call. Your agent says “She’s perfect for it,” or “He is exactly what they are looking for.” You and your child both begin to fantasize that this is the call you’ve been waiting for. This is the BIG BREAK! As your daughter or son prepares for their audition, their worries also begin. You may hear things such as:

“I wonder who else will be there auditioning,”
“I wonder what other shows have they’ve been on?”
“Is someone else at this casting call better for the part?”
“Will I remember all my lines?”
“WHAT IF I DON’T GET THE PART?”

Your child can become self conscious and begin to doubt herself as her anxiety increases. As parents we never want to see our children unhappy. When they are sad, we are sad. When they hurt, we also hurt. It is our job as parents to recognize and contain our own personal thoughts and reactions, so that we don’t project our issues and fears on to our children. It’s important to validate your childs’ courage by reassuring him or her that they are brave by taking risks and stretching beyond their comfort level.

Help your son or daughter understand that they may not get chosen and not because they didn’t perform well, but because they didn’t fit the part for which they were auditioning. Assure them that it is not personal and that they may have to go on many auditions before they get “that part.”

Keep in mind, if your son or daughter doesn’t get the part, now isn’t the time for “constructive criticism.” Instead, try the following;

Acknowledge their feelings
Support the process: offer classes to enhance their skills and self-confidence
Stay real: don’t give them false hope and teach them that it takes perseverance to achieve their goals.
Understanding that disappointments pass and things will get better and more opportunities will come their way
· Resilience: teach kids the importance of bouncing back quickly

Most importantly, encourage them to stay on their path. Remember that you are enough and that the love you give and the belief you have in your kid is what it takes. Now go and take her out to the movies. Enjoy!

Hollywood Mom Blog Contributors Jody Frank and Cindy Busto are Licensed Clinical Social Workers, and the directors of West Coast Counseling Center. To contact the center, please call 310-475-0223 ext.2#/3#, or visit their web site at www. wcccla.com

More »

Continue Reading

Reminder to Round Up The Kids! It’s Time To Make a MOVIE at Valley West Actors Studio’s SUMMER CAMP!

Posted on02. Jul, 2010 by Hollywood Mom.

0

Update: There are still a few spots left for this awesome SFV camp – call and get your Valley girl or boy enrolled today!

Preparations for Acting For Film & Television (AFFT) Summer Camp are underway at Valley West Actors Space. Have fun and gain great experience acting in front of the camera! AFFT is for kids who want to act in film and television either for fun or for a career! During their 2 week summer sessions, each day will be split up into a morning and afternoon session.

In the morning, each child will receive coaching in various areas of acting including…

Cold reading
Improv
On-camera work
Scene study
Audition techniques

After lunch in the afternoons AFFT kids will shoot a short film, that is directed, filmed and edited by industry professionals who work in feature films, commercials and television. And this all culminates in a RED CARPET PREMIERE! Dust off the tux and Vera Wang gown! At the end of the session, VWAS will host a gala red carpet premiere with interviews, screaming fans (also known as parents) and paparrazi (we call them friends) at the Valley West Actors Studio in Woodland Hills!

Session 1: Ages 8 – 12 Monday July 5 – July 16. Time: 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. daily Tuition: $450 per session

Session 2: Ages 11 – 16 August 2 – August 13 Time: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily Tuition: $500 per session Space limited to 12 kids per session and all classes will be taught by Sara Wood.

For more information or to enroll, go to their website and pay via paypal link. $100 deposit is non-refundable after June 21, 2010. Full payment due by June 30, 2010. Email: valleyactors@gmail.com, phone: 818.222.7484.

More »

Continue Reading

OPEN CASTING CALL:FOX Feature Film “The Sitter” Seeks 3 Kids, Age Ranges 9-12 Years

Posted on29. Jun, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

8

This is another amazing Open Casting Call for the 20th Century Fox Feature Film, “THE SITTER,” helmed by director David Gordon Green. The storyline is reminiscent of the Chris Columbus 80’s classic “Adventures in Babysitting,“ and is rumored to be starring baby-faced comedian, Jonah Hill as lead character Noah Kleinfeld. The pairing of this script with the comedy power of Hill makes me think this could possibly be a “new classic” along the lines of another of my favorite comedian & kids coupling “School of Rock.”

FOX will be casting three kids, Female 9-13, Male 12 and Male 9-11. After reading the character description for the Latino sibling Rodrigo, I’m fairly certain it was written with a certain adorable child television star in mind – Rico Rodriguez. What do you think?

Submit your picture and resume to KATHRYN at kzb2000@yahoo.com. Please mention that you got the casting notice through: A Class Act via Hollywood Mom Blog. Best of luck to all you smart kids who submit!

Details of the storyline and character descriptions are below:

STORY LINE: Recently suspended from college, directionless screw-up NOAH KLEINFELD is forced to move back home with his single mom and take a job babysitting the next door neighbors – three of the most problematic kids on the planet. That’s just the beginning of his problems as his evening rapidly devolves into a cluster-you-know-what of massive proportions, with both the cops and a gang of irate drug dealers hot on his trail…

[BLITHE] (9 – 13) Blithe is a tornado of teenage drama. She’s sassy, moody, and obsessed with popularity. She watches too much TV and is like a walking, talking, Jerry Springer episode. But underneath that facade she is like any other young girl: seeking friends.

[SLATER] (12) Slater is a shy, awkward, polite kid, but he’s overcome with anxiety. His friends at school are beginning to think he’s being weird and lame but Slater has secrets he’s just beginning to share.

[RODRIGO] (9 – 11) Rodrigo is the adopted Latino sibling to Slater and Blithe. He despises suburban life and his cowardly siblings. What he lacks in suburban upbringing he makes up for in smarts and guile. A natural troublemaker but he gets away with everything, and does it all with a cool, dangerous grin.

More »

Continue Reading

When is a Mom Not A Mom? When She’s A Momager! Once A Star turns 18, Do They Still Need Parents on Payroll?

Posted on18. Jun, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

0

Ashanti, Lindsay Lohan and Usher all have them – Young Hollywood’s hottest accessory, the Momager. Jessica Simpson and younger sister Ashlee have a Popager. And some stars like Beyonce have both parents on payroll.

R&B superstar Ashanti’s mother Tina Douglas recently told FOXNews.com that there is a reason for the momager and popager trend, “This is a tough business. It is dog-eat-dog and very competitive, but when you surround yourself with people who love you and support you, then you can’t lose.”

So whose parents are on payroll even after they’ve become legal adults?
Ashanti and her momager, Tina Douglas.

Jessica Simpson, 27, employs her father Joe as her manager, her best friend CaCee Cobb as her assistant and childhood pal Mike Alexander as her personal trainer.

Papa Joe Simpson also manages his daughter, pop-star and actress, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz.

Beyonce’s mom served as stylist for her daughter’s R&B group Destiny’s Child and her dad managed the trio.

Usher’s mother also serves as his manager.

While having family members on your team may be a great option for some young performers, it becomes a bumpy road for others.

For instance, what happens when the child becomes the primary or sole bread winner for the parents?

Or perhaps the bread winner for an entire family as was the case with Macaulay Culkin? Christopher “Kit” Culkin, father and ex-manager of former child super star Macaulay Culkin, notoriously lived off the “Home Alone” actor’s assets and that was the least of his reported offenses. Kit Culkin also had a reputation for signing Macaulay up for movies without his son’s permission, being notoriously difficult to work with and allegedly verbally and physically intimidating his then young son.

In 2000, country singer LeAnn Rimes sued her own father, Wilbur Rimes, and his co-manager, Lyle Walker, for embezzling at least $7 million from her empire. Though Rimes and her father are no longer estranged and the case was settled out of court, one might wonder if a child could ever recover from such betrayal.

Dr. Pamela Hain-Koenigsburg, a psychologist in Baltimore, MD also told Fox News, “A parent, you would hope, would be protective of their child and her assets and say, ‘This money should last you a lifetime. I just want you to be successful and have a good life with it,’” said Dr. Pamela Hain-Koenigsburg, a psychologist from Baltimore.

Another danger in playing manager is that parents end up hyper-sexualizing their own children, which is the most obvious conflict of parental interest.

Joe Simpson, a former church minister, has come under fire for vamping up his daughters Jessica and Ashlee.

Teri Shields, the former momager of Brooke Shields, famously marketed her gorgeous daughter as Brooke Shields and Co. and was criticized for encouraging her then-underage daughter to play a child prostitute and appear in sexually implicit ads for Calvin Klein Jeans as a teen and for nude photos at 10 years old that were commissioned by Teri herself as “promotional tools.” Thankfully there is no way those images would ever be produced in today’s protective social climate.

“I used to look at Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson and wonder ‘How do you let your child dress like that?’” Hain-Koenigsburg told Fox News. “As the parent of a girl, I wonder how you could sex a child up like that and throw her out to the world.” Fox News reports that Hain-Koenigsburg has been particularly troubled by the recent case of Lindsay Lohan, whose oft-imprisoned father demanded that ex-wife Dina split the earnings she’s made by managing their various children. “Her [Lindsay's] situation is so terrible,” she said, adding that she thinks Lohan would have been better off if her parents just remained parents. “When that kind of situation happens, who do you go to and who do you trust?”

That being said, the majority of parents do not equate the duties of being a child performers manager with financial or sexual exploitation, and make concerted efforts that this is not the case. “Celebrities are vulnerable, so it makes sense that they would yearn to have someone close to them there at all times,” said Bonnie Low-Kramen who acts as personal assistant to actress Olympia Dukakis. “It has to be a very special relationship for it to work. I know Olympia, and my business relationship is first and foremost, and we have that boundary. [A parent and child] would have to [set] some ground rules, because it’s likened to going into business with someone. It changes the whole relationship.”

And then there’s the sticky issue of payroll…

“The child has to pay the parent a salary — there is something tricky about that,” Low-Kramen tells Fox News. “I think celebrities welcome the ability to separate the business from the personal.”

But Hain-Koenigsburg said that if a parent’s motivation is genuine, employing him or her might be the best thing for a star. “Nobody will look out for your interests the way a parent would.” Ashanti’s momager Tina Douglas shares with FOX that other managers ”have approached me in a negative way, saying that I can’t manage Ashanti because I’m her mom and I’m ‘emotional.’ But that emotion is what helped get her to where she is today.”

Source: Fox News, FOXNews.com, Google.com

More »

Continue Reading

OPEN CASTING CALL: Award-Winning Movie Producers Launch Nationwide Search for Beloved Book Character “JUDY MOODY”

Posted on11. Jun, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

6

Sure your daughter is Moody, but is she Judy Moody? Award-Winning Producers have launched a Nationwide Search for one special, young actress! Fans of the popular Candlewick Press children’s book series Judy Moody now have the opportunity to play the iconic title character as “Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer” makes its way to the big screen.

Smokewood Entertainment, producers of the Academy Award-winning film “Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire,” director John Schultz (“Aliens in the Attic”) and Julie Ashton Casting are conducting a nationwide search for an 8-10 year old girl to play ‘Judy,’ the exuberant, funny, hair-challenged and independent 3rd-grader.

Based on the characters from the popular books series—12 million copies in print in 23 different languages—the feature film centers on Judy, her younger and very annoying brother Stink and their adventurous Aunt Opal as they search for an exciting, not bummer summer. Production commences in Los Angeles in August, with a summer 2011 release date planned for the family film. If you know a “DOUBLE RARE!” young girl who could be Judy, submit your information to http://www.judymoodythemovie.com/casting.html. Submissions are due by July 10, 2010!

SYNOPSIS: Judy Moody was in a mood… a best-summer-ever mood! R A R E ! But that was before she found out that Mom and Dad were heading to California and Aunt Awful was coming to stay.
Not to mention, her two best friends were going splitsville on her, for the whole entire summer! Will she, Judy Moody, be stuck with her little brother Stink? Stink, who has Bigfoot on the brain? Just when summer is starting to look Bor-ing with a capital B—Eureka!—Judy Moody (with a little help from Aunt Opal) comes up with the most thrill-a-delic plan ever. She challenges her friends in a thrill-point race for the most mega-rare NOT bummer summer. Can Frank Eats-Paste Pearl help save summer? The race is on! All she has to do is…learn to walk a tightrope, surf a monster wave, ride the Scream Monster—no hands!—make it all the way through an Evil Creature Double Feature, and survive… a poop picnic! Take a few thrills and chills, add a treasure hunt for Judy’s teacher, a midnight stakeout, a runaway ice-cream truck, and a chase scene with a dash of Bigfoot. What have you got? The Judy Moodiest summer ever!

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN: JUDY MOODY- 9 years old. This exuberant, funny, “hair-challenged” third grader is a real force of nature. She is a sort of junior Walter Mitty, wildly imaginative and prone to colorful flights of fantasy. Bummed out when her friends leave for exotic summer activities, Judy is left alone with only her pal Frank and her little brother Stink for company. But when her exotic Aunt Opal arrives to take care of her and Stink for the summer, Judy’s boring vacation takes an adventurous spin. Chief among her activities, Judy tries to amass “thrill points” in a dare-devil game of her own concoction, and goes on the hunt for Big Foot — who has been seen around the neighborhood with suspicious frequency lately.

More »

Continue Reading

NYC Casting Call: Disney Website Digital Books

Posted on09. Jun, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

0

Casting Notice for Disney Website Digital Books

Role: 7-8 year-old boy to act in several video spots for Disney Digital Books. The boy should have dark hair, any color eyes are fine.

Shoot dates are June 15 & 16, in local NYC area.

The job pays $300/day and the videos will be used on Disney’s web site. This is a NON-UNION job.

Send pictures and resume via email to lisaebersole@gmail.com. They would love to see people on Thursday morning, June 10, 2010.

Thanks to Jessica at A Class Act NY for the casting information!

More »

Continue Reading

Casting Call: 2 Calls! African American Newborns & Hispanic Babies

Posted on08. Jun, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

0

One of our favorite agencies Jet Set is casting for the following:

Commercial: African American newborn (any skin tone) are needed for a national commercial. Auditions will be held this week and newborns will work to be used on or around 6/22/10 and should ideally be as close to 5 or 6 pounds as possible.
Television Series: Looking for light-skinned African American or Hispanic Newborns. They will cast 4 to 6 babies total, both boys and girls. This is a season regular job and a very good show! Please send pictures, dob, contact info and weights of multiples OR singles to paloma@jetsetmodels.com ASAP.

We’ve sent several families to Jet Set over the past 2 years and they all sing the praises of this well-run agency. If you fit the bill, take advantage of this amazing opportunity and send pictures immediately to paloma@jetsetmodels.com.

Remember, as with any minor child you will need to obtain a work permit for your baby. For information on the legal ins and outs for child actors, this link will take you to the current application and instructions for it: http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/DLSEForm277.pdf

More »

Continue Reading

HMB Exclusive: “Bachelorette” Reality Stars, Trista and Ryan Sutter, Would Support Acting Careers for Tots Max & Blakesley

Posted on02. Jun, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

0

Hollywood Mom Blog recently caught up with Trista and Ryan Sutter (of The Bachelorette, Season 1) at their home while hosting a Healthy Baby Home Party and asked them a few questions about their own healthy babies, Max, 2 and Blakesley, 1. They hosted a Healthy Baby Home Party to share their views on the importance of keeping a green home when you have young children and how to keep kids safe from toxic chemicals that are found in many common household products.

Ryan and Trista Sutter help their 2-year-old son Max “color” a letter to legislators showing their family’s support for Seventh Generation’s Million Baby Crawl campaign and the need for toxic chemical reform.

HMB: Do you have any plans to have your kids pursue acting or any kind of performing such as reality tv, commercials or movies?

Trista: As parents, we only want our kids to be happy. Neither Ryan nor myself are actors, but if our kids would like to pursue that career, we will be their biggest cheerleaders!

HMB: Would you ever consider doing a reality show in which your kids are featured?

Trista: We have had numerous requests to film a reality show about our family life over the years…including those that would feature our children, even their births. Although we never say never, we do not feel that having cameras in our home 24/7 would be the right decision for our family at the present time.

Bachelorette Season 1 alum, Trista & Ryan Sutter, recently hosted a Healthy Baby Home Party at her home in Colorado to educate family & friends about keeping children safe from toxins in common household products.

Event sponsor Seventh Generation gave away the Sutter family’s favorite green products during the party including disinfecting wipes and diapers. If you’d like to host your own Healthy Baby Home Party, please visit www.HealthyBabyHomeParty.com.

More »

Continue Reading

Counselors Corner: Do Child & Teen Actors Abuse Drugs & Alcohol More Often Than Other Kids?

Posted on24. May, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

0

Dear Jody and Cindy,

Are child actors more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol than the general public or do we just hear about them more because they are famous?

Dad of 2, Sherman Oaks, CA

Child actors tend to be exposed earlier to drugs and alcohol due to the abundance and accessibility of substances in the Industry. They experience pressures unique to the business such as constant rejection, jealousy, feelings of not being good enough, excessive amounts of money and scrutiny of their appearance, emotional instability and failure; obsessive thinking, and strained personal relationships.

By being a part of a fast-paced lifestyle there may be a loss of innocence which can be replaced by a persona of maturity. Children often miss positive age-appropriate experiences. A belief begins to develop in the child and sometimes in the adults around them that they are capable of making decisions or choices beyond their years.

Due to these stressors, it is more likely for a young actor to abuse drugs, alcohol, and sex, and participate in other impulsive and dangerous behaviors.

Parents, pay attention to any emotional or behavioral changes that seem out of the norm. Remember, these changes may progress slowly over time or quickly and abruptly.

Look for the following signs:

Agitation or depression
Impulsivity or reactivity
Anger or irritability
Anxiety or manic like behavior
Sleeping a lot
Staying up all night
Mood swings
Closed off, lying, secrets
Change of friends
Grades go down
Distancing from family

If you begin to see changes that concern you, seek out professional help before it gets out of control.

Contributors Jody Frank and Cindy Busto are Licensed Clinical Social Workers, and the directors of West Coast Counseling Center. To contact the center, please call 310-475-0223 ext.2#/3#, or visit their web site at www. wcccla.com

More »

Continue Reading

HMB Exclusive: Parenting Hollywood Style with Kathy Ireland, Ed Begley Jr., Tony Dovolani & the Original Celebrity Momager, Shirley Jones

Posted on18. May, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

3

By Contributor Diana Marcketta

Celebrity parents gathered in Beverly Hills this past weekend in support of their friend and fellow celebrity parent, Kathy Ireland who hosted a Mother’s Day reception at Geary’s, a leading retailer of fine luxury gifts, in honor of the launch of her new jewelry line produced by Elan Luxury Collections. The collection includes diamond-studded hoops designed to hang straight without an uncomfortable swing effect, artful crucifixes [pictured on Kathy below], dinner rings and a variety of bangles and bridal items which provides Ireland’s customer with high quality items at a variety of price levels, which begin under $200 but expand to several thousand.

Among Ireland’s guests were the original real life and television momager, Shirley Jones, her husband Marty Ingels, Ed Begley Jr. with wife Rachelle, and Tony Dovolani of “Dancing with the Stars.” HMB Contributor Diana Marcketta had the opportunity to glean parenting tips from each of them, beginning with Shirley Jones who raised a pack of devilish Cassidy boys in the city of Angels. When it comes to parenting in the fast-moving world of Hollywood there are no easy answers, say several of entertainment’s leading moms and dads, but some solid, hard rules can be helpful.

The original Hollywood Mom, Shirley Jones (left), attends Kathy Ireland's celebrity-studded Mother's Day Event at upscale gift shop, Geary's of Beverly Hills. Photo: Diana Marcketta for HMB

Shirley Jones, the “television” mother of the 1970’s sitcom “The Partridge Family” and the real-life mom of three sons (former “Hardy Boys” teen idol Shaun Cassidy and brothers Ryan and Patrick) and one stepson (David Cassidy, former teen star of “The Patridge Family”), was in attendance with husband, comedian Marty Ingels.

Having grown up in a community of 800 in rural Pennsylvania, Jones, whose own decades-long acting career began on Broadway and then led directly to the silver screen in “South Pacific” and “Oklahoma,” says she worked diligently to instill the same kind of small-town values in her children. In fact, she took the role on “The Partridge Family” so she could be home with her children. The father of Jones’ children was the late Jack Cassidy – an highly-renowned actor who died in 1976. She divorced Cassidy in 1974, two years prior to his death, and later married Marty Ingels [pictured above].

Jones recalls that the family originally moved to Beverly Hills because, at the time, the school district was one of the best in the country. What she didn’t anticipate was the peer pressure her sons would experience living in such an upscale community. Shirley immediately felt challenged by the material demands and expectations of her sons. “They would say, ‘That kid has a Rolls-Royce. Why can’t I have a Rolls-Royce?’” says Jones, “I said ‘You can have a car, but you have to pay half [and] I’ll pay half’,” said Jones. “Then I would tell them to go down to [local grocery stores] Von’s or Ralph’s and get a job boxing groceries. At least, they could do that to earn some money.”

With a houseful of boys – stepson David Cassidy, sons Shaun Cassidy, Patrick Cassidy and Ryan Cassidy – Jones endured her share of teen-age antics. “I had a list of rules for each of them written on yellow legal paper stuck to the refrigerator,” says Jones. “So that any time I was out-of-town, or working late, there was no doubt what the rules were. No girls spending the night,” says Jones of some of yellow, legal pad, written rules. “No screwing girls in the car parked in the garage.” And despite Jones’ pleas, each of them followed the family tradition, pursuing careers in show business.

“I begged Shaun not to go into show business. I pleaded with him to go to college,” says Jones of her oldest son. “But [into show business] he went, right after his brother David.” Ryan and Patrick are also involved in the entertainment industry. In fact, Jones was so vigilant in her pleas for her oldest to get a regular job, Shawn reminded her of it immediately following his very first performance at Madison Square Garden. While Jones waited with several family members in an alley way for her son following the performance, she recounts, “He pulled up next to me [in his limousine], rolled down the window, and said, ‘Now do you think I should be boxing groceries?’” says Jones. “[Then] he rolled up the window, and drove away.” Jones says the best advice she could give any parent is to be vigilant about knowing what’s going on in their children’s lives. “You have to stay on top of them,” says Jones.

Ed Begley & wife, Rachelle Carson at Kathy Ireland's Mothers Day Celebration at Geary's Beverly Hills. Photo: Diana Marcketta for HMB

TV actor and environmental activist Ed Begley Jr. and his wife Rachelle Carson, who star in Discovery’s Planet Green series, “Living with Ed,” share similar parenting views with Jones. “We try to spend as much time as possible together as a family,” Begley says of life with their 10-year-old daughter, Hayden Carson. “You can’t let life get in the way of being with your children. There’s always social networking. There’s always that email to send out. You know how it goes, ‘Just a minute, let me send this out,’ and then 10 minutes later, you’re still at the computer. You simply have to walk away and be really there with your child.”

Begley says he makes sure his schedule gives him lots of time at home with his family. “When I’m there, I’m really there with her,” Begley says of parenting Hayden. Begley and his wife monitor their daughter’s behavior, as well as her friends’ behavior. “You want to make sure your kid is hanging out with the right crowd,” says Begley.

Being active with your child is also an important part of being a parent today, says Begley. The distraction of television, the Internet and in some cases cell phones, makes children sedentary, says Begley. “Participate with them,” he suggests. “I’ll go riding bikes with [Hayden] or go swimming, or maybe it’s not a sport I’m into, but she’s into it. Just as long as they’re staying active and you’re staying active with them. I think that’s important.” Begley says because of he and his wife’s environmentalism, his daughter has also had the added benefit of experiencing a garden and understanding where food comes from.

“She’s not afraid of worms. She’s never afraid of worms in the garden, “ says Begley, who taught his daughter Hayden about worm’s role in the supplying needed nitrogen for the garden soil’s benefit. “She knows that food doesn’t come on the Safeway bus nor grown on the Von’s tree.”

Tony Dovolani at Kathy Ireland's Geary's Mother's DAy Event Photo: Diana Marcketta for HMB

Tony Dovolani of Dancing with The Stars and father of three says life moves in the fast lane in Hollywood, not just for adults but for kids as well. “There is a lot of peer pressure to having everything now,” says Dovolani, who lives in Connecticut with his wife and children when not shooting ABC’s hit dance show. “I don’t understand why they don’t want to experience life. Life is a wonderful experience. Experience life as it comes. It doesn’t all have to be now.”

He’s often shocked by teenage girls’ desire to have breast augmentations and lip-pumping injections, and to seek public attention. “Everyone seems to be publicity hungry even if they’re no one,” he says. “It used to be that fame and notoriety came because it was talent-based. Now people want to be famous for being famous and for blogging about nothing. That influences our children, our teenagers, in a negative way,” he says.

Dovolani sincerely understands the concept of hard work. He came to the U.S. under political asylum when his family fled their home country of Kosovo. “We came here with nothing,” says Dovolani, whose father was formerly CEO of a large computer corporation in Kosovo. “But it was too dangerous for us to stay [in Kosovo]. We would not be alive today had we not come to the U.S., but we left everything behind to do that.”

Dovolani says he and his wife have long established a united front in parenting their children…even before his wife Lina became pregnant with their first child more than four years ago. “In our house, the parents are the parents,” he says. “The children do not make the decisions. We do. If we have a disagreement about how something is to be done, we don’t share that in front of the children. We discuss it alone. We share each other’s views. Then when we speak to the children, we speak to them as one.”

Tony learned his communication skills from his own family. “We never fight,” he says of his extended family. “We listen to each other’s views. We may not agree with each other. But instead of getting angry, my father will say, ‘Did you look at it this way?’ and then ask you to consider your opinion from another point of view.” Dovolani additionally shares that he and his wife rely on the comfort and support of extended family that live nearby in New York. But the most important relationship, Dovolani feels, in raising children is for parents to be supportive of one another. “It takes a team,” he says. Dovolani will soon appear on the TV talk show “The Doctors” to share his views about parenting.

Kathy Ireland Photo: Diana Marcketta for HMB

More About Kathy Ireland:

When former supermodel Kathy Ireland, now 47, ended her famous career at 27 or 28, she was anxious to begin her own business.

“I had tried all throughout my modeling career to start my own business, “ says Ireland, who is founder and owner of the brand Kathy Ireland Home and Kathy Ireland Jewelry, both part of the multi-product marketing site KathyIreland.com. “But I kept failing. I tried one business after the other, and it failed.”

“When I ended my [modeling] career, I could dedicate myself to the business,” says Ireland, whose first success in launching the Kathy Ireland brand came in the design of socks for women. “I was turned down time after time,” says Ireland. “They told me I was too dumb to do this, that this wasn’t the right product, that I didn’t know what I was doing, why did they need me, I heard everything. Then I hit my millionth sale in socks…a simple item that women need. Women bought it. I knew I had something.”

What Ireland found was that it was her connection with women, and her deep understanding of their needs as a working mother and wife herself that helped build her success, she says.

“KathyIreland.com is dedicated to finding solutions for the busy Mom,” says Ireland, who has more than 15,000 products to service her customer. “I listen to her, to my customer. She knows what she wants. She communicates to me what she wants, and I respond.”

Ireland reads through emails she receives daily from mothers like herself, who often manage a career, a family and marriage. She penned a book released in 2009, “Real Solutions for Busy Moms; Your Guide to Success and Sanity,” to provide guidance to a population of women whose daily schedules are often packed full of work, children and maintaining a home. “It is heroic for a woman to make it into a store,” says Ireland of most mothers’ busy schedules, “I want them to have a wonderful experience when they do.”

Ireland says she began her business career as a child growing up in Santa Barbara with her sister, Mary. The two would gather rocks, paint them and sell them at a price of 5 cents or 10 cents as paperweights or interesting sculpture pieces. Ireland says her sister made more money by selling her rocks at a higher price, but her own artfully painted rocks were more creatively designed with painted flowers and rainbows. For years, she says, her grandmother kept one of her painted rocks in her purse as a weapon should she be approached by unwanted strangers. “That taught me a lesson in quality,” says Ireland. “That people will hold onto things that are well-designed of a high quality.”

Her own jewelry line, produced by Elan Luxury Collections, includes diamond-studded hoops, ingeniously designed to hang straight without an uncomfortable swing effect, artful crucifixes, dinner rings and a variety of bangles and bridal items which provides Ireland’s customer with high quality items at a variety of price levels.

“At first, she, my customer, told me she wanted something that doesn’t have any fluff. Sometimes my customer tells me she needs a solution to traveling, and we find a solution for that. But now she’s ready for something more romantic with a little luxury, ” says Ireland. “We designed the jewelry line as a solution for people in love.”

Ireland says her days as an entrepreneur for KathyIreland.com vary. “Sometimes it’s about design, sometimes it’s about human resources, sometimes it’s about distribution,” says Ireland, who worked to discern her own strengths and weaknesses in building her business. “I have strengths. I know what they are. I have my weaknesses too. They are many. So I built a business family to support the areas I was weak in and now I feel we have a very strong network. I have a very strong, supportive business family.”

Although Ireland, who gained notoriety for her appearances as the cover swimsuit model for Sports Illustrated is grateful for her modeling career, it’s business that has always been her passion. “When you have a passion for something, it’s not work,” she says.

More »

Continue Reading

Counselors Corner: The Top 10 Signs of Eating Disorders in Kids & Teens

Posted on14. May, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

0

Dear Jody & Cindy,

Why are eating disorders so rampant in the entertainment industry? Does this only affect girls?

Concerned Mom

There are several reasons eating disorders are prevalent in the entertainment industry and while more common for girls, boys can also suffer from this disorder:

Competition: The pressure to be “skinny enough,” “pretty enough” and “perfect.”
Exposure: Movies, TV, magazines, models and other actors are seen as having the ideal bodies. The message is do whatever it takes to get the part.
Distorted Body Image: Kids often have a distorted perception of how their bodies look and the belief that something is wrong with them.

Unfortunately, this perception is often validated by expectations of the business team and studios

Identity: Actors often define themselves by what they do, who they know and what parts they get or don’t get. Both girls and boys can be equally impacted by the stress, disappointment and rejection they encounter. This can lead to feelings of fear, shame and worthlessness.

As parents we want to be watchful for signs of compulsive overeating, bulimia and anorexia. Examples of this could be:

1) Consistently going to the bathroom immediately after eating (purging/bulimia)

2) Intense dieting; restricting food; use of diuretics (anorexia)

3) Binges with or without purging (compulsive eating)

4) Significant weight loss or gain (anorexia, compulsive overeating)

5) Excessive exercise 2 or more times a day or over 2 hrs a day (exercise addiction)

6) Bathroom pipes clogging up on a regular basis (purging)

7) Obsession with the scale and their weight (anorexia, bulimia, and compulsive overeating)

8) Obsession with the mirror and their body (anorexia, bulimia, compulsive overeating)

9) Hides and hoards food (Bulimia and overeating)

10) Superficial cutting, shoplifting and lying may also be a part of an eating disorder

If you are worried or begin to suspect your child may have a problem it is time to seek professional help.

Contributors: Jody Frank & Cindy Busto are Licensed Clinical Social Workers and the directors of WCCCLA.

Tag Archives: Child Actors