Booked Out! Booked In!

While in Maui for Thanksgiving and Madison's 5th birthday, we got a casting notice for the following:

Role POLISH GIRL 4 YEARS TO 10 YEARS OLD
Role Type Principal
Gender/Age/Ethnicities Female / 4 to 10 / Caucasian, Ethnically Ambiguous, Mixed, Multi-Ethnic
Description/Note TALENT MUST BE POLISH

Well hello there...I have a 5 year old Polish daughter! So I emailed our fabulous agents to let them know that we are coming home! She got submitted, and has an audition tomorrow! I'm so excited.

Another bonus is that this Momma still has pieces of her Polish costume from when she was a kid, and they would like us to bring it. Now if I can quickly teach her some of the Polish folk dances I used to dance, she'd be a shoe-in.

So, your kid wants to be an actor?

Check out this article on Babble!

Parking Troubles You Say?!

Scene: You park your car on La Brea. Take your kid in for audition. Audition runs late. You come out to only have to chase the tow truck with your car on it. Run!

I have been looking for Googling for a site like this for four years! I take notes whenever my daughters go on new auditions, about parking, so I am not panic stricken when I arrive at the auditions. But now, all of my needs are being met on this site!!

Actors Will be Towed

Thank you to Lisa Pitts and Tracy Bobbitt of Hollywood Mom Blog for turning me on...I hope you will find it useful too!

Skype Audition

So you're going to audition via Skype? Okay, here's some help!

1- Lift the camera…most desktops and laptops sit below or just at eye level. Lift and angle the camera so that it is slightly pointing down at you.
2- Add some light…take a floor lamp or table lamp, take the shade off and position it in front of you. Make sure you use a soft light. Check that the computer does not cast a shadow on you.
3- Angle…angle your face so not to be facing the camera straight on.

Good luck and have fun!

Madison for Little Tikes

Can they be siblings?

The girls got a call today for sisters for an audition. The call was for a same day audition, which majorly stressed this momma out turning me into momzilla while getting ready. I guess it didn't help that I was hangry and the girls missed their naps :-/

Role Name:REAL FEMALE SIBLINGS
Description:I would like female siblings PREFERABLY a 2-3 with a 5-6 year old sister - should both have BROWN hair. This will be as if THE SAME GIRL as a toddler and then at kindergarten age...so it really helps if they look alike!

We arrived at the audition and got paired with a Mommy and Daddy (Miss Lindsey and Mr. Jeremy). We got to know each other, and got the girls comfortable. When we got called in the girls went into the studio, and got right to playing with Play Doh and just had a good time. We even got Morgan to call Miss Lindsey, mommy. Kind of funny. I thought that the girls did well, and seemed quite comfortable. But the casting was for brown hair, and though there we're a million other blondes, it usually goes to the brown eyed, brown haired, Graces. And I don't think my daughters even look like siblings.

The girls had fun, and I loved seeing them interact together on camera.

It's a wrap!

Shut the front door, she booked!

After that miserable day, Madison booked her first ever principal role in a commercial! After 4 years of going on auditions, on callbacks, etc, she finally booked it. Details to come!

Holy moley guacamole!

So today was terrible. Madison was in an epic mood right after school. So much so that I questioned taking her on her audition. But she committed to it. As a grown-up she'll have to go to things even if she's in a bad mood. So let's instill this now.

After quiet it was another fight to get her changed, but once on the road her demeanor changed. We got to House Casting (love that facility), checked-in and sat down for no more than 5 minutes before she got called. Went in with another little girl. Apparently they had to bark like a dog. Okay, I guess? I thought it called for a chef. I could actually hear a loud "Woof!" from the room. LOL.

Madison came out, I asked whether she had fun, she said "Yes," and we went on our merry way. We made it to the South Bay for her ballet class. My only concern is that Mads mentioned that she doesn't want to do auditions because she doesn't want to miss dance :-/ I guess we'll see.

A New Audition?!

Wow! School year starts and Mads gets an audition. Super fun and exciting!

Role Name: Girl Chef (4 Years)
Run/Usage: All media (Includes but is not limited to Internet, new media, broadcast) in perpetuity. This is not negotiable.

Description: Cute, sweet girls that can take direction and have great personalities and camera presence.

New Headshots

Morgan

Madison

Sisters

Really, Another One?!

Well, Madison got another audition today. Got the ticket yesterday afternoon. What's crazy is that I had booked her out for today because she was supposed to have dress rehearsal for tomorrow's ballet company showcase. The rehearsal got moved to last week, so it all worked out.

I took off from work early to take Mads. When I got home she was still asleep. I guess that's what happens when you are 4 and you have the sniffles. I had no problem not going, I'm not forcing anyone. But at the same time, what's worse the current whining or the tantrum that would ensue if we didn't't go? She ended up pulling together and leaving with me.

We went down to 90038, and found the most stunning production facility at House Casting. Went in, and were greeted warmly, a rarity in Hollywood. Signed Madison in and waited about 5 minutes. She got called in with another little girl. From what I learned after is that she got to play with an iPad. The iPad was black. She had fun.

Last week's family audition holds are going out tonight. We did not get a call. Momma is NOT ready for her close up.

Family Audition

Morgan got an audition ticket for the whole family. Matt couldn't make it, so it was up to me to represent our family, with my little ladies. Panic striken, I called in the big guns of our babysitter, Corynne to help me out. We made our way down to West Hollywood for the call. Ran into some preschool friends, which I was surprised about. We smiled. We took pictures. We were done. Simple. That's how auditions should be. Thanks Jewely and Crew!

Callback for Madison

Oh wow! She really did do well, and got a callback!! So we got to the audition, but things got switched up a bit. There were grandmas to work with and lots of kids. I think Madison was intimidated. But this is why we do those, to not be intimidated. On top of the overwhelming change, the script changed a bit.

Script:

99-Year-Old Grandma:

I’m older than you. Hell, I’m older than everyone.

4-Year-Old

Not me. I’ve seen stuff you wouldn’t believe.

The fact of the matter is, Madison was once again one of the youngest kids (yet tallest). We practiced the changed lines together, then with Grandma Norma Jean, Grandma Carolyn, and Grandma Linda. She was excited to go in for the callback with a grandma (she wanted to know if they were really 99 years old). I know she recited the lines correctly, because the casting director made sure to tell her she did, and used her as an example. But I know she didn't get it, because there was another little girl, that wiggled her hips and had "attitude" which they loved. Once again, Madison had fun, and she's warming up in front of the camera and people :-)

Audition for Madison

Madison got a call for an audition with "words," as we say at home, for a pharmaceutical company. So she practiced her words, and nailed them down before the audition!

Script

99-Year-Old Grandma:

I’m older than you. Hell, I’m older than everyone.

4-Year-Old

Not me. 99-Year-Old

Maybe not you.

4-Year-Old

I’ve seen stuff you wouldn’t believe.

It was cute watching her practice, and she practiced with everyone...Mommy, Nonni and Papa! After the audition the casting director stopped me and said that Madison did really great! Madison said she had fun. Momma's happy.

Baton Twirler?

What? Really? Age 4-9. Real cheering and baton experience is preferred...uniform, pony tails, etc.

Okay, so I did my best to prep Madison for the audition. She was super excited, because she got to wear her UCLA cheer outfit. We show up...no one is dressed accordingly. The casting director has no clue what we're talking about. But he came out saying she was super cute! Great! No sooner than I got home, the CD sent out a new request, for "real baton twirlers." Maybe I'm nuts, but I don't know any girls in that age age that can twirl a baton. SMH.

Work Week

No more than six days work in seven. (LC 551 and 552)

Work Time

All time spent getting in and out of make-up wardrobe or hairdressing shall be considered time worked. If a minor is not called to the set, but is called for a period up to 1 hour into hair/make-up, wardrobe, personal appearances, publicity, or audio recording when school is not in session, a studio teacher need not be present however a parent/guardian presence is required. (8 CCR 11762 and 11763)

Work Permit

Minors must have a current/valid "Entertainment Work Permit" before work can be granted. Permits are valid for six months. (8 CCR 11753)

Work Day

A minor may work between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. on nights preceding school days or 5:00 a.m. and 12:30 a.m. On nights preceding non-school days. Exception: with 48 hour advance written approval from the DLSE minors age 8-18 may continue a performance starting before 10:00 p.m. Up to 12:00 a.m. Preceding a school day. Turnaround rule must be observed. (LCD 1308.5(a)(4) and 1308.7(a))

Waivers

Neither studio teachers, parents nor the DLSE are empowered to waive- at any time- under any circumstances- any minimum labor standard established in law or regulation.

Disney Baby!!!

Way back on June 7th of last year I blogged about shooting at a “random person’s house." LOL! Well, I can now reveal it was a Disney Baby shoot, which just went live on the web!! Morgan is a bathtime baby. Here are the pictures from the site. My little chunkster!! And no, that is not me!

Turn Around

12 hours must elapse between the minor's dismissal time and next day call time or school start time. If the minor's regular school starts less than 12 hours after dismissal time, the minor must be schooled the following day at the employer's place of business. (8 CCR 11760 (i))