The On Location Education Blog
Industry Voices
We’re excited to continue our series of interviews with Hollywood parents and industry insiders who share their secrets of success for their children, clients, and families.
In part one of our conversation with Bonnie Wallace (BW), she discussed what inspired her to write her book, A Hollywood Parents Guide, its unique point of view, and how child actors and parents should define success. In the conclusion of our interview, Bonnie defines stage parents and discusses the importance of support systems and professional organizations to the child actor’s successful career.
Parental Guidance: Required Reading for Young Performers and Their Families
Are you ready to break into acting? A new year is a good time to start, but it takes more than a date and a dream to achieve your goals. For a child actor just starting out in the business, the challenges can seem overwhelming; but luckily, there are a number of resources available for performers and parents to help guide you on your journey. And just as there is more than one way to tackle a role, there is no single path to success either. 2015 brought us these great books by industry advocates for child actors that can help guide you through 2016 and beyond!
Industry Voices
Since we began in 1982, On Location Education (OLE) has been dedicated to helping young actors balance the demands of their careers and education. You could say balance in all things is something of a guiding principle for us, and it is with this in mind that we approached authors of several recent books targeted at young performers and their families who want to make a career out of show business.
Modesty is the Best Policy
Just tune into any news channel and you’ll see that it’s a challenging world out there for responsible people of modest means. And while many might think famous Hollywood-types have it all, life isn’t always rosy for successful child actors. The pressures and demands of work, parents, education, and leisure pull them in several directions at once, making it easy for the young performer to get lost in the trappings of success rather than enjoy the simple (yet lasting) rewards it brings. These celebrities remind us that true success is about the work you do, not the stuff you have.
Line Please! Helpful Hints to Avoid Being at a Loss for Words
In our last post, A Study in Studying, we mentioned actors having “what some would consider an unfair advantage” when it comes to studying, referring to techniques used by performers to learn their lines for stage and screen. In this post, we’ll explore more deeply those techniques as they apply to acting, with tips to help young performers keep the dialogue flowing smoothly.
A Study in Studying
Time is precious for everyone, but for child actors and other non-traditional students, it’s a commodity like no other. Any given day calls for juggling auditions, rehearsals, photo shoots, and meetings, but unlike their adult counterparts, young performers and other students on the go have to find a way to squeeze schooling into their busy schedules. Try these tips to make the most of your study time.
Family Support System Crucial for Child Actors
Where are they now? "Wonder Years" stars find success as adults.
The new sitcom The Grinder marks the return of Fred Savage to the small screen. And while Fred is the best known child actor from the Wonder Years, all of our young friends from the late-80s dramedy went on to success in other acting ventures, on the other side of the camera, or away from show business altogether
STAGE PARENTS SHOULD BE WAITING IN THE WINGS
Good parents naturally want what’s best for their kids, but the road to success for young performers can be long, winding, and fraught with extraordinary challenges, making it difficult for their parents to help guide the way. Use these strategies to avoid three common pitfalls:
The journey is about them.
QUIET ON THE SET CAN WAIT; SAFETY FIRST!
From offices to oil fields, workers everywhere have the right to expect conditions to be as safe as possible for their given workspaces; for child actors, expectations are even higher. Set life may sound glamorous, but despite the best efforts of production companies and entertainment industry professionals, unscrupulous and unsavory people sometimes manage to get past established safety checks and endanger young performers (not to mention the entire cast and crew). Early summer of 2015 saw a spate of incidents with studio teacher impostors, putting performers, production companies, and parents on high alert. The obvious question is: How does this happen?
GETTING STARTED AS A STUDIO TEACHER IN CALIFORNIA
If you’re a teacher in California looking for a change, a career as a studio teacher is an interesting and worthwhile option to consider. Studio teachers serve minors in the entertainment industry who are unable to attend "regular" school because of their often irregular work schedules.
Educational Requirements for Young Actors in New York
In our last post, we discussed the legal requirements for young performers in New York—work permits, financial protections, and health clearances—but even after you’ve crossed the last “T” and dotted the last “I,” your child actor is not off the hook. Though they might think they’re ready to take on the world, the State of New York first requires them to get an education. The world will still be waiting for them after they finish their schooling.
Rules of the Road for Young Performers in New York (Part 1)
If your child actor is in a New York state of mind, understand that there are laws in place that govern minors working in the entertainment industry. Before your young performer takes a bite of the Big Apple, let’s brush up on some of the unique laws designed to protect them in the state that’s home to the entertainment capital of the East Coast. It starts in somewhat unglamorous fashion with paperwork.