The On Location Education Blog
Parents of Child Actors Embrace "Best Supporting Role"
For parents of young performers, there’s often so much focus on the child landing or perfecting the big part that they find themselves struggling to find their own place in the process. A strong family support system is an important part of every young actor’s path to success, so you need to begin with an honest assessment of what is behind the pursuit of a career in show business. Assuming you’re in it for your child’s sake and not driven by a misguided personal need, there are two basic schools of thought concerning a parent’s role in show business.
Industry Voices
In the first part of our interview with Steven, he discussed the personal challenges he faced when becoming a stage parent, the importance of understanding child labor laws, and why child actors should be the ones who define their success. In part two, Steven debunks the stereotype of the overbearing stage parent and highlights the essential role parents should play as partners in their young performer’s career.
Industry Voices
Attorney Steven C. Beer has spent more than 20 years in the entertainment industry representing top writers, directors, producers, and film production companies and guiding popular acts in music, including artists such as Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, and Lady Gaga. When his own son expressed interest in pursuing a career in acting, Steven drew on his extensive professional experience for very personal reasons, helping set his young actor on the right path to success and learning a lot along the way.
Industry Voices
Sally Gaglini has spent more than twenty-five years as a legal advisor for young performers and the companies for whom they work. Her commitment to child actors runs deep, as founder of the Gaglini Law Group, as an entertainment law teacher at Suffolk University, and in her work with lawmakers in creating the inaugural child performer law in Massachusetts.
Industry Voices
In the first part one of our interview with Angela J. Williams, she recounted her sons’ early successes and the journey that led her to write My Child is Going to Be Rich and Famous. In part two, Angela looks at how show business stacks up to more traditional pursuits and offers suggestions for personal and professional support systems for young actors and their families.
Industry Voices
singer/songwriter, producer, and author, but she’s most proud of her role as devoted mother to three talented sons (Tyler James, Tyrel Jackson, and Tylen Jacob), each of whom have successful careers in show business. They’d be the first to agree that much of their success is due to their mother’s hard work behind the scenes, efforts that inspired her to write My Child is Going to Be Rich and Famous as a guide to budding young actors and the families that support them.
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.