Johnson & Johnson audition

Of course, now that we officially changed zip codes, we get a big audition.  BIG.  Just got an email for a Johnson & Johnson print/commercial ad that will get a lot of exposure.  

The wardrobe instructions called for "attire should look female".  Uh.  I have boys.  Turns out, all they need is simple clothes.  So we'll fetch through whatever simple clothes we have taken from storage and head out to LA first thing in the morning.  Hope they don't need headshots- can't figure out which box they're in :-)

Because our location is further, I'm only going to auditions for jobs that are truly worth it- jobs that cover gas money just can't cut it.  

That's all for now, prolly should have given an update after the audition.  I was just anxious to write something for two people to read. 

Good night.  :-)

Huggies Audition

Got an email somewhat recently on an audition for a Huggies commercial on a Saturday- right smack at their usual bedtime. great. Not only did the boys need to look cute- but they kinda have to be awake to be considered for the part.  

I had a plan.  If we get them up and playing early, we can force them to nap at earlier time and just drive around Hollywood until our scheduled appointment.  Made sure they wore Huggies diapers and packed extras for changes needed later.  Daddy and I got to drive a while before we set out for the audition.  Good thing we stopped for our favorite breakfast burrito joint: Corner Cottage

The moment we got there, compliments left and right on Dominic's name.  "What a perfect italian name!" I'm hoping their enthusiasm for the name gets stuck in their heads come decision time.  There are so many cute babies- many of which are stark white and almost bald.  When are we going to catch a break?  We are close to moving to San Diego- not a far drive, but would like to see something surface one of these days.

So no word yet.  Left our cell phone number as our contact.  Received huggies bibs- to further advertisement, I guess.  Then went home for a family birthday party.

On a side note- found out why we weren't chosen for the proctor and gamble ad campaign:

Our kids weren't black enough :-)  

Better luck next time :-D

Waiting room

Getting everything prepped ahead time worked my nerves a bit, but having a friend put things in perspective always helps.  She helped with the picture station at Target, went to lunch and fed the kids with me and gave me gum when the stress levels were elevating.  

I brought about three different styles of outfits and decided to wait until I saw a kid before I chose what outfits we would put on the boys.  Parking was tricky and I forgot to bring change for meters, I guess I just assumed there would be a parking lot.  Take note for future reference: if you know in advance where you're going, call the company and find out about the parking situation- it can be the ONE thing that makes you late.  Fortunately there was a parking space close by on a residential street. We saw a couple dressing a kid and there was my cue- I knew what outfit I was going to pick.

Approaching the building, we encountered a man with two dogs entering the elevator.  One of the dogs actually charged me and all I could think about was raising the kid in my arms as high as I could-  thank goodness he wasn't tall.  No later than the man could get the dog back into the elevator, I chose to take the stairs.  

We approached a room with many people, many adult actors and little babies.  A man was coming in an out of room, calling people's names and collecting papers, then going back into the room. The amount of people in the room in combination with the large glass panels made for a rather hot room.  

I fill out the contact sheets and sign in and wait.  People pretty much keep to themselves, after all, they're basically competing for the same part.  The man is still calling names and going back into the room, occasionally bringing people in.  After fake smiles shared between glances and beads of sweat collecting, I noticed my friend has one of kids in a cooler part of the room.  We ended up sitting on the floor with small toys I brought, playing and being more comfortable.  I was surprised that other moms didn't bring toys with them, especially the moms who had twins.  I bring a bag of toys with me EVERYWHERE.  Its a stress reliever.  

Kids from around the room started to migrate towards the small pile and before I knew it, there were about 4-5 other kids playing with the boys.  It was nice to see the casual, shallow environment transform a playful interactive one.  I was calm, and talkative, you know I'm comfortable when you can't shut me up.  Before I knew it, I'm giving advise to moms about headshots and agencies.   Different moms were asking me questions and I somehow came up with answers.  Thank goodness they didn't ask me how long I've been working with the boys, if they knew it was my first audition they would probably disqualify everything I said.  

The man finally called the boys' names.  I whisked Dominic and Nathaniel in both my arms and started the audition.  A simple camera mounted on a dolly tripod snapped a few shots of the boys sitting next to each other and individually in my arms.  The only comment the man really made was that he thought the boys looked like they knew what they were doing.  They put on the charm and kept smiling at the camera.  It was over almost as soon as it began.  If the man takes notes after each session, I'm sure he'd make note of the easy going temperament of the boys.  

Now its the sit and wait game.  In the hour and fifteen minutes I was waiting, there must have been a total of about 12 babies.  Who knows how long they were seeing people.  I hear no news is bad news.  We'll let you know how it turns out.  Fingers crossed.

First Audition Call

Got the call Friday evening!  We have an audition for a Proctor and Gamble marketing campaign.  Our first call came at a time where I was beginning to question how many roles our Agent was submitting for us.  I know its not a guaranteed job, but having a prospect, something to hope for, is one of the most encouraging news we've encountered for a long time.

Today is our first audition.  I'm looking forward to seeing how the boys react the environment. 

Murphy's Law has a way of finding me on the most inopportune moments.  I'm waiting until the last moment to find a way to print up the headshots.  Ideally, this should have been done already- but there have been so many setbacks: computer's shutting down, retrieving photos, finding software that will create the headshots I need.  Of course, the timing is is perfect, they both have a cold.  I'll be heading out to Target to pick up some teething tablets and tylenol to keep them comfortable- hopefully I can print up a few copies of the headshots while I'm there.  

Right now, I have to find a way to save the picture to a CD or flashdrive. 

Somehow, by 2:00 pm, I should be en route to the audition with headshots and two happy kids in the backseat.  Am I stressed or what.

Photos again por favor

My agent emailed me again, not entirely sure if it was directed toward several people, or just us, but she wants more pictures nonetheless. I've been lackadaisical with photo updates. Summer weather really only permits for the naked look- not the kind of professional attire one would show off in a headshot. So a week after I get the email, I decided to get off my butt and haul the boys to our little photo location and snap a few photos before they pooped out.


All I need now is a few more good shots with a couple different outfits and we'll have our update complete. I must stop this habit of procrastinating, every week I should have a good handful of shots for the agency to flip through. The system that's set up is really quite great. They love Shutterfly and ask that we just share the photo album so they can pick and choose what they like. They have a feature where you can share your photos on a website, so I'm trying that out to see if it's convenient for both parties. I LOVE the internet. Makes life quite SPLEDID when working with an agency two hours away.


So, no jobs yet. I HOPE the lull of summer picks up and calls come through... As of now, the boys are being marketed as identical twins but I highly doubt we can keep that up for long. I predict we'll be having separate headshots for each of them soon. Fine by me. :-)


From all of us, thanks for checking in.

Photos

IMG_0085
Originally uploaded by atomicnumber26

After a fabulous photoshoot, I still needed a variety for the photo sheet "headshot". The only variety I can make with babies is maybe put some with maybe hats on. They don't yet yet walk, so very few poses are needed.

Anyhoo, with the kids, clothes and toys in tow, we headed down to the pool area- set the kids down and bossed everything around me as the precious sunlight was disappearing. Yes, I looked like a fool trying to get their attention- clapping my hands and playing peek-a-boo using the Daddy (the one actually taking the photos) as my wall. Anything to get them to smile.

A family's Chihuahua kept running around trying to play with the babies as what looked like a 5 year old girl kept chasing the dog in circles, right in our shot. Then out of nowhere a little toddler in a pool-soaked diaper felt like running around us. Ahhhh! The scene was cute enough to not get mad at the situation... but the precious sun light was leaving us.

As my husband saw a side of me he didn't know exist, I kept making the silly noises and even though it might have been their dinner time, I wouldn't doubt that I freak out the family playing in the pool. One by one they slowly (and swiftly) grabbed their belongings and left.

All this to say, that we were able to take a few photos, add variety (to our already existing AMAZING photos) and post them up online. There were a few problems with sites I chose, but that I am a member of almost every photo uploading service- I'm done. Waiting on the agent to let me know what they like.

The Hunt, The Wait

Watch out! It is very easy to be taken advantage of when looking for representation. There are companies that will charge a one time 3 or 5 year fee to refer you to agents. While it all sounds very believable, it took one call to a SAG franchised agent to tell me they are operating illegally. That information alone took two meetings with companies off my agenda. It also doesn't hurt to check out www.ripoffreport.com.

Things you need to get started: photos or headshots, an agent, a work permit and a coogan trust account. Once you get representation from an agent, they'll make sure you have what you need.

Work Permit- This application form is filled out by the parent, the doctor and then mailed or walked into the local Division of Labor office in your neighborhood. After about 15 minutes in my local office, I had permits in hand.

I'm a new parent, I take photos. A lot of photos. I'm also a salesperson- always have been. I had tons of photos, but I wanted to make a GOOD impression for agents. So, I called up a local photographer I knew. She took amazing photos and I plan on working with her in the future for updates. It's recommended that photos be updated every 3-6 months. Unless, of course, you want your one year old looking a little premature.

The hunt for representation began. I started going down the list, targeting agencies that specialize in representing youth. I called and asked if I can submit photos by email and usually was able to get a positive response (hey, it saves on wasted resources if they choose not to represent your child). I preferred sending photos to the people who picked up the phone and sounded nice. Not everyone is exactly pleasant, especially in entertainment. They can be preoccupied or stressed about some project- I got a few "just mail it in" remarks... i didn't.

By the end of the week I had a handful of agencies that expressed interest. It took the work of one agent to shine to make decision. She was motivated to sign me up and continued communication with me throughout the weekend- while every one else was 'out til monday'.

Now its the sit and wait game. I make sure I turn on call forwarding- should I get a call for a job when I'm away from the house. I check and supply my diaper bag and make sure that the file folder with their permit information is ready to go. No telling when a job might happen, but we're ready when it does.