It's been over a year since my last post and we are definitely not in the same place anymore, so I thought I ought to update this! She was signed for a year with the Linicomn Agency, who then merged with Heyman Talent South. Over the course of the year, she went on around eight auditions for various commercials and small projects. None of them resulted in jobs, which is fine, sort of expected for her level of inexpertise, and not a problem at all for us. However, the entire experience made her realize that her heart is not in acting. I think she wasn't really walking in there with that extra sparkle that made them know she wanted that job with her whole heart. As time went by, she started to complain and drag her feet, and be more and more nervous and upset about having to go to auditions, and that's really not the goal we were trying to achieve.
We agonized over whether we should withdraw her from the agency representation, because I know that this is probably a one-shot deal for her. From the very beginning though, we said that God was the boss of this and would prepare her for what she needed, and I know that she learned SO much from the AMTC training and the entire Shine experience. We made the decision in April to pull her from the Linicomn Agency, and Ms. Danette was super understanding and really sweet about the whole thing. Gillian had been worried that she'd be mad at her about it. She's very typical oldest child, take on the responsibility for others, etc.
Right now she's not doing any acting, although middle school starts tomorrow and she'll be in second period theater class. She's gotten more interested in the technical side and says she wants to learn about lights and sound and the production part of it. She got to do some of that at our church this summer and had a great time.
I've received some questions lately about my thoughts as a mom regarding the AMTC program, whether it's worth it, and our feedback about the entire thing.
Overall, I have no regrets about any of the choices that we have made as a family over the past two years for her in this area. Yes, AMTC is expensive, but it brought our family together in a way I never imagined. The week at Shine was amazing and the friends she made, the prayer connections and vision in action were all so wonderful. I don't feel like they promised anything that they didn't deliver, and she does know multiple kids from her Shine year who are actively acting, singing, and modeling their way across the country right now. (I do use the word "friend" liberally here- we haven't stayed in contact with any of these kids past Shine, but it's still really awesome to see them on tv and see their work when their parents post on facebook!)
Here's her friend Abby, who has done quite a few things for CMT. Her dad and sister Emma are also working- I think Emma is in the latest Casting Crowns music video.
Her friend McKenna has an IMDB page now and has been cast in three movies.
Gillian was #53 all week at Shine, and Julian Silva was #55, so they stood near each other and talked all week. He's listed on amtcworld.com right now as one of their top 100 success stories- he got cast as Gavroche in Les Mis the week after Shine ended. The kid has a fantastic voice.
So no, she's not famous because of AMTC, but I believe she could have gone farther if she'd decided she had the drive for it. She does have lasting confidence, the ability to stand up straight with model posture, and composure beyond her years. She believes in the power of prayer and has met amazing warriors that she still prays for. Her grandmother always said she was praying for the timing more than anything, and that she knows without a doubt that the seeds sown during this time will bear amazing fruit. Just maybe not today. I feel like God has laid a foundation down for Gillian that is going to do wonderful things for her down the road.
Was it worth it? Absolutely.
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Now
I called this blog Journey to Shine for a couple reasons. First, it was so new and exciting and I wanted to remember all the details about it. Also, since so many people were helping us with fundraising, it was nice to be able to keep them in the loop. Also, I really felt like this whole thing could stop with Shine. I didn't want to go into it anticipating that she'd be signed or do movies or tv or modeling or anything at all. We were all content from the start that the road to get to Shine would be good enough, even if that's all it was. I didn't want to think past that.
As it turns out though, that isn't the end of it. She has been signed with an agency! It feels very surreal. We've got contracts and child actor work permits and she's submitted to three different casting websites. I'm getting multiple notices everyday for projects she could audition for. Most of them are in New York, so they're not an option, but it makes me feel all cool and insider-y to know what things are in production and what is being cast. She got one about a new crime drama that they're shooting the pilot for right now, and another that's a TV movie starring Sam Neill. And we did get one directly from her agent last night that's a casting for a Nike commercial. It's tomorrow OR Friday, about three hours away, and we just don't have that kind of flexibility in our schedules right now, so I'm not submitting her for it. I see why so many people choose to homeschool in this business. The interview to land her agent was at 1:00 on a Tuesday and I pulled her out of school to do it. She gets good grades and I'm not worried about doing it every once in awhile, but I could see running into problems if she gets busy.
She hasn't gone on any actual auditions for roles yet, so things are just trucking along with regular life right now. At any time though, we could get word from her agent. I really like saying that. My girl? She has an agent.
See? You can check her out here.
As it turns out though, that isn't the end of it. She has been signed with an agency! It feels very surreal. We've got contracts and child actor work permits and she's submitted to three different casting websites. I'm getting multiple notices everyday for projects she could audition for. Most of them are in New York, so they're not an option, but it makes me feel all cool and insider-y to know what things are in production and what is being cast. She got one about a new crime drama that they're shooting the pilot for right now, and another that's a TV movie starring Sam Neill. And we did get one directly from her agent last night that's a casting for a Nike commercial. It's tomorrow OR Friday, about three hours away, and we just don't have that kind of flexibility in our schedules right now, so I'm not submitting her for it. I see why so many people choose to homeschool in this business. The interview to land her agent was at 1:00 on a Tuesday and I pulled her out of school to do it. She gets good grades and I'm not worried about doing it every once in awhile, but I could see running into problems if she gets busy.
She hasn't gone on any actual auditions for roles yet, so things are just trucking along with regular life right now. At any time though, we could get word from her agent. I really like saying that. My girl? She has an agent.
See? You can check her out here.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Prayers
I love listening to G pray at bedtime. Many times it shows so deeply what's on her heart. We're scheduled to have a followup with an agency in the next week or two and she had such wise words about it. "Lord, help them to see my passion and to like me. And Lord, if they don't, bless the girl they take instead." She went on some more and just sounded so sweet and humble and grownup I was almost in tears by the time she was finished.
And then at the end she said, "And also God, please send me a pony. Amen."
Yup, she's growing, but got a ways to go yet.... I couldn't stop laughing.
And then at the end she said, "And also God, please send me a pony. Amen."
Yup, she's growing, but got a ways to go yet.... I couldn't stop laughing.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Sunday
Our last day at Shine! This was the day that was stressing me out the most in terms of making sure we had everything right- flash interviews and callbacks! We had our team meeting first thing in the morning and were given our callbacks envelope. 86% of the Dallas Hub received at least one callback, and they told us that the audition we had done the night before counted as one. So we knew there was a chance our envelope would be empty, with no new callbacks, but I made sure to pump her up and remind her that she DID have at least one and we're so proud no matter what and God's timing is magnificent.
Her envelope had two more callbacks. Happy Mama, happy girl. One was with an agency in LA, which was very exciting but not super realistic for our current situation. But again, you never know, and God's provision over us had been amazing up to now, so why would we think it would suddenly change? The other one was for a Dallas agency, which made me really excited. My favorite scenario for her is that she sign with a local agency and do modeling- print work, maybe some commercials or small acting jobs, while she builds her resume. Much more attainable for us.
So, with a total of three callbacks, it was time for flash interviews. We had gone through the hefty list of attending VIPs and decided who was high on our agenda for meeting. Cross off all the singing and dancing agents, cross off the ones who don't see kids, and then check location and specialty for the rest to create a list. We would see the three callbacks later in the afternoon, so now was the chance to meet with some of the others, give them her resume and/or model card, and talk to them face to face. She was supposed to be prepared to talk for 60 seconds about herself, interests, personal things about the VIP that she knew, anything to keep the ball rolling, while answering any questions they might ask. I was not supposed to step in, no matter what she was saying or not saying, unless I was specifically spoken to. It was hard. I wanted to remind her to tell them things or stop saying "like, um..." But alas, I was not allowed.
It went well, as far as I could tell. We spoke with quite a few. A different LA agent was really super nice and said that if we ever decided to relocate to LA, she wanted us to call her and set up a meeting in her office. Made us feel good.
It was pretty tiring though. G lost steam after about an hour and was ready to go, and I figured there was no point in standing in line to talk to more people if she was going to look all droopy and not be at her best to speak to them. So we went and had lunch and got ready for her callbacks.
The lady from Katz Kasting said we didn't need to stand in her line, since our callback audition had already taken place. So we talked to the LA agent, who asked Gilly different questions than she was expecting and threw her off. We had heard her talking to the boy in front of us- tell me about yourself, what's been your favorite part of the week, stuff like that. She asked G what her career goals were as an actor. I don't think that's something that she ever really hammered out an answer for ahead of time. So she stumbled a little and then told the lady that she wanted to be the pink Power Ranger. At least she came up with something. I still wanted to do a face palm though. Really? That's all you got, sugar? The agent chuckled and said she had a few years to go before she could really think about that, nice to meet you bye. I don't honestly expect to hear from her, especially since we do live far. But who knows? Maybe that was a memorable and honest answer that will work in her favor down the road.
Then we met with the Dallas agency rep, who said she'd like G to work on a sixty second memorized monologue and prepare for a cold read. We're supposed to go to the office the first week of February. Very exciting.
After that, it was SO NICE to be done with everything! We went back to the hotel room and got ready for the fancypants banquet, followed by the dance party.
I love this dress. We borrowed it from her bestie Kenzie, and it fit so nicely. Really good for the humid Florida weather, and fancy enough to make her feel awesome.
New friend. Love this girl and her mama. I wish we lived a little closer to them. I would stalk her a bit. In a good way. She has a great cooking blog. You should go read it. But not right now.
Here's Trevor. He's 18. He told G to come sit on his lap and they both got the giggles. I love listening to him sing. And he still calls his mama "Mommy". Warms my heart.
And here is G with our roommate. She was such a doll. We got very blessed with roommates.
So we ate the dinner, which was very bad. They did have gluten free plates available for us, so I really shouldn't complain. At least we got to eat something we knew was safe. It just didn't taste all that good. But it was okay. The chocolate mousse was nice.
After dinner there was a big awards show. They did a three minute highlights reel to kick it off with some of the best performances of the week. G's runway walk was on there, which was exciting.
Even more exciting? They called her name as a finalist for Overall Female Child Model. Mama screamed real loud. And she didn't win it, but she was a finalist!!! Woo hoo!!! It's still something we get to put on her resume, and right now her name is on a list on the main AMTC website. After it was over we all got to go back up onstage and she threw confetti in the air. The stage lights are kind of glaring, but I SO MUCH love this picture.
Pretty much sums up our week. God is amazing.
G's fabulous acting coach, Ms Chey
Our fearless and wonderful team leader, Ms Gina, who answered my questions and saved my bacon many times over. I love her.
After awards, with child achievements, model finalist, and her friend as actor finalist.
All four roommates living large. Such a great way to end our time in Orlando.
After that we went to a crazy loud dance party and then packed like madmen and left the hotel at 5:45 am the next morning. We realized at the airport that we'd left her special bear that she's slept with since she was 2 in the hotel bed. And at that point she lost it. She'd been SO good the whole week, never complained once about being tired or having to be on best behavior, but the thought of losing Almond was just too much. She sat down on the airport floor and sobbed. It was horrifying. Really, it was one of those moments as a parent where you would do anything, spend any amount of money, just to fix it for your kid. I couldn't let that be the last thing she remembered. So I marched her into the universal studios gift shop and spent too much money on the stuffed Hedwig I'd previously said I wouldn't buy, and then spent a few nerve-wracking minutes on the phone with the hotel. They found him. They said they'd ship him home. They did. I haven't seen my credit card statement but I don't even care how much they charged me to do it. We're all home. Me, my girl, her trophies, Almond, and about a thousand perfect memories. It's all been worth it.
Her envelope had two more callbacks. Happy Mama, happy girl. One was with an agency in LA, which was very exciting but not super realistic for our current situation. But again, you never know, and God's provision over us had been amazing up to now, so why would we think it would suddenly change? The other one was for a Dallas agency, which made me really excited. My favorite scenario for her is that she sign with a local agency and do modeling- print work, maybe some commercials or small acting jobs, while she builds her resume. Much more attainable for us.
So, with a total of three callbacks, it was time for flash interviews. We had gone through the hefty list of attending VIPs and decided who was high on our agenda for meeting. Cross off all the singing and dancing agents, cross off the ones who don't see kids, and then check location and specialty for the rest to create a list. We would see the three callbacks later in the afternoon, so now was the chance to meet with some of the others, give them her resume and/or model card, and talk to them face to face. She was supposed to be prepared to talk for 60 seconds about herself, interests, personal things about the VIP that she knew, anything to keep the ball rolling, while answering any questions they might ask. I was not supposed to step in, no matter what she was saying or not saying, unless I was specifically spoken to. It was hard. I wanted to remind her to tell them things or stop saying "like, um..." But alas, I was not allowed.
It went well, as far as I could tell. We spoke with quite a few. A different LA agent was really super nice and said that if we ever decided to relocate to LA, she wanted us to call her and set up a meeting in her office. Made us feel good.
It was pretty tiring though. G lost steam after about an hour and was ready to go, and I figured there was no point in standing in line to talk to more people if she was going to look all droopy and not be at her best to speak to them. So we went and had lunch and got ready for her callbacks.
The lady from Katz Kasting said we didn't need to stand in her line, since our callback audition had already taken place. So we talked to the LA agent, who asked Gilly different questions than she was expecting and threw her off. We had heard her talking to the boy in front of us- tell me about yourself, what's been your favorite part of the week, stuff like that. She asked G what her career goals were as an actor. I don't think that's something that she ever really hammered out an answer for ahead of time. So she stumbled a little and then told the lady that she wanted to be the pink Power Ranger. At least she came up with something. I still wanted to do a face palm though. Really? That's all you got, sugar? The agent chuckled and said she had a few years to go before she could really think about that, nice to meet you bye. I don't honestly expect to hear from her, especially since we do live far. But who knows? Maybe that was a memorable and honest answer that will work in her favor down the road.
Then we met with the Dallas agency rep, who said she'd like G to work on a sixty second memorized monologue and prepare for a cold read. We're supposed to go to the office the first week of February. Very exciting.
After that, it was SO NICE to be done with everything! We went back to the hotel room and got ready for the fancypants banquet, followed by the dance party.
I love this dress. We borrowed it from her bestie Kenzie, and it fit so nicely. Really good for the humid Florida weather, and fancy enough to make her feel awesome.
Here's Trevor. He's 18. He told G to come sit on his lap and they both got the giggles. I love listening to him sing. And he still calls his mama "Mommy". Warms my heart.
And here is G with our roommate. She was such a doll. We got very blessed with roommates.
So we ate the dinner, which was very bad. They did have gluten free plates available for us, so I really shouldn't complain. At least we got to eat something we knew was safe. It just didn't taste all that good. But it was okay. The chocolate mousse was nice.
After dinner there was a big awards show. They did a three minute highlights reel to kick it off with some of the best performances of the week. G's runway walk was on there, which was exciting.
Even more exciting? They called her name as a finalist for Overall Female Child Model. Mama screamed real loud. And she didn't win it, but she was a finalist!!! Woo hoo!!! It's still something we get to put on her resume, and right now her name is on a list on the main AMTC website. After it was over we all got to go back up onstage and she threw confetti in the air. The stage lights are kind of glaring, but I SO MUCH love this picture.
Our fearless and wonderful team leader, Ms Gina, who answered my questions and saved my bacon many times over. I love her.
After awards, with child achievements, model finalist, and her friend as actor finalist.
After that we went to a crazy loud dance party and then packed like madmen and left the hotel at 5:45 am the next morning. We realized at the airport that we'd left her special bear that she's slept with since she was 2 in the hotel bed. And at that point she lost it. She'd been SO good the whole week, never complained once about being tired or having to be on best behavior, but the thought of losing Almond was just too much. She sat down on the airport floor and sobbed. It was horrifying. Really, it was one of those moments as a parent where you would do anything, spend any amount of money, just to fix it for your kid. I couldn't let that be the last thing she remembered. So I marched her into the universal studios gift shop and spent too much money on the stuffed Hedwig I'd previously said I wouldn't buy, and then spent a few nerve-wracking minutes on the phone with the hotel. They found him. They said they'd ship him home. They did. I haven't seen my credit card statement but I don't even care how much they charged me to do it. We're all home. Me, my girl, her trophies, Almond, and about a thousand perfect memories. It's all been worth it.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Saturday
This is why I wish so much that the ipad had been cooperating- I think it was more fun to blog daily before I knew what was going to happen. It's harder now to write only about what we felt on Saturday, when we know now what happened during the following days. But oh well. You do what you can. I'll blog until I'm tired and that will be a post. Maybe this is the last one, maybe there are more. We'll just have to see.
Saturday morning was her last showcase- kid runway. Before we got to Shine this was by far her favorite. Now that we've gotten through an intense week of acting, she can't decide which one she likes best. The acting bug has definitely bitten her. And while she's really fun to watch during acting, I get nervous for her. My favorite to watch is the modeling because she's herself. She doesn't look nervous at all, she's got a big smile and a casual jaunty walk and she looks like she's having the time of her life. There are no lines to flub or choices to make. Just be you. And of course some people hate it and don't look natural and feel scared, but she doesn't. So it's my favorite.
After that we had promised the girls we'd go get ice cream. There was a Haagen Dazs shop in the hotel which we had avoided all week because they talked so much about healthy eating and giving your body the best fuel for its work. Absolutely true. But sometimes after you're done you need to celebrate with a little ice cream.
We met some amazing friends this week that I hope we continue to keep in contact with. AMTC families are pretty much just awesome- I would have any of these girls AND their mamas over any day of the week. It was really fun to enjoy mom time with people who completely understood what we've been doing these last eight months.
During the afternoon we had one more seminar and then it was time to get ready for the acting finale. They streamed it live, so some of you might already have had the joy of sitting through the entire thing. For which I thank you. Sometimes it's not as fun to do when you're not a judging VIP and when you don't know any of the people. If you want to go see it now, it's online here, click acting finale 2013. Her scene read begins at 17:56 and her group improv is at 57:20. The talent finale is on there too. It's called AMTC 2013. She wasn't in it because she didn't do singing or dancing, but it's kind of fun to watch. Some of the people are super talented. The beginning has some more well known AMTC grads who came back to perform. Mathai who was on Adam Levine's team for The Voice in season 2 did a song. And then she signed autographs after. Gillian was so giddy!
She's just as beautiful and talented in person as she was on tv, and she's SO NICE.
After all that was done, we went to dinner at a restaurant in the hotel with a bunch of friends and then went back to check the boards again. They'd been telling us all week that some of the agents were planning to leave early and would be posting their callbacks whenever it was convenient for them. If you missed seeing your number on the board and didn't go to your callback, you pretty much just blow your chance at working with that agent. So we checked it a lot, and good thing, because we had a callback scheduled for 10 pm that night which would be an actual film audition!
The agency is local to our area, so they called back pretty much everybody in our team who could fit the specs for the look of the part. It was supposed to be a 12 year old mean girl with heavy makeup and a pink streak in her hair. And honestly that's a bit of a stretch for my fresh-faced 9 year old who hates to be mean to anybody and just started acting. But hey, you never know, and every audition gives her more experience and advice that could help her later. Plus even if this part didn't work for her, it gets her in front of the casting director who is probably working on multiple projects and maybe could use her in something else.
So she did the audition. She felt like it went well. We didn't get a second callback for the part though- some of the other girls were asked to go to the set next Saturday to do another audition with the director. I know that was confusing when I was talking about it before- yes it was a callback, but we didn't get a callback from the callback, if that makes better sense. :) They did say that they're going to need four or five more girls for non-speaking extras in the hallways and stuff and they might contact us this week if she's got the right look for one of those.
She was a little bummed about it when we got back to the room but I was really proud of her attitude. " I got a callback mama! And even though I'm not gonna get this part, one of my friends will probably get it! That's so awesome, and God has something different planned for me. It will be okay."
Saturday morning was her last showcase- kid runway. Before we got to Shine this was by far her favorite. Now that we've gotten through an intense week of acting, she can't decide which one she likes best. The acting bug has definitely bitten her. And while she's really fun to watch during acting, I get nervous for her. My favorite to watch is the modeling because she's herself. She doesn't look nervous at all, she's got a big smile and a casual jaunty walk and she looks like she's having the time of her life. There are no lines to flub or choices to make. Just be you. And of course some people hate it and don't look natural and feel scared, but she doesn't. So it's my favorite.
After that we had promised the girls we'd go get ice cream. There was a Haagen Dazs shop in the hotel which we had avoided all week because they talked so much about healthy eating and giving your body the best fuel for its work. Absolutely true. But sometimes after you're done you need to celebrate with a little ice cream.
We met some amazing friends this week that I hope we continue to keep in contact with. AMTC families are pretty much just awesome- I would have any of these girls AND their mamas over any day of the week. It was really fun to enjoy mom time with people who completely understood what we've been doing these last eight months.
During the afternoon we had one more seminar and then it was time to get ready for the acting finale. They streamed it live, so some of you might already have had the joy of sitting through the entire thing. For which I thank you. Sometimes it's not as fun to do when you're not a judging VIP and when you don't know any of the people. If you want to go see it now, it's online here, click acting finale 2013. Her scene read begins at 17:56 and her group improv is at 57:20. The talent finale is on there too. It's called AMTC 2013. She wasn't in it because she didn't do singing or dancing, but it's kind of fun to watch. Some of the people are super talented. The beginning has some more well known AMTC grads who came back to perform. Mathai who was on Adam Levine's team for The Voice in season 2 did a song. And then she signed autographs after. Gillian was so giddy!
She's just as beautiful and talented in person as she was on tv, and she's SO NICE.
After all that was done, we went to dinner at a restaurant in the hotel with a bunch of friends and then went back to check the boards again. They'd been telling us all week that some of the agents were planning to leave early and would be posting their callbacks whenever it was convenient for them. If you missed seeing your number on the board and didn't go to your callback, you pretty much just blow your chance at working with that agent. So we checked it a lot, and good thing, because we had a callback scheduled for 10 pm that night which would be an actual film audition!
The agency is local to our area, so they called back pretty much everybody in our team who could fit the specs for the look of the part. It was supposed to be a 12 year old mean girl with heavy makeup and a pink streak in her hair. And honestly that's a bit of a stretch for my fresh-faced 9 year old who hates to be mean to anybody and just started acting. But hey, you never know, and every audition gives her more experience and advice that could help her later. Plus even if this part didn't work for her, it gets her in front of the casting director who is probably working on multiple projects and maybe could use her in something else.
So she did the audition. She felt like it went well. We didn't get a second callback for the part though- some of the other girls were asked to go to the set next Saturday to do another audition with the director. I know that was confusing when I was talking about it before- yes it was a callback, but we didn't get a callback from the callback, if that makes better sense. :) They did say that they're going to need four or five more girls for non-speaking extras in the hallways and stuff and they might contact us this week if she's got the right look for one of those.
She was a little bummed about it when we got back to the room but I was really proud of her attitude. " I got a callback mama! And even though I'm not gonna get this part, one of my friends will probably get it! That's so awesome, and God has something different planned for me. It will be okay."
Friday!
Okay! The team leader said Thursday was the day she usually starts to see people unravel but I vote for Friday. Good grief I am tired. We kicked off our day with a seminar from a VIP at Game Changing Films, talking about casting sports in movies. It was pretty cool. You don't really think about the fact that if a lead character is on a team, you have to cast a whole field full of two teams of kids who can actually play the sport. I think it really made G take a second look at whether or not she wants to stick with softball. She had talked about taking a break from it but she's definitely reconsidering!
She had three showcases today. First up was photography. That one was just really fun. She wore her AMTC tshirt and denim and went out on stage to do her slate while the ginormous screens showed a couple of her shots from the photo shoot. Very cool. And she talked about playing softball. :)
Then she did cold read, which is the one she was most nervous about. It's
**this is how much of it actually saved. After Thursday's post got eaten, I rewrote it and posted it on Friday. Then I wrote a HUGE post finishing this one. It took me an hour. I hit publish and poof! all gone. Went back to draft and only this much of it was here. So I'm finishing the rest now as best as I can. grr.**
So she was nervous about cold read. It's one of the events that's shot in the camera room and put onscreen, and you don't get the script for it until you're waiting in line to go film. It's much more like an actual audition and therefore nervous-making. She did fine though. And she looked cute too.
We had another seminar after that which was probably my favorite of the whole week. It was by David Doan and was all about kids in the entertainment industry. Some of the seminars ended up to be the kind where the VIP talked for five minutes and then we had to sit through everyone coming up to ask them questions. And you know that saying that starts, "there are no stupid questions?" well it's a lie. There are very stupid, repetitive questions that make it clear you haven't been listening all week. Thankfully, David actually talked to us for most of the time and only fielded a few questions- and his information was really interesting and he had tons of anecdotes and was super fun to listen to WHILE we learned lots. My favorite kind.
Later in the afternoon she did group improv. Not too long ago they changed the format of it. It used to be very much like Whose Line Is It Anyway?, where the actors are in chairs next to each other and everyone talks as the mood strikes and there's no order. That's fun to watch in terms of spontaneity if someone comes up with something hilarious, but when it's not on a professional level you usually get someone who sits in the chair and doesn't take a turn. So they changed it to where they all stand in a line so you can only see the first person, and when that person starts, they are all supposed to listen and then continue the story in that character, as if it was really one person talking the whole time, and that way everyone gets 15 of the 60 seconds to talk.
I think her group was the best kid one by far- they actually did listen to each other and stay with the flow of the story. Some of the other groups had a kid who listened to the original prompt rather than the people in front of them, and even though they were third in line they started talking about their ideas instead of continuing the monologue their teammates had started.
We were pretty tired after three showcases in one day, and Tangled was on the Disney channel, so we went back and had dinner in the room and got into jammies early. Our roommates had their team meetings at night after everything was over instead of crack of dawn like we did, so they had to leave around 9 to go check in with their team. They got back around 10:15 and let us know that the numbers for the acting finale had been posted and they saw 53 on there. G was so excited that we got dressed again and ran back through the hotel to the area where the boards were so she could see it. Sure enough, she made the finale for her scene read, and also for her group improv. There was much squealing and glee. Really fun to end the day on such a high note.
Face of maniacal glee here. She was so sweet about really trying not to jump up and down and freak out, because there were people sobbing in corners when they didn't see their names on this list. I texted hubby this picture and he replied back, "I don't see her name or number anywhere!" You can see though that group improv #1 made it, which is her group, and the scene read page was up above her head so I couldn't get it in the shot. There were a ton of people waiting to check the board so I didn't want to take a lot of time staging a picture.
She had three showcases today. First up was photography. That one was just really fun. She wore her AMTC tshirt and denim and went out on stage to do her slate while the ginormous screens showed a couple of her shots from the photo shoot. Very cool. And she talked about playing softball. :)
Then she did cold read, which is the one she was most nervous about. It's
**this is how much of it actually saved. After Thursday's post got eaten, I rewrote it and posted it on Friday. Then I wrote a HUGE post finishing this one. It took me an hour. I hit publish and poof! all gone. Went back to draft and only this much of it was here. So I'm finishing the rest now as best as I can. grr.**
So she was nervous about cold read. It's one of the events that's shot in the camera room and put onscreen, and you don't get the script for it until you're waiting in line to go film. It's much more like an actual audition and therefore nervous-making. She did fine though. And she looked cute too.
We had another seminar after that which was probably my favorite of the whole week. It was by David Doan and was all about kids in the entertainment industry. Some of the seminars ended up to be the kind where the VIP talked for five minutes and then we had to sit through everyone coming up to ask them questions. And you know that saying that starts, "there are no stupid questions?" well it's a lie. There are very stupid, repetitive questions that make it clear you haven't been listening all week. Thankfully, David actually talked to us for most of the time and only fielded a few questions- and his information was really interesting and he had tons of anecdotes and was super fun to listen to WHILE we learned lots. My favorite kind.
Later in the afternoon she did group improv. Not too long ago they changed the format of it. It used to be very much like Whose Line Is It Anyway?, where the actors are in chairs next to each other and everyone talks as the mood strikes and there's no order. That's fun to watch in terms of spontaneity if someone comes up with something hilarious, but when it's not on a professional level you usually get someone who sits in the chair and doesn't take a turn. So they changed it to where they all stand in a line so you can only see the first person, and when that person starts, they are all supposed to listen and then continue the story in that character, as if it was really one person talking the whole time, and that way everyone gets 15 of the 60 seconds to talk.
I think her group was the best kid one by far- they actually did listen to each other and stay with the flow of the story. Some of the other groups had a kid who listened to the original prompt rather than the people in front of them, and even though they were third in line they started talking about their ideas instead of continuing the monologue their teammates had started.
We were pretty tired after three showcases in one day, and Tangled was on the Disney channel, so we went back and had dinner in the room and got into jammies early. Our roommates had their team meetings at night after everything was over instead of crack of dawn like we did, so they had to leave around 9 to go check in with their team. They got back around 10:15 and let us know that the numbers for the acting finale had been posted and they saw 53 on there. G was so excited that we got dressed again and ran back through the hotel to the area where the boards were so she could see it. Sure enough, she made the finale for her scene read, and also for her group improv. There was much squealing and glee. Really fun to end the day on such a high note.
Face of maniacal glee here. She was so sweet about really trying not to jump up and down and freak out, because there were people sobbing in corners when they didn't see their names on this list. I texted hubby this picture and he replied back, "I don't see her name or number anywhere!" You can see though that group improv #1 made it, which is her group, and the scene read page was up above her head so I couldn't get it in the shot. There were a ton of people waiting to check the board so I didn't want to take a lot of time staging a picture.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Thursday, Take Two
I wrote a lot last night. I talked about tons of stuff and I'm really sad that it disappeared. Usually it auto saves while I'm writing so even if I think it's gone, I can go back and get at least some of it. But this time the whole post got eaten. Very sad. I'm hoping I can reconstruct but even just the next day it's hard to recapture the feelings of each day. This is such a whirlwind adventure.
Ok let's see. Yesterday she had two showcases- tv presenter and scene read. TV presenter went well. That's the kind where she goes into the camera room to film and we all sit in the big ballroom and watch her on screen. She read well and was able to make it look like she was just talking for the most point instead of having to stop at the end of the line and wait. I've seen celebrities do a worse job with TelePrompTer so I think it went okay. She got a script about eating s'mores so she had a good reference point for it and was able to sound authentic.
Scene read went well too, and I think she and all the girls around her should get extra points for professionalism. The girl right in front of her threw up everywhere just before she was about to go on. G said it was three inches from her shoes. They're about to walk on and all of a sudden things stop and the emcee says, we need #52's mother right now at the stage door! We didn't find out what happened until afterwards. They put a chair over it and went on, G did her read, and in a few minutes 52 was able to rally and get hers done too.
I've just been so amazed and proud and impressed with my girl all the way around on this trip. She's being so responsible and organized with everything. When we leave the room she's got her bag with her notes and water and extra pens, wearing her number with her hair pulled back, and she's the one reminding me to grab the room key and my observer pass (which I forgot on Tuesday night and had to go back for because they wouldn't let me into the convention center.) she's learning so much and never complains.
I had more in the first post but I already forgot and now I'm thinking about today. So I'll just go on to the next post I guess!
Ok let's see. Yesterday she had two showcases- tv presenter and scene read. TV presenter went well. That's the kind where she goes into the camera room to film and we all sit in the big ballroom and watch her on screen. She read well and was able to make it look like she was just talking for the most point instead of having to stop at the end of the line and wait. I've seen celebrities do a worse job with TelePrompTer so I think it went okay. She got a script about eating s'mores so she had a good reference point for it and was able to sound authentic.
Scene read went well too, and I think she and all the girls around her should get extra points for professionalism. The girl right in front of her threw up everywhere just before she was about to go on. G said it was three inches from her shoes. They're about to walk on and all of a sudden things stop and the emcee says, we need #52's mother right now at the stage door! We didn't find out what happened until afterwards. They put a chair over it and went on, G did her read, and in a few minutes 52 was able to rally and get hers done too.
I've just been so amazed and proud and impressed with my girl all the way around on this trip. She's being so responsible and organized with everything. When we leave the room she's got her bag with her notes and water and extra pens, wearing her number with her hair pulled back, and she's the one reminding me to grab the room key and my observer pass (which I forgot on Tuesday night and had to go back for because they wouldn't let me into the convention center.) she's learning so much and never complains.
I had more in the first post but I already forgot and now I'm thinking about today. So I'll just go on to the next post I guess!
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Dang.
I just wrote a huge post and blogger ate it. And now I'm tired. Argh!!! I'll catch up tomorrow. So annoyed!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Day 3
Well, we've made it through another exhausting, rewarding, fabulous, tiring day. I'm realizing I didn't bring a single pair of shoes that are comfy. However, I DID pack the band aids and blister blocker that our team lead suggested, and those have saved my bacon. Yay.
We attended several really informative seminars today conducted by various VIPs that gave us some great inside info. One of the biggest things I'm taking away from this is how much booking a job is about your look and not your performance. It could even be decided by an outside factor you never would think about. One guy told us a story about an audition where they all loved the actress- everyone agreed she gave an amazing performance. After she left they said, so she gets the job right? And the producer said no way. I loved her but she wears the same perfume as my ex-wife and I don't want to be around her that long. Like you could do anything about that?! Crazy business. But so fun. G is loving it.
She had her first showcase today and she did really well. I think I was more nervous than she was. It's so weird to have been doing all this work for months and then it's over in twenty seconds. But at least we have on-camera under our belt and done.
Today we were going back to our room and happened to catch a fish feeding. There's a huge waterway inside the hotel with different aquatic exhibits. We got to see them feed these huge redfish some squid and shrimp and the guy told us all about the science that goes into keeping up a habitat of that size. It was pretty cool. Then he let us follow him down to the baby alligator area. Gatorland is nearby and the hotel has a contract to house some of the babies and then send them over there when they get too large. They had a tank with four one year olds. G got to hold one and pet it. She was super excited. She said its belly was very squishy, which I found odd. Anyway, I think that was the highlight of her day apart from her 20 seconds of on camera fame.
His name is Peanut. And he has a rubber band around his snout in case he gets any crazy ideas.
L got brave and came over to touch it while G was holding it, but she was not interested in holding it herself. Oh no Gillian! I just want to watch YOU hold him! :)
She's got two more showcases tomorrow- scene read and TelePrompTer. Again, she's excited about both and really looking forward to the day.
Oh and I didn't make the choir. :) no big deal. Only five people from our group did, and we have MANY very talented singers. I'm actually kind of glad not to have to work practices into our busy schedule.
We attended several really informative seminars today conducted by various VIPs that gave us some great inside info. One of the biggest things I'm taking away from this is how much booking a job is about your look and not your performance. It could even be decided by an outside factor you never would think about. One guy told us a story about an audition where they all loved the actress- everyone agreed she gave an amazing performance. After she left they said, so she gets the job right? And the producer said no way. I loved her but she wears the same perfume as my ex-wife and I don't want to be around her that long. Like you could do anything about that?! Crazy business. But so fun. G is loving it.
She had her first showcase today and she did really well. I think I was more nervous than she was. It's so weird to have been doing all this work for months and then it's over in twenty seconds. But at least we have on-camera under our belt and done.
Today we were going back to our room and happened to catch a fish feeding. There's a huge waterway inside the hotel with different aquatic exhibits. We got to see them feed these huge redfish some squid and shrimp and the guy told us all about the science that goes into keeping up a habitat of that size. It was pretty cool. Then he let us follow him down to the baby alligator area. Gatorland is nearby and the hotel has a contract to house some of the babies and then send them over there when they get too large. They had a tank with four one year olds. G got to hold one and pet it. She was super excited. She said its belly was very squishy, which I found odd. Anyway, I think that was the highlight of her day apart from her 20 seconds of on camera fame.
L got brave and came over to touch it while G was holding it, but she was not interested in holding it herself. Oh no Gillian! I just want to watch YOU hold him! :)
She's got two more showcases tomorrow- scene read and TelePrompTer. Again, she's excited about both and really looking forward to the day.
Oh and I didn't make the choir. :) no big deal. Only five people from our group did, and we have MANY very talented singers. I'm actually kind of glad not to have to work practices into our busy schedule.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Day 2
In bed in the dark again, listening to one girl snore while the other kicks me and says she isn't tired. She's lying. And when I kick her out of bed at 6:30 tomorrow morning she will be sorry. We had such a full day! I don't see how she's still awake. My body is super tired and I'm glad to be off my feet but my brain hasn't shut down yet. Plus I never go to bed this early and my body thinks its central time instead of eastern.
No. Your itchy pj tag is an excuse, not the problem. Go to sleep already.
We got all registered today. The line was monstrous long and it took a long time, but we got it all done. We also got to walk through all the areas where her showcases will be and make sure we know where to go and what to do, attended three seminars, watched part of a singing showcase, and I auditioned for the gospel choir. Productive day to say the least. The girls got to practice runway modeling together, which they both enjoyed.
Here's the runway. It's much bigger than it looks here. The tables with the yellow tablecloths are where the VIPs sit. Families were back behind. And they have the video on the big screen at the same time so you can still see even if you're way in the back.
We also spent some time going through the performer book we got at registration. It's got a headshot of every person here and where they're from, and also all the VIPs who are here. There's an autograph day later in the week but one of the little girls from Mississippi came up to G today and asked her to sign her book. She was super pleased.
G informs me I have hit the a 17 times since she started counting. The kid is evading sleep in a big way. Some people count sheep, we count As.
I'm excited to find out tomorrow if I get to sing in the choir. I didn't realize parents were allowed in so it's kinda fun.
Tomorrow we have team meeting, orientation, a seminar about commercial work, on camera showcase, and a meeting about her group improv showcase that's coming up later in the week. Should be another awesome and exhausting day.
They had an area set up with red carpet taped down and theater ropes so it looked fancy for picture taking. She wanted to take one every day.
No. Your itchy pj tag is an excuse, not the problem. Go to sleep already.
We got all registered today. The line was monstrous long and it took a long time, but we got it all done. We also got to walk through all the areas where her showcases will be and make sure we know where to go and what to do, attended three seminars, watched part of a singing showcase, and I auditioned for the gospel choir. Productive day to say the least. The girls got to practice runway modeling together, which they both enjoyed.
Here's the runway. It's much bigger than it looks here. The tables with the yellow tablecloths are where the VIPs sit. Families were back behind. And they have the video on the big screen at the same time so you can still see even if you're way in the back.
We also spent some time going through the performer book we got at registration. It's got a headshot of every person here and where they're from, and also all the VIPs who are here. There's an autograph day later in the week but one of the little girls from Mississippi came up to G today and asked her to sign her book. She was super pleased.
G informs me I have hit the a 17 times since she started counting. The kid is evading sleep in a big way. Some people count sheep, we count As.
I'm excited to find out tomorrow if I get to sing in the choir. I didn't realize parents were allowed in so it's kinda fun.
Tomorrow we have team meeting, orientation, a seminar about commercial work, on camera showcase, and a meeting about her group improv showcase that's coming up later in the week. Should be another awesome and exhausting day.
They had an area set up with red carpet taped down and theater ropes so it looked fancy for picture taking. She wanted to take one every day.
Monday, December 31, 2012
It's Time to Shine!
We are here!!! Travel day went very smoothly- we made it out on time, had seats on the plane next to other AMTC people, arrived in Orlando 25 minutes early, got the shuttle to the hotel with no problem and were able to get into our room right away. I really couldn't have asked for better. We had a couple hours to poke around while we waited for our roommates to arrive. The hotel is amazing. So huge and so beautiful! One of the restaurants is on a big sailboat in the middle of an indoor lake. There are sting rays and alligators and huge koi. Not in the same waters. That would be sad for the koi I think. G and I had a great time beginning to explore. She wanted to hold my hand while we walked and said it was one of her most favorite days ever.
The roommates arrived and within minutes the girls were chattering away like old friends and holding hands on the way downstairs. We got a taxi and hit Publix to get groceries for the week. Paying for all of it was still less than the fancy New Years Eve buffet the hotel is offering tonight. I'm not up for a $90 dinner thanks. Not for just me and my kid.
I'm such a sucker for pictures of the back of walking kids. I have no idea why they make me so happy, but this is how they were ten minutes after meeting.
And so now we are in the dark room working on trying to go to sleep while I hide the iPad under the covers and blog. It's nice to have evolved from having to hold a flashlight too. :) the girls need to get some good sleep so we can be ready to kick off the week with a bang tomorrow. We've got registration, team meetings, walk throughs and rehearsals, and a couple of seminars. Then on Wednesday morning she has her first showcase- on camera.
I'll be putting a couple pictures up on Facebook but my iPad is old and doesn't have a camera, while the phone does pics but is too small to type comfortably. Won't get the two together til I get home.
Well, it's not the new year for two more hours here, but it's good night time for us. Wishing my boys were here- then my day couldn't get more perfect. Great way to end 2012 and can't wait for an awesome start to 2013!
The roommates arrived and within minutes the girls were chattering away like old friends and holding hands on the way downstairs. We got a taxi and hit Publix to get groceries for the week. Paying for all of it was still less than the fancy New Years Eve buffet the hotel is offering tonight. I'm not up for a $90 dinner thanks. Not for just me and my kid.
I'm such a sucker for pictures of the back of walking kids. I have no idea why they make me so happy, but this is how they were ten minutes after meeting.
And so now we are in the dark room working on trying to go to sleep while I hide the iPad under the covers and blog. It's nice to have evolved from having to hold a flashlight too. :) the girls need to get some good sleep so we can be ready to kick off the week with a bang tomorrow. We've got registration, team meetings, walk throughs and rehearsals, and a couple of seminars. Then on Wednesday morning she has her first showcase- on camera.
I'll be putting a couple pictures up on Facebook but my iPad is old and doesn't have a camera, while the phone does pics but is too small to type comfortably. Won't get the two together til I get home.
Well, it's not the new year for two more hours here, but it's good night time for us. Wishing my boys were here- then my day couldn't get more perfect. Great way to end 2012 and can't wait for an awesome start to 2013!
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Dress Rehearsal
Okay! Clap hands briskly and settle in for the long summary! So much to see and so little time!
We leave for Orlando in 32 days. Showcases are set and paid for, as is ALL of Shine, plus the plane tickets. I am so very amazed and grateful at how God has worked through our finances in the last seven months. We just have to pay the hotel bill and get through the week with our food and we're done. I've contacted the Gaylord and they're allowing us to bring a griddle and toaster oven and hot pot so we can cook meals in our room. I'm very excited. I had feared not being able to find anything close by that we could grab to eat. No hot meals for a week would have been very disheartening- even the best salad bar gets tiring after a few days. This way I can pack our pancake mix for breakfasts and we can make grilled cheese and whatever else comes to mind.
We went to dress rehearsal a couple weeks ago and it was amazing as usual. We got the flash drive with all the pictures from her photo shoot and I am staggered by them. My daughter is beautiful. She doesn't look nine years old at all. Yet they still look innocent and sweet and age-appropriate. Thankfully, I am not the one who had to decide among the 253 shots they took and figure out which to use. They've chosen the shots for us- one for her commercial acting headshot, and then a small collection that they'll use as her modeling profile. We'll get 25 copies of 2 of the shots, don't know which ones, when we get to Shine. We then staple her resume to the back of them so we can give them to the VIPs and they'll have all her info in one spot.
Here are the ones they picked:
This is the commercial headshot- the one that will be on the wall in the AMTC lobby next to all the other big success stories. :) Maybe. At the very least it will be in the program book for Shine.
I love this one so much I have no words.
Full-length, playful, etc.
I like this one too.
They gave us ALL the shots on a flash drive. I've almost dreaded going through them. Lots of people want copies for Christmas presents and I am having terrible trouble picking. I could stick to these, because they're awesome, but there are so many more good ones too, that for whatever reason didn't strike their fancy.
I never really noticed that she has one dimple like my mom.
This whole series is the one they took outside in the gazebo, in the pouring rain. The light is a little funny in some of them, but overall I really like the effect.
I like that this one shows off her booboo knee. Still a real girl under all the artistry.
And although it's weird, this one reminds me of meerkats, the way they stand up all alert. She loves those critters so I think it's okay to say.
She is going to perform in five showcases at Shine. Photography, On Camera, Kids' Runway, Group Improv, and TV Presenter. That list is pretty different from what we had tentatively planned before we went. She had zero desire to do any kind of improv, and thought she might do cold read and scene read. When we got there she practiced scene read and didn't like it, and decided not to do either one of the acting reads. And even though I made props for her original commercial, that didn't go over well either so we scrapped it also.
She's not old enough to do individual improv, and we thought she had to be ten to do group. An eleven year old boy really wanted to practice, so they asked if she'd get up in a group just to help him practice even though she didn't plan to do it. The four of them totally rocked it. After she got done, the acting coach called her over and asked why on earth she wasn't planning to do group improv, because she's good at it and SHOULD. We checked the rules and you have to be nine, not ten. She was super encouraged by Chey telling her she did so well, so she signed up for it. And she was told she was the best kid all day at TV presenter. She loves the teleprompting practice we do. She's getting pretty great at it, actually. This is the practice they did- they filmed in the other room and then we got to watch on the screen afterwards. I think at Shine we'll watch live, but it'll be the same way, where she is alone in the filming room and her performance is projected to the audience.
It's kind of hard to see and hear. My phone won't zoom while it's taking video.
This is her runway practice. Doesn't she look good? She has such a fun walk. You can tell she's enjoying herself. It makes me laugh when there are people walking the runway who are primarily singers and HATE the idea of modeling. It's obvious and painful. But AMTC wants rounded performers and tries to ready them for everything. Anyway this is definitely her favorite. Then for Photography, they'll show two of those pictures up on the big screen over her while she walks the runway and does her slate. "Gillian P, nine years old, and one interesting thing you should know about me is that I'm the catcher on my softball team."
I was extra super proud of myself because I chose all the outfits she wore all day, and not once did she get called out for wardrobe questions. Ms Philipa loved her socks, liked all the looks, and all her clothes were approved. Score one for mama paying attention, because I was way sweating the fact that her outfits weren't chosen at photo shoot like they should have been.
Oh, and sweet friend Emma got her shots back too, of course. She's the one who owns the pink and navy shirts G is wearing in her photo look, and these are G's pink shoes here. Don't know where they came up with the umbrella, but I LOVE this shot. So fun.
So that's it! We don't have any more official practices or workshops or anything until it's real. She's practicing her monologue and her model stance and making sure her behavior is good. It's almost here!!
We leave for Orlando in 32 days. Showcases are set and paid for, as is ALL of Shine, plus the plane tickets. I am so very amazed and grateful at how God has worked through our finances in the last seven months. We just have to pay the hotel bill and get through the week with our food and we're done. I've contacted the Gaylord and they're allowing us to bring a griddle and toaster oven and hot pot so we can cook meals in our room. I'm very excited. I had feared not being able to find anything close by that we could grab to eat. No hot meals for a week would have been very disheartening- even the best salad bar gets tiring after a few days. This way I can pack our pancake mix for breakfasts and we can make grilled cheese and whatever else comes to mind.
We went to dress rehearsal a couple weeks ago and it was amazing as usual. We got the flash drive with all the pictures from her photo shoot and I am staggered by them. My daughter is beautiful. She doesn't look nine years old at all. Yet they still look innocent and sweet and age-appropriate. Thankfully, I am not the one who had to decide among the 253 shots they took and figure out which to use. They've chosen the shots for us- one for her commercial acting headshot, and then a small collection that they'll use as her modeling profile. We'll get 25 copies of 2 of the shots, don't know which ones, when we get to Shine. We then staple her resume to the back of them so we can give them to the VIPs and they'll have all her info in one spot.
Here are the ones they picked:
They gave us ALL the shots on a flash drive. I've almost dreaded going through them. Lots of people want copies for Christmas presents and I am having terrible trouble picking. I could stick to these, because they're awesome, but there are so many more good ones too, that for whatever reason didn't strike their fancy.
She is going to perform in five showcases at Shine. Photography, On Camera, Kids' Runway, Group Improv, and TV Presenter. That list is pretty different from what we had tentatively planned before we went. She had zero desire to do any kind of improv, and thought she might do cold read and scene read. When we got there she practiced scene read and didn't like it, and decided not to do either one of the acting reads. And even though I made props for her original commercial, that didn't go over well either so we scrapped it also.
She's not old enough to do individual improv, and we thought she had to be ten to do group. An eleven year old boy really wanted to practice, so they asked if she'd get up in a group just to help him practice even though she didn't plan to do it. The four of them totally rocked it. After she got done, the acting coach called her over and asked why on earth she wasn't planning to do group improv, because she's good at it and SHOULD. We checked the rules and you have to be nine, not ten. She was super encouraged by Chey telling her she did so well, so she signed up for it. And she was told she was the best kid all day at TV presenter. She loves the teleprompting practice we do. She's getting pretty great at it, actually. This is the practice they did- they filmed in the other room and then we got to watch on the screen afterwards. I think at Shine we'll watch live, but it'll be the same way, where she is alone in the filming room and her performance is projected to the audience.
It's kind of hard to see and hear. My phone won't zoom while it's taking video.
This is her runway practice. Doesn't she look good? She has such a fun walk. You can tell she's enjoying herself. It makes me laugh when there are people walking the runway who are primarily singers and HATE the idea of modeling. It's obvious and painful. But AMTC wants rounded performers and tries to ready them for everything. Anyway this is definitely her favorite. Then for Photography, they'll show two of those pictures up on the big screen over her while she walks the runway and does her slate. "Gillian P, nine years old, and one interesting thing you should know about me is that I'm the catcher on my softball team."
I was extra super proud of myself because I chose all the outfits she wore all day, and not once did she get called out for wardrobe questions. Ms Philipa loved her socks, liked all the looks, and all her clothes were approved. Score one for mama paying attention, because I was way sweating the fact that her outfits weren't chosen at photo shoot like they should have been.
Oh, and sweet friend Emma got her shots back too, of course. She's the one who owns the pink and navy shirts G is wearing in her photo look, and these are G's pink shoes here. Don't know where they came up with the umbrella, but I LOVE this shot. So fun.
So that's it! We don't have any more official practices or workshops or anything until it's real. She's practicing her monologue and her model stance and making sure her behavior is good. It's almost here!!
Monday, October 8, 2012
Launch, Take Two, Day One
This past weekend we got to go to another launch weekend. I'm so blessed that we live so close to an AMTC office. Two more whirlwind days of training and learning and practicing, and now we've got some time off from classes. Dress rehearsal is November 17 and we'll finalize everything then, and then December 31 we leave! It's kinda surreal that it's getting so close after all the work we've been doing.
Saturday we had a session with Jenn Gotzon, who was amazing. We learned a lot of really good tips both for AMTC and for film and TV audtitions out in the real world. She's so encouraging and always finds really positive things to say about what Gilly's doing, while at the same time telling you in clear terms how to get better. I really liked her a lot.
Session two was modeling- best tip David gave us was about professionalism. "walk in and out with confidence no matter WHAT happens in between those two times. Agents are looking for reasons you might be difficult to work with, so don't give them any!" They don't care as much if you mess up- what matters is how you deal with it. Pick it up and keep going and finish. Great advice for all situations!
The other thing he said was that for photo shoot, you should go home with specific outfits chosen for showcases. Oh. Fail. I asked specifically and I didn't feel like I could repeat myself more without being a pushy stage mom. I'm kind of annoyed about that, because they made me feel like it was no big deal and now it's like, no. That's on you, you should have known better and now it's your fault that you don't have outfits picked. The good thing is that we have dress rehearsal next month and we're supposed to bring outfits for every showcase and change into them, so if we pick ones that don't work, I'm certain they will let us know.
I really, REALLY loved the networking sessions this time. Our team leader gave us some practical tips for Shine that are going to be super useful. Writing them down for E & L, our roommates. :) It costs $5 each way to take a taxi to the grocery store, so we can get a week's worth of perishables and stuff for only the $10 extra in transportation fees. There's a fridge and a coffeepot in our room, and downstairs in the coffeeshop there's a community microwave that we can use if we're willing to wait if necessary. They recommend packing a whole suitcase of food if needed- instant oatmeal, ramen, mac and cheese, stuff like that so we can use the hot water from the coffee pot, and then protein bars and whatever else. She said a cheeseburger in the hotel restaurant is $17, so if you're worried about paying for extra baggage fees, just weigh that one fee against how much those meals would cost if we had to buy them onsite.
Also buy blister blocker and bandaids, and don't wear new shoes that might be uncomfortable. We'll be on our feet a lot.
And there was tons of good info about how to write a resume and how to present and print and bring it.
One of the acting coaches said something that really resonated with me. She was talking about being a vessel used by God, and how we tend to think that means we have to be Noah or Joshua or Moses- one of the big guys. She said, "yeah, but think about how it feels to be the bush. Everybody remembers Moses, but that bush had the remnants of having been used mightily by God for a short time, to further Moses along on God's mission. If you're the bush, your flame burns brightly for a short season, but you have the memories your entire life and you're just as important."
That made me teary.
Here's some scene read practice with some good stage blocking advice from Andrea. I like that G is learning so many different facets of acting.
More about day two later.
Saturday we had a session with Jenn Gotzon, who was amazing. We learned a lot of really good tips both for AMTC and for film and TV audtitions out in the real world. She's so encouraging and always finds really positive things to say about what Gilly's doing, while at the same time telling you in clear terms how to get better. I really liked her a lot.
Session two was modeling- best tip David gave us was about professionalism. "walk in and out with confidence no matter WHAT happens in between those two times. Agents are looking for reasons you might be difficult to work with, so don't give them any!" They don't care as much if you mess up- what matters is how you deal with it. Pick it up and keep going and finish. Great advice for all situations!
The other thing he said was that for photo shoot, you should go home with specific outfits chosen for showcases. Oh. Fail. I asked specifically and I didn't feel like I could repeat myself more without being a pushy stage mom. I'm kind of annoyed about that, because they made me feel like it was no big deal and now it's like, no. That's on you, you should have known better and now it's your fault that you don't have outfits picked. The good thing is that we have dress rehearsal next month and we're supposed to bring outfits for every showcase and change into them, so if we pick ones that don't work, I'm certain they will let us know.
I really, REALLY loved the networking sessions this time. Our team leader gave us some practical tips for Shine that are going to be super useful. Writing them down for E & L, our roommates. :) It costs $5 each way to take a taxi to the grocery store, so we can get a week's worth of perishables and stuff for only the $10 extra in transportation fees. There's a fridge and a coffeepot in our room, and downstairs in the coffeeshop there's a community microwave that we can use if we're willing to wait if necessary. They recommend packing a whole suitcase of food if needed- instant oatmeal, ramen, mac and cheese, stuff like that so we can use the hot water from the coffee pot, and then protein bars and whatever else. She said a cheeseburger in the hotel restaurant is $17, so if you're worried about paying for extra baggage fees, just weigh that one fee against how much those meals would cost if we had to buy them onsite.
Also buy blister blocker and bandaids, and don't wear new shoes that might be uncomfortable. We'll be on our feet a lot.
And there was tons of good info about how to write a resume and how to present and print and bring it.
One of the acting coaches said something that really resonated with me. She was talking about being a vessel used by God, and how we tend to think that means we have to be Noah or Joshua or Moses- one of the big guys. She said, "yeah, but think about how it feels to be the bush. Everybody remembers Moses, but that bush had the remnants of having been used mightily by God for a short time, to further Moses along on God's mission. If you're the bush, your flame burns brightly for a short season, but you have the memories your entire life and you're just as important."
That made me teary.
Here's some scene read practice with some good stage blocking advice from Andrea. I like that G is learning so many different facets of acting.
More about day two later.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Photo Shoot
We're here right now! It's very exciting. I'm taking lots of pictures but I'm not sure if I can upload them from here. We brought a crazy amount of clothes and the team has been picking them over and choosing her first outfit. She just got back from hair and makeup and now we are waiting for the photographer to be ready for us. We sat waiting for two and a half hours before it was our turn with the style team. G did really well just reading books and hanging out.
I think the big holdup right now is the fact that it's pouring rain. Her first location is the gazebo and the photos there are taking longer and she has to be escorted over there by umbrella. But hey! She made it! And now I'm being the appropriate fade into the background mom that I'm supposed to be. I can't wait to see these pictures.
Sunday Night:
So I tried to real-time it, but it's a pain to type on the phone and there was so much going on that it was really hard to keep up! Plus I knew I'd want to upload pictures and all that jazz as well.
Anyway. Back to the beginning! We hit a consignment sale last week and scored 2 pairs of jeans, 2 pairs of black pants, 3 skirts, 11 shirts, 6 sweaters, 7 dresses, and a pair of pajamas with slippers, all for $80. I was quite pleased with that, and it made me feel a lot better about having enough choices for them to pick from. I've been getting emails on updated packing lists that were making me nervous and kind of contradicted what the website said in terms of what colors were okay, whether or not to bring patterns, what kind of accessories, all that. With the new clothes I felt better, and then we stopped at Target on the way to the shoot and got four new pairs of shoes off the clearance racks, for a total of under $20 for all of them. (The biggest problem I have now is working all these new clothes into the tiny closet she shares with her brother, when she already was taking up the lion's share of it.)
Here we are upon arrival, in our assigned row, with all the clothes we brought laid out for inspection:
We got there at 11:15, 15 minutes early as always, and we waited until about 1:40. We talked and ate and she read for awhile and colored for awhile and walked around and looked at everyone else's clothes and talked to them. It went pretty fast, but at the same time it was a really long wait, if that makes any sense. I was glad I packed a LOT of snacks and a LOT of books plus the iPad.
Finally, our turn! Here is Maegan Bruce from the style team starting to go over all our stuff. I didn't get a picture of the first outfit she had Gilly try on, but it was those purple jeans in her lap, plus the aqua t-shirt that's hanging over the back of the chair, with the hot pink ballerina flats on the floor. Um. Okay. I would never in a million years have thought those colors all went together, but G just smiled and said yes Ms Maegan and went off to the bathroom to change. So proud. There's a LOT of stuff in the modules about how you don't know fashion trends but the team does, and how your job is to have a positive attitude and say yes ma'am and LOVE anything they ask you to wear. She did. I was glad. I was also glad she had her change out of that outfit. Not my favorite.
Outfit possibility #2, untucking the shirt, tucking the shirt, rolling the sweater sleeves, checking layer lengths... the pink shoes again...
Or maybe with the black shoes instead...
She wore that for awhile and I thought they were set on it, but then she had Bryson come over and they decided that shade of purple wasn't perfect. They rifled through our selection of shirts and then decided that one of Emma's shirts was better. Emma was the girl in the row behind us. No matter. Here's G in not one, but two of Emma's shirts.
I think I got the pictures out of order. Looks like she just got back from hair and makeup in this one. It's only chapstick, a bit of mascara, and some eyebrow gel. So pretty though!
Trying it out with the black shoes again
And then the gray shoes, which is where we settled. This is the outfit she ended up in for the first look. And yes, Look One on the packing list says it should be black, gray, and denim. Smile and say yes! I love pink! I love that I bought all those black and gray shirts we're not using! She's not even wearing her own shirt at all!
And the hot pink ballerina flats? Emma wore those for her shoot. At least it was a fair trade. :)
She went off to the gazebo in the downpour and from what I could see peeking through the windows, they had all kinds of cool poses and fun stuff going on. I am dying to see how they turned out.
When she got back they started looking for her second shot outfit. They had her in a dark blue top for awhile and then went with the aqua instead. She's still got on the same skirt and shoes because this is for headshots so it didn't matter what was on the bottom half. Then back to hair and makeup. It took a lot longer this time and I was beginning to wonder what was going on when she came out. Oh my.
That is my nine year old child. I texted her dad this picture and then said, "I want everyone to lock up their sons." His reply was "Wow. Worried."
And she still doesn't have much makeup on at all. Something shiny on the lips, not even any color added, and a little blush. I don't know if I'm going to have to recreate that hair for Shine but it's super intimidating if I do. I asked her what they used and she said, "um... not the one that looks like a stapler. The fatter one." Which made me fall down laughing. Can you tell I don't own a flatiron? She has no frame of reference for the word. I do have a curling iron somewhere. I hope it's fat enough.
So then she got her headshots taken in a different room with a different photographer, just for a varied experience, and after that we did showcase outfits. I kind of wanted more specific directions than we got. It was sort of, oh, acting showcases are easy, just wear something like this or this or this, with some good denim. I wanted to be able to pick Exact Outfits That I Could Take Pictures Of And Know For Sure I Was Doing It Right. But I think it will be okay. I have a brain, and I watched the kinds of things they were putting together and the colors they liked. At least they didn't say that what I have doesn't work. They did tell some other people no, this isn't so great, you should go buy x or y.
But it's done!! I'm ridiculously excited to see the pictures. We'll get a flash drive with all the shots when we go to dress rehearsal in November, and they will pick the ones that they're going to use for promo and all that. So much fun!!
I think the big holdup right now is the fact that it's pouring rain. Her first location is the gazebo and the photos there are taking longer and she has to be escorted over there by umbrella. But hey! She made it! And now I'm being the appropriate fade into the background mom that I'm supposed to be. I can't wait to see these pictures.
Sunday Night:
So I tried to real-time it, but it's a pain to type on the phone and there was so much going on that it was really hard to keep up! Plus I knew I'd want to upload pictures and all that jazz as well.
Anyway. Back to the beginning! We hit a consignment sale last week and scored 2 pairs of jeans, 2 pairs of black pants, 3 skirts, 11 shirts, 6 sweaters, 7 dresses, and a pair of pajamas with slippers, all for $80. I was quite pleased with that, and it made me feel a lot better about having enough choices for them to pick from. I've been getting emails on updated packing lists that were making me nervous and kind of contradicted what the website said in terms of what colors were okay, whether or not to bring patterns, what kind of accessories, all that. With the new clothes I felt better, and then we stopped at Target on the way to the shoot and got four new pairs of shoes off the clearance racks, for a total of under $20 for all of them. (The biggest problem I have now is working all these new clothes into the tiny closet she shares with her brother, when she already was taking up the lion's share of it.)
Here we are upon arrival, in our assigned row, with all the clothes we brought laid out for inspection:
We got there at 11:15, 15 minutes early as always, and we waited until about 1:40. We talked and ate and she read for awhile and colored for awhile and walked around and looked at everyone else's clothes and talked to them. It went pretty fast, but at the same time it was a really long wait, if that makes any sense. I was glad I packed a LOT of snacks and a LOT of books plus the iPad.
Finally, our turn! Here is Maegan Bruce from the style team starting to go over all our stuff. I didn't get a picture of the first outfit she had Gilly try on, but it was those purple jeans in her lap, plus the aqua t-shirt that's hanging over the back of the chair, with the hot pink ballerina flats on the floor. Um. Okay. I would never in a million years have thought those colors all went together, but G just smiled and said yes Ms Maegan and went off to the bathroom to change. So proud. There's a LOT of stuff in the modules about how you don't know fashion trends but the team does, and how your job is to have a positive attitude and say yes ma'am and LOVE anything they ask you to wear. She did. I was glad. I was also glad she had her change out of that outfit. Not my favorite.
Outfit possibility #2, untucking the shirt, tucking the shirt, rolling the sweater sleeves, checking layer lengths... the pink shoes again...
Or maybe with the black shoes instead...
She wore that for awhile and I thought they were set on it, but then she had Bryson come over and they decided that shade of purple wasn't perfect. They rifled through our selection of shirts and then decided that one of Emma's shirts was better. Emma was the girl in the row behind us. No matter. Here's G in not one, but two of Emma's shirts.
I think I got the pictures out of order. Looks like she just got back from hair and makeup in this one. It's only chapstick, a bit of mascara, and some eyebrow gel. So pretty though!
Trying it out with the black shoes again
And then the gray shoes, which is where we settled. This is the outfit she ended up in for the first look. And yes, Look One on the packing list says it should be black, gray, and denim. Smile and say yes! I love pink! I love that I bought all those black and gray shirts we're not using! She's not even wearing her own shirt at all!
And the hot pink ballerina flats? Emma wore those for her shoot. At least it was a fair trade. :)
She went off to the gazebo in the downpour and from what I could see peeking through the windows, they had all kinds of cool poses and fun stuff going on. I am dying to see how they turned out.
When she got back they started looking for her second shot outfit. They had her in a dark blue top for awhile and then went with the aqua instead. She's still got on the same skirt and shoes because this is for headshots so it didn't matter what was on the bottom half. Then back to hair and makeup. It took a lot longer this time and I was beginning to wonder what was going on when she came out. Oh my.
That is my nine year old child. I texted her dad this picture and then said, "I want everyone to lock up their sons." His reply was "Wow. Worried."
And she still doesn't have much makeup on at all. Something shiny on the lips, not even any color added, and a little blush. I don't know if I'm going to have to recreate that hair for Shine but it's super intimidating if I do. I asked her what they used and she said, "um... not the one that looks like a stapler. The fatter one." Which made me fall down laughing. Can you tell I don't own a flatiron? She has no frame of reference for the word. I do have a curling iron somewhere. I hope it's fat enough.
So then she got her headshots taken in a different room with a different photographer, just for a varied experience, and after that we did showcase outfits. I kind of wanted more specific directions than we got. It was sort of, oh, acting showcases are easy, just wear something like this or this or this, with some good denim. I wanted to be able to pick Exact Outfits That I Could Take Pictures Of And Know For Sure I Was Doing It Right. But I think it will be okay. I have a brain, and I watched the kinds of things they were putting together and the colors they liked. At least they didn't say that what I have doesn't work. They did tell some other people no, this isn't so great, you should go buy x or y.
But it's done!! I'm ridiculously excited to see the pictures. We'll get a flash drive with all the shots when we go to dress rehearsal in November, and they will pick the ones that they're going to use for promo and all that. So much fun!!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
TV Presenter
So here's the scoop on the TV presenter (AKA teleprompter) showcase. She'll be given a script and have ten minutes to look it over and get familiar with it. Then it will show up on the teleprompter, which will be in a small room with a camera right behind it, and her performance will be broadcast into the audience room on a big screen. So the ten minutes should alleviate some of the "is it a question or a statement" and the "I can't pronounce that word" kind of problem. I don't get to go in there with her for any of these- I'll just be sitting in the audience and it's all her. Fun but scary.
There's a website called Cue Prompter where you can cut and paste scripts and it will roll it for practice, so that's what we're doing here. There's a list of approved scripts on the AMTC site that we put in there.
So here's her first practice, after setting the timer for ten minutes and looking over the script. We're working on stage presence next, as there is far much too arm flailing going on. Also she needs to be looking into the camera more and work on her timing, since there are times when you can tell she's read too fast and is waiting for the next line to scroll up. But doesn't it look FUN? She thinks it would be cool to host the Cupcake Wars. :)
There's a website called Cue Prompter where you can cut and paste scripts and it will roll it for practice, so that's what we're doing here. There's a list of approved scripts on the AMTC site that we put in there.
So here's her first practice, after setting the timer for ten minutes and looking over the script. We're working on stage presence next, as there is far much too arm flailing going on. Also she needs to be looking into the camera more and work on her timing, since there are times when you can tell she's read too fast and is waiting for the next line to scroll up. But doesn't it look FUN? She thinks it would be cool to host the Cupcake Wars. :)
Monday, September 10, 2012
Launch Weekend! Part 1
We just finished our first Launch weekend and we are wiped out! It was from 10-7 on Saturday and 1-7 on Saturday, also throwing homework and church in between there too. SO much to learn and do! I feel like I've got about eight separate topics I want to write about now, so I'll just jump in and stop when it gets too long.
So first of all, there are a lot of different showcases you can sign up to perform at Shine. The first three you choose are included, and then each additional one is $75. We started out thinking well good grief, we're paying quite a bit as it is, and she's young and inexperienced, so three will be plenty. She'll do runway and photography since that's her focus, and then on-camera for acting. Done.
Now that she's seen and gotten to practice all of them, she also is really interested in, and pretty good at, scene read, cold read, product endorsement, and tv presenter. And you know really, this is why we're going. She feels called to do this, and it only makes sense to get her out in view of the VIPs as much as possible. What's the point of doing the minimum if we're going to be there a week? So now we're looking at doing six or seven showcases instead of three, which means more practice work and also more wardrobe. I need to do several more shopping excursions to get the proper pieces before photo shoot.
Photo shoot is scheduled!! It will be September 29. That means I have only three weeks to get everything bought and ready. Our team leader says it's not at all uncommon to bring two or even three suitcases to the shoot. Then you lay out all your shoes in a row, all the shirts and jeans and pants and skirts.... and they go through all your stuff and mix and match and layer and tell you what to wear for the shoot, but also for every showcase you're planning to sign up for, so that you're dressed properly for the week. I can take pictures of each outfit they plan for us and just pack according to that. So I'm bringing as many things as I can possibly find that I think maybe might work.
And now my girl needs the computer to do teleprompting practice. She's kicking me off. :) So more later.
So first of all, there are a lot of different showcases you can sign up to perform at Shine. The first three you choose are included, and then each additional one is $75. We started out thinking well good grief, we're paying quite a bit as it is, and she's young and inexperienced, so three will be plenty. She'll do runway and photography since that's her focus, and then on-camera for acting. Done.
Now that she's seen and gotten to practice all of them, she also is really interested in, and pretty good at, scene read, cold read, product endorsement, and tv presenter. And you know really, this is why we're going. She feels called to do this, and it only makes sense to get her out in view of the VIPs as much as possible. What's the point of doing the minimum if we're going to be there a week? So now we're looking at doing six or seven showcases instead of three, which means more practice work and also more wardrobe. I need to do several more shopping excursions to get the proper pieces before photo shoot.
Photo shoot is scheduled!! It will be September 29. That means I have only three weeks to get everything bought and ready. Our team leader says it's not at all uncommon to bring two or even three suitcases to the shoot. Then you lay out all your shoes in a row, all the shirts and jeans and pants and skirts.... and they go through all your stuff and mix and match and layer and tell you what to wear for the shoot, but also for every showcase you're planning to sign up for, so that you're dressed properly for the week. I can take pictures of each outfit they plan for us and just pack according to that. So I'm bringing as many things as I can possibly find that I think maybe might work.
And now my girl needs the computer to do teleprompting practice. She's kicking me off. :) So more later.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Fabulous Fundraising Opportunity!
My friend Gwen sells 31. Have you seen 31 bags? I'm in love with them. It's a home party business and they have tons of different purses and tote bags and baskets. And you can monogram or personalize them. Have I mentioned I love them?
So. I'm hosting a 31 party, and Gwen offered to let me do it as a fundraiser for G's AMTC expenses. So she is keeping all the free bags and hostess benefits I would ordinarily get from having this party, and I am getting the cash she would normally earn. It's an amazing trade!!
The party is at my place on September 22 at 2pm and I'd love to have you! Bring a friend! Eat yummy food and win prizes and shop like a fiend! Or if you're far away or busy that day, please go through the online catalog and see if anything jumps out at you. It's great gift stuff too.
Order through this site so G gets credit!
I hope to update the ticker with lots of new funds! :) And by the way, I'm only putting extra money that was specifically marked for AMTC on that site. I'm not including all the buckling down and extra work we've been doing. We've made four payments already that total a lot more than that amount pictured. YAY TEAM.
So. I'm hosting a 31 party, and Gwen offered to let me do it as a fundraiser for G's AMTC expenses. So she is keeping all the free bags and hostess benefits I would ordinarily get from having this party, and I am getting the cash she would normally earn. It's an amazing trade!!
The party is at my place on September 22 at 2pm and I'd love to have you! Bring a friend! Eat yummy food and win prizes and shop like a fiend! Or if you're far away or busy that day, please go through the online catalog and see if anything jumps out at you. It's great gift stuff too.
Order through this site so G gets credit!
I hope to update the ticker with lots of new funds! :) And by the way, I'm only putting extra money that was specifically marked for AMTC on that site. I'm not including all the buckling down and extra work we've been doing. We've made four payments already that total a lot more than that amount pictured. YAY TEAM.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Paw Paw
My husband's father passed away in May of 2006, a few months before Gilly turned three. She doesn't really remember him now, although we show her lots of pictures and tell her as many stories as we can. Every now and then she'll have a vague memory of playing with him, but for the most part her memories come in the form of the anecdotes she's heard and the snapshots we show her. It makes me sad.
I wanted more of this.
And definitely more of this.
And good grief, the man put on bunny ears for his baby girl. More of this. Look at her cheesy face. She just ate him up. Loved him so much.
We got a check from Gigi today to help with Shine. Paw Paw had some specialized shoes still in the closet that she was able to sell and wanted Gilly to know that her Paw Paw loves her and would be so proud of her and would want to help.
I cry while I type. We miss him. I'm so glad that she's got one more concrete thing to remember him by, since she didn't have time to make very many memories. I think I'm going to use part of the money on the packing list, so that when she puts on those special shoes or that favorite sweater, she can think of Paw Paw.
I wanted more of this.
And definitely more of this.
And good grief, the man put on bunny ears for his baby girl. More of this. Look at her cheesy face. She just ate him up. Loved him so much.
We got a check from Gigi today to help with Shine. Paw Paw had some specialized shoes still in the closet that she was able to sell and wanted Gilly to know that her Paw Paw loves her and would be so proud of her and would want to help.
I cry while I type. We miss him. I'm so glad that she's got one more concrete thing to remember him by, since she didn't have time to make very many memories. I think I'm going to use part of the money on the packing list, so that when she puts on those special shoes or that favorite sweater, she can think of Paw Paw.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Roommates!
I am SO SO excited. Now that the summer season is over and the winter people (US!) are the focus of all the classes, we're starting to think about logistics at Shine. It's at the Gaylord Palms. For seven nights. And even though we get a very good discount, it's still rolled into the hefty fundraising total. They've got a deal where you can find another mom and daughter team to room with, and the hotel will allow you to split the cost. We've been having a really hard time finding one- every girl G meets at a workshop is going with her entire family. On the AMTC bulletin boards last week I found a family looking for roommates and we've been emailing. Tonight I talked to the mom on the phone for an hour and I think it's going to be such a great match. The little girl is wheat free also, and loves American Girl dolls, and is doing modeling and acting. I'm very relieved and excited to have found people to room with that sound so nice. This puts the hotel cost down to the equivalent of Motel 6, rather than a luxury resort. Much more doable, plus we'll have friends to hang out with who understand our food woes.
Now we just need to find cheap airfare!
Now we just need to find cheap airfare!
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Acting Classes
We've been signing up for every acting and modeling workshop AMTC is offering so I'm a little behind on updating. She's in an interesting time with this- it reminds me of how I felt when she was a brand new tiny baby sometimes. You get pregnant, you're SO excited and nervous to have this baby, you don't really know what to expect but you know it's going to be GREAT! You're prepared and you know what to do and all your friends say you'll be an awesome mom! Then the baby is up all night screaming and you can't figure out why and in the morning you're just so tired. You don't feel like an awesome mom and you're pretty sure you're going to ruin this poor kid.... It doesn't mean you're planning to give up, and it doesn't mean you love that baby any less, but it's just been a hard night. You're overwhelmed. It's harder than you thought it would be.
That's where it seemed like she was after our last session. She LOVES runway modeling- it doesn't make her nervous at all and she's got the moves down and thinks it's so much fun. The photography part started to be harder this time and she got pretty frustrated. The timing is difficult for her- they were trying to teach her how to move really slowly and just change one body part at a time so that the camera can have time to capture each pose. She kept wanting to pop from one to the next, which is going to make for blurry pictures and not give her a big range of emotions on camera. And when she's having trouble doing something it makes her angry, and so of course then it's even harder to get it down. I like that they don't make a lot of differentiation between adults and kids- they just throw her in, but at the same time, there were only a couple kids in there and she was the youngest. I think a little bit of one on one time would do her good, but they haven't had time to do that so far. There are usually at least a hundred people in these sessions.
The acting scares her a bit too, but it's inconsistent. I can't always predict it. Sometimes she'll get up in an improv act and get on a roll and just go with it, and sometimes she sits there frozen and lets the other people carry her. Sometimes she struts up there and does her monologue with confidence, and other times she weasels up there sideways and mutters while wringing her hands.
On the drive home she was upset. "I just want to be in movies and commercials and tell people about God. I didn't think it was going to be this much work!" Well, yes. It's work. I'm finding out that models do MUCH more work than it looks like from the outside.
So we have another workshop next week, and she's a bit apprehensive about it. I'm hoping that this is the time she breaks through that wall and really starts to be confident and have fun. Actors have to have no shame, and she's in the stage of life where everything is embarrassing and you wonder constantly what people think of you. It's a hard combination. I really think that if she gets it now though, it's going to save her so much grief later. I'd love to have a teenager who didn't cave to peer pressure and did what she wanted and knew was right.
Here's a 60 second improv she did. I don't know how well you're gonna be able to hear it but I'll give it a shot. The prompt was that they are all neighbors on the same block and somebody new just moved in. They're deciding if they should go introduce themselves. I was really hoping she'd leap in and talk about gluten when they went in the pie direction, but she didn't think of it until afterwards. My favorite is the two girls on the end- what if they're killers? well, killers like pie! let's take them a pie and maybe they won't kill us! haha!!!
And just because, here's the hair we're not allowed to cut. This was in May and it's even longer now. I wish it looked this shiny and straight all the time. She's starting to say she wishes they told her to cut it off. I told her with that kind of attitude, she'd get a job like Emma Watson did for Hermione Granger and not be allowed to cut her hair for eight years. :)
That's where it seemed like she was after our last session. She LOVES runway modeling- it doesn't make her nervous at all and she's got the moves down and thinks it's so much fun. The photography part started to be harder this time and she got pretty frustrated. The timing is difficult for her- they were trying to teach her how to move really slowly and just change one body part at a time so that the camera can have time to capture each pose. She kept wanting to pop from one to the next, which is going to make for blurry pictures and not give her a big range of emotions on camera. And when she's having trouble doing something it makes her angry, and so of course then it's even harder to get it down. I like that they don't make a lot of differentiation between adults and kids- they just throw her in, but at the same time, there were only a couple kids in there and she was the youngest. I think a little bit of one on one time would do her good, but they haven't had time to do that so far. There are usually at least a hundred people in these sessions.
The acting scares her a bit too, but it's inconsistent. I can't always predict it. Sometimes she'll get up in an improv act and get on a roll and just go with it, and sometimes she sits there frozen and lets the other people carry her. Sometimes she struts up there and does her monologue with confidence, and other times she weasels up there sideways and mutters while wringing her hands.
On the drive home she was upset. "I just want to be in movies and commercials and tell people about God. I didn't think it was going to be this much work!" Well, yes. It's work. I'm finding out that models do MUCH more work than it looks like from the outside.
So we have another workshop next week, and she's a bit apprehensive about it. I'm hoping that this is the time she breaks through that wall and really starts to be confident and have fun. Actors have to have no shame, and she's in the stage of life where everything is embarrassing and you wonder constantly what people think of you. It's a hard combination. I really think that if she gets it now though, it's going to save her so much grief later. I'd love to have a teenager who didn't cave to peer pressure and did what she wanted and knew was right.
Here's a 60 second improv she did. I don't know how well you're gonna be able to hear it but I'll give it a shot. The prompt was that they are all neighbors on the same block and somebody new just moved in. They're deciding if they should go introduce themselves. I was really hoping she'd leap in and talk about gluten when they went in the pie direction, but she didn't think of it until afterwards. My favorite is the two girls on the end- what if they're killers? well, killers like pie! let's take them a pie and maybe they won't kill us! haha!!!
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