A few weeks ago I was a guest blogger on my friend Sarah's blog.
Salt & Nectar. Here is what I wrote:
Guest Post: My Rising Star—Why I Introduced My Daughter to the Industry
Posted on July 11, 2011 by saltandnectar| 2 Comments
After my daughter Taelyn was born, I thought she was the most beautiful baby in the world, but I am supposed to think that, right? I mean, I am her mommy. And, although superficial, I admittedly never tired of hearing family, friends, and strangers tell me how beautiful she looked. You see, it was reassuring that others thought she was pretty because I was secretly and irrationally worried that Taelyn as a mixed-race baby—I am black and Filipina and her dad is Italian—would look so different that others would judge or tease her. Of course I recognize that all babies are beautiful blessings, but I know from personal experience that childhood is easier for mixed-race girls who are attractive. Beyond vanity, I was truly relieved that it’s one less challenge she’ll have to contend with as she grows up.
Despite the fact that I was and still am mesmerized by Taelyn’s big eyes and sweet lips, I only ever considered her to be my little star. However, when she was about two months old, we went to a UFC fight party at my brother’s house and his friend suggested I try to put her on TV or have her do some print work. Up until that point, I honestly had never thought about doing anything like that. I wouldn’t have even known how to get her started in modeling or “acting.” The friend told me I couldn’t let all of Taelyn’s beauty go to waste (so flattering to a proud mama) and that her son worked with an agency. She then handed me the number to her agent. After talking with my husband, we thought “Hey, why not?” While we have no intentions of making her the next Mouseketeer or promoting her like the Olsen Twins, we felt this was something we would like to explore because we could add to her savings account, she could list it on future résumés, and it would make a great story to tell when she’s older. We really didn’t see any downside to pursuing this, so I called the next day and set up an appointment with an agent.
I had heard all kinds of stories about people getting scammed out of hundreds, even thousands, of dollars to get their baby into commercials, so when I met with the agent from Lang Talent and learned that I should NOT pay anything to get her started, I was surprised and relieved. He said any legit agency would pay you, not the other way around. Next, I was told what I needed to do to get her work in the industry.
As the first step, I had to get Taelyn a work permit. No minor can work on anything without a work permit. Next, I set up a profile on LA Castings. Because Taelyn is a baby, an agent cannot sign her. They contract babies and toddlers out instead. Kids usually don’t get signed to an agency until they are four or older, so the Web site is the best way to get her seen because it is used by anyone looking for talent. The next step was to wait… and, luckily, I really didn’t have to wait long. Three weeks after creating her profile up on the Web site, Taelyn was offered an audition for an independent film called The Warm Up Guy and she got it. Three months old and my baby was already a star! At least I thought so…the production incorrectly listed her name as “Jaclyn DiMillo” on the end credits. While some might consider this a bad break, I just joked that I now had two baby superstars. Beaming mother, can’t you tell? Plus, they got her name right where it counts—her paycheck, which went straight to her savings account (college here she comes!).
When we went for that film shoot, I got a quick dose of what I was to expect. There has to be a tutor on site anytime there is a minor being shot. Babies cannot work for longer than four hours a day. There is a “baby wrangler” on site and they deal with the baby, not the parent (very hard for me, since I am such a hands-on mommy). You must have the work permit with you at all times, and the tutor or baby wrangler must sign off on the permit.
The laws are very strict regarding how the child gets paid for her work and how the money is divided. Ten percent goes to the agency, fifteen percent goes into a Coogan Account, and the rest is for the parents. How parents choose to spend the rest of the money is totally their prerogative. We feel blessed by her opportunities and have decided to save all her earnings for her (certainly a perk of waiting until you are established to have kids).
{ Taelyn's LA Casting's Profile Pictures }
Through LA Castings, whenever there is a part or a role that fits the description of Taelyn’s profile, I get an e-mail and I can pick and choose if I want to submit to the client. If it’s something we’re interested in pursuing, I submit her profile and they can then see her pictures and her measurements. Most people don’t want headshots for a baby, they want to see them au natural. More often than not, I have been asked to send a cell phone picture of her so they can just see what she looks like in a raw environment. If they like what they see, they then offer an audition. Taelyn has had many auditions and I’ve learned that you really never know what the client wants. I go to the audition, where they generally ask me to make her smile, cry (I have actually seen a mom pinch her baby to make her cry! I would NEVER!), or just let her play and they videotape or take pictures of it. Within five to ten minutes, we are sent on our way.
Taelyn has booked three jobs since she has started working, the most recent being a Huggies commercial (the BIG fish). She really did an amazing job on set—she is so mild mannered, it helps. (Thank God for that because he certainly did not grant me the patience to deal with her otherwise.) There are lots of babies looking for work and so there are months that can go by without any auditions. It really just seems to be the luck of the draw. When you do get called for an audition, you get very little notice, sometimes just hours in advance, so this would not be something working parents can do easily. Since I am a stay-at-home mom now, I have the time to make the hour and a half drive (without traffic) to get her to auditions. I also have time to join in the fun. Huggies asked me and my husband to be at the set but we had no idea that they’d send us to hair and makeup too—the company wanted “real” parents to speak about the product, so we gladly obliged.
While we attempt to make this a fun family affair, it can be a brutal family profession as exemplified by the dreaded “stage moms” I have encountered. I’ve seen mom’s pinch their child’s cheeks before heading into an audition to give them rosy cheeks; I’ve seen bribery with candy and toys when the audition was over; I’ve witnessed one mom put fake teeth and hair on her BABY! before the audition; and I’ve seen a mom switch a call time so that another baby would miss her audition. All I do is shake my head because I see clearly that I am by no means a stage mom. I will not force my child to do anything she doesn’t want to do. She is only 15 months old right now, and as much as a baby cannot voice opinions or make certain decisions, she seems to be more than happy when we go to these auditions and shoots. But the moment she no longer shows interest, we will move on to the next endeavor. I want her to have any and every opportunity to do something special, whether it’s commercials, soccer, dance (fingers crossed), music, whatever. While I don’t want her to be a quitter and I do want her to gain the experience, I would never insist that she keep doing something that doesn’t bring her enjoyment. Plus, I am concerned about her future—I don’t want Taelyn to focus and rely on just her looks instead of using her brain! School and learning will always be the priority. I think this sets me aside from other stage moms and I hope that Taelyn will grow up to be well rounded and knowledgeable in many different things.
In the meantime, I am so excited that she booked a Huggies commercial. My baby is a superstar (unless her part is left on the cutting room floor)!
~ Teresa DiMillo
Portrait Images by Jess Hekman Photography.
Salt & Nectar thanks Teresa for guest blogging today. Teresa lives in Mentone, California with her husband Todd, daughter Taelyn, two dogs Tyson and Tony, and is expecting Baby Boy T in the fall. (As you can see, she is passionate about “T” names.) Teresa is a cancer survivor. She said goodbye to her busy and hectic life as a private investigator in the gaming industry to become a Domestic Goddess and raise her growing family. She enjoys playing with her daughter, amateur cooking and baking, entertaining friends, and anything that is neat, clean, and organized. You can catch a glimpse of her life on her blog thedimillos.blogspot.com.
