What Does A Talent Manager Do? Do I Need One?

Wendy Alane Wright is a Hollywood Talent Manager with WAW Entertainment. Her clients have appeared in numerous national commercials, movies, webisodes, short films, and on television networks such as ABC, NBC, Comedy Central, BIO, Lifetime, plus many more. Previous to being a Manager and a Talent Agent at Burn Down Entertainment, she assisted many high profile Managers, Agents and Publicists in the careers of Neil Patrick Harris, Johnny Galecki, Sarah Michelle Geller, The Four Tops, The Bee Gees, Meatloaf, Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Guttenberg, The Cranberries Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Kenny Rogers, and Neil Diamond. Wendy is also a Recording Artist, Actress, Author and Music Producer all  giving her a 360-degree perspective of the industry.

I am the President and Owner of WAW Entertainment, a boutique talent management firm in Los Angeles. We represent actors, comedians, models and singers for TV, Film, Commercials, Webisodes and Theater for both Union and Non Union. We only represent outstanding talent. Once I have decided that you are going to be a great fit for my management company and the contracts are signed, we get to work. And boy do we have a lot of work to do! I am going to walk you through the steps we take the first 3 years. This is what we give every new client we sign so they know what we will be guiding them to do.

Actors out there - if you have talent, drive, passion and can really act you too can follow this blueprint for success and get started working in the industry. If you never quit, you WILL become a working actor.

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YEAR ONE

First, we get our clients set up on Actors Access and LA Casting. Actors Access lists mostly Theatrical breakdowns and LA Casting lists mostly Commercial breakdowns. As time goes on we may add Now Casting and Casting Frontier. Everywhere acting jobs are listed you should be looking. We suggest every actor subscribe to Backstage.com

We have our clients fill out their online casting profile questions thoroughly and upload Pics and Resume. Kids need Work Permits and Coogan Accounts set up. Passports are needed for all clients.

Next, we have clients take new Headshots, if, and as needed. This is your MOST important tool. Investment here is crucial to your success. There are lots of great photographers out there. Count on paying about $300-$500 for good headshots. Here are some of the many Photographers I work with and love. For Adults: Michael Helms, Kevyn Major Howard. For Kids: JBC Images , Linda Vanoff or Juls Megill. For Teens: Keli Squires Taylor Photography (keeps them looking young) AFFORDABLE RETOUCHING: Julie Wittner REPRODUCTIONS: Argentum Photo Lab, Ray’s Photo Lab

LEARN ABOUT THE BUSINESSWe have our clients start to get familiar with how the business works by suggesting they read industry books i.e. “Hit The Ground Running,” by Carolynne Barry; “Self Management For The Actor” by Bonnie Gillespie; "How To Book Acting Jobs in TV & Film," by Cathy Reinking. If you don't take the time to read these books cover to cover, you are not serious about being a working actor. Instead you have a hobby. Read the Hollywood Reporter and Daily Variety to see what is happening in Hollywood, who the players are, and what deals are being made.

We also encourage clients to attend show business seminars as often as they can. There is so much to learn about this business. An actor is starting their own business. In essence actors are like mini-corporations. Starting a business without understanding how their business will work is dumb. Actors have a lot of time between jobs. It should be used to improve their craft and learn about the business.

OBTAINING ACTING WORKWAW helps clients to build up their resume, gain experience and get acting jobs. Our goal is to help clients become strong actors that will gain the attention of casting directors, producers, commercial and theatrical agents. Our beginning actors act in Student Films, Non Union TV, Film, Commercials, Music Videos, Features, Theater and Shorts to get experience and footage for the acting reel. Our clients will audition endlessly. Actors act and they audition even more. If you are not loving this, you need to get into another business, and I need to get another client, ha!.

INCREASE TRAINING / BUILD RESUME WITH CREDITS WAW helps client increase their training and build their resume by suggesting appropriate training classes based on client’s individual needs. With each class or job booked, clients update their resume with the new training and acting work.

We have our clients sign up for top Commercial Training Classes with:
Judy Kain at "Keep It Real"
Carolyn Barry
Francine Selkirk
Killian McHugh
Stuart K Robinson
Terry Berland.

We suggest exceptional On-Camera Audition Techniques Classes with:
Doug Warhit, Melissa Skoff, Margie Haber.

For Kids Training: Actorsite, Tracy Martin Kids Koaching (Auditioning), Weiss Baron Hill (Commercials) For Teens: Helen Anzalone
ACTING COACHES: Cameron Thor: 818-991-0880 Michael Woolsen: 323-933-7133
Singing Training: Terri Weiss, Suzanne Kiechle skiechle@aol.com

END OF YEAR 1 PROGRESS REPORTThis is a very rewarding and highly competitive business. WAW continually monitors how hard clients are working for their careers, the efforts they make, and continue to determine if their actions are in line with what they “say” they want to achieve. As long as they are, WAW continues working with the client. If they are serious about building their career, this year will have proven that, and we continue on to the next phase. On the other hand, if actor has not been fighting hard for their place in this business, we reevaluate our relationship with the client. We drop clients who have not demonstrated 100% commitment to advancing their careers, or who have been lax in following our very specific suggestions. There is no reason to waste anymore time together. The reality is there are many talented actors out there who want to have a spot on our limited roster.

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YEAR TWO

DEMO REELSWe guide our client in assembling their 1st demo reel. Options: 1) Actor can collect footage from projects they have completed. 2) Shoot a scene with an independent producer/ production company i.e. Daniel Scherl. 3) They can use a scene from an acting class, i.e.Margie Haber’s class – she uses great HD footage.

MORE ACTING TRAININGWAW requests actors to continue training and get into well know Acting Classes that castings director respect such as; Playhouse West, Ruskin, Groundlings, UCB. Helping our clients become the best actor they can be is our goal. As expected, (and often required) by agents, and casting directors, we keep our actors in audition training classes, have them study deeper acting Methods to keep them sharp and make sure they are ready for all opportunities. Every actor needs to learn how to MASTER the audition room. This usually takes years, and is an ongoing process. Getting into the room is one thing, getting the job is another. Training as an actor NEVER ends. You will be doing it your entire a career. And if you are not always training people, in this business will have a hard time taking you seriously, because the good ones always are.

Some actors complain, "It seems like all my managers does is suggest training." Listen closely actors, your training is everything. In order to deal with the weekly rigors of a television series or the demands of film and the expectations of all of the people involved with a project where they have invested their time, millions of dollars, and energy into their vision, you must be at the top of your game. And if you get hired and they see you aren't you will be replaced. It is my job to make sure this doesn't happen to you. It is also my job to make sure that the casting directors recommend you to the producers and directors, who recommend you to be approved by the Network. You have a tall ladder to climb and I want you to to be successful on every rung. Your training is your foundation and will carry you through this process. Without it, you will be replaced by better trained actors who can handle it. Yes, this is business driven by creativity but at the top levels, it is all about the money.

GETTING A COMMERCIAL AGENTWhen our actors are ready, we begin to submit their Heashots/Resume to Commercial Agents we know. WAW helps clients obtain a Commercial Agent. This will likely be their 1st agent and will give them experience in the real world of acting. Commercial jobs can be very lucrative which will help you pay for all your other acting related expenses. Commercial auditions will also help you practice your new and improved commercial audition skills and give you on set experience.

Once clients are signed to a Commercial Agent, we assist the agent with whatever they need i.e. we confirm bookings, help reach clients, answer incoming producer or casting questions. WAW also serves as a liason between agent and client, and assists with solving problems, answering questions, ensuring payment, explaining numerous aspects of the business as work becomes more frequent. Our relationship with your agent should not take the place of your relationship with your agent. You can still send them thank you notes, and updates on jobs you have booked and plays you will be in. We will guide you though to make sure you are not annoying your agent. There are specific things they hate.

Our actors continue to update their online profiles with class info, new headshots or more looks as needed by agent. We also continue to add footage to the demo reel as we go and upload clips to online casting sites.

CASTING DIRECTOR WORKSHOPSWAW helps our clients build relationships with Casting Directors through regular auditioning, and also their participation in workshops at various locations including: Actors West, AIA, Actors Key, Hollywood Acting Workshop, and numerous others. We help our clients create a target CD list and narrow their focus. Clients pick 5-10 shows they would be right for and them take workshops with the Casting Directors that cast the shows on their list. Workshops are perfect for allowing the CD to get familiar with your face and your work. Building these relationships is crucial and we show you how to manage the relationship in a professional and consistent way. We know what they like and how they like to be approached. We also know what ticks them off and what you should avoid doing.

WAW helps client determine their type. Through the acting classes and commercial training actors begin to understand that they have a type and what the kinds of roles they want to play and are suited for. As they figure this out their Headshots will change. Now that the actors know who they are their headshots need to reflect the kinds of roles they are suited to play. Headshots inform CD's how an actor wants to be cast. They are not pretty pictures!

IMPORTANT BONUSOn this exciting Hollywood adventure, as managers by now we likely have also become a friend, in my case a second mother, a motivator, counselor, a support system, celebrating with you and wiping tears as needed, answering never ending questions, helping you stay positive, focused and on track. I believe in you and want you to be successful! A manager like me is a great asset to have on your team.

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YEAR THREE

GETTING A THEATRICAL AGENTBy the end of year 2 or beginning of year 3, you are probably ready to start approaching a good theatrical agent. Believe me, they do not want to see you before you are ready. Often they will not give you a second chance to make an impression. So approaching an agent at the right time is crucial. I won't let it happen until I know you are ready and that you have what they are really looking for. To my amazement most actors walk in my door day one and think they already have what it takes, that they are special, and they are enough just the way they are. Well yes, of course, you are special but agents look for more than that. Agents expect that I have prepared you for them and weeded out those who are not ready. That is what they count on managers for. They don't have time to do that so they count on managers to do it for them. A manager's recommendation can go a long way, opening doors for you that you typically can not open yourself.

We are very well connected in the industry. When a client has proven their commitment to the craft, have consistently shown up on time for meetings and auditions, given us everything we need to work with including headshots and demo reels, behaved professionally, and we are 100% confident that we can count on you to represent WAW at the higher levels, WAW will submit you to agents we know personally. But know this, putting my reputation on the line for you will only happen if you have proven yourself worthy of this beyond a shadow of a doubt.

At the same time, WAW has clients regularly attending Agent Showcases as an additional way to start meeting theatrical agents, allowing them to become familiar with you, and your work. Rarely, we have clients submit their own Headshots/Resumes/Demo Reels to other appropriate theatrical agents that we suggest.

Once a Theatrical Agent is obtained, WAW assists the agent with whatever they needs to be successful with our client. WAW facilitates communications between agent and clients to confirm bookings, contact actors, answer agent, producer and casting director questions. We are now in business with your agent and we are a team. One of my jobs as your talent manager is to make your agent's job easier. I also will suggest when to replace them if they are not doing their job. And our actor continues to make changes to their online profiles, adding each job they book, class they attend, new headshots/more looks as agent need. I say this again because you would be surprised how many actors forget to update their resumes with new skills they have learned, jobs they have booked or classes they have taken. Agents hate this!

AUDITION COACHING
WAW offers suggestion about who to coach with, and ensures clients are getting coached for auditions as needed. We want our clients to truly be able to deliver their best in the audition room. Coaches we love are Gloria Garayua, Kimberly Crandall, Rod Rowland, and Josh Latzer.

WORKING MORE REGULARLY By year 4 and beyond – we can likely refer to what you are doing as a “CAREER!” Congratulations. You did it! And it took years. It does 99% of the time, for 99% of the actors.

Of course, there are exceptions 1% of the time...you could get really lucky and book a role as a series regular in your 1st year. At which we will jump up and down. But back to reality. over the years as your acting work picks up, and it does because you’ve built relationships with CDs and your booking is strong due years of auditioning, working as an actor, preparing and training - WAW and our clients BOTH have more responsibilities. With each client’s growing success, WAW is also coordinating press, interviews, audition and acting work schedules, interfacing with producers, directors, studios, record labels, products, publicists, selecting projects, reading scripts, attending premieres, producing projects, referring accountants and attorneys…and so much more.

You have been blessed with talent and you will be rewarded for your hard work. And WAW is rewarded for our hard work, not only financially, but spiritually, creatively and emotionally as we watch our clients succeed in sharing their gifts and talents with the world.

We are excited, and truly honored to be a part of our client's journeys!

Now you see how we get our clients working. We have a system that works. The only thing that is needed is an actors talent, tenacity, positive attitude and endless effort with a willingness to do whatever it takes to make their dreams come true.

Good Luck!

If you liked this information and found it helpful leave a comment! I love to hear from new people.

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Wendy Alane Wright Smith
Talent Manager
WAW ENTERTAINMENT
wawentertainment@yahoo.com

How Can I Get A Talent Manager?

You can get a Talent Manager in several ways. Here are three ways:
1) Attend Showcases for Managers.
2) Ask other actors who their Managers are and ask for a referral.
3) Purchase the book at Samuel Frenchs in (Hollywood or online, "The Right Manager" by Keith Wolfe and start making tons of phone calls and sending emails.

As a Talent Manager I receive submissions from people everyday who want to be actors. I say it this way because not all people who submit are actors. They want to be, but many of them aren't yet. They can't all act. I open emails and snail mail with pictures and resumes and it never ceases to amaze me how wanna be actors put so little thought into these all important 1st impressions.

I recently got a headshot from a guy in his 20's with a really great look. His cover letter to me said among other things, "I am currently seeking a commercial or theatrical agent for representation." First I am a manger, not an agent. But I can get him an agent when he is ready if I believe in his talent, like his attitude and choose to take him on as a client. Next I followed the link to his LA Casting site and there was no demo attached. Not a single piece of footage was attached to anything. So how can I see if he can act?

I called this actor and asked if he would please email me a demo from any of the 5 films on his resume, or a scene, or any footage he may have of his acting. He sent back a link that did not work when I clicked it. Great 1st impression. (Actors please check that the link works before you send it.) He also sent one audition video he did for the role of a thug. He said "Most of the projects I have done, I have not received copies for. I hope this suffices." Well it was something, so I watched the audition video.

I liked his look, I liked the body language, his facial expressions and reactions were good, but, his eyes did not mean anything he said. He was acting like he meant what he was saying, but he did not live it. He was not believable. He was not ready to meet an agent. Now I have to determine if I think there is enough potential for me to work with him to get him ready. So I flip over his resume to see where he has trained and there are only four items listed: MN TV & Film On Camera Technique, AIA Studios Scene Study Analysis, 310 Studios Commercial Workshop and Entertainment Studios Improvisation. Do you see the problem here?

There are no acting classes, he has not trained as an actor! Seriously? He did not study at any school for acting. He did not go to college and get a degree in acting. So where did he learn his craft and what makes him think he can act? That is like a Doctor that hasn't been trained as a Doctor. Would you ever hire him?

By looking at his resume, I can see exactly what he has been up to. He has simply taken a few 1 day workshops. Yet in his cover letter informs me he thinks he is ready to have an agent. I see this all the time. Listen up actors, I would never use my relationships and connections with agents to send them an untrained actor. I would look like a fool, and agents would hate me. "Actors" like this have no possibility of competing with trained actors. Agents trust my opinion because I only send them great actors, who are well trained and who are ready! My relationship with the agents I know are crucial I will never put these relationships in jeopardy for anyone. One of our top jobs as Managers is to weed out these kind of people for Agents.

Now here is where it gets funny. I have to call the actor and tell him he can't act. Well I don't say it that way. Instead I say, "I love your look, I think you have potential but I had a few problems with the scene I watched. Your energy was great, expressions wonderful, but I did not believe you. There was no truth in your eyes."

At this point, actors either get defensive and give me attitude, saying I don't know what I am talking about and thank me for my time. Good luck I say and believe me, I am grateful I don't have to waste anymore time with that actor. Or they accept the feedback. Maybe they even agree and ask what they should do. That is the answer I am looking for. That is a sign they may be willing to take my direction. Great because that is what our entire relationship will be based on. For this actor specifically, I will suggest a class with Margie Haber who teaches actors to "live" the moment and not "act out" the moment. That is what he needs. Will he take my advice? Who knows.

Another one of my jobs as a talent manager is to develop actors to get them to the point where they would be good enough for an agent. It is all about doing good acting work. You have to be a good or great actor. Period. If you do exceptional work people will notice. If you want to be an actor you primary goal is to become the best you can be at it. That requires lots of training with quality teachers. If you have a degree in college you are still not done training. You have only had institutional training. not professional training. Often recent college grads with Theater degrees in hand get bent out of shape when you tell them that. Thank you for your time they say. Listen up college grads professional acting training is the same reason Doctors have internships after their schooling. You need time to learn from working professionals. It is very different. If you don't take a managers word for it you will find out yourself.

So I spend some of my time weeding through tons of headshots to determine which actors are serious by the amount of training they have had, the plays they have done and the non-union work they have gotten on their own. I get excited by every actors dream, but it is only feasible for me to work with actors who are committed to being great actors, who have a positive attitude and are willing to take direction.

To find a Talent Manager that is right for you in LA go to Samuel French Bookstore on Sunset Boulevard or online and purchase the $12 book "Personal Managers" by Keith Wolfe. It lists most managers in LA and the types of clients they work with. Go through it with a highlighter and mark the ones that are open to submissions from your type. Hopefully you know what your type is, but that will be another discussion. Be careful selecting a manager. Managers do not have to be licensed like Talent Agents so there are scam artists out there. You should never pay upfront fees for any manager. Managers are supposed to take 15%-20% commission on what your book. Also, you should be given a list of various photographers and teachers to work with. Avoid managers who have a training, photo, representation package. They are often not legit.
When contacting a manager you really need to have your stuff together. Your cover letter should be professional. It should include your headshot, resume and demo reel. If you don't have a demo reel, it should include some kind of footage of you acting so we can get a taste of what you can do. Record a scene or a monologue on your iPhone and send that. Make sure it is well lit so we can actually see you. At least it is something. If you really can act, don't worry about sending professional film if you don't have it. We can tell by what you send where you are in your career. But if the acting is good that is all we care about.

Your headshot should be professional but if it isn't, we will look still review them. We are looking for energy, a sparkle in your eye, charisma, truth, for emotion in the pictures. My daughter's first headshot at 5 years old was a picture I took and she booked off of it all the time. It captured an attitude and an intensity she had. It cost $0. Once we have signed you and are starting to get you out on auditions, you will likely need new headshots then. So don't let that stop you from reaching out to a manager. We can help you get the right headshots when the time is right.

Always be polite and friendly. We don't owe you anything. There are thousands of actors right behind you looking for their chance every year. If you have an attitude of entitlement, or your ego proceeds you into the room, we quickly remove you from our presence. We are looking for humble, talented, hardworking actors. Confidence is fine, arrogance is not. It won't work on the set with directors and it won't work with your representatives. Our job as managers is to weed that kind of actor out so as not to burden the rest of our industry with them.

Be enthusiastic, upbeat and speak positively about yourself and your passion for acting. Don't worry, if you are lying, we will figure that out by what you have done on your resume. Which reminds me to tell you, keep your resume 100% truthful because sometimes we do call your teachers to see what they think about your acting ability. Remember, we are investing a lot of time into your career and we don't get paid until you are good enough to book the work.

It amazes me when actors say, "I don't know about paying 15% of what I make." Really? You don't make anything yet. Geez. And when you do start making money it will be because we spent 2 years getting you ready to.

It also stuns me when actors don't want to sign a 2 or 3 year contract. They say, "that's a long time, can't we just do 6 months." No we can't. Why on earth would I invest 6 months of my time developing you for free so you can walk away with advances skills and give some other representative the benefit of my hard work? Realistically, it takes 2 - 3 years to really start working in this town. That is what it takes to get you going. If I spend that kind of time with you, working for free, it is because I believe in you and believe that you have the ability to be a profitable actor in the future. I want a piece of that pie.

But, that is not the reason I do this job. I love discovering new talent and getting them on TV and into Films. Nothing makes me happier than to see actors succeed at their dreams. I love on that adrenaline every day. However, this is also a business and you are a mini corporation. I am one of your investors so of course I want to see a return on my investment. Oh by the way, I also have to like you personally because we are going to be spending a lot of time together.

Lastly, one of the biggest things managers look in an actor is the ability to take direction. If you sign with a manager, be prepared to take a lot of direction. We have a lot to do to get you ready for a career as a actor. We are like Med School for an actor. You will have to work hard, but by the time you have completed "my curriculum" you will be ready.

Well that's that. Now you see what it takes to contact a manager and make a good impression. The fact is MOST actors just starting out are NOT ready for a talent manager, because you are not ready for us to sell yet to casting directors. A manager helps makes an actor competitive with actors who have been here longer. I have a 52-Week Course "Talent Manager In Your Pocket - Step by Step Instructions For Every Actor's First Year." This course gets actors ready for a manager.

Learn all about my 52-Week Course and watch the VIDEO here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwMGlTmmidM

SIGN UP TODAY!

If you are ready to join the other smart actors who are receiving my 52-week program "Talent Manager In Your Pocket - Step by Step Instructions For Every Actor's First Year" and you are ready to take your career to the next level then...JOIN ME TODAY! The 52 Week program is only $295. For less than 1 month of acting classes you will receive one whole year of personal guidance from a Hollywood Talent Manager. By the end of the year, you will be miles ahead of the competition and I told you would happy with the price. It may go up in the next year or two, but for now that's what it is.

So if you are ready:

FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE!
Get 3 FREE chapters of my new book "Secrets Of A Hollywood Talent Manager." It includes my secret list of the most important casting directors that you should meet! Just sign up below.

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Good luck!

If you liked this information and found it helpful leave a comment! I love to hear from new people.
Visit and "like" me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/WAW-Entertainment/108466172546413 or follow me on Twitter @WAW_wendy

Wendy Alane Wright Smith
Talent Manager
WAW ENTERTAINMENT
wawentertainment@yahoo.com

Don't Be Afraid. Believe In Yourself.

Fear can be your worst enemy. It can suck the life out of you. It can drain you of your inspiration, your motivation and your actions. It can keep you from being who you are capable of being. It is a raper of creativity. But, you have to accept it's existence, learn how to live with it and over come it. You should never let fear define you or your life. That will be a life you will regret.

Performers deal with fear all the time. Fear of not being good enough is a huge one! There is also fear of making mistakes, fear of failure or even fear of succeeding. Failing and falling down only means you have to get up. Taking chances that may have you looking badly is part of the journey. Let's be honest. Everyone will not like you. Not everyone will care for your brand of humour, or style or looks or talent. And that is okay! You are who you are. You are a unique gift to this world. Stop and breathe that in. It's true. You will never be someone else and you will never be repeated again, ever. You are a miracle. And what is inside of you is special. Your talent is uniquely you. Only you can bring it.

John Kimble from the William Morris Agency says, "I believe every person on the face of the earth is unique. Therefore you are not in competition with anybody else."

It is important to say this mantra to yourself every single day, "What other people think of me is none of my business." Say it in your car, when you wake up, looking straigh into your eyes in the mirror. Post it on the mirror. This will change how you think. And when you have done this for several months, you will notice you care so much less about what people think and you will gain new strength to follow your own heart.

I hate when people are born with great gifts inside them and never realize them fully because they are too afraid to take chances, to fail, or to succeed. It breaks my heart because we are all worth so more much than we remember we are. Artists are notorious for self sabotage and fear "interfearing" with success. But remember, because you are born with your gifts already inside you, they are your birth rite to share. God has placed them within us not to hoard and be selfish with, but to share with others and make the world a better place. (if you believe in God). If you don't, it doesn't change the fact that we are all born with gifts and they are there to be shared, period. Not sharing them will only cause you personal stress. And that is no fun to live with.

The great singer Michael McDonald told me one day after a concert, Wendy not everyone will like your voice. Not everyone likes mine. I sing for the people who do and I sing for myself." Man was he right. I sing because I love to sing. It fills my soul to be creative and to express. And when that dirty things called fear creeps back in, I have to work hard to embrace it and get past it. The most successful people in the world have to do this too. When Mayor Bloomfield was asked to sing at a NY event he panicked. Even though he had spoken in front of thousands of people at countless events, he had never sung at any of them. Doing something new was terrifying. Even a very successful and wealthy man can be afraid of not being good enough, or making a mistake, or a fool of himself. The difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is that successful people feel the fear and do it anyways. Unsuccessful people feel the fear and let it stop them in their tracks, or cause them to run away from opportunity. Half of success is just showing up.

Artists are sensitive, often insecure, and deeply self centered by nature have to work very hard at this. Being an artist means taking chances and being willing to bare all of your heart and soul in front of strangers, and opening yourself up to public criticism and rejection. We stand on a stage and say what do you think? It can be so scary, but our art calls us in a haunting, never let go of you sort of way. As artists we must do this, or we feel trapped inside ourselves. And that can be unbearable for ourselves and others. Just ask the people around us!

I recommend a concept called Contrary Action. It means to take an opposite action than you currently feel like taking. If you get afraid and start to back out of an audition, you take contrary action and go anyways. If you think speaking to a producer or director is scary and you procrastinate on the call you should be making, take Contrary Action. You will have to force yourself to take Contrary Action. But what will happen after 6 months of this is you will have realized that none of what you were afraid of was ever as scary as you had imagined it to be. And sometimes you will have really enjoyed it. Wow! To learn more about Contrary Action and how to apply it to your life for drastic changes you can purchase my Book "Contrary Action, An Ordinary Girl's Dialogue with God straight from my Contrary Action website. Yes, the title mentions God, but it is not a religious book. It is a spiritual book that will truly help you make drastic changes and create the life you really want to be living. It has worked for me and many others!

So to wrap this up... if you are alive and if your are human which I assume all of you are. That dirty things called fear is present in your life. You do yourself a huge disservice by letting manipulate you. You are strong and in charge of your thoughts and emotions. You can choose what to give your power to. We have tremendous power and the ability to manifest what we intend. Use that for your own benefit and the benefit of others. Focus your Power of Intention and all that good energy you have inside yourself on taking Contrary Actions and being the creative, expressive person I know you really are.

This applies to people in all walks of life. We need scientists to follow their dreams and intuition and share their gifts. We need doctors to do it, teachers, veterinarians, etc. etc., and even plumbers. No offense...we really need them to do it. However artists are my personal favorite people. I am moved to the core by people who are willing to be vulnerable and share their humanity. Actors, Writes, Singers, Directors, Producers, Musicians, Casting Directors, Costumers, Special Effects and so many more have the amazing opportunity to express their creativity and bring forth light and love into t he world through their art and talents. Yaaay! I love them and I thank them.

You follow your dreams and your heart. Your gifts will be appreciate by many, not everyone, but enough to matter.
If you touch just one heart with your gifts haven't you made the world a better place?
If you liked this information and found it helpful leave a comment! I love to hear from new people.
Visit and "like" me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/WAW-Entertainment/108466172546413 or follow me on Twitter @WAW_wendy

Wendy Alane Wright Smith
Talent Manager
WAW ENTERTAINMENT
wawentertainment@yahoo.com

WARNING FOR PARENTS OF ACTORS (This post has 855 Views)

WARNING PARENTS: Don't let your show biz kids suffer from THIS! 

As a Talent Manager in Hollywood, I get the privilege of working with super talented people, helping them realize their dreams. It is one of the greatest jobs in the world and I love it every day. One of the downfalls of my job is dealing with parents who are overly biased about their children. These parents often feel their kids should be able to walk right in the door and get the job because their kids are so special. I have to get brutally honest here. Yes, of course your kids are "special." I personally love kids which is why I represent them. However, parents you need to understand a very basic fact. Your kids are special to you because you raised them. You see them through different eyes than we do. I did not bring "little Johnny" his 1st Christmas present and watch as he squeeled with delight in his eyes and opened it. I did not cheer "sweet adorable Cindy" on when she kicked her 1st goal in the AYSO Soccer match in 4th grade. I don't know your kid. Neither does anyone else. All we know is we have 300 kids in front of us and they either stand out to us, or they don't.

We have no personal history with your child. We can only gauge what we see or feel in that moment. If they are poorly trained we will see that. If they are shy and holding back we will see that. If their have very few professional skills we will definitely see that. If they are there because you want them to be there, we will see that too. We are comparing them to others and we can see who is further behind or further ahead than your child. This is the objectivity you do not have.

In order for your kid to stand out, they really need to be exceptional to us, and to our standards! Not yours. We need to see well trained kids who have been taught by top teachers who know this business and can bring out your child's full talents and skills. We need to see kids that do not hold back. And importantly, we need to see gratitude and not a sense of entitlement that trickles down from your over biasedness. Yes, they pick that up. We don't like to work with kids like that.

So with all due respect, overly biased parents, YOU are child's worst enemy in terms of their career. Recently, a mother from Texas contacted me about her 12 year old daughter that sings. She sent me several links of her child's tube videos the mother shot. I watched them all. I came to see that, yes, her daughter has an amazing voice! A unique style and a great sound. But, she is a very boring performer. She doesn't sing with emotion. She performs with her eyes wide open most of time, looking like a deer in headlights. She doesn't get lost in the music. She rarely changes her emotions or her expressions. Her videos stay the same all the way through. No interesting changes, no smiling, no emotion. Yikes!

I explained to her mother kids that can sing are a dime a dozen. Great artists are great performers. Stars are always great performers. They express the lyrics of the song from the depths of their soul (even covers) in a way that moves people to the core. Her daughter has not learned to do that yet. That will take time and so much practice and live performance. She is not competitive yet with the kids who already can.

Yes that is hard for any parent to hear. But in order to help her child move to the next level, she needs to hear it, take that information and act upon it by getting her daughter performance coaching and several other things I told her to do. You get the jist. The end result needs to be a child that sings and performs in away that gets people talking, brings tears to people eyes, and makes us feel like we just witnessed something amazing. Until her daughter is able to do that, her mother can continue to post her boring videos with only 56 views on You Tube, while bragging about how great her daughter is. Justin Bieber had 10 million views on the You Tube videos his mother posted of him singing BEFORE he was discovered by his manager Scooter Braun.

I believe most parents are very well intentioned. But, overly biased or know-it-all attitudes will prevent a parent from taking direction from professional representatives who know more than they do, have seen it all, and have been in the business for years.

Here is a resume of a 16 year old in Kentucky. She is serious about becoming an actor and her resume PROVES it. Look at the training she has had and the theater she has done. How does yours compare?  Click on this link to see Alicen's resume. This is what you need to start building your child's resume into.

ALICEN ABLER - Resume | Actors Access

Currently, I have a 15 year old client who just signed a record deal with EMI and is going in the studio to work with Diane Warren on 2 songs. He has one of those mothers that is a blessing to us managers. She listens, takes direction, calls for advice and allows me to guide her. I love these kinds of parents. She has become a wonderful friend and her son is about to go on tour next year! Wow!

I am thrilled when people contact me with talented kids. I get so excited and can't wait to help them take the steps that will bring them closer and closer to their dreams. But if I have to fight with a parent who has a false sense of reality about their kids, I have to decline my involvement. I hate to see that happen, especially when the kids are really talented. Agents, Managers and Casting Directors can see these nightmare parents a mile away. We avoid them like the plague.

Recently, I met a 17 year old singer at an audition for NBC. I looked at his headshot and resume and asked if he had representation. He said, "Yes, he is with Media Artists Group." I said,"why isn't their logo on your resume?" He looked at his mother who answered, "when we do music things I don't put it on." Confused, I asked why? She said, "They have nothing to do with his music so I choose not to." I informed her that she was wrong and she should absolutely add any representation he has to his resume. Listen, if other people believe in you, we may too, or at least give you a chance. By not putting his representation on his resume he appears like an amateur and a beginner. That is not the image this mother should be giving off. Her son should have his agent logo for acting, music management logo, print agent logo and commercial agent logo all on his resume, whatever representation he has. Remember, there are thousands and thousands of wannabes in this business, So if you can establish your self as reputable and ahead of them, you should. By not putting the representation on his resume, this mother is in fact, reducing the competition for the prepared people.

Gently, I asked the mom, "Are you in the business?" She stated, "I am an actress and had been doing this a long time, I am his manager. I am not putting his agent on his resume." Oh geeez. I cringe. I hate when parents think they know how to manage. 99% of the time they don't. They are like people who stand over surgeons and tell the surgeon know how to operate with out any schooling or training. Yikes! These well meaning parents, but just by sheer fact that they are the parent, they believe they know what they are doing. So many talented kids get lost in this problem. I never take on kids with parents like this and neither do most managers or agents I know.

Once I found a singer on you tube that I just loved. She was a 13 year old bi-racial girl with an amazing voice. I contacted he parents on twitter and told them I wanted to meet them and talk about representing their talented daughter. A few months later she was signed to my company and I was so excited about her. I had huge plans for her. I started to notice an attitude of entitlement in the child and an argumentativeness and arrogance in the mother, but I proceeded. I took her to a huge agency and she was turned down. For the next 6 months, I worked with this teenager on her cold reading, improv, audition and interview skills. I took her back to the agency and they signed her on the spot.

However, I was still seeing red flags along the way. Prior to meeting with her new agent to discuss headshots, her mother showed me a headshot she had of her daughter and it was horrible. I said, "do not take that one out during the meeting, only show her the ones I have selected." Sounds simple right? Needless to say, during the meeting the mother handed the agent the lousy headshot asked "what do you think about this one?" The agent said, "we won't be needing that one." I looked at the mother in disbelief. Afterwards, mom said, "I just wanted to see what the agent thought." I was not happy about it, but I thought that would be the end of it. Later that evening, I get a phone call from an irate agent saying, "what the hell is that awful picture on her LA Casting site? She looks like a monkey. Get it down, now." The mother had uploaded this picture to her daughter's online casting websites. Geeez!

When a parent does things like this it just shows the agent and casting directors that they don't have any idea what a good headshot is, and have no idea how to best represent their child. It makes them look like amateurs. Of course, we know parents don't know much. But that is why people hire managers to help navigate the business and prevent them from coming off like idiots. This is a very competitive business, you don't want to give anyone reasons not to work with you. Smart parents hire managers, even smarter ones let the manager do their job. After many incidents like this I had to drop this fantasticly talented kid. I was very disappointed and sad.

To finish up making this point here is my final example. Another well intentioned mother sent me an email saying, "I would like to submit my son's pictures for possible opportunities to be represented by your establishment." So I thought okay, let's look at the cute little kid and see what he has got. I always like to look for potential stars. I open 3 pictures and I find an 18 year old man! Big guy, looks like he plays football. I asked her why is she sending pictures of her adult son? And she responds, "why shouldn't I?" I could tell right away she was going to be argumentative and not really interested in finding out what she SHOULD be doing.

I explain to the mother that her son is 18, and if this is something he wants to do, he should be doing it HIMSELF. No one will give him the time of day if his "mommy" is doing it for him at this age. I just don't see this as a kid who knows how to work the camera or even looks interested in doing this. I shoot her that email.

He was a handsome boy, looked like a sweet guy, but the pictures showed he had no idea how to work the camera which leads me to believe that his mother has sent some random family pictures of him sitting on the couch and standing in the driveway. If either his mother or the young man had any experience they would have made sure the pictures were worth looking at. Listen up, when you are contacting a manager, what you present shows us how much you understand, or don't understand about the business. And it also tells us how much research you have done on your own before contacting us. With no modeling experience this 18 year old he is not ready for a manager. He needs to get out there and work with some local photographers, practice modeling positions by studying male models in magazines and do his homework. I can open doors, but you have to have the goods for me to sell. Your pics to me don't have to be professional, but if you have done any research you would know we prefer plain backgrounds at the very least!

But that isn't even the biggest read flag. His age is. An 18 year old man with little, or no experience, has a lot of work to do and HE needs to be the one to do it, not his mommy. When we are dealing with adults in this business we want them to be acting like adults, period. We happily deal with parents when their children are underage. But our expectations change when we are dealing with adults. That's just the reality. Listen people, we know what it takes to make it in this business and a man his age has to be the one in charge and making it happen. A parent of an adult can not be in the lead.

Well this "mommy" and I call her that not to be disrespectful, but because she is still being a "mommy" to her grown son and she needs to understand that won't be taken seriously. Of course she did not like what I had to say at all and she replied, "Wow bitch your Really rude !!! And to say he doesn't know how to work the camera it stated to send a close up and full body picture which I read off your blog so MAYBE you need to retract and reword delete my email its people like you that would give young aspiring children to THINK they cant achieve, thank God my child is NOT like that so you can take your criticism and put it on a Plain surface!!!!"

aaaah... I rest my case.

If you are the parent to a talented child, do your child a favor. Remember, you are not a talent agent or a manager. Your career in Accounting or the Military has not given you the experience to direct your child in the entertainment industry. That is what we are here for. Let us do our job. Your job is to be supportive, bring your child to where he or she needs to be, take direction, be humble and grateful. And always be professional. You can be your child's worst enemy in this business. Know-it-all mothers are a dime a dozen. We look for the exception.

There are a lot of opportunities out there for children but remember the work should speak for itself. As my friend and Casting Director Risa Bramon Garcia says, "You must be about the work first, knowing that career will follow and not the other way around. Dedicated work leads to good work. Good work leads to great work. Great work is thrilling. Great work is noticed. Celebrated. Hired. And money follows bliss." Well said Risa!

Parents I encourage you to contact me and send your child's videos to me at wawentertainment@yahoo.com. I am more than happy to review them. But if you do, be ready for straight talk. If your child is talented and your are willing to work together to advance your child's career, I look forward to doing great things with you!

This is the type of email I get from really supportive parents.
Hi Wendy, Here's an update on Alice.

She started her acting classes at the Margie Haber Studio. It goes for 13 weeks, Sundays from 2-5 pm.

She started rehearsals for Fauntleroy. She was just going to play Tom (a boy), the Fauntleroy imposter. But they love her sooo much that they are giving her other little parts and are putting her in several of the ensemble song performances. I think (not sure yet) that the musical is scheduled for February 8, 9 and 10, at the Santa Monica Playhouse -- I don't see it on the website yet, so I'm inquiring of the director. Thank you for getting her this audition. She loves the people she is working with.

She also started rehearsals for Annie, under the Theatre Experience of Southern California. About 100 girls are in rehearsal. Last Sunday, girls who wanted lead roles, auditioned for them. Alice auditioned for "Annie." She got a callback and is one of the final four for "Annie". I think they may find out this Sunday or next which girls will play which parts. I hope she gets "Annie." If she doesn't get it, she may get one of the other orphan parts. The musical is scheduled for April 11, 12 and 13 at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse.

She signed up for her school's vocal recital on January 31. Many kids sign up each year, but Alice usually stands out. She's going to sing "Greatest Love of All". It's usually limited to 2.5 minutes per person. Per your suggestion Dr. Thelen, who the school's choir master, is also giving Alice voice lessons now.

She is again an American Girl model for the Flintridge Guild. Fittings will start soon. She usually models 3 outfits and does 3 or 4 shows. The American Girl fashion shows are scheduled for March 22, 23 and 24 at the Glendale Hilton.

I started submitting her again this week. She has an audition tomorrow for a print job. We love her agent. I hope she can get Alice some auditions for Tv, Pilots or film. Please let me know if they need anything from me to make their job easier. Thank you for helping me get her demo materials up on her online casting sites.

I revised her resume. I also renewed her work permit this week since it was already expired. It is attached.

We are going back to New York this summer. If you have time, can you please look into some master classes that maybe she can sign up for. Her friend Emma is now on Broadway in Matilda, scheduled to open in April. Alice wants to follow in Emma's footsteps on Broadway, or at least join a Broadway touring company for Annie or Matilda. Emma took master classes -- that's how she connected with the NY CDs. I think she also has an agent in NYC -- maybe that's something we should look into as well.

Let me know if you want to go to any of these events, you will be our guest.

Sincerely....

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Wow! Now this a parent I love to work with :) Proactive, taking direction, building her daughters resume, experience and just plain working hard. No sense of entitlement and grateful for every opportunity.

That's it for now. Be sure to read other blogs on my site 'Breaking Into Show Business: Secrets Of A Hollywood Talent Manager" If you liked this information and found it helpful leave a comment! I love to hear from new people.

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Wendy Alane Wright Smith
Talent Manager
WAW ENTERTAINMENT
wawentertainment@yahoo.com