SIN Entertainment

But don't take an attitude elsewhere. "I know
"What I'm looking for," she says, "is the excep-
casting agents and management in L.A. and New
tional child."
Ms. Bassi can be the first stop in the long ad- York who say, `If we don't like the parents, we don't
venture known as fame and fortune. Those few chil- take the child.' "
And dealing with agents in New York or Los An-
dren she selects from the file will be asked to come
in for an interview, and possibly sign a contract with geles is a must if you expect your child to make
the agency. They may secure work in print adver- scores of money and appear on the covers of national
tising, in TV commercials, or industrial films. The magazines.
Ultimately, families with such dreams will have
more ambitious, and lucky, can go further; among
to
make the move, literally. Becoming a child star
star
Eliz-
Show
Girls
Ms. Bassi's former clients are
abeth Berkley and Ashley Johnson, who recently in Hollywood means trying again, and again, and
made the jump from TV sitcoms to the new Tom again at audition, after audition, after audition. You
simply cannot appear at all of these, much less learn
Arnold film Nine Months.
But before even taking that first photo of your lit- about them, if you're not living in the Los Angeles
tle darling, Ms. Bassi advises parents to ask them- or New York area.
selves if their child is really
marketable. That means looks.
Ms. Bassi makes it a policy to
tackle the issue head-on.
"You might as well be up-front,"
she says. "When I have to tell par-
ents 'no,' I try to explain, 'The chil-
dren have to be able to compete
with those we already have regis-
tered.' Parents understand, and
most appreciate my honesty."
This includes even those closest
to her.
A good friend of the family re-
cently pulled out his wallet and
asked Ms. Bassi to take a look at a
photo of his adorable, wonderful,
marvelous child.
She did.
It was bad.
"I had to be honest," she said. "I
had to tell him, can't do anything."
A second issue parents must con-
sider is money.
Affiliated does not demand
clients have professional photos or
take talent lessons. Yet many par-
ents opt for both, and it won't be
cheap. Photos alone can cost in the
hundreds of dollars, and these will
PHOTO BY GLENN TRIEST
last but a short time because chil- Marsha Bassi: Loo king for children with some kind of spark.
dren's looks change so quickly.
Vicki Howard has seen the business from
Parents also must be prepared to deal with un-
certainty. Your child may find he hates the entire both sides of the camera, and she likes what she
business after one assignment. Or he may have one sees.
A former model who has appeared on the run-
shoot this week, then no more for another year. You
may have to take him out of school to go to work, way, in billboard and print ads and as an extra in
and it's possible you'll be called at 10 p.m. for an as- feature films, she now runs Ta-Dah! Productions,
a model/talent development agency in Berkley. Her
signment the next day.
A fourth, and key, issue is who really wants the goal is "to teach people what I learned in my 20
work. Is it the child who dreams of seeing himself on years' experience."
With both child and adult clients, Ms. Howard
the Silver Screen, or a parent's own unfulfilled dream?
"You cannot push your child into the business," offers classes and workshops on everything from
Ms. Bassi says. "You cannot make a child do this how to be an auto-show model to how to compete in
beauty pageants, from the best way to pose for pro-
if he doesn't want to do this."
Consider the fact that modeling often entails fessional photos to how to perform voiceovers.
Parents who hope to see their children in show
working long hours and in unusual situations: stand-
ing outside in chilly weather, or posing with a dog business should first come for a consultation, armed
and a cat, or acting like part of a family with adults with a list of questions. Don't be shy, Ms. Howard
insists: nothing is too ridiculous to ask.
the child has just met.
From here, Ms. Howard can direct families to
"Somebody could come in and be the cutest kid
in the world," Ms. Bassi says. "But you can't go on which Ta-Dah! courses would be most beneficial
a set and stand around hiding behind your moth- and recommend an area in which the child might
most likely excel.
er's skirt."
"Before you pay all that money for a photogra-
Of course, it doesn't take long to weed out those
pher or to talent schools, you need to know what it
"backstage mothers and fathers."
"We don't see that many, and in any case in De- is you want to do," she says.
In turn, Ms. Howard, who coordinates fashion
troit, we're a little more lenient. We try to , work with
parents," Ms. Bassi says.
TRENDS page 78

Before You
Anything ...

ou can find them everywhere fr0111. Califor
nia to Utah, Honolulu to Dallas, Kansas to
New York. The question is, are they rep-
uthble?
The Federal Trade Commission's consumer pro-
tection division in Los Angeles --the city with more
talent agents than anywhere else in the world — of
fers these guidelines for anyone considering sign-
ing with a talent, agency, agent. manager or
photographer:
Q: What is the difference between a le
gitimate talent agency and one whose pur-
pose is to separate y011 from your money?

y

A: The legitim,ate talent agency does not
charge a fee payable in advance for register-
ing you, for resumes, for public relations ser-
vices, for screen tests, for photograph,s, for acting
les.sons, or for many other services used to sep-
arat e you from your money. If you are signed as
a client by a legitimate talent agency, you will
pay such agency nothing until you work and
then 10-15 percent of your earnings as a per-
former — bu.t nothing in advance. Legitirriate
talen,t agencies normally do not advertise for
clients in newspaper classified columns nor do
they solicit through the will.
Q: Are legitimate talent agencies li-
censed by the state?
A: Yes. Such talent agencies are licensed by
the state as talent agents, and most established
agencies in the motion picture and television
field also are franchised by the Screen Actors
Guild. You should be extremely careful o
talent agency not licensed by the sta
Q: What about personaliiiana
business managers?
A: There are well-established firms in
business of personal management and busines
management, but such firms in the Main han-
dle established artists and they do not adver-
tise for newcomers, nor promise employment.
Q: What about photographers?
A: If a purported talent agent seeks to send you to
a particular photographer for pictures, what should
you do? Hold your wallet tight and run for the near
est exit. Chances are he's a phony and he makes his
In011ey by splitting the photographer's fee. If you need
photographs, choo.se your ort,, n photographer. Better
hi , in
still, try another. agent. But don't pay anything
advance.

The following Michigan agen.cies.
the Screen Actors Guild:
Affiliated Models Inc., 164,,
MI 48084, (810) 244-8770.
Michael Jeffrey Model & Tale
ington, Suite 210, AIM Arbor, MI
6398.
Pastiche Model And Talent, 1514 We
SE, Suite 280, Grand Rapids, MI 49506,
. (616) 4

8417.

Productions Plus, 30600 Telegraph Rd., Suite
2156, Bloomfield, MI 48301, (810) 644-5566.
The Talent Shop, 30100 Telegraph Rd., St
116, Birmingham, MI 48025, (810) 644 4 4877A ,,M'
k
For information on Ta-Dali! workshops a

sultations, call the agency, 54TA-DAH
2737 W..12 Mile Rd., Berkley, MI 48072

