Expert: Taylor Sheppard - 7/28/2007

Question
QUESTION: my name is hannah and i'm 13. i really want, more than anything, to be
on disney channel. i know, i know. i am among thousands of millions of
people who share the same dream i do. i am familiar with the whole
finding an agent thing but i need to know if you can tell me, do i need
an agent who specificlly works with disney channel or no? i was sooooo
close to auditioning for jrp( john robert powers) but then my friends told
me it was a scam. i want a real agent who can really help me, and see, i
really want to do this, or at least get started, before i get too old. i guess
i am fortunate, because i live in california, because los angeles is not to
far away. my other question is; where can i find a good agent near me?
do you have any suggestions. i know the work and dedication this takes,
and i know i can do it! it is something i have always been interested in,
and now is my chance! please help me and thank you so much! this
means soooooooooooooo much to me!
hannah : )

ANSWER: Hi Hannah,

Sorry for the delay, sounds like you dodged a bullet with JRP, they are definitely not the way to go!
You didn't mention experience in acting in your email. That is going to be needed to do what you want to do!
An agent is going to want to see that you have had experience, I am not sure how they feel about Screen Actors Guild eligibility, as I know older talent is expected to be
eligible as a general rule. An agent represents you for everything -not just Disney shows. You will need headshots to get an agent, of course, and that will cost some money. You will need a photographer who shoots those kind of pictures for a living, not a mall store photographer. Then, you will need copies and there are services on the web to locate them. You will need to also look on the web (google "acting resumes" for examples) to put together a resume to staple to the back of each picture (two staples at top only, spaced about 6 inches apart). The headshot/resume should be trimmed to match in size to each other. Then you will send them with a note saying you are seeking representation in the Los Angeles area. You can look up talent agents for the area in google. Do not put height, weight, age on your resume...DO put skating, dancing, singing...whatever it is that you can do under "abilities". Put down classes you have taken (as a substitute for experience, if you have none).

Good luck!
Taylor

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you so much Taylor, for answering my last question. it was very
helpful, but i have another. for the head shots, do we need a pro
photographer, or can i take the headshots with my digital camera? My
friend Julia is also wanting to act with me. We will take each others head
shots. is that o.k. do you think? and yes, i know the agent wouldn't be
just for disney, but once we have and agent, could we just tell them that
we are interested in disney? and you're right, i did not mention acting
experience with acting. and that's because julia and I, don't have a lot of
experience. well, we do have a little, but it's not exactly what you would
call professional. she did some at a camp she went to, and we both got
more experience from an after school program called ambassadors. we
preform for three different schools in our school district, and we also
know the basics of acting. it's weird. we know how to act, but we haven't
had that much experience. this coming school year, we'll be in 8th grade
and we're going to be in a few of productions localy at a high school
nearby. that way, we will get more experience. our drama techer at
school said "we have a lot of potential, and we are some of her brightest
students and actually grasp the acting excercises she gives us." and i am
not trying to brag, but we don't really know what that means. should we
go further in acting, or what? that's why we're kind of confused where to
go from here. it is really frustrating for me, because i want to be famous,
but i mean who doesn't want to be? but so anyway, we know we're good
enough but it is hard to find an agent in our area. like i said, we live in
napa, california, so the nearest agency would probably be in san
fransisco. we were thinking of doing the best talent awards in los
angeles on november 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. matt jackson, the person who is
incharge of disney channel, is going to be there doing a couple of
seminars. we could also meet an agent there. do you think we should do
it? i am very sorry for the long reponse to your answer. i am just so
curious. anything, suggestions, ideas, that will help us would be greatly
appriciated. we are desperate. we are dedicated, and we seriously want
this more than everything! please help, and thanks again!
ANSWER: Hi Hanna,

First, let me say that it is refreshing to get a letter from someone your age who knows how to write well and spell. So many who write to me make me shake my head and think "First thing they need to do is pay attention in school..." While we always hear that a good person shouldn't be judgmental, people DO get judged harshly if they have poor grammar and obviously lack education.

You have several things here that are positive: you have done the ambassador thing, which takes guts -putting yourself in front of an audience, especially not at your own school. Second, your teacher didn't sound to have given you the "generic" pep talk on your talent. Teachers are supposed to be supportive and nurturing, but if they go beyond "You are doing good!" then, that is encouraging. It would be cruel to tell someone who is tone deaf that they they are "exceptional" when they will be lucky to accomplish singing in key.

I think you need to make a point of making the seminars with Matt Jackson. You will learn a lot, meet a lot of people and get a feel for the industry. I wouldn't go with the idea that you will be discovered and put on Disney. You will probably find that there will be overzealous parent/managers trying to push their kids toward him, and likely, he will be rushed off to an exit after speaking. People will want to get 5 minutes from him if they can!
If he has a "Q and A" (questions and answers) session, you would help yourself with having a well thought out and interesting question to ask. Not just: "How can I get on Disney?"

As to the headshot question: At least with a digital camera you don't have the expense of buying film and developing it to discover that you have no good shots.
Seriously, I haven't met one single person who even accidentally came up with a picture which was good enough.
And "Good enough" really isn't good enough. They don't give awards for good enough, do they?
To be taken seriously, you need to have what appears to the studied eye, to be a professional shot that shows you at your best, well lit, but not over-lit, in focus, yet with "soft" light (that means the light doesn't bring out every little pore on your face) and spontaneous.
I tried taking pictures with my brother, who has taken pictures forever in school and with professionals. He would try to pose the shots and take so long that I would look frozen at the end. With a pro, you are shooting quickly and BREATHING while you go. That is the biggie. Breathing makes you look good, holding your breath makes you look bad and or nervous and...like a statue!
The pictures they take at malls and department stores are usually bad in quality and wouldn't work for you. Best thing is to get them done by someone who does it for a living, someone who can make you laugh and comfortable while shooting, someone you can "work with".

Definitely get this done before you go to the seminar. You need to take lots of copies with you to hand out!

Agents in Napa would be minimally useful, I would think. Not that it would hurt, but I don't know of that area being a big filming area, except for specific movies and the odd wine commercial. If you can tie the seminar together with an agent hunt, that would be ideal, but have headshots to present when asked!

One last note: I worry when someone mentions the desire to be famous. You must be very careful what you wish for.
While it can be fun to sign an autograph once in a while, there is lots of stress and responsibility to fame. Sure you get attention. LOTS of attention! More than you want.
I don't know if you've had your first kiss, or not, but if not, imagine you are having that magical moment, you close your eyes, lean in and....CLICK! You see a bright flash through your closed eyes! There is a paparazzi capturing it for the front page of the Enquirer or some other gossip rag, and the headline yells: "HARD PARTYING HANNAH'S NEW SLEEPOVER BUDDY!" Mean? Yes. True? Not at all! Does that matter? Not to the average person at the checkout stand, they just believe every word of it! Those people have ended marriages with their lies. If a celeb is caught standing somewhere with a beer bottle in hand, suddenly he's a drunk. If you are seen with anyone, you are dating them. A fave trick is to get shots of you after they have teased you  and you turn around to yell at them. Then they take the photo and put it across from a photo of someone looking sad or something, then say: "He tells friend he can't take her being a bitch!" -And they sell tons of copies about the scandal...
That comes with celebrity.
People want to be your "friend" because they want to appear cool. They would drop you in a New York minute if you were suddenly yesterday's news. Some will hope you will spend money on them...people you don't really know will want you to give them money. Heck, relatives you don't know will come by to renew family ties.
Many celebrities have killed themselves out of despair because they thought they'd be loved after a lonely life, only to find no one really loves them, even after fame. If anything, you see even clearer, how on your own you are.
Carrie Underwood mentions in the newest Reader's Digest about how hard it is to go anywhere that someone doesn't recognize you.
The true facts are, the friends you have now are your real friends, you may be hyped as the next big...whatever, but being famous DOES NOT MAKE YOU ANY MORE SPECIAL THAN YOU ARE RIGHT NOW. It doesn't clear up any more problems than it creates. If you hate people judging you, you will be miserable as a star! And lastly, it doesn't make you any better than any other person.

I am treating you as an adult here Hannah, because you will be if you become famous, and you need to know what you are signing up for.

Also, be prepared for one of the two of you not getting where the other one does and how it will change your friendship.

Best of luck to you!
Taylor

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Taylor, and thank you soooooo much for answering my last question.
Your advice was very helpful and thanks for the spelling/grammer
compliment. Unfortunately, I have a couple more questions. Before I do,
though, I have a confession. Our drama teacher didn't compliment us as
much as I said she did. First she gave us advice on how to improve, and
then she said that we bring energy to the stage. I am terribley sorry for
not telling the truth. I just got overly-exited about the whole thing. I
don't usually do that though, just so you know. O.k. well my first
question is, did you tell us to go to the 3 day thing in L.A.? Because I
didn't really understand what you were saying. And we understand the
price of fame. It's not all glitz and glamour. And we have to be super
dedicated and practice, practice, practice!!! We will definately be
commited to it! We'll give it 1010%!!!!!! Also, how long do you think the
process of becoming famous will take? Is it a month thing or a year
thing? Please be honest.
Thanks in advanced for answering our questions,
Julia and Hannah : )
ANSWER: Hi again Hannah,

You'd be surprised the number of actors who stretch the truth. Bruce Willis or Stallone (one of them) said that he did lie on his resume to get ahead early in his career. One word of caution, however. DO NOT GET CAUGHT. For instance, lying on an acting resume: you'd be surprised how casting directors know each other and will know you are lying by knowing what the other casting person has done...usually by TALKING TO THEM! You see, there's an organization called the CSA: Casting Association of America. They have meetings and recognize member's achievements in casting films. Many casting directors got their start from working under an established casting director, so ...they may very well know each other...and what they've done...and can ask about you!

My answer was "YES!" go to LA for the seminar.
As to the fame question, that can take years. The only direct way to notoriety I know of is to be involved in a scandal of some sort, but at your age, that would be hard to do. Just do the work, and don't worry about the fame...if it's supposed to come it will, in it's own good time, if not, same thing.

Best,
Taylor

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Taylor,
I know not to lie, and like I said, I usually don't do things like that. But, your advice will be very useful in the future. I have one question this time. How many years exactly do you think it takes to become famous? (just  out of curiousity.) If you have any more helpful advice, please,  please, please tell me. You have been soooooo helpful so far and I have learned so much.
Thank you!!!!!!!!,
Hannah and Julia : )

Answer
Hi Hannah,

As I tried to say, fame is unpredictable, there is no way to know how long. I've seen from a couple years, to 50, to 70 years! If it is really quick, it is rare, and the person is devastatingly beautiful or handsome....and talented as heck!

Best, Taylor