Listen to Richard interviewd on Radio Disney speaking to parents about how to get their children into acting 20 min

Young Professionals

When my daughter was six years old, she expressed an interest in acting. I listened to her and I thought it was very cute that she thought she wanted to be an actor. I figured it was something that would pass in time, but she never gave up. With great regularity she expressed her desire to act. When she was nine, I finally sat her down and we talked at great length about what it would take to be an actor. I told her that at even her age an actor was expected to be a professional. She said "Daddy, what is a professional?". I said "Someone who shows up to work on time with a good attitude, is always prepared, makes their working situation a place where art can occur and does their very best". I added that "It was also about having respect, passion, discipline and a love for what you do through working hard to be the best that you could be. It was also about having fun because it is a blessing to be able to do what you love and love what you're doing." We always had a great communication, so she listened well. Well, it's 20 years later and she's having a great career. She has a concept about her career that has served her well over the years. A career literally means 'a road trip'. On a road trip, one must know where they're going and why they're going there, otherwise it's just a random vacation. When you know where you're going and why you're going there you can better prepare for the trip. You are more likely to have fun and less likely to be taken advantage of when you have clarity about the journey.

The purpose of the Young Professionals Class:

• It is very similar to the 12 week On- Camera Class in that the foundation of the class is based in defining what a career is and then learning how to create it.


• Personal development.


• Acting Training.


• Auditioning training.


• Improve communication skills, self esteem, social skills, ability to work in a group and confidence.


• Learn how to become young filmmakers by learning how to utilize computers and camera equipment to shoot, light, edit and create their own product so they can be better prepared to market themselves to agents, casting directors, directors and producers.

The basic structure of the class is set up so that we alternate between auditioning one-week and turning in a film project the next week. There are six filmed auditions and eight film projects. There is one technical class where we teach the young professionals everything they need to know about the computer and the camera. They are placed in buddy groups where several children work together as a team to complete their projects. We teach them an audition technique that will exponentially increase their ability to book jobs because they will feel far more confident about their ability to act, their understanding of the material and their ability to make bold choices. Once a month the parents will be allowed to see the work produced by the young professionals. As a result, Students gain confidence, learn to think on their feet, develop creativity and improve social skills. We empower children and look for the gifts each student brings to us. Shy youngsters open up and feel more positive! Gifted children find an outlet for their creative energy! Youngsters discover their uniqueness; the traits that make them extraordinary.

My philosophy of teaching young professionals can be found in the quote by Martha Graham "It Is that openness and awareness and innocence of sorts that I try to cultivate in my dancers. Although, as the Latin verb to educate, educere, indicates, it is not a question of putting something in, but drawing it out, if it is there to begin with... I want all of my students and all of my dancers to be aware of the poignancy of life at that moment. I would like to feel that I had, in some way, giving them the gift of themselves".