. 2007 December | Academy of Cinema and Television Blog
Auditions for Kids, acting
Dec 30

Since many of the students at the Academy of Cinema and Television are often selected for working in television and film, we encourage the parent of a child or teen actor who has begun working on projects in the industry to familiarize themselves with the child labor laws and regulations in the state where the youth is working. Not only is it important because it’s the law, but these regulations are put in place for the benefit of the child or teen and are great guidelines to follow.

States can regulate many aspects of a production when it comes to kids and teens working in the entertainment industry. Before your child walks on the set the first day, make sure you find out the answers to the following questions:

* What’s the maximum number of hours my child can work on set?
* Are the hours different for school and non-school days?
* How much light can/will my young child be exposed to?
* Is my child required to have a work permit?
* Is a studio teacher required to be on set?
* How much time does my child get for rest and recreation?
* Are there any exceptions?

In each state there always seems to be gray areas, loopholes and exceptions. For example, many regulations are determined based on the age of the actor. However while a seventeen year old student in California may only be allowed to work between certain hours, a seventeen year old who has graduated from high school is not subject to child labor laws and can work as an adult.  The parent is the child’s primary advocate, even if they have an agent or personal manager.  A production set can be a stressful, hectic environment and if a director is running behind schedule he may not want your child to get their mandated break time. It’s up to you to make sure your child has a healthy, balanced and enjoyable experience in the industry.

December 30th, 2007 by StaffNo Comments »
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Student News
Dec 27

Torrey Pine student at the Academy of Cinema and Television
A.C.T. student Torrey Pine just booked an Aetna commercial.

Torrey received the tip about the auditions from her A.C.T. instructor, Jimmy Flowers. Handling the casting call was Good Faith Casting, Arizona’s only full-service casting office. Good Faith Casting has offices in Phoenix and Los Angeles.

Way to go Torrey!

December 27th, 2007 by StaffNo Comments »
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Industry News
Dec 27

Source: Outer Banks Sentinel

Child actor turns make-believe into career
BY PAUL GORZKOWSKI | SENTINEL STAFF

He’s just an ordinary kid who spends his days doing ordinary things — if “ordinary” includes acting with Ben Affleck.

Seven-year-old Trenton Rogers, a native of North Carolina and the grandson of Dr. Walter

L. Holton of Manteo, has spent the last two and a half years acting in television commercials and movies along side some of the biggest names in the business including Affleck, Scarlett Johansson and Jennifer Aniston in the recently-filmed production of, “He’s Just Not That Into You.”

The feature film was produced by New Line Cinema and Flower Films, a Drew Barrymore production company. Trenton plays in a flashback scene in the movie as a child version of Affleck’s character.  Read the full article.

December 27th, 2007 by StaffNo Comments »
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Industry News
Dec 23

The Academy of Cinema and Television is always on the look-out for good information to pass on to its students. We came across an article that includes an interview with the director and youth star of the new film “The Water Horse.” The interview is very revealing for parents and children desiring to one day work in film. For instances when the young star was ask the question, “Alex, what was the hardest part of making this film: the swimming or the green screen work?” Child star Alex Etel answered, “The green screen work because it was weird trying to speak to a tennis ball on a stick.”   Here is a portion of the beginning of the article, if it intrigues you, you can click and read the full piece at moviesonline.com.

MoviesOnline sat down recently with director Jay Russell and actors Alex Etel and Ben Chaplin to talk about their new movie, “The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep,” about a young Scottish boy, Angus (Etel), who finds an enchanted egg. Taking it home, he soon finds himself face-to-face with an amazing creature: the mythical “water horse” of Scottish lore. Angus begins a journey of discovery, facing his greatest fears and risking his life to protect a secret that would give birth to a legend.

“I was really excited by the chance to show Angus’s friendship with Crusoe,” says Alex Etel. The young actor, acclaimed for his starring role in Danny Boyle’s “Millions,” plays the boy who finds Crusoe and raises the magical creature from birth to adulthood over the course of a few weeks. For Russell, that relationship parallels an important aspect of Angus’s life. “The relationship between Angus and the Water Horse is of great importance, because as the creature grows, it really becomes a quite beautiful metaphor for the relationship Angus once had with his father,” notes the director. “Crusoe helps him grow from a young child towards maturity. That’s the simplicity of this story; it’s just a wonderful way to tell the story of a child growing up and accepting the realities of life.”  Read the full article.

December 23rd, 2007 by Staff2 Comments »
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Industry News
Dec 22

Source: Todayonline

LIFELONG ICONS OR ADULT RELICS?
Love them or hate them, Tinseltown tykes are here to stay

by Kenneth Tan

CAN you think of a movie star who’s had the privilege of acting beside Tom Cruise, Robert De Niro, Sean Penn, Julia Roberts and Michelle Pfeiffer, and won 13 awards in 13 years?
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Her name is Dakota Fanning — and she is just 13 years old. Child stars have long captured the imaginations of everyone from industry moguls to wide-eyed movie fans. They are cute and charming. More often than not, they are precocious and newsworthy.
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But they don’t always last.
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Some succeed well into adulthood, even becoming lifelong icons, while others are one-hit wonders who rapidly fade into obscurity, or, worse still, ruin (or lose) their lives.
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Are there patterns in show business history that can help explain this?
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Ms Fanning is riding high right now. Some criticise her for being a childish pixie with a grown-up face. But love her or hate her, there’s no denying the kid can act. From I Am Sam through War of the Worlds and Charlotte’s Web, “got talent” is the phrase to describe her.
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Emma Watson shot to fame as Hermione in the Harry Potter movies — and then aced her O-levels. With Emma’s looks, abilities and track record, I believe the sky’s the limit for her.  Read full article here.

December 22nd, 2007 by Staff1 Comment »
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Industry News
Dec 22

Source: LA Times

Classic rock acts like the Police, Van Halen and Genesis packed arenas in 2007, but it was Hannah Montana’s year.

By Randy Lewis, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
December 22, 2007

Contentious or congenial, rock reunions were the hot tickets in 2007, as three high-profile band resurrections finished among the 10 highest-grossing concert tours of the year.

The Police led the way, topping Pollstar magazine’s annual ranking of the North American concert business. The trio’s reunion tour pulled in $131.9 million over 54 shows, coming close to the Rolling Stones’ $138.5-million take that topped last year’s list.

As much as the reunion of the three frequently bickering musicians had been eagerly anticipated, “I don’t think anyone, including the band, expected the Police to be as huge as they were this year, not just here but worldwide,” Pollstar Editor Gary Bongiovanni said Friday.

The return of “Diamond Dave” Lee Roth to the Van Halen fold in 2007 put that historically squabbling group’s tour No. 5 on the list, generating $56.7 million in ticket sales in 39 tour stops. And even though veteran British rock band Genesis played only 25 shows in North America, it placed No. 8 on the list with $47.6 million in sales.

Nevertheless, the tour that placed only No. 15 on Pollstar’s ranking was, by most accounts, “the hardest ticket of all to get last year,” Bongiovanni said of the “Hannah Montana”/Miley Cyrus Best of Both Worlds tour. Read full article here.

December 22nd, 2007 by StaffNo Comments »
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Student News
Dec 22

Students who pay attention in class will often hear these words: “Smile” - Smile when you are performing on stage. Smile when you make a mistake. Smile when your audience laughs at the right time. Smile when you leave the stage. Smile.

Children and teens that are involved in the performing arts learn the importance of a nice smile at an early age. There is much more to an appealing smile than one might realize. And a great smile usually begins with good brushing habits. Author Martha Schindler Connors, in her article titled “Is This a Toothbrush or a Drill Sergeant,” begins with this sentence: “HONESTLY, how hard can it be? We’ve been doing it twice a day since kindergarten. But still we can’t get it right.”

“Odd as it sounds, most people are no good at brushing their teeth,” said Dr. Paul Warren, a dentist and a vice president of scientific relations for Procter & Gamble Oral Care.

All you have to do is go tooth by tooth, bristles to the gumline, for at least two minutes, according to the American Dental Association. Read the full article.

December 22nd, 2007 by StaffNo Comments »
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Fashion, Industry News
Dec 22

Source: NY Times ~ By Cathy Horyn

AT least one color authority, Pantone, has taken the plunge and announced its favorite color for 2008. To be sure, this news doesn’t seem as delectable as People’s Sexiest Man Alive or as snugly affirming as Time’s Person of the Year. You probably did not even know that chili pepper red was the color for 2007.

Nonetheless, Pantone’s choice of blue iris, or No. 18-3943, got some news media attention last week, which seemed to be partly the objective of the company, which is based in Carlstadt, N.J. In a statement, Leatrice Eiseman, the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, said: “Blue Iris brings together the dependable aspects of blue, underscored by a strong, soul-searching purple cast. Emotionally, it is anchoring and meditative with a touch of magic.” Click here to read the full article.

December 22nd, 2007 by Staff1 Comment »
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