The standard entertainment work permit can be obtained by filling out Form DLSE-277, which you can see a thumbnail on to the right. You can also download a copy by clicking here or by visiting the Downloads section of this web site. DLSE stand for the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement.

The top half of the form is the child’s personal information, including permanent address and vital statistics (height, weight, etc.) The bottom half of the form is divided into two separate sections: One for the school and then a physicians statement.

The school section must be filled out if the child is at a grade equivalency of first grade and has not yet graduated or received a GED from high school. If the child is not yet in first grade, then the parent must provide one of the following:

1. Certified copy of the child’s birth certificate
2. The child’s baptismal certificate
3. A letter on hospital letterhead attesting where and when the child was born
4. The child’s passport

Children who are schooled in a setting other than a traditional school environment (home schooling, tutor, etc.) must obtain written verification of their education level from the school district or the county office of education where the child lives.

If I child has been emancipated from their parents and have not yet reached their 18th birthday, a work permit is still required. Emancipated minors may sign for themselves in the Parent/Guardian box.

The completed application must be mailed in to the nearest DLSE office. Faxed applications are no longer accepted.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Work permits are only valid for six months at a time. They must be renewed.
There is no charge for applying for a work permit.
Any questions should be directed to your nearest DLSE office.
Out of state minors need their most recent report card or letter from school.
A PRE-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE MUST ACCOMPANY THE APPLICATION!

Click here for more information from the DLSE.

This article is meant as a guide, for the most current and up-to-date information regarding California Entertainment Work Permits, please contact your nearest DLSE office.

I recommend registering your child’s domain name as soon as your child a) works as a principal character in a TV show or film (has a credit on screen) or b) signs with an agent or manager. The reason for doing this as soon as possible is obvious: there are people out there who register domains of newcomers at the earliest opportunity. If you think to yourself “but my kid isn’t famous yet” you are kidding yourself. There is a segment of the population that will immediately notice a new girl or boy on a TV show and immediately start posting their name around the Internet for other people to see.

So what is a domain name and how do you register one?

A domain name is the “internet address” you use to find a particular web site. The domain name for the web site you are on now is “kidsinthebiz.com.” A popular domain name for a search engine is “google.com.” Most actors will register their domain name as “firstnamelastname.com.” There are also domain names that end in .us, .tv, .net, .org and hundreds more. Concentrate on the .com extension.

Can you register a domain name if you don’t even have a web site? YES! In fact, many parents will simply register their child’s domain name and “park” it – not use it, just so somebody else can’t take it. They may or may not ever make a web site, but they know that somebody else can’t pretend to be their child with the domain name either.

One of the best places to register a domain name is a place called Go Daddy. It’s a funny name but one of the best. GoDaddy.com is known as a domain name registrar, a place to register domain names. Once you are at their site, type your child’s name (wthout spaces) into the “Start Your Search Here” box and click on “Go.”

If the domain hasn’t been taken yet, click on Continue. You will be asked to buy a whole bunch of stuff you really don’t need so click on “No Thanks” to continue. You will then be asked to buy even more things, so just click on Continue again. You may have some things auto-selected for you like “Traffic Builder” – uncheck it and click on Continue again.

Eventually you will get to a checkout page that will have you double-check everything to make sure it is correct, as well as choose a payment method. If there is anything else in your cart besides the domain name, remove it! For 2 years it should only cost you about $18.40.

You can choose to pay by PayPal or by Credit Card. Select which one and then also put check marks into the boxes saying you have read the agreement and terms of service. (I suggest actually reading them too, although they are pretty standard) – then click on Checkout Now.

The next section will require you to put in personal information. IMPORTANT – this information will be public, and once it is out there, people CAN bring it uyp again even if you change it. For the telephone number I would suggest your agent or managers number, NOT your private home phone number. Cell phone is also fine if you don’t mind – but you will probably get calls on it. For address, again put your agent or manager’s address, or a post office box if you have one. If you put your real home address, remember this will be available for everybody to see.

Continue the checkout process. Once everything is done, that is it. Your domain is now officially “parked” and will be on the Internet in 4-24 hours. When people call up the domain name in their web browser, they will see godaddy’s “parked” page. If you ever build a web site for your child, or have someone build it for you, you will need to modify the settings in the GoDaddy control panel. Your web designer / web host should be able to help you with that.

Securing your child’s domain name early means it won’t be stolen later. Use your own judgment for when you feel it is the right time. Remember, if the .com is taken, you can try one of the other extensions, but even today, nothing is as good as a .com.

1. Stop using your child’s social security number on their resume.

It use to be commonplace to use a social security number on a resume so producers, directors and casting directors could refer to you as a number when you go in for an audition. This is no longer the case. When your child signs in for an audition, there will be a spot for their SAG number. If they are not in the Screen Actors Guild, leave the box empty or ask the receptionist if they can use another number.

2. Change your phone number.

Once your phone number is listed, it will remain in online directories and even print directories for a long time. Simply changing it to be unlisted will not stop people from finding it out and calling you at home. Obtain a new number and keep it unlisted.

3. Check your child’s fan mail carefully.

Once your child has appeared on a TV show or in a movie, they will start to get fan letters. While this may seem neat at first, you must be careful when allowing your child to read the letters that come in. Look over the envelopes carefully and notice strange addresses. Letters from prisons oftentimes are marked “Inmate Mail” or have a strange address that looks like a PO box.

4. Take your own digital cards to your photographer.

When it is time to get your child’s photographs done for their portfolio or comp card, ask if you can bring your own digital card for their camera. If the photographer still shoots on film, make sure that their session fee includes giving the negatives to you. By protecting the raw images of your child, you will help prevent their likeness from showing up on online auction sites tomorrow or in years to come.

5. Audit an acting class.

Instead of shelling out the full fee for an acting class you have heard about, ask the instructor if your child can audit their class. Most will say yes. You should be skeptical about those who will not allow your child, and a parent, to sit in on a class or two.

6. Don’t looks for agents in the mall.

If you get a flyer asking you to bring your child to the mall to meet with a talent manager, run the other way. Many of these companies make their money by charging outrageous fees for photographers and showcases. They thrive on signing hundreds of kids, hoping one of them happens to make it big.

7. Do your homework.

Never stop learning about the entertainment business. Read books on child actors, auditioning, acting technique, and biographies of former and current child stars. Attend workshops and seminars in your area.

8. Provide a support structure for your child.

During the course of your child’s career, they will turned down many times for different reasons. It is important to have both internal and external support mechanisms for your child to turn to when they need to talk or vent their frustrations.

9. Avoid leaving comments on fan web sites.

While at first it may seem neat when you see the first web site dedicated to your child, but avoid contacting the maker of the site or leaving feedback in a guestbook or forum. Your computer information can be tracked fairly easily, allowing them to get even more personal information.

10. Register your child’s name as a web site domain name.

As soon as your child books that new commercial, TV show or movie, register your child’s name as a “dot com” immediately so somebody cannot steal it out from under you. Registration services are under $10/year at most places, so it will be a cheap investment in your child’s safety.

Most of these items involve common sense, but you will be surprised how easily they are forgotten when your child has a chance at stardom. Keep your wits about you and remember your number one priority is the welfare of your child, not booking the part.

This article is copyrighted by Troy Rutter, but is available to use on your own web site, ezine or publication for free. For more information, please visit EzineArticles.com.

You may have seen the reports on the news for “Unclaimed Money” web sites that are run by the state. By visiting these sites, you can search for money and property that was seized by the state because they didn’t know how to contact the person who was entitled to it. This is similar to the Unclaimed Coogan Account database.

In its simplest form, the Coogan Law was enacted to put aside a percentage of a child’s earnings from their show business career into a special bank account that was “untouchable” until the child reached 18 or 21 years of age. Unfortunately, for the first 60 years of the law’s existence, it mainly applied to long-term, multi-picture contracts which became fewer and fewer. It did not cover commercials, day players on episodics, or any small roles.

The law has been revised several times, and as mentioned, we will be featuring a series of articles on the new law in later articles. It is complex, and full of language that can be confusing. It was because of this confusion that millions of dollars in Coogan Accounts lay abandoned and unclaimed.

The Actor’s Fund of America has been charged with providing a database for the unclaimed Coogan money at its web site, http://www.unclaimedcoogan.org. By providing any part of a name, you can search the database for funds held by The Actor’s Fund, and also submit claims for the held money.

Several famous child actors can be found in the database – the result of Coogan Accounts being set up at a time when their career was just getting started – and then forgotten. The best way to make sur eyour child’s name never appears on this list is to keep your contact information with your union current, and to be informed about the Coogan Law, and when you need to start an account.

An article about Coogan Accounts will be available on this web site shortly.

Including their residual checks.

What are residuals? Basically residuals are further compensation paid to performers for the re-use of a motion picture or television program they have appeared in. Performers are entitled to residuals if they are classified as a principal performer, which includes singers, stunt coordinators, pilots, dancers under Schedule J and other performers designed under the principal agreement.

Residuals are paid to those performers ever 30 days after an airdate for television non-syndicated airings, four months for syndicated airdates and shows that are under basic cable agreements are paid quarrtlery. A full list of residual due dates can be found at www.sag.com.

If you think you are due residuals, but have let your membership in the guild expire, or have not kept up your contact information, you can search the SAG Unclaimed Residuals Database for your name. If your name is found, it will give you precise instructions on how to fill out the paperwork to claim your due residuals.

The number one lesson is:

Keep your contact information with your unions current!

There are only a few books that have stood the test of time when it comes to acting technique. One is Audition by Michael Shurtleff, and one of the other most prominent best-sellers is A Practical Handbook for the Actor.

The book is co-written by Melissa Bruder, Lee Michael Cohn, Madeleine Olnek, Nathaniel Pollack, Robert Previto and Scott Zigler. It is based upon a series of workshops by acting coach David Mamet.

The book emplores the reader to consider what is in the actor’s control and what is not. Worrying about the success or failure of a play or motion picture is futile, the authors explain, because as long as you control the things you can, the rest is simply out of your control and will happen if it means to happen.

Likewise the authors do not believe in the word talent, adding it to the list of things outside of the actor’s control. The moral of the book is put forth in its opening pages: the job of the actor is to live truthfully under the imaginary circumstances in the production.

There is a reason this book is used in theatre classes ranging from art schools to college campuses – it works. The lessons in the book will teach actors to find the truth in the scene they are performing and to identify the specific actions in the production and why they are doing them.

A highly recommended book, and a steal at $9.95 on Amazon.com.

Buy A Practical Handbook for the Actor now.

Perhaps in a response to one of the previous articles here on kidsinthebiz.com, CastSAG.com Discloses SAG Membership Numbers, the Screen Actors Guild has officially suspended the service, which could have been used to acquire personal data from its members.

Previously on the castsag.com web site, you could search for a member of the union, and could then figure out the member.s SAG membership number from the URL query string that was returned. This .magic number. is often used in verifying membership in the guild and for signing in at auditions. It is also used to update personal information such as mailing address with the guild.

Having this information on a SAG-sponsored web site was a very bad idea, and it is unknown how many celebrity.s SAG membership numbers have now been leaked out into the public.

The service, which was originally intended to allow casting directors easy access to contact information, has now been incorporated into the SAG 24/7 web site, and requires a Casting Director ID code to access the database. Since I do not have a casting director key code, I am unable to determine if the member.s SAG number is still present in the results.

I would like to formally thank the Screen Actors Guild for recognizing the severity of this issue and the potential impact it had on performers of all ages, especially the security of its young performers. The speed at which the guild acted to construct a more secure system is commendable and appreciated.

The first question you should ask yourself is: Does my child really need a personal manager? In my book, Kids in the Biz, I outline several career indicators that help identify if a personal manager is even needed. In essence, if the day-to-day aspects of the business such as managing auditions, callbacks, going over residual and production payments and other business tasks are getting too much for you to handle, it is wise to look for a personal manager who can help you in those areas.

Many parents at this stage find themselves working more and more on their child’s career, and consider the possibility of quitting their job and becoming their child’s personal manager. Some may even think “If I’m going to give away 20%, might as well be to me.” This is WRONG and could lead to DISASTER.

Personal managers, especially those listed with the Talent Managers Association, rely not only on their business sense, but also on the contacts they have in the business. It is not very easy, or recommended, to jump in to your child’s career and call yourself a personal manager – it is more than just a title.

So how can you tell the good managers from the bad? As with anybody you meet, there are good manager and bad managers. A good place to start is looking for a manager who is a member of the Talent Managers Association. There are also books on acting that list talent managers and agents in the appendixes. A great one to look for is the Hollywood Representation Directory.

Managers I would recommend staying away from are a little more difficult to define. Generally, I would stay away from any agent or manager who solicits YOU. You should be the instigator in finding a personal manager, anybdoy who approaches you in a mall, over email, at an acting class or convention, or even on the street, should be scrutinized carefully. As much as I embrace the Internet, reject meeting with a manager just because you like their web site, or the web site of their clients – casting directors don’t care about how a web site looks.

While most legitimate managers are members of the Talent Managers Association, there are also some good managers who are not. Don’t let members of the TMA be an end-all criteria for meeting with a manager. Meet with your prospective manager with your child and see how they interract with you. Your best guide when choosing a manager is your gut feeling. If you have other people you know in the business, ask around. If you have an agent, ask them if they have heard of the manager. DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

The actual process of getting a manager is too large of an article to post in this one. Bottom line is – be careful. The manager you choose will be a part of your child’s life for the next 6 months – year or longer. There are always ways to break a contract, but it is best to identify potential problems before they happen.

For many years, the most common way background performers joined SAG was by getting three union vouchers. When you work on the set as an extra, usually through one of the bigger extra casting agencies, you receive either a non-union, or union voucher. For adult actors, this would be Central Casting for union, and Cenex for non-union, however they are both the same company.

Getting a union voucher on a project instead of a non-union voucher was supposed to be the luck of the draw. Countless books on the subject would say “pay attention to what is happening on the set, and look for opportunities for the ‘bump.’” A bump is a specific action or lines given to an extra that will make them deserve a union voucher.

Unfortunately, since the goal for every actor was first to get into the Screen Actors Guild, the voucher system became corrupt. Friends of the assistant directors and the cast got preferential treatment, people were paying off decision makers with bribes, in short – it got ugly, and guild membership swelled.

SAG decided to revamp the system which would still use the union vouchers to an extent, but would assign points to specific things, other than acting, that would have to be totalled before a new member could join. For instance, you would get X many points if you attend a guild meeting, X amount of points if you helped distribute flyers for an upcoming initiative, etc.

As of today though – the system has not changed.

The official line from the guild is as follows:

The new system will provide two separate routes to Guild membership via background work: 1) Union (Covered) or 2) Non-union (Non-covered) work on SAG Signatory projects. A performer may also achieve points towards membership by participating in other designated activities that raise professional standards and support the basic aims of the Guild.

According to the SAG web site, there is a transition committee working to put the new joining requirements into place. The question on everybody’s mind is – when?

Until that happens – you are eligible to join the Screen Actors Guild after receiving three union vouchers, and paying the initiation fee. Other ways to join the guild are still in place, including having a line in a motion picture or television show.

Related Information:

Central Casting – union, adult
Cenex Casting – non-union, adult
Kids! Background Talent – Kids

A talent voucher is a time-card that you fill out when you are on the set of a television show or motion picture. It contains information such as the name of the show, production company, the time you arrived on the set, any additional compensations, and your basic rate of pay.

When an actor appears as a background performer, they will be given either a union or non-union voucher. These not only differ by the name across the top of the voucher, but they are also different colors. Click on the picture to the right to see an example of a talent voucher we have created exclusively for this web site. (It is in Adobe PDF format.)

Vouchers are usually handed out to the background performers when they arrive on the set, handed back in, and then handed out again at the end of the day. They will come pre-printed with your child’s name, the time of the call, the date, the production company, the order number, and the name of the show. In addition, the basic rate box will also be filled in with the approriate amount depending on whether it is a union or non-union voucher.

At the completion of the filming or taping you will be given the voucher back, and you will be expected to fill in the boxes for Work Hours and Set Dismissal. The assistant director may or may not have you fill in the meal periods and meal penalties amount, as well as any bonuses for bringing multiple pieces of wardrobe. You will also need to sign for your child under “Employee Signature.”

Once you are satisfied the voucher is complete, do not just hand it in. Show it to the person collecting the forms and ask if you got everything correct. Hand it in and then leave the set. Do not hang around to watch the other filming.

Understanding how vouchers work and how to fill them out can help relieve the stress associated with your child being a background performer for the first time. If you have any addition questions, please feel free to email us.

Related Information:

Central Casting – union, adult
Cenex Casting – non-union, adult
Kids! Background Talent – Kids