Kids in the Acting Business

When my twins were first born I joined the MississaugaParents of Multiple Birth Association. My husband and I were (understandably) nervous at the thought of two babies arriving in our lives at the same time.  We researched and were thrilled to find out there was an agency that offered support to families who were expecting!

Through an email sent out through the club, asking for parents of newborn twins if they wanted to work on TV we connected to our agent.  Cindy from Twins Talent Agency has introduced us to whole new world.  Our twins have “worked” several times now since that first experience as infants.  

Playing with a Balloon "prop"

Recently, my son and I were backgrounds on the set of a science fiction tv series. It is an amazing experience to be on a set. I am always astounded at the amount of work that goes into producing a few seconds of a television show.  There must have been 20 people in our scene as background, you can’t believe the amount of time and effort it takes to get the shot right!

Filming - look at the balloon man! 

One thing I have learned from our experiences on set is to hurry up and wait! You need to be prompt for the call times; however there is very little chance of actually working until much later. With kids this means coming prepared with lots of snacks, activities, craft supplies and a few toys.  

Fooling around while waiting... Is it our turn yet?

I was so proud of my little man yesterday. We waited for 4 hours for our turn to “act”. In the scene the main character was getting an ice cream cone from a bicycle vendor. My son and I waited our turn while the lead actor got his dripping chocolate ice cream. My little man had to wait patiently for his turn, be handed a Popsicle and walk up the path through the park. We did it at least 10 times on a very hot afternoon and he wasn’t allowed to open the popsicle! If he had it would mean filming each time with a popsicle and they didn’t have enough to ensure he got one for each shot! What a champion – he didn’t have a tantrum! I was so proud of him – and in the end he got his treat! 

It was not my dream to have my kids on television. The work they have done however has been great experience for all of us. I have had so much fun getting to peek into this world. The money they have earned has gone straight into their college fund and we have all had a lot of fun in the process.

Have your children introduced anything new into your life? Besides the not sleeping, fascination with their bathroom trips and most importantly all the love - of course! Be sure to share on our message board, here on our blog or on our Facebook Page.