Chaperones for filming work

[willali]

Could someone explain what happens if a child gets a part requiring several days filming and the parent cannot chaperone all day? Does the production company provide a chaperone and if so is this from home or from a train station etc. We live quite close to London where the filming might be so coudl get as far as there but staying all day is out of the question due to siblings and other commitments. Or is it really a 2 for the price of 1 deal ie no parent, no job?

[Irishdancer]

Depends some most agents have a list of regestered caperones who can chaperone yr child most are parents of other children some times the film company have there own chaperions. I am a regestered caperion so if u have any trouble then pm me

[willali]

Thanks - I am a registered chaperone too but cannot stay with DD all day (I registeredto help out at a theatre show she did!). So am I right in thinking it isn't necessarily a deal breaker then? Anyone else had experience of this situation?

[livininabox]

Not very sure about film companies but certainly the BBC have no qualms about paying for chaperones. I'm registered myself and yet on a few occasions we've arrived on set to find a local chaperone has been paid for anyway! The chaperones in Bristol told me they have plenty of work for this reason...I think the cost of a chaperone is just a drop in the ocean to most companies so its worth asking.

[willali]

Thanks Livininabox. Does this mean you still have to get DC to the set where the chaperones then take over? I had - perhaps naively - thought that it would be possible for a chaperone to meet off the train and he take to the set and then return to the station (or even pick up from home but maybe that is just wishful thinking!!). And how do you know wat time to pick up - presumably this may be a moveable feast - are you expected to just drop everything and go whatever the time (impossible for me!) or is there a set time you can plan around?

All this may be entirely academic - casting today! - but useful info for thr future anyway. It is dawning on me that these opportun ities may not be compatible with family life, pets, work and most importatly making sure other children are not neglected. So DIFFICULT!!!!

[Irishdancer]

It all depends on what part yr child has if its a lead role then if chaperion lives near a car will come and pick up from her home and then pick up yr dc or if chaperion lives longer away they can come to yr house and get picked up from yr home though more and more film companys are expecting every one to get to where film/tv show is being filmed. If its a extra or walk on part u will be expected to get yr dc to set and chaperion will take over from the time u leave off, u will be given a time to come and collect dc but when u get to set might find out dc is not ready so will have to wait about. For a child to do acting/modelling parents have to be dedicated willing to run up to London with out much nottice there life is not there own. I now tell agent that if ds is in a golf comp will only pull him for a job not for audition, we can do this because ds has been doing this for a very long time and got a very good cv so agent is ok with that, not too sure what agent would be like with some one starting out with nothing or very little on there cv.

[willali]

Oh dear you make it sound like it is only for singleton children in families with no pets or parents who work...

[Irishdancer]

If u and yr partner work full time and do not have any one to take dc to auditions then it is going to be very hard. If u can get to auditions then not so bad as u will be able to get a chaperon when dc works.

[sophiesocks]

are these the official rules for children aged 8 for filming

max 7 1/2 on location
max film time 3 hours
children to not be on location past 4.30pm

is travel time included in the amount f time children are working or to be included in the calculations ins ome way?

thanks irishdancer for your wealth of knowledge on such matters

[Irishdancer]

No traveling time is not included in those hours

[sophiesocks]

thank you

[willali]

Yes thank you for sharing your experience - it is great to be forewarned!!

Auditions shouldn't be too bad but As an example yesterday the time of the casting was such that my other half had to leave work early to pick up siblings from school which he may not be able to do every time. I guess we all gave to juggle and judge whether it is worth going to things . As we are starting out I am keen for DD to be seen by as many CDs as possible but I think we will have to take it as it comes and work out the practicalities should the need arise!