Advice

[fairystarlet]

Ok looking for a little bit of advice, DS is 8, in the last six months he has done amazing well and been shortlisted for 3 feature films, main parts. However to get that far he has had to go to to many auditions, recalls, meeting directors only to be informed that he is down to final two.
Now I think this is incredible and am very very proud of him. However for him it has taken it's toll and he is feeling very low, he now feels that there is no point in going for these roles as he will always be second place.
Do I totally give him a break? I feel that he really loves it but it's obviously hit him hard.
Not sure what the best thing to do is. Part of me feels that his time will come but the mum in me wants to walk away and never go there again.
But what is best for him?

[Flosmom]

Well done to your DS - my girls would love to have the experience of being considered for a feature film, so he has done really well to do what he has done and you have done really well to support him to do so.

Now, to the advice...does he do anything else? Stage? Short films? Commercials? I wonder whether success in other areas would balance his (natural) disappointment at not getting these feature film roles? If he hasn't had a go at other things, why not give it a whirl, diversify his ambitions and get a few 'yeses' along with the inevitable few 'nos'

Ultimately what is best for him at this age is what makes him happy. Does he want to carry on or does he want to put his energies into something less brutal? If he wants to stop, then my advice would be to let him. There will be loads of other things that he can take up as activities and he can always come back to performing arts if and when he wants to do so.

Hope this helps

Deb x

[CAH123]

Hi fairystarlet,

That is a lot of success to get within the tiny space of 6 months and its incredible considering he is only 8. I know how disheartening it is to be rejected, especially when youve put in so much effort but please dont give up! Ive had a similar experience this year where it seemed to be bad news constantly but its better to be getting auditions and things to keep your face about than not having anything for months on end. It may be good to have a bit of a rest and maybe only go to the auditions that you would really like to get. Im sure there will be a part out there soon as it seems casting directors like him. It may be worth asking for feedback to see if there is something you can work on like getting some experience in some amateur theatre or a student short film.

I wish you the best of luck!

[sophiesocks]

big huge hugs - he is amazing and totally deserves a break (i mean a break in acting not a break from acting)

xxx

[begolina]

Sometimes I really feel it is like a lottery. My dc haven't won anything yet but I still buy the tickets (auditions). I understand completely the frustration exspecially if you have seen some sparkle of talent despite the brick walls. What I do it's not to go too many audition and try to nurture also other talents which will come useful later in life and that can put in perspective the NOs.

[ruby95]

Well done to your Ds. His disappointment is natural but it is amazing to get that far.

I have been in the situation of getting very very close for big roles and then being rejected a few times so I know how he feels. Funnily enough when that happened to me when I was his age it didn't really affect me but when I was in his situation 3 years ago (at the age of 14) for a role in Harry Potter I did feel very disheartened. The thing that ultimately helped me get my confidence back was going for other auditions (even if I didn't get the part) and continuing acting on an amateur level as it reminded how much I loved acting despite the knock-backs and concentrating on new characters helped me forget about the one I didn't get to play. For this reason I would be inclined to advice you to carry on.

Also, now that I have gotten over the disappointment of not being cast, I can appreciate the amazing experiences I had auditioning in front of great directors and casting directors and reading great scripts at some really exciting places (such as Pinewood studios!). I now feel grateful just for having had these audition experiences. Probably the most helpful thing my mum did for me when I was feeling disheartened was to remind me how exciting those opportunities were in themselves.

Obviously I am still a teenager and not a parent and so I am not in a prime position to advise on this but imho if he saying he wants a break obviously allow him one but if he isn't then maybe carry on... When I got offered my next professional job after my big knock-back it was the best feeling in the world, the happiness and pride and excitement I felt was enhanced and multiplied by the lack-of-confidence I had felt before. Not to sound too melodramatic but It was quite possibly the best moment of my life.