|
|
Child Model Success Story:
Meet Ella And
Te-see RouhierWith her strawberry
blonde hair, engaging smile and outgoing personality,
Ella Rouhier at 5 ½ has become a favorite child model
across a variety of media, including print, packaging,
in-store, online and TV. This past year Ella broke into
acting with the completion of three commercial
assignments, the most recent a nationwide spot for
K-Mart’s ‘Blue Light’ Easter dress special. She will
soon appear on the packaging for Target Stores new
ultimate dollhouse, and in the “Land of Nod” children’s’
furniture catalog. She is currently featured in
Parenting Magazine in an advertisement for H&M Stores
nationwide, and will be shown throughout that company’s
2008 summer camp catalog and website. She appears on the
Sprout TV website and in an advertisement in the money
section of Forbes magazine.
A model since she was
just a year old, Ella follows in the footsteps of her
nine year old brother August, a former child model and
actor. In addition, Ella’s grandparents worked in the
film industry in NYC and her mom Te-see became a model
before moving to Los Angeles in 1992 to pursue acting.
These experiences helped to guide Ella’s career. “It’s a
tough business,” Ella’s mom Te-see Rouhier says, “but I
know how to deal with it.” Te-see is adamant that, as a
child, Ella should enjoy what she does. “It’s not a
business for Ella. I handle the business end,” she
remarks. “It’s fun for her. She leads a typical life for
a child her age, is important to us. She goes to school,
plays with friends, and loves to sing, dance and
perform.”
A Powerful New
Resource, Children in Film
Recently Te-see discovered a powerful new resource,
Children in Film (CIF), that is making it a lot easier
for her to manage Ella’s career. The comprehensive
social networking website, which provides child actors,
parents and industry professionals with tools and
information they need to conduct business, is also
helping to expand job opportunities for Ella. “I only
wish the CIF site had been available when Ella first
started out,” Te-see comments. A friend introduced her
to CIF when an assignment for Hanna Andersson, a leading
children’s catalog, was on the line – Te-see needed to
renew Ella’s work permit at the last minute.
Informed by her agency
that Ella could not work without the required permit,
Te-see knew there had to be a solution. “Call Children
In Film,” her friend urged, “they’ll know what to do.”
|
In addition to information on state-by-state child labor
laws, industry rules, and educational requirements, CIF
offers work permit and talent search services, casting
call postings, service provider ratings, and how-to
guides for newcomers to the entertainment industry. As a
secure, profile-based ‘social network’, the site allows
members to connect with each other, and to share
information via a Forum that helps them navigate through
the entertainment business.
A visit to Children in
Film's website provided Te-see with a contact number. “I
went online, got the number and called. Their
representative told me, ‘Don’t worry, you can get an
emergency permit. But you’re going to have to go there,
and the producer is going to have to fax a letter.’ It
was easily taken care of,” Te-see notes. She was pleased
when Children In Film could also resolve another issue
involving a modeling job for her son August. “I received
a letter from the Los Angeles Office of Finance saying
we owed money, which I knew was not correct. Children in
Film put us in touch with a tax professional with
relevant experience in the entertainment field. He
helped us settle the issue in a few minutes.”
Everything a Parent
Needs to Know, and More
Initially, Te-see signed up for CIF’s free Basic
Membership, which gave her limited profile space, one
photo posting, and access to basic site information and
a newsletter. Because Ella was later chosen as a winner
of CIF’s “photo of the month” contest, Te-see became
eligible for free lifetime Enhanced Membership, allowing
her to take advantage of the full services of CIF’s
multi-functional web portal and social network. As an
Enhanced Member, Te-see now has access to all of CIF’s
rich content, which includes an easy-to-use ‘Resume
Builder’; online posting of a bio and complete resume,
as well as multiple headshots or portfolio photos; a
robust database of direct referrals to industry
professionals such as talent agents, managers and
photographers, as well as ratings of those service
providers by other members; casting notices and
automatic email alerts about casting calls; and direct
contact with CIF industry experts and counselors when
needed.
For Te-see, one of the
CIF website’s most useful features is the service
provider rating system. “The user ratings really save
time and effort by helping you find the agency or
photographer, or whatever service you may need, that is
exactly right for your child. Having other people’s
input is extraordinarily helpful,” she says. She also
has discovered that the CIF onsite resume and photo
posting have opened up new opportunities for Ella. “I’ve
had a number of talent and casting agencies contact me
about Ella, just from seeing her picture and reading her
bio on the website. The added exposure is a real bonus,”
she remarks.
Te-see also likes the
fact that she is automatically alerted by email about
casting calls that might be appropriate for Ella.
Although she uses the services of a leading talent
agency, Te-see likes to be advised of opportunities that
the agency might have overlooked or which Te-see
believes are outside the scope of roles the agency has
targeted for Ella. “It gives me another level of
control, and gives Ella even greater exposure, which is
a key to success in this business,” she says.
A Single Source for
All Industry Needs
For parents who are involved in or want to get their
children into the entertainment business, Te-see
advises, “Go check out the Children in Film website. It
is a terrific, one stop resource for everything you
need, and more. For just $12.99 a month, parents can
launch their kids into the industry – in the past, it
could cost in excess of a thousand dollars just to get
started. It is well worth it.”
By: Toni Casala
Article Directory:
http://www.articledashboard.com
|
