Should Your Child Attend Talent Contests?

Talent Contests

When we began looking into an acting career for our daughter, we saw information about talent contests and wondered if we should sign her up for one.

I was frustrated that I could not figure out how to get my daughter into modeling or acting, and I thought talent contests might be our answer.

I heard about some auditions coming up at Millie Lewis of Charleston for one of the talent contests called AMTC.  We signed up along with some friends of ours

Talent Contest Auditions

When we arrived at the AMTC auditions, we viewed a presentation about AMTC. It included a long talk by the talent scout and a promotional film showing scenes from previous talent contests.

Some former contestants talked about their experiences, answered questions, and performed.

Next, the children auditioning walked across in front of the parents and talent scout and then introduced themselves and said a few words into a mic.  Then, they also performed if they wanted to.

We were told that they would call if our child was selected to attend.

When both my friend and I got calls saying our daughters had been chosen as well as a couple of other children we knew, we started wondering if it could be a scam.

Talent Contest Callback

At the callback, we were informed about exactly how it would all work and how much it would cost. It was much more expensive than we expected!

We were asked to put a deposit down to hold our child’s spot, but they gave us additional time to decide when we asked for it.

We wondered if all the children who auditioned got callbacks. My friend and I both looked on  the internet for more information about AMTC talent contests and about the talent scout.

Could It Be a Scam?

Initially, I decided not to sign my daughter up for AMTC because of the cost and because I was skeptical about it. I thought it might be a scam.

My friend called several of the agents, casting directors, and managers on the list of attendees and was told that they did indeed attend AMTC.  I decided to reconsider.

I continued researching on the internet about talent contests and carefully read all the materials they had given us.

I discussed it with my husband and with family and friends. Everyone who knew our daughter, knew what a ham she was and thought she seemed destined for the entertainment industry and mostly encouraged us to do it.

So, we finally made the decision to attend AMTC.

It was being held in North Charleston, SC, only 30 minutes from where we lived.

There would be weekly classes at our local Millie Lewis Agency to prepare the kids for the talent competitions at the week-long convention. There would also be educational seminars and workshops at the event as well as talent shows, social events, and award ceremonies.

We really had no idea exactly what we were getting ourselves into or whether we would be glad we did this or whether we’d later regret spending the money.

So, what happened at the talent contest? I’ll discuss more about it in future posts.

When trying to figure out how to help your child start a show business career, at some point you may wonder, “Are talent contests a good way to get my child into show business?”

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