How Do You Prepare for Talent Contests such as AMTC?

When we decided to participate in one of the big talent contests known as AMTC, we felt a combination of excitement and fear.

We were excited about attending, but at the same time, we were not 100% convinced we were doing the right thing. And we’d paid quite a bit of money for it.

If you are still trying to decide whether to attend talent contests such as AMTC and IMTA, refer to my previous posts on Talent Contests and AMTC.

With AMTC talent contests, the sponsoring agency typically provides training for the contestants. Millie Lewis of Charleston, my daughter’s talent agency, was our hosting agency.

Training Classes

We attended weekly sessions at Millie Lewis of Charleston for coaching in commercial, sitcom, monologue, runway, for a group runway event, plus for other competitions.

Each class was several hours long. After getting some initial instruction, the children performed and were critiqued by the instructors.

I always thought the young kids should have gone first and moved to another room to continue working with parents. They often got tired from standing or even sitting for so long,  and some became disruptive.

The Millie Lewis teachers and consultants only had so much time to spend with each child during a class. So I knew the ultimate responsibility for preparing my five-year-old daughter was in my hands.

Additional Preparation

I spent a great deal of time reading the materials and trying to understand all I could about the event. I asked questions about items that were not clear to make sure I understood.

I also spent many hours finding clothing, putting together costumes, editing music, and working on choreography, in addition to rehearsing with my daughter for the various competitions.

We worked with consultants at Millie Lewis to decide on clothing, hairstyles, and makeup for the events. We scheduled a photography session with one of their recommended photographers (not mandatory, but suggested).

We paid for a haircut at their salon, a hairstyling and makeup session, and the photography session on top of the fees paid for the training and attending the event.

If you’ve paid for your child to attend AMTC or one of the similar talent contests, you are probably wondering, “How do you prepare for talent contests?”

You should do the following things:

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What Is AMTC?

At the time that my daughter and I attended AMTC (January 2003), AMTC stood for American Modeling and Talent Convention.  It seemed that many people were often unsure about what the letters actually stood for.

I always wondered why it was called American rather than International or World, since it is international and not just American. I know I saw people from Canada, China, France, and many other places when we were there — not just the United States.

At some time in the last couple of years, it appears that they decided to change the name.  Why did they change the name? And what do the letters AMTC now stand for? What is AMTC?

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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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