Author: Erin Leigh Neumeyer

I’ve been thinking a lot about priorities lately and this story I heard about Lin Maneul Miranda always pops into my head when I’m trying to get focused. He was riding the subway into New York City for a friend’s birthday party. He had fully planned on spending the evening celebrating, however, during the trip, an idea for a new song struck him and continued to grow. By the time he arrived at the party it was all he could think about. He walked up to the door, said “Happy birthday! I’m sorry, I can’t stay.” And he left! Now…

Thanks to the explosion of programming and the popularity of original shows created by HBO, Netflix & Amazon (& whatever new streaming platform has sprung up since the printing of this article) the type of content being put out is definitely pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable for children to watch and especially what roles are offered to minors.  We have found that writers love to show cute innocent kids doing very bad things sometimes for pure shock value and sometimes because, sadly, it’s a story about a true crime. As parents it is up to you to decide…

I’ll admit that title was pure click bait… because if you have been paying attention then you shouldn’t be surprised. I have spent the past year uncovering all best practices for the online casting sites and the conclusion? VIDEO is the number one thing that will get you in the audition room and it’s often missing from many actors online profiles.  Do you have current video uploaded to every casting site? If not, they you are losing out.  Video is the best way to set yourself apart, grab casting’s attention and show you’re serious about acting. Several years ago video…

Well, here we are at the end of the year! To me this year went by in a blink. Someone once told me that parenting is like that, “The days are long, but the years are short.” I’m not sure who said it originally, but it has been quoted by many people, because it is sooo true! I don’t know about you, but I need a fresh start! You can really call “Mulligan” at any time during the year, but I prefer doing it at the end of the year, right on the heels of the gratitude holiday, Thanksgiving. Last…

Parenting a budding entertainer is a lot of work, but if you followed along in the last article you should have most of the paperwork done (work permit, Coogan account, passport) and know if you have a parent or guardian available and willing to chaperone, and you have hopefully confirmed your child’s desire to pursue acting and your ability to make the time commitment. If you haven’t then go here first. Now you’re ready to start preparing for auditions and working in entertainment.  As I mentioned this career is a lot of work, thankfully most of this next part is…

Now is the time for folks in entertainment jobs to start planning for the holidays! Too soon you say?  Not at all, and here’s why… Anyone who has ever produced a film or a book or was in charge of an event knows you start with the goal date and work backwards.  In this case you’ll want to have all your holiday thank you cards, family photos and gifts for the important people in your life delivered by the first week in December.  Before Thanksgiving is too early and after Hanukkah/Christmas/Kwanza is, well, too late…unless you’re sending a Happy New…

For those of you who don’t know, an Entertainment Work Permit is a document you must have in order for your child (17 years old and younger) to work in the Entertainment Industry.  It is required in most states that have a relatively large representation of film or TV productions taking place there. The top four in the United States would be Georgia, Los Angeles, New York, and Louisiana, according to the Film LA Annual Feature Film Study from last year.  This year’s is likely to come out soon. The work permit is provided by the state government Department of…

I was talking to my son about an interview I was preparing to do with a mom about parenting kids who work in the entertainment industry and my son, Dylan, who is a 14 year-old actor, asked me, “Why don’t you interview me?  I know what it’s like to be a kid in this business.” The kid’s got a point! So I interviewed him. We covered a lot of ground so this is edited for readability.  Here is an excerpt from our conversation: Erin (Mom): Why don’t you introduce yourself. Dylan: Hi, I’m Dylan. I’m an actor and I do…

I’m going to give you a bunch of facts and statistics and maybe a personal anecdote, that will light a FIRE under your derriere to write a film review.  Today, and I mean Today – whatever day it is that you are reading this – I challenge you to watch a movie and write about it – then post your review on the 7th day.  That gives you one week, from now. Go! If you are raring to go, then please stop reading and just start writing, but for those of you who would like me to hold up my…

I’m going to make a radical statement here… Everyone Should Dance! Ok, I said it.  I promise to back it up with some science at the end but first, backstory. When I was a kid a lot of the girls were in ballet but most of the boys didn’t think dance was a sport and a boy in a ballet class was likely an early indicator of sexual preference.  Thank goodness times have changed but in my opinion, there are still not nearly enough boys in dance class. Furthermore, dancing is not just for the young.  It’s an exercise that…

I don’t know about you, but if I really want to get a great audition for myself or my kids I just need to plan a trip. The bigger the trip – think expense, distance, length or inability to cancel – the more likely one or all of us will get an audition. A few years ago, my family was driving back from a camping weekend near Lake Tahoe when my agent called: “Hi, I know you are booked out for your vacation, but a great audition just came through for your son and they need a self-tape sent over today. …

Last month I wrote about getting started in Voice Over and I realized that I never covered the question that I get asked more than any other… “How do I get my kid started in acting?”  That is partly because this blog is aimed at people who are already in the business and my articles are generally read by parents who already have kids who are working actors. But just in case you are a new parent or just new to Ms. In The Biz, here is the inside scoop. I’m not trying to discourage you but if it turns…

Back in college one of my fondest memories was working as a DJ at our FM station.  It was called Radio X and I hosted a three hour show a couple of times a week.  I gave myself the moniker “The Peace Chick” and adopted an easy breezy style of chatting it up with my audience between songs, providing weather updates or reading the news off the AP wire.  Sometimes I worked with a co-host and sometimes it was me solo.  Unfortunately, I only learned that there was a tape deck that was set up to record the show near…

Presenting yourself as a multi-hyphenate in the entertainment industry has become less of a curiosity and almost more of an expectation but it’s counter to everything I was taught. Growing up my parents always encouraged me to pick one thing and get good at it. Find your lane and stay in it. It’s the same today, parents figure out what their kid is interested in and get them in a camp focused on that skill, which can be as early as 5 years old!  Often there are dreams of a future career as a professional athlete or tech magnate. There…