DD Dreams..........

[jvas]

Hi Dis Family...........
Our youngest DD has dreams of working in Theater as a career..........unlike her older sister (who is going to college to pursue a career in forensics), this kinda worries my DW because
of how "unstable" this field is.............DD and I had a chat to clarify
what she wants to do. Contrary to popular belief, she does not say "I wanna be a star!!" she just wants to work on Broadway...and, if she makes it big...then cool! If not, she will be happy being a "Broadway cast member" and working as a waitress (or similar job) inbetween theater shows.
I tell her...give it a shot at least...follow your dreams.... but cover your back. Do what makes you happy.....don't become a doctor if you don't wanna be a doctor ect.
While the feeling that she could be a waitress a good portion of her life is kinda alarming..........I feel that pursuing what she really wants to do more then makes up for it...if she is happy.
Input please...

 

[ibouncetoo]

Going for your dreams is always a good idea IMO.
How old is your daughter? Is/has she been involved in theater in school or community theater? Is she planning on attending college with a theater major? Training and education are very important in this field if you are wanting to make it your life's work. Lots of celebs who make it 'quick' often go back for training or study with someone when they are 'resting'.
.
I can understand parental concern regarding this choice, there are a lot of out of work actors....however, I personally know a half dozen real estate agents and lawyers who can't make a decent wage either! And I know a couple of waiters and waitresses who are raising familys on what they earn. (Also, knowing your way around a few computer programs can help keep up with the rent!)

Encourage her to get involved with theater now, if she isn't already and encourage training. I think our 20's should be all about exploring our dreams!

 

[Feralpeg]

Ah, this seems so familiar. My DD wants to be in the film industry. She loves acting, but we've discussed the fact that there are so many people who want to act and only a small percentage are very successful at it. So, she is planning on majoring in acting and minoring in something else related. She is considering film editing or special effects.

I've always encouraged her to follow her heart. So many people work at jobs that they don't really enjoy. Yes, they make a living, but how much nicer it would be if they truely enjoyed what they were doing. We've discussed the need for her to ensure that she can support herself. If she doesn't become successful as an actor, she will still be involved in something related to film production and she will be able to act on the side.

She is currently taking courses at local professional theatres and acting in school and local productions. She is signed with a local talent agent and has even auditioned for a couple of feature films. She didn't get the parts, but it was very good experience. DD's plans are another reason we are moving to Florida. Although the opportunities for actors are not as great in Florida as they would be in New York or LA, they are better than Kansas City. We've done reseach and found that the University of Florida at Tallahasee is the third best film school in the country. I hope she is accepted there in a couple of years.

Jvas, I think you are doing the correct thing in encouraging your DD to persue her dreams. I wish her the best!

 

[Pin Wizard]

Good for you!!!!! As long as she's happy doing that and knowing that waitressing will fill in the gaps, let her go for it. When I was in high school I remember meeting with my guidance counselor. He asked what I wanted to do, and I told him I wanted to go to NYC and do stage make-up on the actors!! I had been involved in high school with choir, chorus, theatre arts, did the make-up on the actors for the school plays. He discouraged me from doing that saying it's such a competitive field. He discouraged my parents, I'm sure. Duh! But there ARE people in NYC doing it!!!! Well, here I am in my 40s, and it's STILL what I would really like to do! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... All these years I've been switching careers...Hairdresser, worked in accounts receivable, secretarial school/work, credentialing at a hospital, and now I'm in college and have NO CLUE what I want to do because nothing there is really what I want! I started as an elem. ed. major and switched to business. This week I go to the career center and take a test to hopefully help me figure out what I want! I don't think business is it either. On another note, my oldest sister had waitressed for years. She finally went to school for word processing...hot at that time. LOL! She worked in a couple offices and then went back to waitressing because she MADE MORE MONEY AT IT! Hmmm... Good luck to your daughter.

 

[SoonerKate]

Feralpeg, where did you find film school rankings?

 

[Feralpeg]

SoonerKate, I found it on a website. I didn't save it, but I can look around for it again. The number one school was the American Film Institute in LA. Number two was Columbia in New York. Number three was University of Florida in Tallahassee. And, I believe number four was UCLA. I'll see if I can find it again.

 

[SoonerKate]

Thanks, that's great. I'm surprised that USC wouldn't make the top 3, their school is incredible.

Also, just so you don't go getting in trouble in Tallahassee, it's Florida State University, not UF-Tallahassee. I know some Seminoles who wouldn't be happy at all with their school being called the University of Florida!

If your daughter is interested in FSU's film school, I would advise her to work hard on building a portfolio now. Their film program is extremely limited access program -- she not only will have to be accepted to FSU, but also accepted into the film program.

I applied when I was in high school, and made it to the interview stage. I wasn't accepted to the program, but was waitlisted for it. They only select about 30 freshmen to interview for admission to the program, and they only take 15 freshmen and 15 upperclassmen each fall into the program. I've done workshops with Timothy Long and Stuart Kaminsky, who are both screenwriting professors there. It's an excellent program, but you have to be absolutely top-notch to even be considered. Portfolios aren't accepted with your initial application materials, but they expect you to have done some work before and it will be talked about in your interview if you get that far!

 

[Lisa F]

My BIL has always loved the theater. He went to school and got a degree in engineering and has a great job that he loves and he is involved with community theater as a hobby. He has played great roles, often the lead, and his acting and singing abilities have increased dramatically since he left school and began performing on a regular basis. The fact that he has a good salary allows him to put money into his "hobby" by taking professional voice lessons, dance lessons etc. He moved to a small town in the midwest and the people in his community cannot understand why he's not on broadway (I don't think he's quite broadway material but he is quite a bit more talented than your average person). Theater is his passion and this is the way he chooses to pursue it. It allows him the best of both worlds... a stable career as well as a way to do what he loves more than anything.

 

[Feralpeg]

SoonerKate, thanks for the information. I always turn those names around. I guess I better get it straight if I'm going to live in Florida! Thank you for the information about the entrance requirements. I will definately encourage her to start putting material together. She is also considering UCF. I don't think it has as good a program, but I guess it is a fallback if she can't get into the other schools. I appreciate your help!

 

[DisneyJules]

It's good to hear she's found a path she's passionate about. I'm a Theatre/Film student myself. What I've found really neat is the fact that I'm able to experience so many different aspects of theatre and film. She may even find out that she likes working behind the scene more than on stage. I think the more areas you're able to learn, the better. I know a lot of people I work with in film tend to do more than one job since work can be scarce at times. I know parents are always uneasy to hear their daughter or son wants to go into theatre, my mom sure was. My dad on the other hand works in film himself, so no complaints there,haha. It's always great to have a sort of backup job just incase it doesn't pan out.
Good-luck to her, I'm sure she'll have loads of fun.

 

[SoonerKate]

Feralpeg, if she's really interested in film and theater, she might also want to look into the University of Texas. As much as I dislike UT for rivalry reasons, their film program is great. There are a lot of well-connected alumni (Robert Rodriguez, Matthew McConaughey, Jordan Levin, Michael Zinberg....lots more, too.) and the program itself is wonderful and very well-regarded.

Here is a link to their program's website. It's still extremely, extremely competitive, but it also allows for a slightly broader field of study than FSU.

I've done a lot of film school research for graduate school, so if you have any questions, PM me.

 

[FreshTressa]

People don't always stick to just one career their whole lives anyway.

Let her do it, and if she doesn't love it or isn't able to make a go of it, then she can try a different path. That is the beauty of life, if we don't like the situation we are in, we can change it.

She is very lucky to have parents that will support her in pursuing her dreams and she will love you and stick close to you if you support her in this.

Who knows, she may wind up married with kids and a degree someday anyway.