Hi, my friend just told me about CIF and I signed on.  Can anyone tell me how this site can help with obtaining representation by an agent? We live in the LA area and my daughter just turned one.  I also have two other kids, do I have to create separate accounts for them? How often do agents look at CIF to scout for new talents?

 Thanks.

My suggestion would be to start by reading the website.  It is kind of like reading the manual before operating the machine - you want to make sure you understand the various parts before you move forward.   Speicifc sections I'd recommend reading are The KidStart Program, The Casting Process, and the Rules and Laws for your state.

 Once you have done this, you will be ready to use our Membership Directory to search Talent Agents and Managers - read what other parents have to say about them in the ratings and recommendations section and then contact the agent/manager through their profile.  My suggestion would not be to contact them simply saying "Will you represent my child," but rather inquire about them or their agency and move the conversation forward from there. 

Yes, you should create a seperate profile for each of your children.  And yes, many of our members have experienced success using our website.

If you have any questions as you move forward, don't hesitate to contact us.

~Heather  

 Hi Lisa,

Children In Film is an online community of entertainment professionals.  Our membership combines talented children with all kinds of industry professionals (agents, managers, casting directors, coaches, classes, etc).

 As Heather stated above, the first thing you should do is read the "Kidstart" program and the article "Understanding the Casting Process".  You also need to take the time to populate your profile.  Currently, you have no information in your profile and you should not submit to anyone on the site until you do.

 Although agents can search the database looking for new faces, the real value to parents lies in your ability to send your profile directly and specifically to agents who represent children electronically.  In the past, you would have had to make hundreds of duplicate photos and resumes, put them in an envelope and snail mail them to agents.  The time you spent researching which agents represented children, combined with the expense of traditional mailing cost literally hundreds of dollars.  Compare that expense to our $12.99 membership fee and you can see how Children In Film can save a lot of time and money.

Agents like it too, because we provide a way for them to view your profile online.  Sure you could simply e-mail an agent your resume, but keep in mind that Agents are often leary of opening attachements in e-mail for fear of contracting a virus.

Through Children In Film ratings and reccomendation system, not only can you find out which agents represent kids, you can find out what other parents have to say about these agents.  This minimizes the risk of doing business with someone you have never heard of. 

We will never tell you that you will be discovered simply by holding a profile on our website.  There is still a LOT of work to be done on your part.  Populate your profile, submit to agents, submit to casting notices, attend classes, update your profile, attending networking events . . . . our goal is to simply make all of this easy for you at a very low monthly cost.

All the best,

Toni Casala