3 out of 4 Stars!

“…provides practical, solid advice for adults wanting to help their children break into the “biz” in this primer that incorporates onscreen vocabulary coupled with tips, shortcuts, and red flags. Jacobs explains the ins and outs—from contacting a good agent (who should only get paid when you do) to being honest about what “type” your child falls into (with the suggestion of looking at other ads for a frame of reference). Along the way, viewers learn about auditions (during a vignette in which a young “actress” and parent illustrate the process), headshots, resumes, and unions, as well as important questions to ask before signing anything (regarding fee structure, etc.). A bonus disc includes resume templates, mailing labels, numbers for top agents across the U.S., pay rates, and more. The Smart Stage Mom offers a realistic view of the steps involved in entering show business while noting that having fun, effectively handling rejection, and following the child’s dream—not one’s own—are paramount for success. A slightly revised version titled Move Over, Miley—aimed at ‘tweens and teens—is also available at the same price. Recommended.”

“The Smart Stage Mom is an excellent resource to help those interested in an acting career, not just stage moms, make good decisions and avoid many of the common expensive mistakes many actors make when starting their career.” sag.org

“A thorough education for parents of child actors”
Jodi Rothfield has been casting for over 15 years. Some of her Television & Film projects include: Sleepless in Seattle, The Fugitive, The Indian in the Cupboard, Better Off Dead, Smoke Signals, 10 Things I Hate About You, Citizen Baines, Book of Stars, Highway, Life or Something Like It, Under Heaven, The Rich Man’s Wife, Under One Roof, Georgia, Born to be Wild, American Heart, Surviving the Game, Summer, The Temp, Past Midnight, Salmonberries, America’s Most Wanted, The Beans of Egypt, Maine, Step Mom, The Deep End of the Ocean, Jack Frost, Angels and Armadillos, Mercury Rising, The Mighty, Great Expectations, City 2 City, Flipper, Lolita, Jade, Empire Records, Little Princess, Dolores Claiborne, The Underneath, Thunder Alley. worldperc.com

“The DVD “The Smart Stage Mom” is an excellent introduction to the business. It has great information for anyone starting out in this business. It is truthfull and honest and states it in a way that any beginners will be able to understand. It gives an excellent step by step instruction on what to do to avoid pitfalls and being taken advantage of in this industry. Having done casting for 27 years I wish more people would have been able to see this sooner. This would have helped me when beginners come in for an audition.”
Patti Kalles is a two-time Artos Award winner and has been casting for commercials and films for over 27 years. Some of her Television & Film projects include: Northern Exposure, Frasier, Unsolved Mysteries, Snow Falling on Cedars, Mad Love, My Own Private Idaho, Say Anything, The Fabulous Baker Boys, and the upcoming True Grit from the Coen brothers. kalleslevinecasting.com

“Casting director Aaron Jacobs is the savvy instructor in this program aimed at parents interested in getting their child into show business. Frequent onscreen captions, including a flow chart, make the information easy to follow. This practical program is filled with
helpful tips, including questions to ask, ways to prepare, means of avoiding scams, and golden rules to follow.” ala.com

“I wished we had this DVD early in our experience because we did encounter some of the red flags you mentioned. Without naming names Julia’s first agent required her to take their classes and to use their photographer. When we started with the agent the cost of the classes and the photographer was approximately $2000. I believe this material is good for the beginner as well as someone who has been in this business awhile. It is a good DVD for the parents and the child to watch together.”

Kitty Kohlins

“We have all heard the horror stories! This video gives concrete advice on how to navigate this field, avoiding the costly mistakes and frustration.
Over our 10 years in this business with my 2 daughters I would guess we easily wasted at least 3000 dollars on things that were not helpful and in some cases made things more difficult simply because we could not get the right information! When we started out we got our information mostly from other parents who really didn’t know much more than we did. Education in this field is everything, there are a lot of people ready to take advantage of parents who don’t know how the entertainment business works. With this set of DVDs parents are given all the info they need from INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS, to not only get started, but to be successful and most importantly, have the confidence needed to relax, have fun, and BOOK JOBS!!!
I would strongly recommend these DVD’s to anyone who would like to get their child started in the entertainment field. I constantly get asked by other parents how I got my daughters started and I just want to say “you don’t want to start the way we did- making those mistakes!” Now I can refer them to this series, for a no nonsense guide that can save them so much time, money, and sanity. Everybody has to start somewhere and this series gives them all the right tools.”

Debbie Van Dyke

What an amazing video!! I wish that this DVD was out 5 years ago when my daughter told me she wanted to get into acting! We didn’t know anything about the industry. So when I heard the broadcast over the radio, “Do you have a child who has special talents or wants to get into acting or modeling?” I picked the phone up and called right away. In the end of it we got scammed out of approximately $5,000.00 for classes, photo shoots and a chance to attend a show in LA that we were not able to attend because we couldn’t come up with all the money but they kept what we did pay and said sorry there are no refunds!!! If I was able to purchase The Smart Stage Mom back then I would have been on the right track without getting scammed!! You have covered everything I would have ever needed to know and more!! After watching The Smart Stage Mom, I have learned so much more about the industry and I am so excited to get started on all the new info that you covered to help my daughter succeed in her dream of becoming an actress! The Smart Stage Mom covers everything in less than an hour. If you or your child wants to be in the entertainment business, I highly recommend The Smart Stage Mom. You will not regret the purchase. Thank you Aaron for such an amazing video!! We greatly appreciate it!!

Crystal Irish

“I wish we had used this system ages ago. We learned more from this than we have from the hundreds of dollars we spent on workshops and training sessions. This is all you need!”

Linda Gray-Smith