Casting Agents For Kids In Bangkok

[Mobi]

'Nuff not said. Au contraire. Our family outings tend to be fun and filled with positive experiences where ever we go. The quote "but I have seen a few outtakes that make me less than impressed with how they handle people on occasion." hardly smacks of commercial exploitation at every turn. As I said, we had a wonderful experience and look forward to more. Live a little!

There you go again - putting words in my mouth.

Insults, and now more misquotes,

Whatever next?

I do believe I have an absolutely wonderful life, thank you, as do my two beautiful leuk kreung daughters in England, without the benefit, I might add of being exploited for their looks when they were too young to know what was going on.

Who knows how famous they - and I - might have been if I had travelled down that road?

Yeah - I know - sour grapes to be sure, to be sure

[jumnien]

There seems to be this fear that if you take pictures of your kids they are being exploited for their looks, that if you allow them to play sports that they are being exploited for their physical skills, that if you allow them to go to school they will be exploited for their intellectual ability, that if you allow them to talk to anyone they will be exploited for their verbal skills. Very sad.

[B Fuddled]

My luk kreung son is now 2 years and 6 months old and is looking to get into the modelling profession for magazines, etc. He's done a little print work already and is eager to do more. Anyone with any connections for magazines or other media looking for handsome young little ones?

Would someone please point out to me where the man asks for opinions on child modeling. It seems to me he asked a simple question and a bunch of fargin self righteous ice souls are raking the guy over the coals.

Edited January 8, 2008 by B Fuddled

[jazzbo]

http://www.redmodelling.com/main.php -- in Bangkok, but I don't know how far you will get if you tell them you are ONLY interested in print...

[ClaytonSeymour]

I wonder if those who find it acceptable to put their children on public display have stopped to consider the number of paedophiles who'll be leering at them? Enough reason alone for me to oppose it.

[Mobi]

There seems to be this fear that if you take pictures of your kids they are being exploited for their looks, that if you allow them to play sports that they are being exploited for their physical skills, that if you allow them to go to school they will be exploited for their intellectual ability, that if you allow them to talk to anyone they will be exploited for their verbal skills. Very sad.

If you have any intelligence at all, you will know that what you have posted is totally ridiculous and is in no way germane to the discussion at hand. Nor is it a logical extrapolation of my previous statements.

Yes, it is very sad that you should grasp at such pathetic straws to justify your position, and I treat your diatribe with the contempt it deserves.

Go and show your kid and enjoy.

Here endeth the debate, I hope.

[soundman]

I wonder if those who find it acceptable to put their children on public display have stopped to consider the number of paedophiles who'll be leering at them? Enough reason alone for me to oppose it.

That's sick.

[ClaytonSeymour]

I wonder if those who find it acceptable to put their children on public display have stopped to consider the number of paedophiles who'll be leering at them? Enough reason alone for me to oppose it.

That's sick.

So, now can I welcome you in to the against group or, are you still sat on the fence undecided?

[soundman]

I am goint to put my foot in Sunrise's camp here.

1st point - OP looks to be a little TIC, & inciting replies rather than stating his real intention.

I have a sneaking suspision that Sunrise may be wanting to take his child to casting agencies much the same way another family would take their child to a karate class, footy class or singing lessons. All just a little life experience, nothing too serious. I am sure he couldn't give a flying duck about the paltry two thousand baht per day fee.

From my POV, I believe that introducing your children at a young age to all sorts of experiences is a positive factor in their development. I have never pushed my three year old daughter to do anything, however, with her parents being in show business it just comes out. End of semester school play, cute, lovely, naughty three year old daughter ends up with the lead role in a school dance.

I am a good parent. I don't pressure my daughter to do anything she does not want to do. But when she tells me that she wants to follow in my footsteps - do what daddy does, why should I discourage her? If that means taking her to casting agencies, well so be it until she gets tired of it or wants to turn professional.

Cheers & thanks for understanding.

Soundman.

PS. I have posted this photo on trust - Don't abuse.

[Mobi]

In the UK it is no longer permitted for parents to take videos or photographs of children in school activities for fear the material will get into the wrong hands.

This may or may not be an over reaction, but it is a fact, and is something to be taken into account when dealing with groups of children in a place where public and/or undesirables, may have access.

Star struck children at some stage of their public careers often become potential targets, as do child athletes, such as swimmers.

It's a sad world out there, which is why it behoves responsible parents to consider very carefully what activities they wish their children to participate in, and having done so, ensure the utmost safety and protection.

Soundman, I respect your views and tend to agree with you about the OP.

Edited January 8, 2008 by Mobi

[ClaytonSeymour]

In the UK it is no longer permitted for parents to take videos or photographs of children in school activities for fear the material will get into the wrong hands.

This may or may not be an over reaction, but it is a fact, and is something to be taken into account when dealing with groups of children in a place where public and/or undesirables, may have access.

Star struck children at some stage of their public careers often become potential targets, as do child athletes, such as swimmers. There are also countless examples where they go off the ropes in early adulthood drugs, alcohol, anorexia etc.

It's a sad world out there, which is why it behoves responsible parents to consider very carefully what activities they wish their children to participate in, and having done so, ensure the utmost safety and protection.

Soundman, I respect your views and tend to agree with you about the OP.

My opinion remains firm - I'm totally against this for various reasons. If they want to become models once they are adults, then again I may voice my concerns, but it would be their decision.

I suspect my Wife is in the other camp as when I briefly mentioned this topic to her, she commented that it can be a good business. Good business or not, if/when we have children I'll be putting my foot down on this one.

[soundman]

My opinion remains firm - I'm totally against this for various reasons. If they want to become models once they are adults, then again I may voice my concerns, but it would be their decision.

I suspect my Wife is in the other camp as when I briefly mentioned this topic to her, she commented that it can be a good business. Good business or not, if/when we have children I'll be putting my foot down on this one.

AFAIAC a child is not a business. That is prostitution in one of its many hidden forms. I have heard it discussed amongst Thai's before & am not impressed to say the least.

One thing I want to say is that I believe it is the parents responsiblity to guide their child(ren) through their up-bringing & help establish the set of values by which that child lives by for the rest of their life & the following generation.

Whether getting into to show business is a good or bad thing, hopefully being a caring, understanding & experienced parent will prevent or the possibilty of going off the rails just as it is possible for any child form any background to end up in a bad situation.

I commend you on making a set of values for your family to live by. I have a similar set, although, maybe not aligned with yours & mobi's.

Cheers guys,

Soundman.

[MrSquigle]

yeah glad the guy promoting kids as a business is in the negative camp, also the pedo dude....any more of you guys out there to join the level headed, respected long time posters ???

[TommyGun]

I guess some people needed to let off steam, and this innocent thread fell victim.

I believe you kind find info on sanook.com for agencies of sorts.

[Amethyst]

My luk kreung son is now 2 years and 6 months old and is looking to get into the modelling profession for magazines, etc. He's done a little print work already and is eager to do more. Anyone with any connections for magazines or other media looking for handsome young little ones?

The idea is good but i think its best to let the kid decide. My parents wants me to be a lawyer but in the end i ended up working in the sports industry.

Well there is just too much luk kreng in Bangkok and the competition is very high in the modeling industry here. Nowadays they either look for 100% Asian or 100% Caucasian.

I have friends who sent their luk kreung babies for casting and appear in advertisement but the agency will take advantage and pay you peanuts. They will just tell you there is too much competition .. Either you take it or leave it.

The best is not go to the agent but direct to the Brand companies:) if you are lucky

Good luck

[YoungAndRice]

"How much longer do I have to sit under these hot lights, wearing this uncomfortable outfit and make up while all these people talk to each other loudly about stuff I don't understand Daddy?"

"Just long enough to make your mother and I less insecure about our own short comings son. About 4 hours."

"After that I can go outside and play?"

"Well, we have a meeting with some of Mommy's friends so we want to show them how cute you are."

[Heng]

Shobiz can be a pretty rough business to be in. Usually not an issue when they are kids of course, but I've known and seen all kinds of life paths go off course in the late teens to early and mid 20's range. Parental influence starts to wane and you have kids with plenty of spare time and a bit too much extra cash. Yeah, it can happen in any field but IMO stars and starlets tend to fare the worst (and yeah, I know it doesn't happen to everyone... but I think they generally do fare worse % wise than kids who lead more 'normal' lives).

[ClaytonSeymour]

Shobiz can be a pretty rough business to be in. Usually not an issue when they are kids of course, but I've known and seen all kinds of life paths go off course in the late teens to early and mid 20's range. Parental influence starts to wane and you have kids with plenty of spare time and a bit too much extra cash. Yeah, it can happen in any field but IMO stars and starlets tend to fare the worst (and yeah, I know it doesn't happen to everyone... but I think they generally do fare worse % wise than kids who lead more 'normal' lives).

Currently, there's a very good example of this making headlines - Britney Spears.

[garro]

I'm sorry, but I am just not getting the point of view those against the OP's desire to get a bit of work in the entertainment industry for their kids. Probably because their arguments seem all over the place. Britney Spears? Does this mean that kids shouldn't be allowed to play football in case they turn out like George Best?

Parents have different values. Some value education above everything. I remember a few years ago doing some private teaning in BKK, with kids after school. I thought at the time that it was a bit unfair as these tikes would likely be far happier out playing. Who am I to judge though?

I think that I have picked up on a slight bit of mean-spiritedness from some posters - how dare he think that his children are more attractive, talented or special than mine. Maybe I'm wrong. Interesting the reactions though to such an inocent question by the OP.

[yorkman]

I think that I have picked up on a slight bit of mean-spiritedness from some posters - how dare he think that his children are more attractive, talented or special than mine. Maybe I'm wrong. Interesting the reactions though to such an inocent question by the OP.

It's not mean spritedness.

Mobi and I picked up on the want to do more. Ok, Post number 1 might have been in humour, but I certainly missed it. Try harder Spirit

What is at issue is that somebody is making money out of your child, if its not agents, its ad agencies or whoever, even if you personally are not. And this, I suspect, is the motive of many parents who push their kids into this sort of thing. Before somebody shouts, I am not saying Spring is doing this. Amply explained, keep the missis happy.....

There is a real child welfare issue here however . It's nobody elses business apart from the OP what he does inside his family.

I have a couple of girls, and the ooohahh's that they have attracted in Thailand almost from birth because of their looks is a bit disturbing, even in the street. It's a Thai thing, light skin and no "sticky nose"

I do my utmost to keep them on an even keel. They are not better or worse than other kids they associate with.

Encouraging talent through their choice is a completely different matter. My youngest is showing serious talent playing the piano, and she will get all my backup and support pursueing this if SHE wants to.

Anything, if its a fun day for kids is fine I think. But any hint of exploitation is not, whether for money, ego or whatever.

Just IMHO

[jumnien]

I'll repeat again that my experience at Amarin was characterized by interaction with wonderful Thais on a beautiful Buddhadasa-inspired campus. You people are reading something into this that just isn't there.

I highly recommend that folks pick up a copy of Real Parenting magazine, that's what we are discussing here. Or any of the kids and parenting mags available in Thailand. Kids are a very important part of Thai culture and this suggestion that no kids should appear in editorial photos and all photos of kids should be removed from all publications is absurd. I wish the culture I came from had more interest and respect for children.

Edited January 8, 2008 by sunrise07

[jumnien]

I highly recommend that any farangs out there with Thai wives and children have their wives read through this entire thread. It may not directly address the OP well, but it does enlighten the Thai as to how sensitive (and absurd from a Thai perspective) Farang men can be as regards raising children. My wife is shocked at the responses, but we have had some good laughs! Thanks to all...

[adjan jb]

I highly recommend that any farangs out there with Thai wives and children have their wives read through this entire thread. It may not directly address the OP well, but it does enlighten the Thai as to how sensitive (and absurd from a Thai perspective) Farang men can be as regards raising children. My wife is shocked at the responses, but we have had some good laughs! Thanks to all...

"absurd from a Thai perspective".... It's probably a good thing, isn't it ?

[jumnien]

I highly recommend that any farangs out there with Thai wives and children have their wives read through this entire thread. It may not directly address the OP well, but it does enlighten the Thai as to how sensitive (and absurd from a Thai perspective) Farang men can be as regards raising children. My wife is shocked at the responses, but we have had some good laughs! Thanks to all...

"absurd from a Thai perspective".... It's probably a good thing, isn't it ?

Antonin Artaud, "Theatre of the Absurd" - GREAT THING!

[adjan jb]

I highly recommend that any farangs out there with Thai wives and children have their wives read through this entire thread. It may not directly address the OP well, but it does enlighten the Thai as to how sensitive (and absurd from a Thai perspective) Farang men can be as regards raising children. My wife is shocked at the responses, but we have had some good laughs! Thanks to all...

"absurd from a Thai perspective".... It's probably a good thing, isn't it ?

Antonin Artaud, "Theatre of the Absurd" - GREAT THING!

"One of the most important aspects of absurd drama was its distrust of language as a means of communication. Language had become a vehicle of conventionalised, stereotyped, meaningless exchanges."

Now replace "language" by "commercials"

Edited January 9, 2008 by adjan jb

[jumnien]

I highly recommend that any farangs out there with Thai wives and children have their wives read through this entire thread. It may not directly address the OP well, but it does enlighten the Thai as to how sensitive (and absurd from a Thai perspective) Farang men can be as regards raising children. My wife is shocked at the responses, but we have had some good laughs! Thanks to all...

"absurd from a Thai perspective".... It's probably a good thing, isn't it ?

Antonin Artaud, "Theatre of the Absurd" - GREAT THING!

"One of the most important aspects of absurd drama was its distrust of language as a means of communication. Language had become a vehicle of conventionalised, stereotyped, meaningless exchanges."

Now replace "language" by "commercials"

My kid was doing editorial work, not commercials. The piece you can see in the February issue of Real Parenting has him dressed a la Johnny Depp in a pirate costume complete with eyepatch in a quite imaginative giant handmade paper boat. Antonin would have approved!

[Heng]

Shobiz can be a pretty rough business to be in. Usually not an issue when they are kids of course, but I've known and seen all kinds of life paths go off course in the late teens to early and mid 20's range. Parental influence starts to wane and you have kids with plenty of spare time and a bit too much extra cash. Yeah, it can happen in any field but IMO stars and starlets tend to fare the worst (and yeah, I know it doesn't happen to everyone... but I think they generally do fare worse % wise than kids who lead more 'normal' lives).

Currently, there's a very good example of this making headlines - Britney Spears.

I was thinking more along the lines of kids making a couple hundred $ a day (with a minority making more than that; getting paid per project) here and spending it within 24-48 hours, going to parties where the 'ya E' gets broken out before the booze even shows up, where unprotected sex is the norm, all before any kind of "career" is established, often while still in high school and university (which if they happen to finish, is usually a 5-6 year odyssey).

[jumnien]

Shobiz can be a pretty rough business to be in. Usually not an issue when they are kids of course, but I've known and seen all kinds of life paths go off course in the late teens to early and mid 20's range. Parental influence starts to wane and you have kids with plenty of spare time and a bit too much extra cash. Yeah, it can happen in any field but IMO stars and starlets tend to fare the worst (and yeah, I know it doesn't happen to everyone... but I think they generally do fare worse % wise than kids who lead more 'normal' lives).

Currently, there's a very good example of this making headlines - Britney Spears.

I was thinking more along the lines of kids making a couple hundred $ a day (with a minority making more than that; getting paid per project) here and spending it within 24-48 hours, going to parties where the 'ya E' gets broken out before the booze even shows up, where unprotected sex is the norm, all before any kind of "career" is established, often while still in high school and university (which if they happen to finish, is usually a 5-6 year odyssey).

Many young kids do drugs, drink alcohol, get pregnant and drop out of school who weren't in small photo shoots at Real Parenting magazine. I'm not sure you can blame it on magazines devoted to children. Just suppose for an instant that society took all children out of all media. That only adults could be photograghed. What a boring and sad world. Children add to life and to remove them from it doesn't serve a positive social function.

[Heng]

As mentioned, I said it usually isn't a problem for underaged kids. It's when they get into their late teens and early 20's where this lifestyle starts to offer more temptations (and folks are in denial if they think the risks and opportunities are the same as people in more traditional fields).

And of course all societies require media and entertainment figures.

[Mobi]

I don't understand why the defenders on this thread feel so aggrieved and are so quick to condemn those that have a different point of view.

The OP asked for info in helping to 'cast' his very young son, and some of us used the opportunity to express our disagreement with the idea of putting kids on 'casting' couches.

It is quite normal practice for people to post opinions on a thread that was originally opened for information. This has happened to my own 'requests for information' threads on many an occasion, and the subjects have sparked off debates that have gone on for pages. Nothing wrong with good healthy debate, as long as it doesn't end in a flame war.

Yet all you 'defenders' seem to be think is something inherently wrong with us having a different opinion on how to raise our kids, and some have got close to flaming us, to say nothing of 'twisting' our statements to make us sound 'negative' and bad.

We were even accused of suggesting that those who send their kids to such activities are guilty of abuse, which is patently untrue.

Then many defenders have tried to confuse the issue by suggesting that we are also against letting kids participate in any activity, such as sport, or even intellectual activities. This is just so much nonsense, and is an attempt to cloud the central issue. My youngest daughter is a grade 8 pianist, clarinettist and saxophonist (as well as holding a 1st class degree), and my elder daughter was a champion swimmer. They had very active childhoods and participated in everything from girl guides, to school drama and all the other stuff.

I kept them out of commercials and show business, as I had seen a little of what goes on there, both in Thailand and the UK, and what bothered me more than anything else was the behaviour and attitudes of many parents, who clearly were only putting their kids through it for their own self aggrandisement.

I have also seen this in other activities, such as sport - particularly in 'solo' sports, like gymnastics. The kids are put through incredibly arduous lifestyles, and many are clearly unhappy, but the parents are determined to make them champions and bask in the reflected glory.

Yes of course the commercial world, and show business needs kids, and there will always be parents with beautiful and talented children who will fulfil this need. I am simply advising caution, and if this thread has done nothing else, it might have given parents with similar aspirations, some food for thought, and to proceed along this road with caution and self awareness.

And also to be honest with themselves as to their real motives.