The Industry: A Mom’s Perspective & Son’s Journey

Note from AMTC Staff- This letter was so moving & full of great advice, we could not put it in the reading room alone. Instead, this is an active blog where any questions or comments you have will be forwarded to & answered by Mrs. Showalter.

This is a VERY late, and hopefully helpful letter to all the parents out there who are considering AMTC:

First and foremost, I am so very proud that Steven got his start with a Christian based competition!!! This business is tough. At AMTC, friends and camaraderie surrounded him- that I know he could not have gotten anywhere else. He got TRUTH, and was protected, he learned and excelled. What a privilege to meet all the wonderful agents, managers and guests that AMTC had in store for him. With HALO as his Mother agent, he got superior training from a loving, firm, experienced, knowledgeable, and Christian source in Stephanie Duke. When he got on the stage at AMTC, he did so prepared with poise, and prayers. He did great with the confidence she helped instill in him! He met many other wonderful directors that he also learned from, once at AMTC. As a parent, we have loved getting to know the AMTC family and appreciate all the support you have continued to be in Steven’s career.

Also as a Mom, I have a lot of advice for other parents. Sometimes, I almost think, I might really “know” this business. Oh, how we all want to be an expert! LOL, but truly every time I think I have learned a lot about this business, I learn something else!! How ever changing it can be, but some things are constant:

*One of the things I have learned and in my mind the MOST important, is HOW important it is to make sure your child realizes that his or her value is NOT in talent or looks or voice. It is in the fact that they are children of God, and their worth is so valuable to Him that He sent His only Son to pay the price for their mistakes, their sins. Without God, our self imposed worth is simply temporal, but with God our worth is ETERNAL, no matter how successful we are or are not on this earthly stay.

Parents please above all, LOVE your children. It breaks my heart to see some parents convince their child that they have to perform or look a certain way to be accepted. We are all accepted by the heavenly Father; we just have to ask! SadIy I have seen in more than one waiting room as Steven was on auditions, some sad examples of “stage” Moms and Dads. How sad to see children literally RUN out of an audition … in tears!!! Even worse to hear a parent yelling at a child just outside the door!

*Make sure parents understand … if your child is not tough, and able to handle rejection, don’t put him through this…. If we didn’t believe in Steven’s GOD given talent and looks, and I repeat, GOD GIVEN, and that God is going to USE Steven in something to glorify the Lord, we would have easily stopped by now… I can’t tell you how many times I have had to be a cheerleader when he came out of an audition, when inside it was breaking my heart that they just didn’t see my “perfect” child as the one for the part. Mom, be prepared to have a good game face, and a strong pair of kneepads, because when they leave as Steven has, to travel half way around the world, you are gonna be on your knees praying a lot! It is tough to see him get on a plane to NY, or Korea, or Japan, etc.! I am still developing a tougher “hide.”

*Another issue is financial, remember, PRAY about how to manage your child’s business. I cannot stress enough, how important it is to have some money backing you in this business. I really believe, if Mike and I had more money to back him while he started, he would have already landed something big in Hollywood on film or TV. We have learned that the huge expenses it takes to start up in this business are very prohibitive for a middle-income family like ours (especially with a Mom now on disability). But I don’t think it is wise or good to go borrow money to get your child into this business, and that is pretty bottom line biblical. God I believe will honor not putting the family in debt, and Steven is appreciating more and more, as he is learning and earning!

*Finally, a VERY important point … that we were told at AMTC, but I am just not sure is sunk in completely…...In fact I know it didn’t…Please, PLEASE tell all the parents out there, THIS IS NOT AN OVERNIGHT BUSINESS… Steven has had continual work since he started. He had a lot of callbacks, and he was off to NY for an audition for “All of my Children” immediately after AMTC. He started out with a bang and hasn’t stopped yet.

Some of the agencies he has been or is currently signed with are: Halo Talent, Elite Atlanta, Elite Chicago, Hotshots Kids, JPervis Talent agency, OSBRINK- LA, NY models, the W agency in Seoul, Korea, The Cosmopolitan Agency in Osaka, Japan, and has verbal agreements with several others that become signed when he is in those states. ... Sounds great right?

BUT- the expenses to pay: gas for castings, return call backs and jobs, comp cards, head shots, resumes, photo shoots for comp cards, clothes for the model bag, makeup (yes even for boys), hair stylings, gas for all of that, parking, airline tickets, hotels, restaurants, living expense, his apartments overseas, interpreters, taxies, renting a car, transportation, chauffers, acting classes, private acting coaching, living expenses for other states, and a car for L.A., (as he is not old enough to lease or rent a car without me!!!) Food, passport fees, insurance for another state, website ads, every agency charges for web profiles-yearly, and we have not even gotten into the SAG and other union dues yet!!!

All that takes time and money. Steven is working also at Aeropostal along with the modeling to help pay expenses so he can continue saving for L.A. How blessed are the families who have the money, or the opportunity to just move their family out there, but even they have challenges!

*Now, on another side, Steven CHOSE to finish High school here in GA. and in doing so, got some great opportunities and training in both Black Box Theater and stage presentations. Grayson High has a very high tech drama department, and Steven starred or directed in about every performance his senior year, in both State competition plays and musicals. He got to go to his HS proms, and activities, and he has great memories to pull from for acting from those. We believe he chose wisely. Steven also did some heart felt praying and true investigation about moving before graduation. He decided it would be good to “finish” being a kid”... and we are glad he did. He also found he was that age, that the directors would choose and older guy over him if they could. He is blessed that he LOOKS at age 19 like a 16 yr. old most of the time. This will help him in LA, because he realized that for every job he went up for that had a 19 yr. old that was out of school- that the directors preferred them, due to not having to deal with on set teachers etc. His call back from the director in Louisiana was a truly interested director, but an older kid that LOOKED younger got the job. So parents of almost legal or almost graduated kids, think hard about moving your child out of school. Every agent we have been in contact with has stressed EDUCATION first!

As much as possible, even before he was legal age, we have tried to make sure the decisions in this business were Steven’s wishes. Discuss things even with a younger child; make sure this is what he or she wants to do… Not your dream that didn’t quite make it.

*To Summarize all that last part, even though Steven started out with all the interest, and all the call backs, He has not made the move because of money… So, all that said, I really encourage parents to be aware, unless you have a bank roll, a rich auntie, or are rich yourself, don’t feel bad if your child isn’t able to participate in everything right away. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE INVESTMENT that doesn’t happen overnight!

Investigate and move forward with knowledge. LISTEN at the AMTC seminars and take NOTES!! AMTC is the best teacher and tool we have had!

Now days, We are looking at it as Steven is earning his dues, and truly learning. He is getting stronger through the process, and growing wiser. Being patient has been hard, but the Lord is teaching us all through it. In appearance of all the great successes he has had, you would think he has a lot of money, but the cost so far is just starting to break even! With us entering our 4th year since he started, wow, hard to believe, it has been a great ride, but not financially strong yet. But the perks are neat so they must be considered. Think about it?

HOW many 19 year olds get to travel the world and see it’s many wonders!

The best thing for us though is STEVEN LOVES what he is doing, and that said, IF for some reason he didn’t “make” it in Hollywood, he wants to be a Drama teacher.

As for me, I happen to believe with ALL MY HEART, more now than even when he went to AMTC in 2004, that God has gifted Steven with his talents and looks for a reason, and that Steven is going to be successful in Film and or TV, etc., to the Glory of our Lord! Steven loves people, and he Loves God, I know he loves to introduce people to God… I continue to stand on, “it will be wonderful to see what God does with Steven!!!” I MISS him terribly while he is gone for months at the time modeling and living in a different country, but I am so proud of him, and for him! He knows, Mom and Dad will always have a bed ready for him when he comes home too:)))

My Love to all at AMTC, and HALO… Thank you for being the family friendly, Christ Centered, group of people that you are! Steven feels LOVED by you all, and we know that isn’t just a feeling … thank you for all the opportunities AMTC has afforded to him! Sorry about the long book letter:)

My best advice to parents out there, LOVE your kids so much that the business is just a fun way to express the talents God has given them!!!

In Christ’s Love and service,
Debb Showalter