Successful Young Creatives
Successful Young Creatives guides aspiring young talents (and their parents) through the entertainment business world, led by Genevieve Goings—a Grammy-winning songwriter, Disney veteran, vocalist, composer, and accomplished kids' talent coach. With a career built on voice acting, music, and character work for major brands, Genevieve brings a wealth of experience to this podcast. Each episode offers young performers and their parents insights into voice acting, singing, and breaking into the industry, providing essential skills and strategies for those eager to book roles and pursue their creative dreams.
Successful Young Creatives
Truths from a Top Manager : Shanelle Gray
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What does it truly take to succeed as a child actor in Hollywood today? Veteran talent manager Shanelle Gray pulls back the curtain on an industry often shrouded in mystery and misconception.
Shanelle's journey from child Broadway performer in Les Misérables to founder of both Complete Management Group and Shanelle Gray Studios gives her unparalleled insight into the entertainment world. Having experienced the challenges firsthand—including her mother's transformation into what she calls "an incredible stage mom"—Shanelle brings a refreshingly honest perspective to guiding young talent and their families.
"It's a 10-year plan for adults and a 5-year plan for kids," she reveals, shattering the myth of overnight success that lures many into the business unprepared. Throughout our conversation, Shanelle emphasizes that authentic talent and proper training are non-negotiable in today's competitive landscape where opportunities are significantly scarcer than when she was performing.
The distinction between agents and managers emerges as a crucial insight for industry newcomers. "An agent is done at 6 o'clock," Shanelle explains. "A manager is 24/7." This fundamental difference shapes how actors should build their professional teams and set expectations. Her innovative approach of training mothers of successful child actors to become junior managers themselves creates both sustainability in the industry and ensures guidance from those with real-world experience.
Perhaps most valuable are Shanelle's candid assessments of common pitfalls—from the exaggerated "kid acting" style that casting directors avoid to the resistance some parents have toward establishing social media presences for their children. "Social media is your opportunity and your job to promote yourself," she advises, noting how essential these platforms have become in the modern casting process.
Whether you're a parent considering this path for your child, an aspiring actor seeking to understand the business side of your craft, or simply fascinated by the inner workings of Hollywood, this episode provides the unvarnished truth from someone who's lived it from every angle and isn't afraid to tell it like it is.
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S-Y-C-Successful Yawn S-Y-C-A-T-E-N. Yes, I know I'm gonna be successful. I am so excited for today's episode because I have a truly incredible guest joining me. You guys, someone who lives and breathes the world of young talent and the entertainment industry. I'm talking about the amazing Chanel Gray. Yes, chanel isn't just a manager. She's a seasoned pro who started her own journey in this business as a kid, from Broadway stages to running one of the most successful acting studios out there, and now she is managing the top of the top kids in this business. Okay, she brings over 20 years of experience, a no-nonsense approach and a deep understanding of what it takes for kids to thrive in voice acting, acting and beyond in her company, complete Management Group.
Speaker 1:In this episode, we're diving into some really important topics for you guys. We're talking about managing expectations in the industry, the importance of consistent training and those crucial insights that can help avoid common missteps. We'll even hear about her unique approach to building a team of mom managers. Get ready for some honest, insightful and super helpful advice from a true expert. Let's welcome Chanel Gray. I am so happy to be here with Chanel Gray. You are the bomb girl.
Speaker 1:Well thank you, that's what I heard. I love it. We got to have this confidence man because it goes on to the clients and they are booking.
Speaker 2:Congratulations by the way. Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1:Confidence is key, right, it is. I can't even keep up with all of your clients and their bookings and everything, so I would love to just dive in since we have. You know we're we're gonna have listeners that are like in the business. They know everything about what we're doing. Our language and our terms are second nature, but there's also a lot listening that are just interested in this. Thinking about starting, and I just you know everyone in Hollywood is so cool and everybody knows everything. I want to have a space where it's like everybody doesn't know everything you know and you can just talk about it.
Speaker 2:I think a lot of people don't know enough.
Speaker 1:Right, it's so true. It's so true and we're. You know, you can never be too cool to ask and learn. So, yeah, I love that you're here. Thank you so much. I mean, yes, I feel like I was like a fan of yours before knowing you, because we had like mutual clients that we would work with. In just hearing about your management style and just your overall style, like as a person and mentor, which is just that real deal.
Speaker 1:Person, which is how I try to be too. You're giving it like it is, like you're not sugarcoating. That's how I grew up.
Speaker 2:You know that's how I grew up. You know, back in the day, the managers and agents when I grew up, that's how they were. I feel like today. You know there's a lot of sugarcoating going on and I don't think it's helping people very much. But you know you either love me or you don't.
Speaker 1:Well, I love you girl.
Speaker 2:Thank you. I love you too. Yes, like me, but I think that you either like my style or you don't.
Speaker 1:Which makes you a great representative of other people. You're like we're going to get this done, so can you? I wanted to ask, just like a little background on you. I know you started in the business like as a kid, too right, and then how that led you to be coming a manager.
Speaker 2:Sure, yeah, yeah, I was well. First I was very, very young. You know I was in pageants, blah, blah, blah. My mom had a, you know, a dream to have her daughter in pageants and movies and stuff like that. So she had put me in pageants. I remember the very first one I cried and she was, you know. I went back to that next pageant and you know I won every one. You know told me not to cry again. So I won every one and and you know, after that I I booked a limbs rob on Broadway and I, you know remember, my mom, took me down to the big cattle call.
Speaker 2:You know, I didn't have an agent or anything. I had this manager. I didn't have an agent or anything. I had this manager, linda Townsend. She was like the biggest hot thing in Virginia and where we lived and and she said there's a cattle call in New York if you want to go down there and take her for the audition. So she took me down there. You know we waited in line 500 people sleeping on the um and uh, I auditioned for it and, um, I booked it. Wow, and so so my mom and I moved out of new york in astoria, queens, and we lived in this little apartment and, uh, you know it was, it had cockroaches, we got scabies. We were like, I mean it was, it was. It was pretty epic, it was pretty surreal, and we were, you know, living there.
Speaker 2:My dad and my brother were in Virginia. Still, my dad was trying to transfer his job. You know, we were separated from the family and we, we were doing it, we were on Broadway and and we were doing the living, the dream. It was different. Then, you know, I mean, it was different. Then I'm 46 years old, it was different than about to be 47. So it was looking good girl. I'm different. Then, you know, I mean it was different. Then I'm 46 years old, it was different than about to be 47. So it was looking good girl.
Speaker 2:I'm looking fine.
Speaker 1:You know, we making forties. Look right, that's right.
Speaker 2:Thank you, but yeah, it was back in the day was different, you know, um, you know we did eight shows a week. We share eight shows a week. It was. It was crazy, but it was my very first big job and you know my mom ended up being the reason there was no mothers on set and we had a chaperone, so no mothers were allowed on set and there was a chaperone, and then after that I booked a pilot and we moved to LA.
Speaker 2:So that was the course of that and then, you know, had some issues with the mom. You know she became like an incredible stage mom, which you know she was already mentally ill. So becoming an incredible stage mom was easy for her and you know, really got her, really got her. The business really got her, which really showed me how to deal with parents today, how to deal with parents today. I think you know my mom's mental illness really showed me, you know, how badly this business can get parents and I think that I've helped a lot of parents from going that route. And I like difficult parents to be honest with you, because I can help them, you know I can help them, you know I can help them not go that route. Wow, so so you know, difficult parents don't scare me, you know nobody scares me, so I have the most difficult in my mom.
Speaker 1:So nobody. Wow, that is so. I had no idea like that. That's really interesting and amazing how you shift that. I mean, yeah, who's's gonna understand as much as you? Well, yeah, I was in foster care.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, so all of that, you know, kind of went to the wayside. I stopped acting for a while. I came back into acting at 18. And then I booked a soap opera, and then I booked another soap opera, and then I did a recurring role, and then I met my ex-husband and we opened an acting studio. Well, I opened an acting studio at 25 when I met my ex husband. Uh, we renamed it, called it gray studios. Gray studios became one of the largest studios out here. Yeah, we were, we 20 plus years, very, very successful. I mean, I, you know it was wonderful. Yeah, when we divorced, um, we split chanel gray studios, david gray studios probably seems silly, but it's actually not. Uh, you know, we have fans, both of us have fans, and so chanel gray studios is still amazing, still going. Um, I teach when I can. Um, I have some amazing teachers there.
Speaker 2:Um, is this a brick and mortar place, or is this online, or how can people actually have a brick and mortar in west lake where we do some musical theater and we do um. I love musical theater.
Speaker 1:I was on broadway so musical theater is a big pass one of the reasons I do musical theater for my kids.
Speaker 2:They love her kids.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh my gosh, her daughters are just absolutely incredible, like, like, like, shut your mouth and drop your jaw.
Speaker 2:Amazing, yes, I mean they were born into it. But, yes, right after as well. He's a very good actor. He's a very good acting coach as well. His studio is wonderful as well. Um, we, we, you know, split at first to probably not so amicably, but now we're very amicable. That's great, and you know.
Speaker 2:you know when you have an acting studio for over 20 plus years and it's successful. You know it was a dream. You know it was a dream. We had a huge building in North Hollywood that we sold when we divorced, but a huge building in North Hollywood that we sold when we divorced. But we huge building in North Hollywood where we, you know, did coaching and voiceover and musical theater and my kids grew up there. And it was so that's the best, and so, and everybody who's anybody has gone to our studio.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean everybody, any actor that you name has young actor has gone to our studio. I mean everybody, any actor that you name has young actor has been to our studio and I think that that really helped also me manage and a lot of those actors I manage you know right, I was just gonna say that some of your students, you know that's how.
Speaker 2:I found my original, original actors. When I'm splitting from my ex-husband I um, I wanted to do something different. You know, I knew I had the acting studio which, eventually, my kids are going to run. My kids are unbelievably talented, like you said, so they're going to run that studio and. I'm going to manage forever. And so, um, I said, well, those actors are amazing and those are the ones I would have managed, so I grabbed them and they wanted me to manage them.
Speaker 2:I mean, who better than me? I've been working with these agents and casting directors all of my 20 plus years right so it's probably gonna be me right, yeah so I um, which didn't make all the managers happy that I worked yeah, like wait a minute.
Speaker 1:What? Yeah, you know what, but you know what?
Speaker 2:Tuff, you know what I'm saying. Yes, so I have to do what's right for me, and I had given to people for many, many years and I was giving and giving and constantly, giving and constantly giving.
Speaker 2:And you know the one minute I did for me. Well, you know I had to do for me. I minute I did for me, well, you know, I had to do for me. I felt really bad about it than I had to do for me. You know, I know how to become. I knew how to be a manager from all different angles as a mother as an actor and as a coach, and so you know, it was just such an easy transition for me. Yeah, that's so excellent. I'm curious.
Speaker 1:I love it. And so now with Complete Management Group, what are you guys do? I mean, you and you've got a lot, a lot of kids that I know, that I've had the pleasure of working with as well. So there's a lot. I mean there's too many to list, but any kind of current wins you want to talk about, because I know, sure, yeah, we have a lot of wins.
Speaker 2:I mean, right now we have a girl that's, that's in a test right now for a big show. But, um, we have a lot. We've karen cradder, who's felt in group from star wars. Um we, caleb dolden just did teacup on peacock. He's starting a Peacock on Peacock. We have, oh, kelly Cunningham who plays Kombucha in Nickelodeon's Thundermans. Yes, thunderman Riku. You know our little winner who you really, really, really, really helped, our little Pamden Brooks.
Speaker 1:Oh, love him, who just lead in a feature that is so exciting that I caused it a whole scene in the Cheesecake Factory. When his parents told me Amazing, yeah, that was so great, he's such a star, Camden Brooks and he came in. Chanel sent him in here for his agent.
Speaker 2:Read For Osbrink yes for.
Speaker 1:Osbrink. So he signed to Osbrink for voiceover and when these agencies are interested in you, they'll send a list of scripts that they have, even if you have a demo and things. They want to hear how you're going to read. And so he came in here to work with me for that and they ended up signing him after that and he is doing a big oh, I can't wait for that. We'll come back.
Speaker 2:I mean, you know when you, when you book something like that, I think people don't understand. You know you beat out coast to coast, you beat out coast to coast people, not coast to coast agency, but people right you know audition. When you book a series regular, they audition in atlanta they audition, yes, they audition in canada.
Speaker 2:they audition in la. You know you're booking with kinley, for instance. You know, with kombucha they auditioned in every city. This girl beat out 5 000 girls, you know. So it's not easy, right know, when I hear somebody come to the table and say try acting Right Next, for me it's next Right. I'm not interested in anybody who wants to try acting Right. It's very hard work.
Speaker 1:Very.
Speaker 2:And that's not. You know, it is hard work. You have to train. Also, nobody, that's's anybody that's not interested in training. Right for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah it's an ongoing? Yes, it's definitely. And just, you learn something every time and and all the time all the time, all the time, and it's actually interesting. I interesting. I had a question I wanted to ask you kind of like I guess two parts is like things that you wish that parents understood a little more about the business, which also kind of leads into like some mistakes to avoid. I guess there's a lot when you could just say advice but.
Speaker 1:I'd like to take it the other way of like more like I wish they understood this and and kind of not to do this.
Speaker 2:I wish parents understood that just because you're submitted in pitch doesn't mean you're getting the audition. I also wish the parents understood that your agent wants you to get the audition. I also wish that parents understood that it's not because of always because of your child's acting that they didn't get the job. That they didn't get the job Right. Sometimes the best actor doesn't always get the job.
Speaker 1:Maybe you even look too much like who you're going to be in the scene with. I mean, there's so many.
Speaker 2:So there's so many factors involved to booking, to um getting the audition to um you know, there's a lot of actors that don't have the opportunity and, um, you know, there's just so many factors involved yeah, right, yeah, and kind of like it's a long game.
Speaker 1:I'm sure there's a lot of like up and wait, it's a marathon on the sprint, Right, and that's what I say.
Speaker 2:And you know my actors, my clients, they know that, Because if they don't know that, they're not with me, Right? No, and I've actually. You know, when I do a drop for clients because you know every so often a manager and agent they have to do a drop. There's absolutely no way that they can keep certain clients for the long term, because you find out who clients are over the course of time. It's almost not at all about what they book or all that. It's about who they are and what they understand, Because I'm about to do one and there's a few of them on there that it's not about, but there's one that he books, but if he asks me one more time, you know where his auditions are, where his auditions are, where his auditions are, where his auditions are and he doesn't read Variety and he gets auditions.
Speaker 2:I might lose my mind, right? I mean, because there's no, there's, the jobs are very less Right.
Speaker 1:And I'm also.
Speaker 2:This reminds me how, following a lot of my clients along the path of growing up, and how there are a lot more, it seems, for the younger age and that kind of teen drop-off is where there is a scarcity in that age range, you see that too, once you're 18 and above, or 20 and above, it drops, because if you haven't gotten a show or a lot of credits by the age of 22, 21, your audition ratio is going to go down because people with credits are going to take the roles. That's the name of the game. And if you're starting the industry at that age, just be prepared to wait and work the two W's, because it's it's. They're going to take the roles.
Speaker 2:Yeah Right, you know, it's it's a 10 year plan for adults and it's a five year plan for kids.
Speaker 1:I say that that's great. That's great to hear too. Just to put that general thing.
Speaker 2:I say that front, you know not expect this to be overnight and if it is overnight you got really lucky.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's an interesting thing that I'd like to do a separate episode or two on preparing yourself for, like after the big role, that there might be some downtime, which every actor goes through, every everybody goes through. But you know it's harder to deal with this stuff as as a kid and so the more info you have and the more kind of you know Prepared to thicken your skin.
Speaker 2:It's harder for the people that have done a show that come off of the show and then expect something else. Right, and we really try to focus on the people that have come off the show To try to get them something right away or try to get a project. I do focus on that, to try to get them something right away or try to get a project or try to. You know, I do focus on that, I try to look for the projects.
Speaker 2:I try to try to jump on the grid and see what's coming out there, but sometimes there's no work. You know, in this day, today, this day and age, there's so much less work. We're all fighting for the work. Less work, we're all fighting for the work. Though it's not like it was back in my day. There was so much work, there's so much work. Everybody was getting work.
Speaker 1:If you weren't good, you got work yeah, yeah, today, yeah it is, and it's good, you know, for them to keep their creativity up and, like you say, stay in classes and stay around your peers and you know, and and all of that um. So so I'm just curious if you have um some tips, because you're an amazing coach as well. I mean, just you know thank you she's awesome, I like her can.
Speaker 1:Can you tell, calm down? I like you, calm down. Ok so, but I'm like a little just descriptive, like loud and just screaming the lines out. Yeah, you know what I mean when, where you're in there in the trenches, knowing that generally these casting directors and and productions are looking for that real kid energy, you know. So, just, I don't know if you have something to just explain that a little bit to people, because some parents again, that are just starting and their kids like reading an audition, they're probably thinking like gosh, you sound too relaxed. Or like you know, give it some oomph. Or whatever we're used to seeing on stage or pageants. Or you know the kids that are heavy in dance, where they're being, you know they're looking at the movement and they're being graded on that perfection level and how that changes a little bit for voiceover there's a lot of completely delusional parents and I and I really wonder where, where they're coming from.
Speaker 2:You know, I I often ask parents would you watch that on tv? I?
Speaker 2:say yeah, like based on an audition yeah, and I say you know, I say watch, you know, I say watch that again. You know, would you watch that on TV? I make parents and children watch their auditions over and over and I say, if you wouldn't watch that on TV, don't send it to me, right, don't send it to me, you know, because I think oftentimes parents are like, oh my God, they're so cute, right, and they're not thinking of she's supposed to be scared of her dad, right, and this is not an acceptable audition. And you know, I'll oftentimes go to a convention and I'll, you know, for some peers of mine, I don't, you know, it's not often to where I want to be exactly, but I do go for peers of mine that run conventions and I'll go and I'll sign a cute, very cute kid and I'll say to the parent.
Speaker 2:This is a development. Yeah, because they're. They are not going to book at this current level. Yeah, no yeah, and I will say that. And the parents will say, oh, okay, and I say, really, they're not in a book right now. They're very surprised that I'm saying that because they're so cute, right? And then the parent sees an audition from a seven-year-old that I have that has been doing this since four and training, and then they see their child's audition. For the scared dad.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And then they're like oh my God, I'm so sorry. Thank you for showing me that. And you know, I think that it just takes some real, you know, talking to. But the key is, if the child is under 10, I like to just say, shrug it off, you know. Shrug the line off, so you know. Shrug it off, you know. Shrug the line off, so you know, shrug it off, you know. Maybe, if they have to say, okay, dad, you know, or shrug it off because they don't understand anything else, you know, I don't want to say 10 and under, I want to say seven and under, because eight, nine and 10, they understand, yeah, understand, and they should. But a parent needs to understand, the child needs to be in class.
Speaker 2:And I'm a strong believer, Genevieve, that you can't teach a child to act. You can enhance upon their ability, right, you can't teach a child from nothing, yeah, and you can enhance, like I said, enhance vulnerability. And acting class is for practicing memorization, learning how to improv, keeping up with the Joneses, making sure you can outact your peers, understanding the craft and making sure that you keep yourself on top of the game. But nobody in acting class and no acting teacher, I don't care what they say is going to teach you how to act. So go to the class that you like the best, have fun, have fun.
Speaker 2:But I'm not going to. I'm not making you know Oscar winners out of some of these kids. I am making them better, right, and I am making them stronger, and I believe I have the best actors in town, but I'm not making a kid who's not acting good at how to act. But if I meet a kid like that, I'm going to save their mom a lot of money because I'm going to tell her listen, listen, this is not for you, right? If they still think it's for them, go for it. It's not with me, but go for it.
Speaker 2:Because I think that a lot of these people, I feel really, really bad when I go to some of these conventions and I see some of these children and some of these adults and whatever getting really taken advantage of.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, yeah. And again, that's one of the things that some of those conventions they can sell you on the whole package and it's pretty sad.
Speaker 2:It's pretty sad. I mean you see people that can barely even talk up there in these conventions and they're like 35 years old and somebody's told them they had a shot because they took their $5,000. It's pretty sad.
Speaker 1:Uh-huh, yeah, it's about. Yeah, being honest with yourself, that's. That's the thing, like I did in my very first episode of this, was, like parents, does it sound like a kid reading for from a paper?
Speaker 2:like you have to know, does it it's like sometimes though, jennifer, you know, sometimes it'll sound like a kid reading from a paper, but they got something right, yeah, oh yeah, and they made those, those decisions on their own, or?
Speaker 1:it's interesting, they're riding the roller coaster. Their voice doesn't turn on a tone that's right, there's something there and you're like, right, let's take you out of it.
Speaker 2:You can work with that oh we can work with that, but sometimes.
Speaker 1:No, I know you know when you can't work with it and and for me, or if the kid doesn't want it, if the parent wants it more than 100.
Speaker 2:I had a meeting the other day and we were on zoom and the mother was like he really wants to act, he's like I hate acting, I don't know, yeah, and he kept saying I hate it, I don't want to do this at all, this suck. He literally said this sucks, I hate this. No, I don't, no, I don't. And the mom I said sorry, I'm so sorry and I felt terrible for this poor kid. Oh, no, yeah, so yeah, stuff like that, yeah, but those are the kind of tips I always say, like read the breakdown, those are your biggest clues.
Speaker 1:Yeah, right, right yeah.
Speaker 2:You have two lines and the breakdown says this character is you know, deep down he's a nice guy, and in the down he's a nice guy and in the script he's being mean Right Deep down he's a nice guy. So how do you play it?
Speaker 1:Yeah, there's a lot of gems in there, right, right.
Speaker 2:The breakdown is what tells you yeah, you know, a lot of guys are going to go, they're going to play, mean Right, right, but the guy that's going to play it a little vulnerable is the guy that's probably going to get it Right. So so there's a lot of different ways to do it. Yeah, I think that the people that are really smart and understand their craft are the ones that are going to get it.
Speaker 1:Mm, hmm. This is so cool. So how, how can people work with you? I don't, I can't even imagine you have room on your roster for talent.
Speaker 2:You know I'm currently not signing talent, but you know I look at everybody's packages. Right, I'm one person that looks at everybody's packages. People respond back to me all the time and say thank you so much for responding back to me yeah. I'll say you know what I'm? I'm, I'm full in your category. But you back to me, yeah, um, I'll say you know what I'm, I'm I'm full in your category, but you know you're a really great actor, right?
Speaker 2:oh my god, thank you so much for looking at my stuff, right, everybody's stuff. You know people can email me at chanel, at complete managementcom, and um, mgmnt and um, I'll look at the whole package. You know, send me the videos, send me the pictures. If somebody I'm like I gotta have this person, I'll respond. Yeah, that happened to me. A boy in Puerto Rico I would have. I looked at this package, yeah, and I was like whoa, this kid is amazing. I signed him with Paradigm and he's a star. This could be a star and, and you know I, you know I work with the five biggest agents, that's it.
Speaker 1:But you know, I feel like that's the way I do it, you know, and that's great too, because you're they trust you sending, sending your people in and you're not like knowing that you're not gonna just take anyone it would. You know you're not wasting here to waste anybody's time on either.
Speaker 2:I'm not, I'm not, but I look at every package, like I'm not actively signing, I'm not looking for people, but if you send me your package and you're somebody I can't live without, I'm going to ask you to come on my roster, right. But I feel like that. You know, I feel like some managers are actively looking. I'm not. I feel like I have the people on my roster that.
Speaker 1:I want. That's great, and do you have junior managers under you that are also? You know that could potentially, if you yourself can't, or does you mean that as the conglomerate of complete management?
Speaker 2:Something fun that I do. This is something that I know that other managers don't do. This is something very fun that I do. This is something that I know that other managers don't do. This is something very fun that I do. I have, you know, my first cousin, alina, who is who's been my best friend since life. She used to own a voiceover agency in the East Coast for over 20 years the same time that I was doing that so cool.
Speaker 2:And she closed her voiceover agency and came to manage with me and so we have a lot of voiceover connections as well. We get our people a lot of voiceover jobs. She's one of my main managers. She's also my partner, but not partner, but not you know what I mean, and I own the company, but she's a partner. And I have another manager named Christian, and so Christian, I started junior managing mothers of my clients, so once their child works a lot and their child knows better than what they're going to need.
Speaker 2:Once their child works a lot, I start junior managing mothers and they will bring on friends that they feel are good representation and they will manage those friends so great. And so I have three mothers employed now, and so I have three. So Tia is our, is now a manager.
Speaker 1:Oh, which is so great. Yes, we love Tia. She's actually yeah. Oh, and which is so great. Yes, we love tia. She's actually yeah on the podcast too. And uh, her girls are the collins girls jazara and amira collins, working all the time, and she's another straight up. This is how it is type of person like us, so that's really great.
Speaker 2:I believe in employee mothers because, um, their kids are going to grow up and nobody understands this business like a good mother of an actor and you know not that I disrespect anybody else doing the business- oh yeah, but if you were an actor, a mother of an actor and all of it, you understand.
Speaker 1:Totally, oh no. You know, listen, 1,000% my father manages me and has for years, and he was a touring musician around the world and then it's all. Just, it works yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So what I'm saying is is that nobody understands better than these women. I will be employing a ton of mothers, so for me, the more the merrier, because they make money, I make money, and they also learn, and then, once their child is 18, and they're not wanting them anymore, these mothers have a job that they love. Amen, girl, and that's right. Yes, and so it's almost like I don't want to say the pyramid scheme, right, but it's not but, but it is because. But, I want them to be employed, exactly, I want them to have something that they love to do and, more importantly, I want them to direct people in the proper way.
Speaker 1:Exactly and, you know, save some people from a lot of missteps and.
Speaker 2:Because there's a lot of managers out there and I'm not saying anything about the managers, but you know, for instance, you know, my kid said a manager that we haven't talked to in six months and you know, I know she will be watching this podcast because she doesn't even have social media. So the truth of the matter is is that at one point it was a great relationship, but the truth is is that there's a lot of managers out there that have no idea about any side of the industry except for their college degree and and that's not a manager, really is a 24-7. And some managers are like don't call me after six, don't call me on the weekend, don't call me on the weekend, Don't call me whatever. That's not a manager. So the truth is is that a manager is a 24 seven and that's what it really is On the movies when you see the manager talking to their client. That is the job of a manager.
Speaker 1:So you know I was going to ask you. I didn't want to draw this out to be too long, but you're too interesting and I won't keep you for too much longer. But you know that's a great kind of segue into kind of describing the difference between a manager and an agent, again for people that don't know An agent is done at 6 o'clock.
Speaker 2:They are. You have to let them go because they have a million clients. They can't mess with you all day. They, you know they have to pump out the appointments. You know, legally, a manager isn't supposed to procure work. Legally, now we do, but we're not supposed to procure work. We're supposed to get you a kick-ass agent. Yeah, which I do. A lot of managers are out there. Oh, oh, you know, I got you this audition, I got you this audition, so the agents have the same audition. What? Oh, oh, you know, I got you this audition, I got you this audition, so do the agents? The agents have the same audition. What else are you doing? You know, a lot of managers don't even get their clients agents.
Speaker 1:They just sit around.
Speaker 2:So they're supposed to hook you up with the right PR, hook you up with the right agent. Make sure they talk to casting directors about you. You know, yes, we procure work even though we're not supposed to. But you know, make sure they're there for you 24-7. Make sure you know how to dress for your audition. I also coach, but I mean there's so many more things. A manager is supposed to be there for you. Have your agent who has a million different clients because they have to. They have to pump out those appointments, pump out those appointments, negotiate those deals, make sure they get the most money possible. And all these agents work with these managers. You've got these big agents. They have their managers. They have their managers that they work with. Okay, that's it. They don't want to work with anybody else and then that's it. But then they talk to the managers, they talk to the managers, they talk to the managers. If your agent has a good relationship with your manager, you're good.
Speaker 1:But if your agent doesn't have a good relationship with your manager or you don't have a manager.
Speaker 2:You're probably going to get lost in the shuffle. That's what a manager is good for, but there's a big difference between a manager and an agent, and there's only certain agents that talk to the clients, and usually the client is booking a lot for them to talk to you, right, they're just too busy, it's not because you're too busy, right, and a manager is not supposed to have a thousand clients.
Speaker 2:They're not. And if your manager has a thousand clients, they're an agency, that's not a manager. Mm-hmm, when I grew up, when I was auditioning, I was auditioning with Brittany Murphy. I actually played twins with her on Murphy Brown, but Brittany Murphy, reese Witherspoon we all had the same manager. Her name was Marianne Leone. She worked like this. That was it. She was like you know, she had 35, 40 clients. Everybody worked and she dealt with the agents. That was it. You didn't ask, marianne, you, you know, you showed up to your audition. You didn't show up late, you didn't, you know? Yeah, wear your outfit, see, same with me. I'm like what do you mean? You don't know, you're not memorized. It says do not have to be memorized in advance of audition to show me the one that booked it. That wasn't memorized. So your job is an actor to memorize. People ask me that all the time. That's something that drives me crazy too.
Speaker 1:The job is an actor to be memorized right and just, and yeah, that's great and I love it, I'm sure you, you keep people on your toes, your clients and the agents, I'm sure, and yeah, so there's five series out.
Speaker 2:I booked three and I have one testing right now. Listen, I'm, I'm yeah. So you can? You can say, um, whatever I am, I'm tough, or whatever I am tough, yeah, you want to book, you have to do your job as an actor.
Speaker 1:Yes, and you best believe there. They've been mentored, coached and managed by you. They're going to be ready when they show up on set. That's right, yeah, so that's really great. Oh my gosh, this is so wonderful. I could talk all day. I know all day. So good, um, is there anything like going on with your studio, anything we can tell people about? Um, how can is?
Speaker 2:our summer program make a movie camp summer program. Make a movie camp Summer program. Make a movie camp.
Speaker 1:Tell me about that.
Speaker 2:I'm directing. I'm directing a short film which is in five days. We do a really great short film. Imdb credit it's only 550 bucks, oh my goodness, it's awesome. We do a relocation, we make a movie.
Speaker 1:How many kids can you fit? Are you doing several?
Speaker 2:What are the we're doing several, what are the we're doing several?
Speaker 1:so they can just all but um and um. There's, it's a really great opportunity.
Speaker 2:And then they have demo reel footage. Oh my goodness, they have demo reel footage and they have imdb credit. So, um, I, I direct all the film camps, um, and they are just super, super fun, super fun. Wow, what are? The angels for that footage is really really good, great. So yeah, if you, if they go on the website, watch the, the last film, it's really really good, and ChanelBrayStudioscom All right and that's really great. And check out the classes, they're really good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you've got other like voiceover classes, acting classes over Zoom.
Speaker 2:We're mostly acting mostly acting improv um acting improv and we're about to let lay in musical theater um. I send most of my people voiceover for you. I love that.
Speaker 1:Thank you too, by the way. We've had just so much fun.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh and again I know if you're sending them to me, they're going to be amazing already the way that our studio works is everything's included in one package, so they can't just take one class, it's just like it's all included. So they they just they get all the classes if they want. So I love that. It's super fun.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, this is so great. I I'm just just so excited to chat with you and I love it and people can follow you. Is your social private?
Speaker 2:no, yeah, okay. So my social is private at chanel gray g-r-a-y and I would love to you know, talk to anybody, I love that um, one last question as we go what are your thoughts on social media?
Speaker 1:I mean because people like us. When somebody messages us and is talking about their kid, if I can just click on the instagram and it's like there, I'm like okay, great, like we want to have the actors access and all that. But are you actively looking at Instagram? A lot Is that?
Speaker 2:Somebody pitching to me. I'll look at social media. I spoke to a parent the other day. It's like I don't want to get her social media. I said you need to get her social media. This is the new world. Yeah, so if you don't have social media, I mean it's just what it is. Casting directors are looking at social media looking at social media yeah, it's a new world. Yeah, so suggest whatever you parents can manage it.
Speaker 1:You don't even have to. The kid doesn't get it.
Speaker 2:That's what I told the client I said get her social media you. She doesn't need to ever look at it right just to you know, social media is important, yeah, and it's not about the followers, it's about you putting stuff on social media.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's your chance to have like a magazine. It's your channel, that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Yes, it's your job. You chose this job as an actor. It's your opportunity and your job to promote yourself. Yeah, this is to promote yourself. Yeah, this is the world where you need to promote yourself what is the difference between actors access and instagram?
Speaker 1:yeah, other than your other, than your friends also being on there, but yeah, but you know what is the difference between casting networks?
Speaker 2:how do you know who's behind casting networks?
Speaker 1:that's true. That's true. You know right who's saying that they're a casting director.
Speaker 2:How do you know anybody can get on breakdown who's saying that they're a casting director? How do you know Anybody can get on breakdown services? They say that they govern it. Really, so many people are Right. You know everybody's on it Every freight, so you know.
Speaker 1:So how do they know Right that's what I'm just saying Like, yeah, it's time, it's time we got to just shake it off. Yes, we got to and if you want to be in this business. I mean nobody's forcing you to.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, but that's part of it. Don't worry about social media if you're on a farm.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Unless you want to show it, you might make money.
Speaker 1:Yeah, how many farming clients do you have? Do you have huh? Oh my gosh, this is so amazing. Thank you so much. I feel like there's a wealth of info there and just to be so like open with it, I just appreciate it. You know, I think anytime it's cool for people to be able to just listen, that are still kind of any part of your book. You let me know. Oh, I love it. Done deal Next time we'll do it in person, yes, and head out somewhere after together, which needs to happen too.
Speaker 2:Yes, we will.
Speaker 1:Yes, you are amazing.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much, Love you babe, we'll talk soon, okay, see you soon.
Speaker 1:S-Y-C-S-E-C-E-C-E-C-E, -c-e-c-y-c-a-n. Yes, I know I'm gonna be successful.