The Coogan Law is a California law named for child actor Jackie Coogan. Jackie was a very famous and busy actor in the 1920s and 1930s (adults today might know him as Uncle Fester in the Addams Family series). When he became an adult, he found that despite making millions as a child, he was…
Children have been entertaining the masses since the beginning of the industry in the early 1900s. We’ve all heard the stories of “child stars gone bad” but WHY bad things happen is just a touch more complicated than the media wants to make it. We think it is important to preserve the history of past…
State Filming Incentives are the single most important influence on the industry today, but most actors don’t understand them, and don’t know why it would affect them. We’re here to provide you the short, sweet, and plain English version. What is a Film Incentive? Film incentives are state-funded programs passed by individual states to encourage…
We encourage all interested parties to get involved in your state! Contact your legislator or the author of the bill and let them know what you think! If you hear that your state has a bill pending, please let us know so we can include it on this list. PENDING LEGISLATION Federal H.R. 3121 (Rep.…
Krekorian Scam Prevention Act Any respected industry publication will tell you that the first rule of showbiz is “never pay upfront fees for representation” and “never pay for an audition”. These things are called Pay To Play, and they are considered talent scams. California has a law specifically about this, called the Krekorian Talent Scam…
New laws are being formed about child actors each year! With the entertainment industry becoming increasingly global, and families traveling for the biz more and more, we need to be concerned with new laws in every state. Bizparentz is an advocacy organization, and we do represent young performers and their families within government when we…
How to Build a Child Performer Law Bizparentz is called upon occasionally to assist legislators in developing new laws regarding young performers. In doing so, we realized that many other entities might benefit from a greater understanding of why child performer laws are important, and how they are structured. Film makers need to understand why…
Child Performer Laws in New York (Work Permits, Work Hours, and more) HISTORY New York passed the New York Child Performer Education and Trust Act in 2003 (aka S.4696 / A.7510 Vellela). The law took effect in 2004 and was supported by SAG, AFTRA and AEA. The law included the general concepts of a Coogan…
Child Labor Laws for Entertainment in New Mexico Many families may recall that the legislation for child performer’s working in New Mexico was passed in April 2007 and went into effect June 2007. This was widely reported in connection to the Kid Nation controversy, with many entities asking if stronger regulations would have better protected…
New Jersey Child Labor Laws for Entertainment New Jersey does have a permit system and it is free! The State discourages the use of services to get a permit. If you are new to the process, they advise that you contact The New Jersey Motion Picture Commission at 973-648-6279 and speak with a staff member before you begin…