Showbiz Kitty Litter: A Parable for Parents Kitty litter looks a lot like playground sand, doesn’t it? Toddlers can even have fun playing in a litter box, right? Feels the same, looks the same (if you don’t look too closely). Kitty litter even costs more than plain sand. It looks the same until you stand…
TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE by Anne Henry, Bizparentz Foundation In 1982, 3 actors died on the set of a major motion picture, directed by Jon Landis. Two of the dead were children. They have no IMDB listing, they have no residuals. Their names were Renee and My-ca.As a showbiz parent, I had heard chatter about…
We (Paula and Anne) are often asked how we became the industry experts on pedophilia and child safety. It is certainly not something we ever intended to do in our lives! But the journey has ultimately changed us as people, and also forever changed our views about some elements of the entertainment industry. What began…
The recent explosive advancements of technology have brought about some new situations that parents and all those assisting young performers in their career need to be aware of. Pedophilia, website squatting, social media imposters, stalkers, the selling and trading of photos on eBay and the Dark Web, identity theft, extortion and the discussion of child…
Extreme Roles = Extreme Decisions A Checklist of Things for a Parent to Consider At some point in a child actors career, most parents will be faced with an acting role for their child that has an extreme element to it. It might be foul language, sexual situations, horror, nudity, pedophilia or child abuse storylines,…
Bizparentz Note for 3/15/20: This article was the catalyst for hundreds of providers to obtain permits. As of this date, more than 600 service providers have obtained permits! Publicists and “showcase providers” are still far behind the norm, but there are now more than enough providers to allow permits to ONLY use those who have…
We prefer to call this the “unpaid wages” fund, because they aren’t really “unclaimed”. Rather, they are wages that were not paid the child for a variety of reasons. In California, 15% of gross earnings are withheld from children by producers. The earnings are to be deposited directly into the child’s trust account by the…
The Real Truth About Pilot Season A cottage industry has developed in Los Angeles in the last 20 years or so, an industry that exists to serve something called pilot season. But in the last 10 years, pilot season has changed drastically. So what’s the real skinny? Is it real? Is it worth it? We’re…
We’ve heard rumblings that some people think the topic of scams in the talent industry is controversial and unclear. There are those who will claim to be against scams, but who seem to pick and choose among the same business models which individual businesses they support. There are those who will claim to be against…
Nedgam Productions, Edge 1 Productions v. BizParentz and Anne Henry In 2009, Bizparentz was sued for defamation along with Disney/ABC News, and three Better Business Bureaus. We were sued in Connecticut (where we have never done business and have never even visited!). This kind of lawsuit is called a SLAPP suit — Strategic Lawsuit Against…