IPOP is an amazing event that my daughter and I attended just last month! And let me be clear, It is NOT A SCAM. It is an adventure that is worth it! There are those that would have you believe it is.
Some years back, my daughter (now 12) told me she wanted to be an actress like on Television. And No, I did Not just sign her up for all kinds of different things for it. We were broke. Anyway, it wasn’t long after that (maybe 3 years or so ago) that my “little” girl was saying “Mom I need an agent. Please get me an agent..,.” Well, we live in the rural Midwest so I knew NOTHING about How to go about finding my daughter an agent, ect….. Anyway, just like EVERYTHING else in Life, this has been a journey. And it isn’t over Yet.
Amazing Opportunities Need the Right People to Make them Happen
Who here has heard it said “It’s all about who you know?” Yeah, probably most of you. Well, what if you have a super amazing skill, but don’t know how to “get yourself to the right people” that can help you capitalize on that skill? Yeah, that is where marketers come in (but that is NOT what this page here is about).
Anyway, I recognized incredible talent along with drive, determination and stamina in my daughter. But she is a minor so of course it is up to me and her dad to decide what we will and will not allow. She can’t legally sign up or even audition for a an acting job without a parent’s signature, which is a good thing. But she has the talent soo…..
We Don’t Know What We don’t Know
Where do I go? What do I do? Up until this past year I didn’t know one soul that worked in or recruited for the Entertainment Industry. Yet, I used to watch TV all the time. Ipop was an absolutely amazing experience! And I genuinely hope to attend again.
Honestly, I didn’t put a whole lot of thought into the “jobs” it took for those TV shows or movies I would watch. But then, my precious little girl had to do her own research. And low and behold, she decided she wanted to be an actress. It still took me a bit to come around to it. I mean, lots of people have dreams in life. But, it turns out my now preteen daughter is actually pretty talented. Ok, I know I am biased as her mom. But I ain’t like that. I don’t say even my own kid is “good” at something if, in my option, they are not.
Who should attend IPOP?
IPOP is an awesome event. But Not everyone can attend. It is a bit of a process. But with grit and determination a good performer from anywhere can get invited to attend IPOP..That being said, you don’t just go to a website, sign up, and bam you are in. You have to actually audition through a Talent firm, agency, or training center that is a registered member of IPOP. We went through NYLA Talent so of course I am going to love on them here too! But there are other members that you can go through as well.
Anyway, talent managers and agents from all over the United States and from some other countries as well attend IPOP looking for new talent. Yes, I POP itself is a fun and prestigious competition. But it is also a Networking event for talent, especially talent that is new to the Entertainment Business and how it works.
Getting Started Before attending IPOP
We (our family) started out with our own “non professional” photos and videos. Nothing fancy. Got signed up to a website that did casting calls (which is also legitimate), but Got NO JOBS. Why? Well, we didn’t know how to correctly market my daughter and her skills. But because of that subscription I received an add via Facebook that said something on the lines of “Does Your child dream of being a Star (on Disney?)?” Or something like that and was able to sign up for an audition with NYLA Talent online via Zoom. I knew this was going to cost money. I did NOT pay for the audition itselt. But, yes, I was asked for money once they accepted my daughter.
NYLA doesn’t invite everyone who auditions to participate in their program. And neither does IPOP. But they want to work with and develop those that have talent (whether natural or learned), desire, and drive. If you or your child want to “act” (or sing, dance, or model) on the Big Screen or professionally I would definitely recommend learning everything you can about the industry. And then attending IPOP!!!
Think of it like this; if you want to go to college, you apply (also there is usually a fee to submit that application) with No guarantee of the college accepting. And many colleges now also require you to write something,. Such as an essay or biography. Of course, after you get accepted that college sends you a letter congratulating you and wait, ok,.are you ready for this???
And then….they tell you how much the tuition fee is and so on and often will require either a deposit or proof that you are willing to go into Major debt in order to attend “said” college. Before I attended college I am also very certain that I signed something on the lines of “….and there is no guarantee of employment…..” And no one seems to bat an eye at that. What is Soo crazy to me though, is that we see these adds on like Facebook and such and are super quick to jump to “Scam” (unless of course, it is a certified college-than it is legit)
IPOP was Worth It!
I see a lot of people writing posts and such online saying that IPOP is a scam. But that is NOT TRUE! So let me set the record straight here. No, IPOP is NOT A SCAM. It is Very much a legitimate way to get into the Entertainment Industry. That being said, your child is most likely NOT going to book an acting Job at the Event. Or even right away after the event.
While at IPOP my daughter and I had a Blast! But it wasn’t just for fun This was a great way to get Sarapheen (yes, that is my daughter) in front of different agents and managers in the Entertainment Industry. Did they promise my daughter is going to be a BIG STAR like today or tomorrow? No, actually they didn’t promise she ever would.
But this is what they did promise, an amazing experience, meetings with top agents, managers, and other entertainment industry professionals. And Bootcamps with incredible instructors that are doing whatever performing kraft they were there to train on. Not only did they fulfill all of those promises. But they went Above and Beyond! On top of all that we also received a High Quality Parent Training and training on how to show professionalism in the industry. And WITHOUT sacrificing fun!
IPOP is Amazing In an Example of How Professionalism and Fun Can Go Hand in Hand
For a time I considered words such as “professionalism” almost dirty. I had this horrible misunderstanding of what it meant to “be professional.” So I thought “That could never be me?” But this page isn’t about me. So why do I bring it up here? Because many people let their preconceived notions stop them from things, such as pursuing their dreams.
We met incredible people at IPOP. Guess what, some are famous and some aren’t. But Everyone there (whether famous or not) were real, genuine people. Yeah, everyone was there for different reasons; however, the actors, models, and other “professionals” we worked with were AMAZING. And I don’t mean that in a “ooo, i wanna drool over you” kind of way. They are just like you and me, except some of them have pursued their dreams and are simply further along in their path than some of us are.
Something, everyone seemed to have in common, whether staff, IPOP volunteers, professionals, judges, or the talent and talents’ families and parents themselves. They were all having FUN!!! And they were and are still professionals in the Entertainment Industry! But they don’t let it go to “their heads.”
Wanting the “new” Talent to achieve Success.
IPOP is similar to the Olympics in that it is actually a competition. But Everyone there wanted my daughter to succeed. And I am sure still do. However, not just my daughter, but every “competitor” there. We didn’t use words like “competitor” though while there. Words such as “Talent” and/or “performer” were used. Were there judges who scored the Talent on certain performances? Absolutely. And many of the “talent’ won awards. But Not everyone did. And that did NOT matter.
I heard what I am now calling my new favorite quote, at this prestigious event. We almost all heard the quote “Good things come to those who wait.” But don’t worry because now there is a Much Better quote in response to that; “Better things come to those who go out and get it.” Where did I first hear this? Yes, it was at IPOP. And it is so incredibly True. If you want to make a dream come true, you can’t just wait around hoping it will happen. You gotta make it happen!
Again, I want to reiterate here that it was very obvious that there was sincere joy in others in wanting the new, up and comping talent at IPOP to succeed. Hearing stories of past failures, successes and just plain “Nothing came of its” from professional actors, dancers, singers, and models is also very encouraging. Because they have been there too. Where we are at right now, I mean. Well, actually we are probably ahead of some. But behind others who started at the same time we did. And that is okay. Because, just like all the coaches and leaders at IPOP, we love our craft and it has called us. My daughter is called to be an actress. And IPOP is amazing in that it leads those called to the Entertainment industry down that path in incredible ways that didn’t exist before IPOP was created.
Are there Other Ways besides attending the Amazing IPOP event?
Of course there are. But did I mention we live in a small town in the Midwest. Nowhere near Hollywood or any film studio for that matter. And let’s face any profession or “job” in life is truly about who you know. Or rather, who you choose to take your time to get to know.
If you want to learn how to be a fish, you probably aren’t heading towards the middle of a dessert. And if you dream of being a veterinarian you won’t surround yourself with people who are afraid of dogs. Or who Hate cats. Therefore, just like I have been getting to know other business owners and marketers, my daughter and I need a Network of professionals that actually work in the Film and Entertainment Industry. IPOP along with NYLA has provided that for us.
IPOP Gave Us A Way to find Others who Share my daughter’s Passions, Goals, and Interests
I am pretty sure I can safely say that we made lifelong friends from attending just this one week event in California! That, itself, is priceless. However, it was so much more than that. The community, the atmosphere, Everything was Amazing!
If you (or your child, or anyone else you know) has talent in acting, dancing, singing or even modeling and really enjoys such a craft, then IPOP is for sure an Event to check out. If you aren’t exactly sure how to audition for IPOP I strongly recommend NYLA is also a great place to get started on this adventure. Especially, if you are like me, and recognize that your child (Or you) have talent, but have no idea how to develop and/or get it out there to share with the world!
