Hello everyone!I am Diane, and I love AMTC! Recently I was told about some negative comments being made, and it really upset me. The content of these comments were ignorant, untrue and insulting to everyone who takes part in AMTC. I want to set the record straight!
When I first auditioned for AMTC, in 2006, I was not accepted. They felt that for the American market I needed some work in a few areas (which hopefully dispels the myth that everyone is accepted!). At first I was upset - I had a good degree and have been working as an actress for several years now (I went back to school as an adult and re-trained in performing arts which are my first love).
I took the notes given to me by the UK director Lynne Millar, and set about preparing myself for a re-audition six months later. The second audition saw a more streamlined, confident me and I was offered a conditional place (I had to keep up the good work).
After months of training and preparation for the convention, selecting work to showcase, researching visas (it was the US event - I won't need to worry about that for the UK one), fund-raising to pay my way I was finally off to Florida!
The event itself was exhillerrating, and by the end of the week after 6 very long days (I make the most of everything on offer!) I had had interview call-backs with some amazing agents, offers of representation, a scholarship to a film school and a screen test with Fox! I know I am very lucky, but I worked hard, listened to the training and really went for it. Most of my group also had good luck, and everyone had had a wonderful time.
I returned to AMTC in July 2007 as an observer to assist my friends Niki Robinson (Berkshire Scout) and Lynne Millar (the UK Director). I wanted to be there for the UK group that included several good friends and one child from January who had been invited back on a scholarship by AMTC to try again. It was also a chance to keep up the contacts I made the first time. I saw the event from another point of view (not a contestants), and was again in awe of the enormity of it all, and the organisation that gets everyone where they need to be on time and in such a calm way!
I plan to go to Canada in early 2009 to accept an offer of representation made to me while at AMTC. My Canadian agent is lovely and Lynne has acted for me to help me plan my future in another country. I am also going to Paris in June this year to take up my scholarship to NYFA, who run a European version of their acting course. I had planned to go to New York, but I have decided to take a shorter course so I can take up a kind offer of a scholarship to the new UK AMTC in November. I hope by attending the UK version of AMTC, I will have the same number of offers I had in the USA, but with London or UK based agencies and contacts which would mean I don't have to choose between my family and my career - I can stay in the UK and still take my ambitions to the next level.
The picture on this post is of some of our group (with Carey and Bob Arban) on stage after the award ceremony at my first AMTC banquet - It was a fun time for all our group which was followed by a trip to the pool after the convention officially finished!
If you are going to AMTC, or are a UK scout who wants to tell everyone why you want to be part of this big event, please email me your comments and photos, and I will put them up here for everyone to read. Stay positive, and remember you can always learn something new!
Love
Diane Jessie Miller
6 comments:
HI Diane, it is good to hear someone speaking the truth about AMTC. Your journey was certainly one that required work & dedication, however you rewards were great. Sandra Gilles from Premiere Management is truly excited about having you in Canada & I am sure that you will do very well. There are many people who have attended the U.S event from the UK, I hope that they will come forward with their stories as you have & give people who are just starting out a true picture of the road & the success that will follow. This is a great way of communication for our new AMTC participants to chat with each other & with past participants, it will be great to hear everyone's stories & the truth about what really happens in a call back meeting. I will look forward to the posts. Lynne x
Hi Diane I am going to the AMTC convention this year and have been so excited about it I am now glad to read about somebody else's experience.
This is the best opportunity that us in the Uk have ever had and I want to thank AMTC for this wonderful opportunity.
Good luck in Canada I look forward to hearing all about it.
And thank you once again for your supportive comments.
Love Abigail xx
Hi Diane
i can't agree more with you about AMTC !!
My friend Caitlin Mulvey went to AMTC in America & she totaly loved it she also got great success from the convention as she is working & living in L.A at the moment. She also now has a fantastic agent as they noticed her when she attended AMTC & has been with that agency ever since.
AMTC as i have heard from many of Caitlin's friends that attended AMTC when she did also recommended AMTC for any one who would love for their talent to be noticed.
I am going to attend AMTC next year & i hope to get the same success as caitlin and yourself have.
Hope you do well in the future.
Lots of love H xx
Dear Diane,
How lovely to read your nice story about AMTC.
I love to read the nice stories from all the kids that have been to the AMTC conventions.
My daughter has been to the convention herself just a few years ago. It was a great experience for her and she
enjoyed every minute of it.
Before my daughter had heard of AMTC she was a really good dancer but would never consider doing anything else.
Her scout worked with her through training sessions which were part of her convention package and she then went over and excelled in not only Dance but drama & singing as well which made the experience of AMTC unbelievable for me as well as her. I had never imagined her doing anything else so to see all the work that AMTC put in was just AMAZING and it has given my daughter so much confidence.
She done amazing at the convention, has US representation and will be returning to do the Uk convention in Paris this year to hopefully have the same success here.
I hope to meet you at the convention in Paris and good luck in Canada.
Love Michelle's Mum k x x
Hi Diane,
It is really nice to hear from sombody who has already been to an AMTC convention.
I have been dancing for a long time and really really really would have loved to have gone to an American convention but my parents said it was just to much money.
When I heard they are now doing auditions in the uk I was so excited. I told my mum all about it and she had come on the internet to look up what they do and she came across a blog that was not very nice so it put her off. I have been searching all different websites about AMTC and that's how I found your blog and I was so happy to read it and showed my mum who is now letting me audition next week.
I am so excited about my audition so any help you can give me would be amazing!
Love Ash x x
Omg i know caitlyn aswell. A met her at lynne millar's dance school then she went to pace theatre group for a while and i saw her there. I heard she got a couple of jobs out there recently and had to go back
She did really good at AMTC i remeber when she got a agent and they gave her a visa It was dead cool. Its cool too know someone whos pure famous now. I found her on youtube the other day she's pure amazing at dancing it just shows how good the training must be there. Go watch her it'll pure motivate you and realise you can make it.
Good luck to everyone doin AMTC i wish a went, maybe next time a can go!
Jemma =D
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