Heart & Halo Talent

Welcome to Heart & Halo Talent

The DSALA offers a casting liaison service for talent of all ages who have Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities.  Being located in Los Angeles, the DSALA gets many calls each year from producers and casting directors as well as independent and student film makers.   Calls also come from outside of California.  For this reason the DSALA keeps talent files to quickly meet the needs of the entertainment industry.  The DSALA’s mission includes “enhancing  the welfare of people with Down syndrome and their families though the development and promotion of education, counseling, employment and recreational programs;” many individuals have been hired as actors and models and are contributing as taxpaying citizens.

In order to be included in the Heart & Halo Talent files at the DSALA you must provide us with the tools to do so.  We will need 5 copies of one photo of the talent.  The photo should be of the talent from just below the shoulders and up and the talent should be looking directly into the camera.  We do not need professional shots to get started; a simple 4 x 6 will do just fine.  The same photo should be sent as a jpg to gail@dsala.org  so that it can be forwarded to potential employers.

Heart & Halo will also need an entertainment resume on the talent.  There is an example at a link below.  Follow the example; it is how a casting director will expect to find your information.  We sometimes include the photo on the resume when the talent is new since the resume may be light on information.  Include any performances of any kind, just show that you are comfortable in front of people.  As the talent adds professional work the school and church performances can go by the way side.  Any work related skills, like grocery bagger or mail clerk can be added under the skills and talents listing rather than listed as jobs.

The link to the application and consent is very important.  The Heart & Halo Talent program will not have permission to send the talent’s headshot and resume to potential employers without it.  So be sure to include it in your packet.

If the talent is a minor (under 18 years of age) and lives in California, then an entertainment work permit is necessary as well.  You will find links below to assist you with securing a work permit.

Once you send in your materials and provide the photo via email the Heart & Halo Talent casting liaison program will be able to submit you for work.  Being able to be found by casting directors is very important.  So important that there are two other casting liaison services the DSALA wants you to submit your materials.  One is located in Glendale where they reach the Los Angeles market and the other in New York.  Both provide their services at no charge.

Los Angeles send 5 copies of the talent’s resume and photo and request a registration form.

Media Access Office, Gloria Castaneda 818-409-0448
1255 S. Central Ave, Glendale, CA 91204  http://www.edd.ca.gov/jobs_and_training/Media_Access_Office.htm

New York, send one copy of the talent’s headshot and resume, they will upload them to their talent files.

Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts 212-730-0448
1560 Broadway, Suite 709, New York, NY 10036  http://www.inclusioninthearts.org/index.htm

Once the talent is registered with the DSALA’s Heart & Halo Talent you may not hear from us for some time.  Some go years without an opportunity.  It is sort of like the National Guard.  You may rarely or never be called up to active duty, but if the call comes and you are not ready you won’t be able to take advantage of the opportunity.  So get registered and spend as much time as possible in performance type activities; things like dance and movement, speech and singing, drama and acting.  All these things will help the talent become a well rounded person and keep them ready just in case that special employment opportunity in the entertainment industry comes along.

All New Talent

• Heart & Halo Talent Fact Sheet
• New Talent Application/Consent
• Example of a beginning resume

All New Talent, Minors

• Blocked Bank Account (Coogan Account) information
• Banks that have Coogan Accounts

For a Coogan account: 
First Entertainment Credit Union
Tel. 1-888-800-3328
website: www.firstent.org
for a list of locations go to www.firstent.org/locations.shtml

California State Child Labor Law in Entertainment
http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/DLSE-CL.htm

Applications for employment in the entertainment industry http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/DLSE-Forms-CL.htm
Please note that the Van Nuys Office, located at 6150 Van Nuys Blvd., Room 100, (818-901-5484) is available for walk-in service from 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Monday through Friday.
All other labor offices that issue entertainment work permits do it by mail.
The child performer does not need to appear to obtain a work permit.  Parents may do this independently.

Return the following to Heart & Halo Talent:

• Completed Talent Application/Consent
• 5 to 10 headshots and resumes
• A photo copy of work permit if California minor (keep original)
• A 4 x 6 snapshot is just fine, but make sure you have taken the photo of the talent from above the waist or shoulders and have them look directly into the camera. Put together any information you have for the resume. If you are not comfortable using the example to create it, give us a call and we can assist you.

Professional Casting Catalogs

Breakdown Services/Actors Access
http://www.actorsaccess.com/
This is not a casting service but works as a catalog for casting directors.  You may register yourself and keep yourself updated.  Performers with disabilities are listed for free.
Have your electronic photo and resume ready to upload before starting.  At one time you did not get to the information about the service being free until you hit the button to purchase the service at the end.

• Media Archive