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New acting workshop a success for local talent

By Bonnie Terk
Reporter

     When residents Corky and Bobbie Pigeon kicked off their new business with the first “On Camera Commercial, Acting and Modeling Workshop” in Canyon Lake, their goal was to help local kids by introducing them to the business of modeling and acting.
     The next free “On Camera Commercial, Acting and Modeling Workshop” will be held at Pepe’s Restaurant in the Towne Center on Saturday, January 31, at 1 p.m. The minimum age for children is 4. Due to high demand, Corky is also opening up the workshop to adults. He encourages teen boys to attend as there has been a recent need for them in role casting.
     The workshops have proven to be extremely successful for participants. Two students auditioned recently for a feature film starring Alec Baldwin and Meryl Streep, beating out more than 100 others to be among an elite group of five who were called back the same day by the director.
     Since they began the workshops last September, Corky and Bobbie have had a total of 35 students go through their program.
     “We were blessed with a bunch of really talented kids, says Corky, who himself was a show biz kid with many film and television credits.
     Corky was featured last year in People Magazine’s collector issue titled “Child Stars Then and Now,” and is best known for his role as Freddy on the 1980s sitcom, “Silver Spoons.” His wife Bobbie also has roots in television, having appeared in the shows “Clueless,” “Baywatch” and “The Wonder Years,” to name a few.
     According to Corky, agents have picked up most of the students enrolled in the five-week workshops, which are a follow-up to the initial free workshop. He says the feedback from agents has been extremely positive and agents who attended their showcase told Corky it was “unlike any other showcase.”
     What Corky believes makes his students stand out is the preparation they have received. Corky and Bobbie prepare them for auditions in the areas of presenting their profiles, doing commercials on camera, writing and improvising their own commercials, doing scene studies and script reading.
     The feedback Corky has received from parents has also been very rewarding with many commenting on the self-esteem their children have gained. Corky says he teaches kids that the audition process is about selection not rejection. A casting director may have to match looks with other actors that have been cast so they make a selection based on that resemblance. The teaching helps them see they aren’t being personally rejected, according to Corky.
     The free workshop is designed to introduce attendees to auditioning skills, what to wear to an audition, how to book a job, how to choose correct head shots and how to get representation, to name a few. Special guests will include a casting director, a professional photographer/cinematographer and a professional actress. Participants will also have a chance to sign up for more in-depth training. Seating is limited. For reservations call 246-2590 or e-mail oncamerafun@aol.com.
     

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