Bright lights, huge cameras and a large cast surrounded Junior Tiffany Ling as she prepared to shoot a commercial celebrating “America’s Funniest Home Videos’” 20th anniversary.
Ling went to act as an extra in the show’s commercial on April 7 at Disneyland as a member of the acting agency Kids! Management. The company welcomes individuals ranging from two weeks to 18 years old, who are interested in having a glimpse of the entertainment industry and what is required to progress in show-biz.
Members get the chance to act in feature length motion pictures, TV shows and commercials. Company scouts across California recruit youths eager to work on set with minor roles, which is how Ling and her sister got involved.
“My sister and I were at the Santa Anita mall when some agents came to us and asked if we wanted to try acting on television for a small ad,” Ling said. “Our parents agreed and we were featured in the commercial. After a while, my sister and I were contacted for an interview with Kids! Management to see if we were interested in being full time members.”
Ling has been part of the acting agency since she was 11 years old. Since then, her experiences include being featured as an extra in Progressive advertisements and Exxon Mobil commercials. She has also acted in TV shows such as “A.N.T. Farm” on Disney Channel and “Kickin’ It” on Disney XD.
“Working on a Disney set has to be the best opportunity I’ve ever had,” Ling said. “My experience on ‘A.N.T. Farm’ was my favorite. I was able to personally meet the entire cast and the crew was extremely hospitable to their background actors, providing us with a huge lunch after the shoot.”
Despite Ling’s small roles as an extra, she values each opportunity to be featured on television. Her recent commercial for “America’s Funniest Home Videos” has been one of Ling’s highlights, in which she received the chance to spend a day at Disney with her family.
“The places you get to go when you’re part of a commercial are always so different and surreal,” Ling said. “Going to places like Disneyland without the heavy cost is just one of the few perks of it all.”
With long term experience in acting, Ling has not only acquired behind-the-scenes knowledge, but growth in the field of public relations thanks to the organization’s encouragement for its members to work and connect with various people.
“Whenever I act in a commercial or TV show, I get to meet so many new people and my social world is so much broader,” Ling said. “Working with teens and kids from all over the state that love the entertainment industry and just seeing your cast on television is so rewarding.”
While Ling recognizes the infallible excitement of the acting industry, her academic life has been a huge priority she hasn’t abandoned. She dreams of venturing into college and eventually getting a degree in marketing.
“I haven’t really thought too much about pursuing a job in entertainment,” Ling said. “It all depends on where time takes me and what my interests will fall towards when I grow up, but entertainment is definitely something I’ll always be thinking about.”
TCHS School Newspaper