Nickelodeon Casting Practices Exposé

Key Personalities

• Dan Schneider: A prominent producer at Nickelodeon.
• Talent Wrangler: Responsible for managing actors' schedules.
• PA (Production Assistant): Often clashed with Schneider when interrupting his time with child actors.

Overview of Issues

• Inappropriate Conduct:
  • Schneider organized pool parties for kids, excluding adults.
  • Spent excessive time alone with child actors in private dressing rooms.
  • Became angry if interrupted by the Talent Wrangler, often berating them.

Personal Testimony by a Former Child Actor

• Initial Contact:

  • Actor was contacted by an agent in 2007 for a potential Nickelodeon role.
  • Actor was around 14-15 years old, considered on the older side for roles.

• Audition Process:

  • Audition held in LA, attended by about 200 kids.
  • Final selection involved around 40 kids.
  • Children were asked to remove their shoes and run around in front of a camera, expressing enjoyment of being barefoot.

Psychological and Emotional Impact

• Berating PAs: Schneider's anger towards PAs for disruptions created a hostile environment.
• Pressure on Child Actors: Strange audition practices and being alone with Schneider.

Conclusion

The lecture highlights various inappropriate behaviors and practices during the Nickelodeon casting process, focusing on Dan Schneider's actions and their impact on the well-being of child actors.