From Kim Perez, Founder and President of XXI Century Entertainment….

 

As a teen-ager growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, I dreamed of moving to Hollywood and breaking in to the entertainment industry.  Obviously, I didn’t have the slightest idea of “how” to make that happen, so I thought the next best thing would be to try out as an NFL Cheerleader. I became a cheerleader for the Atlanta Falcons at the age of seventeen and started pursuing the entertainment industry in the Atlanta market.  After several years of experiencing “the run around” and spending thousands of dollars on classes, photo shoots, and programs that did absolutely nothing to further my career, I finally signed with a talent agent and began working as a model, actress, spokes model, and dancer.  It took several years of making many mistakes to finally acquire representation with a legitimate agent.

 

After a few years of working in the Atlanta market, I thought I was ready for Hollywood!  To make a long story short, I left my hometown to pursue my “Hollywood dream”, only to return home four months later.  During my short experience in Hollywood, I realized that it was far more difficult than I had ever imagined to break into that market.  Without having inside connections, it seemed impossible to succeed in Los Angeles.  When I returned to Atlanta, I started a company called KT Enterprises.  Most of my friends were models or dancers, so I started booking fashion shows, dancers, celebrity imitators, celebrity workshops and events throughout the Southeast.

 

Eventually I became an agent and experienced the other side of the business.  Several years later, I was offered a position as the Director of an entertainment company in San Diego, where I found myself close to Hollywood once again.  During the seven years of this experience, I learned the “ins and outs” of the business.  After meeting hundreds of kids and adults who didn’t have the knowledge of how to break in to the industry, I recognized the need for a company that could “groom” and “connect” aspiring entertainers with reputable talent agents and managers.  For this reason, I decided to launch a concept that would become; XXI Century entertainment.

 

The mission of this new company would help aspiring models, actors, and performers break into the business the correct way.  My goal was to operate this company with integrity and have employees that would be truthful, which is a virtue that is clearly lacking in the entertainment industry.  At the time, I was not in the financial position to open a business, but after much soul searching, I decided to step out purely on faith with “several credit cards and an income tax return” to open XXI Century entertainment!  I was also blessed to have a few loyal friends who actually left their jobs to come on board.  After a few years of hard work, XXI Century entertainment became a huge success!  There were many hard times along the way and it took a bit of trial and error to perfect our format; but eventually, our training and talent showcases began to launch hundreds of careers in Atlanta, Dallas, Austin, and Hollywood. 

 

Many people were landing “series regular” roles on major network shows as well as feature films, national commercials, music videos, and print campaigns.  The reputation of our training and talent showcases quickly spread throughout the industry, enabling us to acquire some of the top agents and managers in the industry. 

 

We have now been in business for over 23 years and are members of The Better Business Bureau with “A+” rating! XXI Century is unlike any other talent scouting company because our showcases are much more exclusive.  We showcase 75 to 150 aspiring talent at our events.  Keeping our events small with the emphasis on “quality over quantity”, allows the talent to receive more personal attention and guidance from our staff, acting coaches, and the agents, managers, and casting directors we are associated with.

 

Most talent scouting companies accept “thousands” of aspiring entertainers to participate at their events.  I strongly disagree with this process. Over the years, we have interviewed many talented people who have attended these large events and we find that “most” receive little to no response, personal attention or follow up.  Aspiring actors & performers who are trying to launch their career need to be groomed, educated, and equipped with the knowledge of how to find and execute an appropriate monologue and/or scene, acquire the proper promotional materials, learn business etiquette, auditioning skills, and industry terminology.  There are so many people who have “undeveloped” talent and all they need is the proper guidance and the right connections to acquire legitimate talent representation.

 

XXI Century entertainment has been a life-long journey for me.  I have been on both sides of the entertainment industry as a talent, as an agent, and as a talent scout.  I created this company because it was a part of my destiny.  I had to walk through the entire experience myself as a talent; learning from my own mistakes, which brought me to the realization that it was a part of my purpose to “help others” achieve their dream.  It has taken twenty years to obtain the knowledge and industry contacts that I needed to design a program that would help people successfully launch their careers and also help to equip them for the industry.

 

XXI Century entertainment is owned and operated with Christian principals.  I do want to make it clear, however; that we do not discriminate regarding employees or the talent that participate in our showcases.  Our evaluation of a new talent is solely based on talent, personality, sincere desire, and parent cooperation. I wish everyone who is at the beginning of pursuing your dream… the best of luck! You can count on the fact that this is a tough business. There will be exciting times and discouraging times; so believing in yourself and maintaining a positive attitude is EVERYTHING!!   God Bless your endeavors!

 

Website: www.xxicenturyent.com

Instagram: xxicenturyentertainment

Facebook: XXI Century Entertainment, Inc.

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