Complaint Review: Eye Talent Manegement / I Talent Management / New Entertainment Today / Hollywood Auditions

To those who have posted negative comments about I-Talent, I wonder what it is that your expecting.

Acting is a tough competitive business and if parents go into it thinking they are going to instantly have their child discovered and make a fortune they are probably going to be disappointed.  If they are willing to put in the time and effort and money because their kids have the desire to act, they stand a good chance of seeing some level of success.

I Talent or any other manager or agent does not "get actors work" what they do is get an actor access to auditions they probably would otherwise not have had.  I Talent also provides acting classes and has relationships with reputable photographers.

What I Talent did for us was provide training, and get us in front of agents, who took us on and got us auditions and some times those auditions turn into jobs.  To my understanding that is the way it works.

I know TJ and his staff work very hard for each of the people they represent, and have always been there for us.

Recently my daughter auditioned for a commercial. She was competing with kids who were regulars on network TV shows she watches! Alexis did not get that commercial, but neither did those experienced kids, the job went to a girl who had never worked before. Thats the way it goes.

My two kids and I have benefited from I Talent classes, we all have agents and we all work as actors.

In my case I currently have radio spots running in Chicago, New York and San Diego, have had speaking roles in two films and numerous industrial voice over jobs. Today I auditioned for a national TV commercial in LA.

My ten year old today 4 /5/12 recorded a radio spot for Clear Channel. They liked him enough to have him audition for another spot in the same session, then asked if they could  just use the audition and pay him for two sessions.

Last week he auditioned at Nickelodeon for a cartoon, last month he booked a voice over job for a high profile video game, last year he was in the running for an Adam Sandler film and was auditioned by Adam at his production company at Sony Studios.  He did a spot for Well Fargo and got $2,000, and an industrial for Edison where he got $600.  He has recorded audio books, web site narrations, industrials for a museum and two TV spots.

Trent's teachers took an introverted little boy and after three years of training molded him to a point where he can speak confidently in front of a room full of strangers, take direction, understand the subtext of a script and improvise.  He's TEN! His, vocabulary, confidence and reading ability are all above his grade level.  He would have never been able to do that without the skilled guidance of the instructors at I-Talent.

My daughter now 17, has been in TV commercials, radio spots, she is the voice of a toy, the condor display at the LA Zoo, I phone apps and a major movie.  She did Star Trek when she was 12 and still gets residual checks every quarter.  She was so shy when she started she could not even make friends at school, now she performs in plays, both contemporary and Shakespeare for the experience.

None of us are rich and famous, and may never be, but the modest successes we have had would not have been possible had we not taken training at I-Talent and JRP before that and had the access to agents that TJ arranged.

I found TJ and his staff trustworthy, dedicated and they delivered everything they promised and more.  If you want to hit me up, Google Alexis Avenue Voices, I will be happy to speak to you about our experience with I-Talent and the business in general. 

I would have to agree with Roberts post in the fact that alot of the people writing bad comments here seem to have some sort of personal issue with this company. My experience was very different from what these people have written.

i met TJ, when i was working at my job, he came in and gave me his business card. i immediately thought "well this could be a scam" but still decided to check it out. i called and set up a meeting on Saturday, and coincidentally there was also an agency that came by at the same time, having auditions for hopeful students of TJs. I first interviewed with Kevin, then met TJ and then they sent me to the agency audition, even though i wasn't with their agency yet. i was convinced and then signed with their agency.

they told me i needed to buy headshot pictures from them, but what was included was acting classes and print work classes 3 times a week, which i thought was pretty cool. so i got the headshots and started my journey.

3 weeks after signing with iTalent i had an audition with an agency, they said they liked me and gave me a call back to come down to their agency in LA and meet with them, this is where i disagree with some of the previous post, when i met with the agency it looked very legitimit they had their own building and people outside waiting to meet with them. i walked in and told them i was from iTalent and then they walked me into the office and had me audition. considering it was my first agency call back i was pretty nervous and well i didnt get it.

But after going on to the acting classes, and trying alot harder i went on one more audition, and then booked with an agency. I signed with them that day, and the agency then put me up on LA Casting (ON THEIR DIME) and started sending me out on auditions. Thats when i knew i found something good here, i may have paid for my headshots, but everything from here on out is what my agency pays for.

The major network auditions that i have been sent on, through my Agency and iTalent Management combined are; Oh Henry! (candy bar commercial), Black Eyed Peas The Experience for the Wii (you can see that on youtube), UFC commercial on FX with Frankie Edgar, Print work with Uniqulo (and commercial usage in Korea and Japan) and many more. now if this was all a hustle, i dont see how or know why anyone could pretend to do all this and pay the amount of kickbacks it would take to play an elaborate con scheme like this, all with the price for just some headshots. doesn't make sense to me. Also i go to acting classes with two students who have just booked jobs with HP and Verizon.

I feel so fortunate to have been working the day TJ came into my store because if i wasnt this door would have never been open for me. the way i see it, unless you have 100s of agencies and casting directors running after you, then my advise is to you- if your serious about becoming an actor, join iTalent Management, they will do more for you then you know.

I saw an ad on Craigstlist, New Talent Management seeking Actors and Models.
I apply. I got a call from Kevin on the same day. He ask me to come it to Rancho Cucamonga office.

First of all, the voice on the phone was very sneaky. Second Rancho Cucamonga is so far from Hollywood! Third, Kevin ask me to come in at 7pm!!!! No legit Office will ask you to come in at 7pm. I had a bad feeling. After getting off the phone i google them and i found a lot of bad Reviews/ complaints. My gut feeling was right! They were scammers. Save time and gas for better auditions.

I can't understand the anger you have, it almost seems personal. 

Two of my children and I have all gotten agents and paying acting jobs through our association with I-Talent. I know others that have as well. 

Last Saturday, one of his teachers gave me specific advise that I used on an audition, tomorrow I am working on that job. 

Trent has never promised something that was not delivered and has been very supportive of my kids and my career 

I welcome anyone to email me and I can tell them what my experiences have been. 

This man is not a legit manager. He does not have any connections and is not authorized to get actors auditions.  You can check for yourself by calling LA Casting at (323)462-8200 and see if he is legit. All legit talent agencies and mangers are registered  with this company and use this service to secure there talent auditions. Call LA Casting and ask if Trent or his so call talent company is affiliated with them. They will tell you no. My advice to you is to stay clear and far away from this con man. Trent claims to be a manager but is not legit. Please check for yourself. Just because someone takes your pictures and has you take acting or modeling classes does not make them a manager. CHECK FOR YOURSELF AND YOU WILL GET THE TRUTH. When you call them tell them you are a actor and you want to check on rather this so call manager is in there data base. You want to make sure the agency is legit and not a scam. Let them know that he claims to use LA Casting and secures auditions.  Give them his name and the name of the company.

 
I was surprised to see negative reports about I Talent Management / New Entertainment Today, I am not an authority on acting schools but I would like to share my experience which is quite different than what I have seen written here.

My daughter has been a student of New Entertainment Today since she was nine, and it was a John Robert Powers Franchise in Ontario. She is 15 now. My daughter took acting and modeling lessons to overcome shyness not really to pursue an acting career. The training really helped her come out of her shell and she improved both socially and academically.

She started auditioning for agents as part of the JRP curriculum. She got an agent after taking classes for about a year. She had a speaking role in the last Star Trek film (the Vulcan Student girl in Spock's school). She is still getting residual checks from DVD and TV broadcasts. She has modeled for a martial arts training center, done a public service announcement for LA Dept. of Children's Services and for the past two years been doing voice over for commercials. If you ever visit the LA Zoo check out their Condor display's interactive kiosk there and you will hear Alexis explaining all about the California Condor.

If you ever get a Mattel Digitec Diary for your child, its Alexis' voice that you will hear on the prompts.

My son now eight, has been with New Entertainment Today for two years, he has been in two short films, an interactive web site for kids. This summer he did an industrial film for Edison and an episode of It's Supernatural. He is the voice of a Sunchips commercial and did an animated short.  Yesterday (8/9/10) both he and his sister were hired for a voice over job in Hollywood.

I could go on but the point that we have been with Trent and his staff in two incarnations for years and have gotten a good value for our investment. I read that people complained about the cost of the photos. I have used the school's photographer sometimes and gotten photos on my own for less. When I got them on my own I had to wait for three months to get them and then only after several emails and phone calls then finally an angry personal appearance before I got them. I have paid more for the school photographer but I got excellent service. The point is you don't have to use the photographer they use. But if you do and there is an issue they take care of it.

I saw a complaint that Trent is not a licensed agent, again I am not expert but Trent is a manager, managers can put you in for parts just like agents but do not require the same licensing. Many agents are becoming managers because the bonding requirements are so high now. One last thing is that New Entertainment Today does not charge for being management expect as a commission for work they get you. What they charge for is various packages of acting lessons and photos. And you don't have to buy the photos or lessons to be represented. They tend to choose students who look promising and have talent to be their clients but you don't have to be a student to be a client of their management.

I know its sort of complicated, I am learning too and have had bad experiences with agents and photographers, but I have always been treated fairly by Trent both at JRP and NET. Frankly NET is run better in my opinion. If anyone wants to talk to me about specifics I can tell you my experience with NET. You can contact me through our voice over acting web site.  Just Google Alexis Avenue Voices and send me an email from the contact page.

 
I was surprised to see negative reports about I Talent Management / New Entertainment Today, I am not an authority on acting schools but I would like to share my experience which is quite different than what I have seen written here.

My daughter has been a student of New Entertainment Today since she was nine, and it was a John Robert Powers Franchise in Ontario. She is 15 now. My daughter took acting and modeling lessons to overcome shyness not really to pursue an acting career. The training really helped her come out of her shell and she improved both socially and academically.

She started auditioning for agents as part of the JRP curriculum. She got an agent after taking classes for about a year. She had a speaking role in the last Star Trek film (the Vulcan Student girl in Spock's school). She is still getting residual checks from DVD and TV broadcasts. She has modeled for a martial arts training center, done a public service announcement for LA Dept. of Children's Services and for the past two years been doing voice over for commercials. If you ever visit the LA Zoo check out their Condor display's interactive kiosk there and you will hear Alexis explaining all about the California Condor.

If you ever get a Mattel Digitec Diary for your child, its Alexis' voice that you will hear on the prompts.

My son now eight, has been with New Entertainment Today for two years, he has been in two short films, an interactive web site for kids. This summer he did an industrial film for Edison and an episode of It's Supernatural. He is the voice of a Sunchips commercial and did an animated short.  Yesterday (8/9/10) both he and his sister were hired for a voice over job in Hollywood.

I could go on but the point that we have been with Trent and his staff in two incarnations for years and have gotten a good value for our investment. I read that people complained about the cost of the photos. I have used the school's photographer sometimes and gotten photos on my own for less. When I got them on my own I had to wait for three months to get them and then only after several emails and phone calls then finally an angry personal appearance before I got them. I have paid more for the school photographer but I got excellent service. The point is you don't have to use the photographer they use. But if you do and there is an issue they take care of it.

I saw a complaint that Trent is not a licensed agent, again I am not expert but Trent is a manager, managers can put you in for parts just like agents but do not require the same licensing. Many agents are becoming managers because the bonding requirements are so high now. One last thing is that New Entertainment Today does not charge for being management expect as a commission for work they get you. What they charge for is various packages of acting lessons and photos. And you don't have to buy the photos or lessons to be represented. They tend to choose students who look promising and have talent to be their clients but you don't have to be a student to be a client of their management.

I know its sort of complicated, I am learning too and have had bad experiences with agents and photographers, but I have always been treated fairly by Trent both at JRP and NET. Frankly NET is run better in my opinion. If anyone wants to talk to me about specifics I can tell you my experience with NET. You can contact me through our voice over acting web site.  Just Google Alexis Avenue Voices and send me an email from the contact page.

Im glad i found this and read it!  IN MY OPINION i think tj is a conn i am new to the industry and went for an audition and did really well! he said i wanna sign u thinking wow im doing it for real!  So i was told to come back the next day so we could talk he said i had a diffrent look and that he was willing to work with me with what little to no training i have.  So now im all excited that im going to get a manager!  lucky enough we have mothers out there who look out for our best intrest.  I told her about it and she looked at the website saying it looks like a conn if they ask for money they are fake!  So i looked online and found this i made my decision to go and see what he had but was not going to sign with him pay nothing!  I go in like nothing out of the ordinarry and he had a younger girl in there they were talking and i herd her say can i pay with my credit card he had booked her for a photo shoot costing $875.00 out ragous price!  So when she left i got up and said be right back i went and told her what i found out she was in shock like no my dreams are gone!  We exchanged numbers.  Come to find out she sigbed a 12 month contract.  Anyways i went in afterwards and sat down and wanted to hear what he had to say.  He said " i photo copied your head shots and they want you to have theatricle head shots"  Im thinking you are crazy.  Then he tells me he can hook me up with a deal a 2 pose photo shoot for 375 with some acting classes i then asked what his cut would be if i signed with him he then said 15 hah wont get more than 10 percent from me!  i then asked him your trent james he replied yep thats me.  I said so u like to conn people i hear!  He then said who said that, where did you hear that from i said i have my source!!!  Then he was like i have nothing to hide.  i got up and said im not interested in signing with you and shook his hand and left.  Later me and the young girl i soke with earlier talked on the phone she then told me she has been with him for 2 months and had one audition with an agent and got a call back.  In my opinion i bet its one of his friends that is the supposed agent and she will do her other audition then he will be like srry not interested.  And i bet tren james will inspire her to pay more for more classes new photos the work!  So deff stay away from him and his assistante Kevin.  Thankyou for saving me from the conn Kevin and post number 2!

First of all, I would like to say kudos to the author for this report's original post.  Second, I would like to address a number of points including my input on the original author's allegations, Rashied's response, as well as my own.

Firstly noted, Trent James was previously the manager at John Robert Powers in Ontario, California.  That location has now been shut down for reasons which I can only assume was for not bringing in enough revenue.  While I was there as a student, I was able to witness how John Robert Powers or JRP for short processed their students through the system.

Newcomers typically sign up for a 10 week period and pay in a range between $1400 to $2000 depending on the type of class.  Then, once the student has been enrolled for a number of weeks, JRP will have a set of "auditions" that will include numerous "agents" looking to sign on new talent.  The students after being coaxed into auditioning, will be convinced that they have talent but will need further instruction as well as a portfolio of pictures.  Next, once they purchase the photo shoot which costs around $700 and another class which would be around another $1400 to $2000, they would be allowed to audtion again.

In regards to Kevin's complaints, I find it difficult to believe that any of them are exaggerations at all.  I know this because I was previously a student there myself for a period of time.  What I witnessed and was subjected to was atrocious.  Trent coaxed me into believing that I would succeed in an audition with Advanced L.A.  Reluctantly I agreed little realizing that a pipe dream was being sold to people by the droves that had little or no money for the promise of fame and fortune.  After reading for a commercial, the agent for Advanced L.A. said he liked me but I still needed to take another class to further hone my skills.  I was also cajoled into signing up for a photo shoot.  No doubt, these "agents" are given some sort of kickback for convincing students to take additional classes.  Days after I regretted what I was completely mislead into and immediately requested a refund as I had prepaid for the photos as well as the second class.  After playing dodge the customer with Trent and his staff for months, I finally gave up and considered myself fortunate that I had not been duped further.

In hindsight, had I known then what I know now, I would have unhesitantly initiated a lawsuit.  Unfortunately my knowledge came a little too late and my legal recourse is past the statute of limitations.

Sadly though, the reality of JRP students becoming stars was about as evident as JRP's transparency in being a legitimate cultivator of Hollywood success.  All at the happy helm of Mr. Trent James.

Now, to address Rashied's response to Kevin's post.  Sadly, I do not believe you are who you say you are.  You are either Trent James himself posing as a satisfied customer and attempting to defend what little name you have left.  Or, you are someone that Trent convinced to lie for him.  Or, you really are who you say you are and are just sadly misinformed. 

First of all, Kevin never really mentioned whether he was a student or if his child was.  You simply made the assumption that it was his child that was enrolled.  Second, if your research had been more thorough, you would have learned that while Mr. Trent James was managing JRP Ontario, he was masquerading as a doorway to Hollywood by allowing premium paying students to read for supposedly real "agents".

Another reason why I don't believe you is because this is mostly a forum for business and commerce victims to find an online vocal outlet.  I would hardly believe that a completely satisfied customer would find their way on here to defend someone against one negative post.  (Excuse me, now two.)  Highly unlikely. 

And the likelihood that your "agent" is real I also find difficult to believe.  Who is your agent ?  Advanced L.A. ?  I hate to be the bearer of bad news but hope all you want, eventually you are going to lose on this one.  Trent is a master painter when it comes to painting the canvas with promises of success.  I assure you his credibility is a farce.  He has no one in Hollywood to claim as his success.     

Either way, it doesn't really matter.  If you're actually Trent (which I think you are) then the chips will fall where they may and you will eventually fall from your own karma.  If you're really Rashied, then sad to say, you will also learn the hard way like many others.

So im guessing that your child was'nt cut out for the business because mine is doing very well. My child has been pick by an agent and has auditioned for quite a few commercials. Before I took tj up on his offer I researched his business and found that I Talent Management is only a talent management company, which simply means that they manage your childs training and audition preparation. As far as the pictures or head shots go, I dont think its fair for any business to establish a portfolio for anyones career. Prices for head shots are fairly reasonable. I dont know. kevin I dont think any of us can compare situations, what is working for my child and I may not work for you. With this company and most other companies in the entertainment business you have to have a lot of follow through. I was a little unsure in the begining , and then my child was signed by a real agent, then I got more into it. I am hoping for the best, and I hope the same for you and your children. Please dont be affraid to respond to my blog...