Hollywood Talent Associates Misleading, Scam, Fraud La Jolla California
Hollywood Talent Associates owned by Cami Carpenter is a scam. She advertises weekly on craigslist looking for models and talent for commercials and claims to be a "talent manager" yet charges hundreds UPFRONT and never gets you any work. She is not a talent manager, this is not a management company, it is a scam. She will tell you to go all over the city to meet with different casting directors... at open calls for extras. She refers you to her own photographers and most likely pockets a commission after you pay them for your shoot. She has no connections to get you work in LA, or anything besides extra work in San Diego or free fashion shows for charity. The hundreds she charges for her management services are in exchange for her telling you to "drive to LA and register with central casing" or "go register with tina real", both companies that book background extra and charge a nominal fee for ANYONE to be in their database. Do not give Cami Carpenter any of your money! She is a fraud! Ask anyone who has "worked" with her and they will tell you the same story. She needs to be shut down.
Julia
Los Angeles, California
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Anonymous
Studio City,California,
Advance Fee Talent Service
#4General Comment
Fri, September 06, 2013
If Cami Carpenter aka Hollywood Talent Associates (hundreds of miles from Hollywood, by the way) charges a fee to her clients (as opposed to talent agents or managers who take 10-20% AFTER the client books a job), she may be considered an Advance Fee Talent Service (AFTS), which as of January 2010 became illegal in the state of California per State Law AB1319 (The Krekorian Talent Scam Prevention Act). If she operates as a talent counseling service, a talent training service or a talent listing service, she must abide by provisions in the same law, which include, but are not limited to advertising, promotion, accounting and the requirement to post a bond with the California Department of Industrial Relations in the amount of $50,000.00.
And buyer beware: the information regarding auditions and job opportunities that she provides can often be found - with very little effort - in dozens of places for free.
Here's my question to Ms. Carpenter. Have you posted a bond with the state of California? I cannot find it in the DIR database.
Concerned consumers should always do their due diligence and research thoroughly any company which sells services and makes claims that they can get you or your kids acting work in your area.
SapperRice
Glendale,California,
United States of America
Not a scam at all...
#4UPDATE Employee
Thu, June 10, 2010
I luckily found Camie Carpenter when I first got out to Southern California and she steered me in all the right directions and connected me with all the right people and organizations. Everything I have seen and done in this business is thanks to her.
Whoever wrote this original report has no idea how the business works if they had those complaints. No one is guaranteed anything out here.
She did refer me to a photographer and it saved me hundreds of dollars than what it would have normally cost me. She will also tell me about scams and certain groups and things to look for to keep myself safe from all the predators in the industry.
Hollywood Talent Associates
San Diego,California,
United States of America
Hollywood Talent Associates
#4REBUTTAL Owner of company
Tue, December 01, 2009
Hollywood Talent Associates has an "A" rating with Better Business Bureau. In the past decade we have never had a complaint from anyone that has ever done business with us. The person who wrote this report has never set foot in our office, because if they had they would have been educated on the fact the the sale of photos as a condition of employment is in violation of California Labor Code 1700 and 1701, these are the two Labor Laws that govern companies that represent talent in the state of California. As far as refering people to SAG (Screen Actors Guild) approved extra casting companies, how else would you start building your resume if you have no experience and become eligable to join SAG. In reply to charity fashion shows, it was an honor to be asked by the doctor of the San Diego Chargers to participate in his annual fundraiser, raising money for Childrens Hospital.
Our clients appear on network tv, major motion pictures, local and national commercials as well as local and national print work.