Complaint Review: IPOP! (International Presentation Of Performers) And JRP

 I'm a parent of a 14 year old from North Mississippi.  We have an excellent vocal coach from Memphis who takes a large group of kids to IPOP every year.  They always do very well and almost all of them sign with agencies.  These kids have included Olivia Holt of Disney's Kickin it so my suggestion to this parent from Houston is to put your money where your mouth is.  If your daughter is good then spend the money and take her to LA for IPOP it is not a scam.  My daughter just signed with a top agency in LA.  I also suggest that you watch out for those kids from Memphis, they are incredible!! 

Good Luck!

My daughter has attended JRP St. Louis and attended iPOP L.A. in January 2011. It bothers me to read complaints written by people who have never actually used the services offered by a company they have not used. To cal something a "rip-off" shouldn't the person have actually been ripped off. We were told from the very beginning that iPOP was a competition that my daughter would only get out of it what she put in to it. We were never given any false promises about anything. My daughter worked hard and practiced every day for more than six months and came away from iPOP with 6 call-backs and 5 awards. Unfortunately my mother was diagnosed with a terminal illness within a week of returning from L.A. so we were unable to follow through with anything at that time. My daighter has mourned the loss of her grandmother for a year and is ready to get back to work so we will be going to iPOP again! Yes, it is expensive, but my daughter is serious about what she wants to do and is worth every penny we spend to get her there. I once thought things like this were a scam when my sister considered doing this for one of her children. I now know that I thought it was a scam simply because it costs a lot of money and not because I knew anything about it. It was my own ignorance that made me say "scam" and "rip-off". As a parent who has actually gone through this process once before I can say with complete certainty that this IS NOT A SCAM but simply one avenue to get my child where she wants to be in life and an avenue that is well worth it. This is an avenue that I will never regret. The parent in the first post here should have asked other parents who have gone through this process if it was worth it. That is the BEST research a parent can use.

The key word in the negative report is "audition". I heard negative things from people who didn't make the cut for the school.  I hear positive things from those who were selected. My son spent last summer in training with JRP Southeast - after being accepted at auditions. I watched his confidence and public speaking ability improve dramatically and felt JRP was worth every penny!



Then JRP had regional agents watch the kids perform. In the following 6 months, 3 agents, New Orleans, Nashville, and Atlanta have found work for my son. Two of them have even put his siblings to work as background on movies and music videos!



Of the kids who were trained, not all were invited to iPOP. We just returned from iPOP, January 2012 in Los Angeles where JRP Southeast won school of the year. JRP does not want to send kids that are not ready to go. That makes everyone look bad.



iPOP was an amazing experience. We are trying to make decisions now about the agents and managers who are interested in my son and we already have a trip planned to New York.



At iPOP, we met a Disney star who got his start in the industry at iPOP. If you listen to the advertisements, JRP and iPOP do not promise to put you on the Disney channel. They teach you the skills you need and you get exposure to the people who can put you there - many whom would not see you otherwise.



iPOP exceeded all my expectations! It was wonderful! I plan to repeat this process with my youngest child.

I was reading the initial report filed, and realized that I am the woman with the daughter talking about the movie deal that she mentioned.  I was also part of the Houston JRP team that took "School of the Year" at the iPOP Convention.  And I am one of those parents that worked at this really hard, moved to LA and then decided to return to Houston to take a break. So, since I was involved in one manner or another in the experiences that are mentioned, I thought I'd give you my first hand experience and side of the story.

iPOP fullfills its promise to provide a venue where your child's talent can be reviewed and assessed by Agents, Casting Directors and Managers.  Will you make it? Will your child get an agent?  Will he / she end up on TV ??  Who knows !  As with many other things in life, there are many things that come into play. But one of the parents was spot on .... it's what you put into it, it's not about showing up; it's what you do while there and more importantly what you do afterwards.  If there is no follow up on your part after iPOP then - you had a great experience and that's that.  

We went to open auditions with JRP, we were taking acting training at JRP Houston, we were selected to form part of the team that went to iPOP, we WORKED really hard preparing, we went to iPOP and as a team we were focused, driven and supportive of each other.  Our school was "School of the Year", my daughter took a first place award, she auditioned for a movie while we were at iPOP, had several call backs, we competed in July, we went to LA in September to follow up !!!  We had an Agent & Manager contract by September, we moved to LA in May (8 months after signing with an agent), we were there for a year and half doing our thing - working at it and working hard. Then we decided we needed a break and we are back in Houston ... for now.  We keep our hand on the pulse all along.  We are still to this date involved with iPOP, in touch with her acting coaches and visit her agent regularly.  We are getting ready to ramp up again, get the new head shots and jump into it again.  

This was our path, but everyone is different, and you need to find your own path.  For some it happens almost immediately, for others it takes a little longer and in the meantime your child develops and gets better and better.  This is not a sprint to the finish, it's a marathon, it's a lifestyle you either commit to or not.  It is not for the faint of heart.  If your expectations are not realistic and your lack of understanding of what is offered prevent from seeing the value that this brings then ... let others that do want to take this journey do so in peace and do everyone a favor - move on. 

I just got home from IPOP and I now understand why there are so many bad reports, It is because there are so many people that think that all they have to do is pay some money and show up and their kid will win a Disney/Nick contract. IPOP is the finals for an entertainment school and if you are lucky enough and work hard enough to make it the finals with your region or school you have the opportunity to preform and be seen by Agents, managers and Casting scouts. Our kids showed up to IPOP and had the first meeting the first night at 8pm..they practiced till 11:30 PST and had to be ready to rock the next morning at 7:45 am PST, that set the pace for the rest of the crazy exciting tiring trip. Our Region took Best Team Musical and a number of awards. 

 My Daughter received 15 call backs, we met with 2 agents before leaving LA and are currently, trying to decide which Agent to go with, and if we are ready to move to LA as a family. Ford Modeling, Coast to Coast Talent, and Sovereign Talent Group are our top three, all  thanks to IPOP.

If you think you can just show up and every kid out of the over 900 kids are going to make it big your wrong, and will leave resentful and disappointed. If your kid happens to have what they are looking for at that moment (and it changes every moment) and has put in the work and has the drive you will leave IPOP happy as a clam like we did, knowing it is just a step on the ladder and the work has just begun. I am thankful to  JRP Southeast (the best coaches Heather Hooten and Mark Holder) for the training and opportunity they allowed my child to earn. If your looking for a quick fix buy a lottory ticket if your kid really wants to Act, Sing, Model, what ever, and you have the money for it is IPOP is a great place for them.

Kitty,

My wife is in L.A. right now with both of my kids at IPOP!!  They went to open auditions here in New Orleans which many hundreds of children went to.  Both of my kids were chosen (only about 40 total were chosen by JRP.  I have seen a TON of progress in my children's abilities.  My daughter has received call backs in modeling and dance and my son in comedy acting.  It has been a great experience overall.  The instructors at JRP have been tough and demanding, expecting practice and excellence.  My kids are both in Talented Theater at their schools and both of their Talented Theater teachers have commented on their progress at school!!  So far, it has been a terrific experience.  Sure, we are hoping that this leads to some work in commercials, etc...  But, even if not, it has made both of them more confident, more sure of themselves and they have both made a lot of new friends!!  This is a great life experience for them. 

my daughter has been going to JRP for awhile now and let me tell you it has been a great expirance for her, they are commited to your children getting good grades and teach them great skills that will help them through life. My daughter has dance, cheer, fencing among other things and this is the first school that has told her if she doesnt get good grades she doesnt get to particiapte in audutions and other stuff.
 
2. JRP is not the only school who partakes in Ipop and the cost for Ipop is a lot less threw JRP then many of the other schools. my daughter is in class with 3 other children who went to ipop with other schools and after ipop they changed to JRP because agents they talked to said that JRP is the best. I have checked out several other schools for my daughter but JRP was the best. yes you do see the discruntal parents who think their children have what it takes then they get told by JRP that they did not make it now the parents say the school is a scam.

parents you should be honest with yourself and dont be mad at school who is actually picky about the students they take on. yes my daughter went to the open audution at JRP with friends and she made it and the others did not. thats life.

as for Ipop i know many parents at JRP who got told their child just was not ready and to try next year. people this is a competion like cheerleading so they want to put together the best team.

every child and parents that I have talked to that sent their kid to Ipop has had a great expericance one of my daughters friends from JRP got signed from attending and has already landed a job.

Ok so I search and posted question on yahoo answers and I get a lot of bad reviews about iPop! But is hard to believe in them when most are just copying what other people had said in other forums or whatever. Like I seen a lot the following: "iPOP will be laughed at in hollywood if it's on your resume"

Why will you get laughed at if is on your review? If it is a scam there is no need to laughed at it for having it on your resume, it just doesn't make sense. I really don't think that 100% of Hollywood is evil. And another thing is that most of the reviews say that they promise you will get an agent went they do actually say that theres is a chance that you will(50%) and you may not(other 50%). Remember your not the only one going there and there aren't enough agents for all of them.

I think of iPop as a place just to get more confidence and just to feel awesome. Doesn't matter if it is a scam or is not all I know I had feel awesome at iPop so far. Maybe you could act pretty awesome but just dont have that TV face or vice versa, i'm not telling that a pretty face is something you need for TV just that the agent maybe is looking for something specific.

So far Im not expecting to land an acting and/or modeling job on the final day, but I do expect to have a unique experience to talk about and more confidence about my self. So if you do plan on going don't go just for getting a job but also for the experience. It just so awesome! I know I haven't and wont regret going to iPop.

This is just a personal comment from my point of view but fill free to leave your own opinion and also if you dont have the money to go then just dont is not an obligation to actually go to, for now Ill just be practicing my scene ;)

God bless you all! And remember everything happens for a reason.

Hi. at first i also thought IPOP was a ripoff. but i went anyway got 10 call backs and am now modeling it is a great program. also expensive but very worth it.

Ha.... you know, whats funny about the first response to this posting, is that if JRP (also a scam, its negative reviews are all over the net) and IPOP were NOT scams and this parent were completely out of line like this person suggests, then they wouldnt make such a big deal out of it right? I mean come on, if a product works, its reputation will speak for itself. Look at P90X. Theres a product and service that works 100% of the time. Now look at John Robert Powers and IPOP. Begin typing in one of them into a google search engine and I am willing to put all my money on it that atleast 3 of the suggested searches have the word "scam" in them.

I know this probably doesn't matter anymore since it is from long ago. But we just noticed this now.

We are the previous owners of JRP Houston. And while we do see that the person who posted this did a lot of research, we want to know WHY? Some of your facts are right. While others are not just totally wrong, but they are also misleading.

You ramble on and on, and we ask WHY? You either want to go to IPOP or you don't. While at JRP Houston we had great success with IPOP. That doesn't mean that you will or will not have great success. We thank you for the good light you shined on JRP Houston. However, you have to understand that yes JRP instructors are licensed and approved by the state, but IPOP does not need to have licensed instructors because they do not teach classes.

If this was such an important issue that you did so much research, provide an e-mail or a way to contact you and I will personally answer any questions. These websites where people can ramble on carelessly without providing contact information can be hurtful to companies and their owners.

Websites like this should not be allowed to include personal information. If you attack a person's company it's one thing. But if you attack the actual person, that is pretty low.

In fact if whoever runs this website reads my post, I would suggest they delete the posting above or any other which includes personal information. I would also suggest that any future postings in any category with personal information are refused.

My personal opinion of IPOP is that like any other type of competition you get what you put into it. People spend thousands of dollars when they take their kids all over the U.S. for cheerleader competitions, swim competitions, and many other sport competitions and camps. With Ipop many or our kids had HUGE success stories and are literally on TV projects right now as we speak.

If someone goes to IPOP as an experience the same way one would a cheerleader competition where the parents are not necessarily wanting the kids to become professional cheerleaders but to get life changing experiences, you will get that and more from IPOP.
However, if someone goes to IPOP because they want jobs in TV, Films, Commercial or modeling then I would suggest taking IPOP very seriously. They have tons of agents, managers, Casting directors, Record companies etc..  If you want something to happen you have to work hard. You have to practice your acting and make those agents want you.

I have been around kids who have gone to IPOP and they did not get any jobs out of it but had such a huge life changing experience that the parents sent a second child the year after. I have met others where the same kid came back. I have also had kids who won actor of the year. Got signed huge Hollywood contracts came back to Los Angeles to film one or two projects and then decided that they wanted to come back to Houston and live their regular lives. I have had kids who did so well that they just made it their regular thing.

One of my kids was in an Eva Longoria movie and Links commercial. Another was in Better Off Ted (TV). Another is right now in that Mcdonald's commercial where the mom says:"What do you say?" That same kid has been on desperate houswives, How i met your mother and tons more for that kid. We had one kid who did 14 jobs his first year included the cop show Southland, Snakes and Demons with Tom Hanks etc... , Another Cosco commercial. Another Discovery channel commercial.  etc... etc... etc...

We were only in Houston 2 years and had tons of success with IPOP. But again that does not mean that "you" will or "you" won't have the same success. As with anything in life you get what you put into it.

I was always very honest and up front with our kids and our parents. If a kids acting abilities needed extra help I would tell the parents they had to be involved. If a kid had skin issues like acne, I would tell the kids and parents that your skin for the most part shows what you are putting into your body. i told kids stop eating sugar, candy and soda and start drinking tons of water and you will see a change. If you don't see a change you may need to see a dermatologist. You would be surprised to know how many kids say that their number one dream is to model but they are too addicted to sodas that their skin will not clear.

If you want to be serious about the entertainment industry give yourself the best chance by working at it. Go to IPOP and be prepared. Practice, practice, practice. When we took our kids to Ipop we practiced answers to most questions the agents might ask. So if an agent said to our kids: "Why are you here? They wouldn't say: "UMH..." We practice how to stand straight and full of confidence. We practiced smiling. I would tell our kids: "When you go into an audition you have to pretend you just came from your surprised birthday party next door. Come in as if it is one of the best days of your life". And things like that make a difference. That is why we had HUGE success stories (JOBS) through IPOP.

If however, you aren't necessarily wanting your kid to move to Hollywood and become a movie star, but you are seeking experiences that will enrich your children's lives and will help them grow and have more confidence the same way sports, or learning to play the piano or an instrument would, then I personally think you will have the time of your life at IPOP.

Good Luck to all with whatever you are seeking in Life