Afroagogo
New York,#2Consumer Comment
Thu, January 15, 2009
I also got an e-mail suggesting that I go to their office @ Penn Plaza...I had a bad experience with their branch on Long Island a year or two ago - they are complete rip offs and should not be trusted. They will just refer you to a photographer and ask for about $400-$500 upfront for pictures, but you will never get work from them. They prey on people wanting to break into the business, and take your money with no guarantees. Stay away!
Bryan8675309
Los Angeles,#3Consumer Suggestion
Sat, January 03, 2009
The rebuttal you see on this page is an automatic response for anyone having a problem with this company. I've seen it 3 times now. Everything they say is incorrect. I live in LA and have worked with and been contacted by major and legitimate agencies. They will not ask you for money, they will not charge you a monthly fee and they will not make you pay for photographers. My Ex is a known stylist in LA and she has worked with them all. She says the same thing and also knows of this company. They "Hired" her to work for them but never actually got her work, just used her name. Gotta love it. They post fake ads for jobs on Craigslist and then contact you for the "Closed Audition" I always see people getting sucked into. They sent me an email today about one such ad and I called up, after doing research on them, and asked why I was called in to them for representation when I never submitted for this and how did they receive my info. The guy in the New Faces division had no idea and said that they had made a mistake. I asked a few real questions and I could tell he was uneasy. Anyways, stay away from them and NEVER NEVER NEVER pay money up front. BTW, the head of the company is a joke. Go on Youtube and search for Diva Boy and see what comes up. That's who would be representing you. Nuff Said! Take care and I would love to see what kind of response I get from them.
1kristen
New York,#4Consumer Comment
Sat, November 22, 2008
I have worked as a model for years, and I can say with great confidence that the author of the previous post may have had great intentions but is greatly misinformed about MMI and probably about most agencies. Any agency, and I mean ANY, whether it be Wilhemina, Elite, or Ford, charges you a yearly or monthly admin fee for their costs. Costs such as Fedex, Messenger Fees, etc. Any costs related to marketing a model are always billed back to the model with very rare exception. Check it out for yourself. Also, in my experience most agencies require you to pay up front for a photography fee before you shoot and it is always from an approved list of their photographers. No agency will let you go and shoot with someone you choose on your own that they have not approved in terms of style, work ethic, etc. This is very standard. If you were asked to pay $800 for photography and the printing of your cards, I am not sure what your complaint is really about. As a model, this is not expensive, or out of the ordinary, again check it out for yourself. Call Elite or Ford and find out how much it cost to shoot with one of their photographers and to produce a set of comp cards. I think you will be surprised at what they tell you might be higher than MMI's fee. To be honest, I think that $800 is a small price to pay when you consider how many years you can use the photos for marketing yourself. And your complaint of no guarantee, what agency in the world is going to GUARANTEE you work? If you can find one, let me know. No one would ever make a claim to guarantee anyone anything in this industry because beyond marketing you to clients for jobs and giving you professional advice on how to improve, it is beyond their control. Regarding their office space, I spoke with someone that had an audition there that is a working actress that was looking for extra work and she thought it was a very nice office. This is the digital age, not every company has sprawling offices taking up 3 floors anymore. It is just not cost effective or necessary. If you wanted to go to Elite or Ford, then why didn't you go there instead? Just because a company has a more modest office space than they do does not mean that they will not work diligently for you night and day to help you become successful. To be honest, I think you through no fault of your own really are lacking in industry experience and wrote your post without doing a lot of research. Have you called 5 or 6 top agencies to research all of the fees and other issues you are complaining about? I would urge you to do so. As far as I can see, Model Management Inc. is a very reputable company. Out of curiosity, I called regarding who they book with, and they said that they would be happy to put me or anyone else in touch with the contacts for clients their agents have booked with. Folks, please do your research and let the facts speak for themselves.