Do not get sucked in to the promises of Hollywood stardom! MovieWork Now and its owner "Barbara Capra" is nothing but a scam.
I was looking for ways to make extra pocket cash while attending school and came across the MovieWork Now website. I figured it would be a really fun experience to be an extra in a big time movie so I filled out an application. The next day I got a call from "Nicole" telling me they were getting ready to cast extras for a Superbowl commercial being filmed in Phoenix and they needed to interview me ASAP in order to begin the hiring process. So I agreed and within a few hours I was at their office in Phoenix. The first hint that it was a shady company was the fact that their office is in a very large building housing offices of hundreds of other companies, of which I didn't recognize a single one. I get to the reception desk and tell them I was there to see Barbara for an interview. At this point the whole shady atmosphere of the place has got the ball of suspicion rolling in my head, but I decide to see it through because it might be completely legit. Barbara comes out to the waiting area to greet me and at first glance she seems like a very nice and professional lady. She walks me to her office where I meet Nicole who is a fresh-faced twenty-something.
Barbara wastes no time and immediately begins her sales pitch/scam. She tries various ways to make me comfortable. Guessing my ethnicity, commenting on how well-spoken I am, telling me my parents raised a fine young man, blah blah blah. I'm finally able to get a word in and I start asking her about MovieWork Now and her credentials. She tells me she has been in the casting business for decades and has supplied countless films with thousands of extras. (Side note: I'm not really sure why Nicole was there since she wasn't adding anything to the interview. Maybe it was another way of trying to get me to let my guard down by having an attractive young woman there? I'm not sure). By now Barbara has presented me with a paper describing the 3 packages they offer. She tells me that I don't need to purchase any of the packages, but if I don't I will have a much tougher time finding work (they had no intention of contacting me again unless I purchased a package).
The packages cost $150, $250, and $350. She pretty much blew off the first two options and started really pressuring me to buy the $350 package. All these packages offer is basically a headshot and a profile in the MovieWork Now casting database. She asked me "now which package would you like to purchase today?". I told her that as a broke student I didn't have the money to purchase any of them at that moment and that I would need to talk it over with my family first. She then said I should make the decision soon because the roles need to be filled NOW. I then said no thanks and that I needed to go. As I was walking out she informed me that many A-list actors started out as extras and are now making millions!
Barbara is a smooth-talking fraud who preys on people with dreams and ambitions of working in the entertainment industry. Please do not let her take any of your money. MovieWork Now is a bait and switch scam. They will lure you in with promises of stardom and then proceed to take money from you any chance they get.