Kathy
Plano,#2Consumer Suggestion
Sat, April 12, 2003
The agents that demand money upfront DO NOT have the contacts to get you job(s). They do get a percentage only after you book the job. If they ask for money upfront, that means they do not have the clients to get jobs. Money can be requested in the form of classes and/or photos or other purchases. I always ask, is there any up front fees or required purchases when scheduling auditions. If there is a fee, I do not schedule the interview/audition-etc... Sometimes-however-a dance audition will request a ten dollar fee to cover the expenses-such as the rental of a building. I would not pay more than that. That is not the same as asking for a 60.00 fee. Lots of these scams are members of the Better Business Bureau. Some of them will ask you to send photos. Be cautious of the ones who discourage the US Postal service. It is a federal offense if they are running a scam through the post office. Anyone who has a digital camera can email the photos to the agents them selves-for free. You do not need an agent to market your self as a model. Modeling schools get most of the students no where. You should leave at the first sign of the drop of famous names or pictures on the wall-claiming they are the reason all of these famous people made it.
M
New York,#3UPDATE EX-employee responds
Sat, April 12, 2003
I used to work there and unless you have THE look (height, teeth, etc.) you will not get legitimate work with this company. The only way you should spend money on this is getting pictures done. If you go to an agency and they ask for money walk away. After the FOURTH time they changed their name in TWO YEARS I began to get suspicious and decided that I should pursue this talent management career in a different way. I don't want to be affiliated with these people when they go down. Bad news spreads fast...and I have met a lot more people with negative things to say than positive. In matter of fact, the only people with any thing positive to say about were the people that worked there and those were only the senior scouts. This company won't be around in 2 years, probably sooner than that, (if they don't change their name 50 times). The people that work there and leave eventually learn the real deal about the company. It's not saying anything bad about people in specific offices such as New York. Everybody there was cool with me and I like everyone there. But it's the people such as Alec (who came into our office and fed the scouts a line of bull) who runs the company and comes up with these assinine ideas.