HG Employee
United States of America#2UPDATE Employee
Sat, February 06, 2010
You notice only 4 'rip-off reports', all whom are obviously confused about who we are and what we do. We are the Hollywood Group, always have and always will be. The BBB gives us a 'B' rating in the San Diego office- even though their policy is to automatically give anything related to children and the entertainment industry a 'F'. (By the way, the BBB is a privately owned company and has nothing to do with the government)
To the writer of this report: It is apparent that you did not attend the call back meeting you were invited to, or you would be more knowledgeable.Here are a few facts, as my co-workers have reiterated in previous posts. Perhaps repetition is key.
1. The Hollywood Group does not scout. We hire a company to bring us kids THEY feel would be good in the industry. We then select 15% to 20% out of those who attend our screen test and invite their families to a call back meeting.2. We require both parents and selected kids be in attendance for a 1.5 hour presentation where we go through our program. In this, we highlight many truths/falsehoods, including but not limited to the following:
-You do not need fancy photos to get started. They are a waste of money.-You need to have experience on set before you will get hired as the lead in anything.
-If you do not have training, an agent will not support you or send
your child on an audition they won't get.
-When
the kids are ready, we use our reputation and introduce the kids to the
agencies we work with. We work with the top 40 agencies in LA. Ask
them.
3. We are not and have never claimed to be an agency. If you have ever tried to walk-in, audition, call, or get in touch with an agency you would understand they do not give you the time of day. The agents come to the Hollywood Group to fill their roster with qualified kids they feel confident sending to auditions.
4. Notice there are no parents who are members of the Hollywood Group writing reports. That is because they are happy and love our program. Of course, there will always be misleading information found on the internet. I hope this helps whoever is reading this report to remain positive. There are good companies related to children in acting out there - we are one of them.
You notice only 4 'rip-off reports', all whom are obviously confused about who we are and what we do. We are the Hollywood Group, always have and always will be. The BBB gives us a 'B' rating in the San Diego office- even though their policy is to automatically give anything related to children and the entertainment industry a 'F'. (By the way, the BBB is a privately owned company and has nothing to do with the government)
To the writer of this report: It is apparent that you did not attend the call back meeting you were invited to, or you would be more knowledgeable.Here are a few facts, as my co-workers have reiterated in previous posts. Perhaps repetition is key.
1. The Hollywood Group does not scout. We hire a company to bring us kids THEY feel would be good in the industry. We then select 15% to 20% out of those who attend our screen test and invite their families to a call back meeting.2. We require both parents and selected kids be in attendance for a 1.5 hour presentation where we go through our program. In this, we highlight many truths/falsehoods, including but not limited to the following:
-You do not need fancy photos to get started. They are a waste of money.-You need to have experience on set before you will get hired as the lead in anything.
-If you do not have training, an agent will not support you or send
your child on an audition they won't get.
-When
the kids are ready, we use our reputation and introduce the kids to the
agencies we work with. We work with the top 40 agencies in LA. Ask
them.
3. We are not and have never claimed to be an agency. If you have ever tried to walk-in, audition, call, or get in touch with an agency you would understand they do not give you the time of day. The agents come to the Hollywood Group to fill their roster with qualified kids they feel confident sending to auditions.
4. Notice there are no parents who are members of the Hollywood Group writing reports. That is because they are happy and love our program. Of course, there will always be misleading information found on the internet. I hope this helps whoever is reading this report to remain positive. There are good companies related to children in acting out there - we are one of them.