[NEohioPAL]Agency Scams

[Jessica Joy]

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NeoPeeps,
 
The post about the Stone Agency is not the first I've complaint I've heard about local area agencies and I wanted to add my two cents.  I personally made an attempt once to sign with an agency in Akron- let's call it "Schmo-Model Management", but found them eager for my money and nothing else.  It was quite laughable, actually- I had brought my dad along for the ride (he'd promised me ice cream afterward) and his presence was proof that this agency's edge was sweet-talking parents.  I did my little "runway walk" and afterward, the woman called me over while looking at my resume for our "interview".  She didn't even look up at me and only asked if my parents supported my dreams.  When she called my dad over, her entire demeanor changed and on came the charm as she tried to convince him that I needed their full monetary support.  To make a long story short, I left disgusted and didn't call the next day for my "evaluation".  They called me anyway and asked me to come in for an audition
 which consisted of me reading a monologue for another lady who wasn't looking at me.  Afterward, she replied, "That was amazing!  OK, you're going to need to take a couple of our classes- they're $800 each, and then we'll sign you and you can start auditioning!".  The strangest part was, when I told them how rude the runway-auditioner woman had been, they gushed their apologies and explained that she had been promptly fired.  That's just weird.
 
Anyway, my rant isn't meant to piss any of these agencies or their current clients off, I just want to warn people that a basic rule of any agency is that YOU DON'T PAY THEM ANYTHING.  They are like lawyers, the work for you.  Some agencies will try to disguise fees behind classes and special photos you can only get through their personal photographer.  And the IMTA's are great, but $1000's of dollars won't make you a star.  Yes, Katie Holmes went there- but Gisele Bundchen was discovered in a McDonald's for the cost of a $3.75 value meal.  It happens in many different ways.
 
I've been with The Talent Group for a couple of years now.  When I was signed, they referred me to a great Cleveland photographer, Eric Mull, so I could get headshots as I saw fit.  I haven't paid them anything and I've gotten great auditions for studio movies that come to Cleveland and all sorts of print and TV ads.  They'll ask me to come to various classes and workshops they have if I have time to, and I think once the asked me for 50 cents for the meter or something, but other than that, they pay me most of the time.  They are a great group of people and I recommend their group highly.  Even though they owe me 50 cents.
 
My advice is to read any book about agents before you or your parents jump into the whole thing.  When people promise things that seem too good/easy to be true, they are.
 
For starters, here are the AFTRA franchised agents in Cleveland:
 
 DOCHERTY, INC.
2044 Euclid Avenue, Suite 500
Cleveland, OH 44115
(216) 552-1300
All Areas

IMPACT MGMT. TALENT (IMI)
9700 Rockside Road, Suite 410
Cleveland, OH 44125
(216) 901-9710

TALENT GROUP, INC., THE
2530 Superior Avenue, Suite 6C
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 622-8011
C,V, In,NB,Id,P
 
Sorry for ranting,
Jessica Joy




__________________________________________
www.JessicaJoy.com (Now with more cowbell)
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<DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>NeoPeeps,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The post about the Stone Agency is not the first I've complaint I've heard about local area agencies and I wanted to add my two cents.  I personally made an attempt once to sign with an agency in Akron- let's call it "Schmo-Model Management", but found them eager for my money and nothing else.  It was quite laughable, actually- I had brought my dad along for the ride (he'd promised me ice cream afterward) and his presence was proof that this agency's edge was sweet-talking parents.  I did my little "runway walk" and afterward, the woman called me over while looking at my resume for our "interview".  She didn't even look up at me and only asked if my parents supported my dreams.  When she called my dad over, her entire demeanor changed and on came the charm as she tried to convince him that I needed their full monetary support.  To make a long story short, I left disgusted and didn't call the next day for my "evaluation".  They called me anyway
 and asked me to come in for an audition which consisted of me reading a monologue for another lady who wasn't looking at me.  Afterward, she replied, "That was amazing!  OK, you're going to need to take a couple of our classes- they're $800 each, and then we'll sign you and you can start auditioning!".  The strangest part was, when I told them how rude the runway-auditioner woman had been, they gushed their apologies and explained that she had been promptly fired.  That's just weird.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Anyway, my rant isn't meant to piss any of these agencies or their current clients off, I just want to warn people that a basic rule of any agency is that YOU DON'T PAY THEM ANYTHING.  They are like lawyers, the work for you.  Some agencies will try to disguise fees behind classes and special photos you can only get through their personal photographer.  And the IMTA's are great, but $1000's of dollars won't make you a star.  Yes, Katie Holmes went there- but Gisele Bundchen was discovered in a McDonald's for the cost of a $3.75 value meal.  It happens in many different ways.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I've been with The Talent Group for a couple of years now.  When I was signed, they referred me to a great Cleveland photographer, Eric Mull, so I could get headshots as I saw fit.  I haven't paid them anything and I've gotten great auditions for studio movies that come to Cleveland and all sorts of print and TV ads.  They'll ask me to come to various classes and workshops they have if I have time to, and I think once the asked me for 50 cents for the meter or something, but other than that, they pay me most of the time.  They are a great group of people and I recommend their group highly.  Even though they owe me 50 cents.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>My advice is to read any book about agents before you or your parents jump into the whole thing.  When people promise things that seem too good/easy to be true, they are.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>For starters, here are the AFTRA franchised agents in Cleveland:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> DOCHERTY, INC.<BR>2044 Euclid Avenue, Suite 500<BR>Cleveland, OH 44115<BR>(216) 552-1300<BR>All Areas<BR><BR>IMPACT MGMT. TALENT (IMI)<BR>9700 Rockside Road, Suite 410<BR>Cleveland, OH 44125<BR>(216) 901-9710<BR><BR>TALENT GROUP, INC., THE<BR>2530 Superior Avenue, Suite 6C<BR>Cleveland, OH 44114<BR>(216) 622-8011<BR>C,V, In,NB,Id,P</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Sorry for ranting,</DIV>
<DIV>Jessica Joy</DIV></DIV></DIV><BR><BR>__________________________________________<br>www.JessicaJoy.com (Now with more cowbell)
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