Are you worried that an acting audition or modeling job you are interested in or that was offered may not be real?
If so, read on to find out what the red flags are.
There are too many marketing companies that prey on a persons quest for fame. These companies and their affiliates post casting notices, auditions and ads on Craigslist, and other free classified sites that refer to fake auditions and non existent castings for jobs that sound real. Some also use ads on the radio and newspapers to entice people.
Here is why they do this. Money!
There are many different scams preying on people trying to break into the industry. Here are just a few.
There are many companies claiming to be agencies that will claim to find you work… if you pay them. They don’t just come out and ask for money, they first get your confidence and reel you in slowly. Often times they schedule a “fake” audition (they don’t ask for money here to put you at ease), then they call and tell you ‘you are great’ come in for a 2nd audition and sometimes a 3rd. Once there, they tell you “you are perfect… but…”. This is where the salesperson kicks in and tries to sell you on photos, portfolios, online portfolios, classes, conventions and anything else they can push on you. The audition was not actually for a real part in any production, it was to evaluate how much you will spend and how much they can sucker you out of.
Then there are companies that don’t sell any services themselves, they get paid to sell your information to companies that have telemarketers and salespeople.
The companies / individuals involved are paid to get “leads”. Leads are people of a certain demographic such as child, teen, man, etc. that have a interest, such as acting or modeling, that they can later exploit by way of email spam, telemarketing, etc. After you answer a “fake” casting (much of craigslist was fake when I tested it), you will begin getting offers through email and sales pitches from telemarketers, all aimed at getting you to sign up for some service.
Many times they call you and say they have an audition for you. They pose as casting directors, agents, etc. They try to get you excited and pump up your ego with flattery. Real agents and casting directors do not just pick a name ‘out of a hat’ and offer a high paying acting job to someone they never met or seen perform.
When the telemarketers are done with you, your info gets sold to the next company and the routine starts again. Some internet marketers go as far as responding to your inquiry with a message that “you are perfect” or “will send the audition details”, but first… please go here and do this.
This is a different type of scam and not that obvious to most.
Those affiliates get paid to funnel people to other sites, usually sites that deal with background checks or security of some kind. Age and citizenship verification are a common ploy. I answered one Extra casting (sounded very real) that sent me to a site that does ssl certificates. Most people would not even understand that ssl certification is for online shopping carts and has zero to to do acting or auditions. The marketer just used that because it went along the lines of “verify your identity” for the fake casting call and he gets paid 30 bucks for every FREE lead he sends to the company. He is scamming them too! I was looking for an audition, NOT a shopping cart! I am useless as a lead to them, but he still gets paid ’till caught. Then he moves on to the next company looking for leads.
Here’s how to spot the real castings from the fakes.
Remember, real casting directors will always want a headshot, resume, acting reel, and for modeling things such as height, weight, size, etc. If all they ask for is an optional photo and contact info than beware. The scammers need the photo because the sales pitch involves a lot of flattery. The sales pitch is honed to make you feel special and chosen.
- Beware of anyone looking for “new faces”. Everyone has a new face! You can walk out your door and find dozens in a minute! The word “new faces” is a red flag.
- Beware of general needs such as “any ethnicity, ages 5 to 75” that’s almost EVERYONE! Real castings have specific needs (with the exception of extras / background).
- Beware of “no experience necessary.” While some casting calls for kids and background actors do not require experience, most principal roles require both.
- Beware of ads with large pay. Ads that read like “models and actors needed for ‘put in any large brand here’ pay is $1800 daily and job is 4 to 5 days….”
- Beware of ads that quote union rates such as $752 a day without mention of union. They are just pulling union jobs knowing you have ZERO way of getting the gig or worse, making them up and quoting union rates.
- Beware of anything that asks for lingerie, topless, etc. and request pics from you to be considered. Use your imagination on what someone will do with those. Real casting directors will want head shots, full body shot(clothed) and measurements.
- Beware of webcam auditions, Skype auditions and the like from people you do not know. There are legit ones done that way with experienced actors and scammers are playing on that. There have been many scams where ladies did those and were talked out of their clothing by people saying “I need to see what you really look like” and other lines. Those videos then get sold in other countries and end up all over the internet for others enjoyment.
- Beware of Extras casting calls that are nationwide. Generally, large productions go through a casting company. Anyone posting things like “Extras needed to make scene look ‘real’, ‘Insert big movie name here’ pays $300 daily” is a scam. Non-Union extras earn about minimum wage and are ALWAYS cast locally.
- Beware of anyone asking you to follow a link to do a background check. Do not sign up for any background or age verification site. Those are 100% scam, even though it seems free for you to do it, the scammer is selling your info to an unsuspecting company and you will never hear back about the audition.
- Beware of anything that says call some number, casting agents are waiting. Casting directors look at headshots and resumes than call back who they like. They do not sit by a phone waiting for everyone and their mom to call without even knowing if they fit. Basically, they call you if they like you.
- Beware of ANYONE that approaches you at a shopping mall to sign you up to audition for Disney Channel or whatever. Those are 100% fake. Disney does not work that way nor does any casting director. Those are sales people who are trying to get you in the door so they can then sell you stuff. There is no audition!!!!! You will be wasting your time going and many meetings later they will ask for payment for some inferior service. It takes many meeting because they attempt to gain your trust and have you invest your time. They try to make it look like they are doing auditions, then callbacks, etc. Not for a real role. It is for the opportunity to work with them and they make people feel special for being selected to come back so much. Fact is, they do that with everyone and the only thing they are evaluating is your ability to pay up.
And lastly, beware of anyone selling anything. Remember, you applied for a JOB! Means, they pay YOU!
How to protect yourself:
Get an email, an anonymous one for casting calls that you respond to. That way if it gets spammed, you can change it easily.
NEVER, follow a link to another site asking you to enter private information that has zero to do with what you are applying for.
Do your homework – Google company names. If you want to see any bad press you can Google ‘company name scam’ or things along that line. Check consumer report sites. Many try to hide the bad press and small operations change names often. If you can’t find anything about them, that’s a red flag.
You can check how long their website has been around by doing a ‘who is’ search. I just ran into a agency that looked fishy the other day. They claimed tons of credits and offered promises of fame. I checked them out. Their company website was created a few days back, hosted in the Ukraine and registered anonymously. Unless the Ukraine is the new Hollywood, I’m thinking, this may be a scam.
Remember, if it sounds like a dream, it most likely is just some low life trying to pay his bills off yours. Real jobs take commitment, training and diligence. You begin at the bottom with low paying jobs and castings in small productions, then work your way up as it is in any industry. Once you get some training, a resume and experience, then you get an agent to go after the larger jobs.
With all the above said, there are great opportunities available. You just need to learn how to stay away from the scammers. With practice, you will learn to spot the real from the fake. Even I still get fooled by some. Luckily, the readers normally catch those and leave me a comment to remove the spam.
Also, comments are taken and will be posted on this page. Add your own tips to avoid modeling and acting scams. I will moderate and post.
You can also read child acting scams for more info.
This is amazing, thank you for offering wonderful support and advice! Here is my scenario – I responded to this Craig’s list ad for extra work from a company called “NYC Background Casting”. I went to their office in Midtown Manhattan, gave a cold read and was given a slip of paper with a number and man’s name to call the next morning. The man told me that they want to get me working right away but I need a headshot. He gave me the name of a photographer and I have a shoot booked for $199.00. The website for the photographer is very nice but I cannot find a single bit of info online about “NYC Background Casting”. They want me to go back to the office immediately after my shoot. Is this legit? do extras need headshots? All of the shows they told me they are submitting me for background work are actually shooting in NYC. I’m just concerned they are a scam funneling people to photographers with no real extra work. What do you think – should I go through with the shoot?
Here is the ad- note the mention of “new faces”
TV SHOW needing Background talent that can portray Affluent, Upscale, Professional Types. Also seeking Character types. Non-Union Men & Women ages 21 to 55. Seeking Background Actors/Extras for this week. New faces welcome.
To schedule an appointment please call 212-967-0958
Interviews: Sat. 9/21/13 & Mon. 9/23
Location: NYC
Compensation: $100/DAY PLUS MEALS
This is a part-time job.
Principals only. Recruiters, please don’t contact this job poster.
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
It sounds a bit odd. Extras are not really actors and can usually get away with a snapshot. Many extras casting companies even just take their own photos. You can call central casting NY – 875 6 Ave New York, NY 10001 – (646) 205-8244.
Since extras make minimum wage and work every now and then as projects need them, it seems a bit unreasonable to demand professional quality headshots. If you think that is their way to funnel people to that photographer, you can simply say that you will get your own photos, as in thanks for the referral, but no thanks. Then see what they say. If they say it is a deal breaker then your instincts may have been correct.
In New York and Los Angeles there are some gray area companies that recruit people for extra work, that they then send to central casting but with them as your agent (extras do not need agents). Basically, they then demand that you hand over a percent of your earnings to them since they referred you there.
Point being is anyone can call central casting on their own and make an appointment to get on their books. These middlemen are just trying to squeeze money out of the talents check.
One more thing…. I just realized you said $199 for the photoshoot. That price most likely is for the photographers time taking pictures. There are classic scams which lure people in with cheap or free photoshoots, Once the shoot is over, if you would like to have any pictures from the shoot they charge additional and higher fees for prints, negatives and disks. Before you go, make sure you find out what the money covers as well as how many prints and do you get the images on disk so you can get reprints on your own.
Thanks so much! I appreciate your response – the more I thought about it the more I realized that I just don’t want to take the chance – and this confirms my decision.
We also went to an Disney / Nickelodeon casting call we heard on the radio 104 krbe. We showed up and my daughter did the audition and appeared to do well and of which she received a call a couple hours later to come back tomorrow for a orientation as she seemed to have lots of potential per their words. Anyway it seems this is geared towards acting classes at universal studios in California as they state that actors from Disney and Nickelodeon will be there. Just before I got off the phone the lady told me that we would have to make a $1000 dollar down payment using a credit card. Does this sound to be real? They kept stating that (removed) is a well known casting director or something and that he was responsible for scouting several actors such as Kara Crane grime minute men, Lindsey Haun from Tue Blood, Tyler Blackburn pretty little lyres etc etc. After reading all the other postings it sounds like a scam. Can anyone point me to real acting classes, agents etc? Of course my daughters Heart is broken but at least we attempted to take a shot at this! Any help would be great. Also their website, the acting league, looks really cheesy and fake. Something I thought was odd is that they asked that we did not take any pictures or try to call their contacts until we were called back for the second audition. Has anyone heard of the folks. Help please.
A Google search on the persons name for that site returns this http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090919121026AAoldaI
I just want to write this so nobody else has to go through what I went through. I was raped by a man posing as a casting agent from a modeling agency called Jurgita. He said his name is Novid Dadmand but from researching I found he goes by other names too such as David, and Novio. He preys on people from model mayhem to other sites such as Craigslist. This happened in Vancouver,BC so if there’s anyone from there on here and are looking into modeling please be wary of him.
My advice to everyone is please please do not trust anyone who is offering you tons of money and has never even met you. Do not meet anyone alone and always do tons of researching of the agency name they give you, their name that they give you, and always type in their telephone number and into Google as this is a great way to find out if someone’s a scam. Thank you and goodluck
This is in reply to Michelle: Is there anyway I can get a hold of you, This guy is doing the same thing to me and I want to get him arrested so he can’t hurt anymore women.
In reply to Michelle: He was arrested by the Richmond RCMP today. Thought you should know.
can someone tell if the Launch showcase held in Chicago is the real deal? I auditioned yesterday for free and they called me back to go to the showcase next month to perform in front of agencies and scouts everywhere. I have to pay $2195 for the showcase plus my hotel and flight. Can someone tell me if it’s legit or not before i spend my money? Deposit is due in a week.
Those types of showcases are problematic because the agents are PAID to attend. They are not necessarily there to find talent and in many states it is actually illegal for them to get your info at a pay to play showcase. You can Google the company name to check out their reviews. Keep in mind that you are not actually auditioning for anything and most agents accept talent in their areas. You can contact the individual agents yourself. Most have a submission process for representation.
When I worked at Disney doing castings for the entertainments division in Paris, we advertised in certain publications that stated this isa Disney audition, we never limited numbers at the audition because Disney do group dance auditions unless its a specific dept hiring a certain act. To all reading this, if money is mentioned however sweet the promise sounds walk out and donate your money to a good charity, alarm bells should be ringing and you do not pay for agents or a photo portfolio, a real agent takes your picture usually head shot and side shots with a digital camera then you may act a small scene out if auditioning for a tv commercial or apart in a play or theatre. I have expressed assistance to so many blindness sheep who fall for the agent, acting scam but if you do not learn after you have been scammed once then your heading for an expensive ordeal. I blame governments for not coming down heavy on these vultures. I could easily set up my own agency, ask for photos that I could easilyost to an agent and that’s it, my cost to the agent would be free but to the customer what ever I ask and how I market it, it is so easy to do. Don’t fall for the sales pitch, these people disgust me and karma will catch up with them. Paul. Ex Disney recruiter, actor, presenter.
The other day I heard an ad on the radio station I listen to saying something about auditions being held in Des Moines and only the first 200 callers get an audition. They mentioned shows like good luck Charlie, Jessie and other various Disney shows. So I called for my daughter, and they set up an audition time for next Saturday, the 31st at the holiday inn in Des Moines. All they said to bring was a photo. After a lot of googling, I’m assuming its all a scam! Is it a scam?
It is a sales pitch to get you there so you can buy classes, pictures, conventions, etc. Disney does not advertise on the radio and if you listen carefully to the ad they probably said something like “If your kids want to be on the Disney Channel or a show like “Jessie”, be one of the first 200 callers right now.” The ads do not specifically say “Disney is holding auditions”. That is how they get you in. Saying “Does the kid want to be on Disney”? is meaningless garble because whose kid does not. The ads are designed to make you hear “Disney auditions” without them ever actually saying that they are affiliated with Disney in any way. It’s a very fine line.
here is an article from a similar situation. http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2011/05/19/kdka-investigation-costly-auditions/
It explains their business. This one was in Pittsburgh PA. These companies travel all around the U.S. all year long with these pitches.
Dear Pam
Don’t do it is my advice. I live in Holland and I am English, I have 4 agents and I do not pay a penny, they call me for auditions and they take a head shot picture every time. You should not pay an agent as they do take a commission for any jobs they land you but that is like the 15/20% you talk about. My Niece in the UK was promised a similar package as your and she paid for a 1 year service, she had no auditions. I get sick of these companies and so called agencies asking for money, you should not have to pay and it is a scam in my eyes. Do not be taken in, write or google real casting agents and see what the procedures are. You should not have to pay and don’t pay.
Hollywood auditions called me, are they a scam? They want 348.00 for three years and they said they would put my headshot to different agents and send me a job list that I could follow up with. He said this is a one time fee for three years and he doesn’t get any of the money I make from the jobs if I find one and when I land am agent then the agent will get 10 to 15%. Does this sound right?
Thanks
I am a ex Disney trainer of Character animation and recruiter for their parades and shows based in Paris, also I am a actor when I can get the work. I have 3 agents I signed up to in the Netherlands where I live now and none have asked me for money. Due to my job in sales, I travel a lot having the free time is to go for auditions is difficult. It is also correct the agents get paid when the actor has the contract signed and acting job has been completed. I warned my Niece in the UK not to pay any money for anyone promising work or in need to take pictures for any kind of acting work, it sickens me to my stomach that there are so many scammers. My Niece was sold the usual success story and paid without asking me for advice. In the 2 years on their books she has not had one telephone call let alone work. I hate having to say, I told you so but some people will only learn or should learn after they have been scammed. As for Disney and working there, they hold regular dance auditions for their parks quite often and if you cannot dance well, well you can always consider being a Character in the park. If you hand money over in any form, it is more likely to be a scam. Be careful.
Wow! Lots of great stuff here….
Still confused about Seattle Talent…they ask for $2k for the classes, but at the end there is no guarantee for work for my kids? I thought they had a bunch of connections?
Advice please? Thank you!
Schools can NEVER give you a guarantee of work because they are a school and not an agent, casting director, etc. They are not the ones who hire actors. Schools do not have the same agendas as agents. An agency sells its clients and ONLY makes money when the client receives work. A school sells classes. If you are looking for acting classes there are probably cheaper options. If you are looking for work for your kids, you should contact an agent, not a school. Here are the SAG / AFTRA agents in Seattle http://www.sagaftra.org/locals/seattle/local-resources and http://www.sagaftra.org/agency-relations/sag-franchised-agents / http://www.sagaftra.org/locals/seattle/local-resources/aftra-franchised-agents
For comparison, a TOP Rated, well respected acting school in Seattle charges about $400 for a 3 month, 4 hour per week, class. Many community colleges also offer acting classes during the summer. My local community college offers a kids acting class for about $95.
I have exotic twin sisters that are 15, we are from Maryland and we went to see interface, they asked for money for comp cards to send to different agencies but I don’t know is it legit. I really want them to try to find a good agency that doesn’t ask for money help me please.
Does anyone know if “The Event” is a scam?
AMAM is a scam even if it’s a SAG franchised agency. The owner of AMAM tries to make money out of her talents. At first she sends the talent to her own photographers to get a new headshot even if the talent has already a strong portfolio. She tries to SELL business cards, headshots and comp cards with the agency logo.
A legitimate modeling agency will never ask you to pay. They will invest in you and make their money back when they get you working. Another thing that models legitimately need but should never be expected to pay for is a comp card with the agency logo. Seriously, the agency and only the agency is going to use those comp cards with the logo and it’s not acceptable to pay for those. The agency owner plays favorites and only advertises a few talents by posting their news and pictures on the agency website or on her facebook page. She only sends e-mails with the GOOD opportunities (not 100$ gigs) to her “favorite” talents and if you are not one of them…well you will keep finding your own gigs through Craiglist and ModelMayhem.
Today I was at the mall and a woman approached me handing me a postcard thing. She said,”Hi this is for you. Tell your parents about this. I don’t normally talk alone with kids” then she walked away. What she handed my sister and I was a postcard thing that said,”Congratulations! You’ve been invited to a Acting/Modeling/Dancing/Singing Workshop! This workshop is looking for inexperienced models/actors/singer/dancers! We have trained professionals to help teach walk the runway, become a model, and slate for commercials. We are associated with agencies that have agents from Twilight, ICarly, Bones, and many more! Ages: 8-17 only please! Sunday only at: 9:00 am, 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm. Please pick the most comfortable time.” Then on the back you had to fill out your name, age, gender, email address, and many other things and it said,” please have this ready at check-in.” It didn’t say the price. The lady also gave us her number to call her if we had questions. It seems real but I don’t want to take any chances. Plus my mom is worried we might have to pay 2k for like a 10 minute session. But I don’t know! My dad’s sister got the same thing 30 years ago when she was 10. It was legit but cost a lot of money! Also is The International Arts Academy real? It said the address but I’m scared and confused. I’m also an amazing actress. I’ve done plays, drama club and I can act but I’m not sure about this. I just need a boost for a career. Please help!
To all who wish to audition for film & tv roles, Actors & actress friends. Avoid any email audition notices that say “The John Kerwin Show, Close Up Segment. It is not an audition. It is a scam into being part of his audience taping. Share this with all who might far prey into this. Spread the word as loudly as you can. This type of deception is the stuff that gives Hollywood a bad name.
Funny story on OneSourceTalent; I submitted a pro headshot & got a call within 2 hrs, I decided to play along never telling them my exp. level or specifics. I was selected for the next round of sales pitches, I thought I would throw them a curve & bring several cds with any sort of professional photos, I placed a $20.00 bill in the cd envelopes & nicked the bill & envelope with a sharpie, the rep took the envelopes out of the room & told me she would let the manager look at them, 5 minutes pass & the manager(Diana) came back & told me there was no way they could use them because they were not professional enough! I checked the envelopes & the 20.00 bills were exactly where I had placed them. Point being that anyone reading this: OneSource talent is a fraud not a scam!
I also have a screen shot of a letter she sent me but am unsure how to upload it for you to see could I email it to someone? It says to contact Martina Lopez. I google searched that name an it seams more like a scam when an old lady came up 1st.
Hi there I am concerned about my sister. She is trying to get into the big time modeling and has being offered to go to NYC. She lives in New Zealand and to my knowledge has not much experience so why would that happen? The offer is for Ford modeling and the casting call is from Facebook http://m.facebook.com/#!/open.castings?fref=fr_tab&__user=582331472 .. I am 100% sure this is a scam of some sort.. Please respond.
Have you heard of nonscripted.tv? My daughter placed an application online for Survivor and The Amazing Race about a month and a half ago. A man named James Kay called her and did about a 45 min. “pre-audition”. He kept telling her he really liked her fresh, enthusiastic attitude. He said her answers were great also. This was all “recorded” so they could have a voice analysis done.
He asked permission to present her to their production staff the next morning. He did ask for 5-10 more head/body shots that would show her personality. My daughter did that and the next afternoon he called as promised.
He said each week the agents get to present five possible clients to the production staff and of his five they unanimously liked her the best. Then came the pressure, for $299 they would set up an online profile, they would then present her to producers, etc…the kicker was she had to get back to him that same afternoon or he’d have to go to the next client on the list. He also said they only took credit cards for the payment. Plus he said if she decided not to do it she could not apply for any reality show for two years! Thankfully she didn’t give in and said she’d call him back, he added that he was leaving for an out of town wedding that afternoon so he needed to hear as soon as possible.
From the information found on this website this smells and feels like a scam. Thank you for all the good information and advise found here.
Auditions for the Amazing Race for 2013 are over You can still apply for Survivor (see below). When they are held, they are free and open calls are held across the country. You can find them at CBS http://www.cbs.com/casting/.
Also, many reality TV castings (with full contact info for free) you can find at https://www.auditionsfree.com/category/reality-tv-casting-calls/
I have been in this industry for 30 years.
It is not realistic to think of is free.
Is any other business free?
Training. Photos, exposure to agents,are all necessary in order to work
Get real here- you pay for what you get.
Show me a good working actor or model that did not have to invest- none!
castingresource.co is fraud. I “got a part” and they told me to sign up for it. I questioned them why I would pay $60 if I got a part? Now they don’t answer my calls.
Should I report the site to the Internet Crime site?
Hi there, has anyone received a YouTube message on a dance video saying that it would be great for the new ABC Family Dancing Fools show? I know that the show is legit but I don’t know if the people that contacted me are. They told me that my video would be great to feature on the show and to contact a lady named Karen Love via her email (clearancekaren@gmail.com). I did this to find out more about it and was sent back an Authorization to Use and a Personal Release document to sign. I haven’t done this yet as I am a bit skeptical about it. I don’t want to sign over the rights of the video to a company/person unless I know it’s legit.
?
How can I find real acting auditions via webcam ?
Can you tell me if you know anything about castinghub?
CASTING BACKGROUND TALENT FOR MAJOR CABLE NETWORK (Los Angeles)
Casting background talent as restaurant patrons for a new show on a major network. We need people with great energy to act as if they are going out for a meal. Need to be able to react to the situations going on around you. Please respond with your availability to the following dates with your first and last names, PICTURE, and telephone number. Need people for April 4, 8, 12, 16, 18 and 22. You do not need to be available for all dates. The more the better. Talk to you soon!
Location: Los Angeles
Compensation: $50 plus meal (I spoke to the guy he told me to dress nice and if possible to take a friend so when eating the meal it would look more real. He also spoke about having a wardrobe at the audition. He asked for my email and told me he was going to email me the details, is this a scam or can be?)
Most scammers ask for money. If they want to pay you, then it may be legit.
Castinghub has done it again in Boston. They call you in the middle of the night to tell you about the call back after you have done the first interview with them. Why middle of the night? Is it because you will agree with everything they tell you including bringing your credit card to let them charge you an arm and a leg without even a guarantee of a job? I am glad I checked it out first because I smelled something fishy after the conversation with the so called casting agent or whatever they claim themselves to be. There were so many unexpected parents there and I hope none of them will take the “bait”. Thanks for the warning here.
I understand you don’t pay someone for a job, but you do pay people to get training for a job. That seems like it can make sense in some situations. When is the big question. It would be helpful if someone had some positive feedback about any one of these. Not all of them can be rip-offs. Seattle Talent seems to be genuine, especially when they were willing to give back an entire refund when they had every right to keep it. If they were truly a scam they would have kept the money.
Selling a service is not a scam. The problem with so many companies is that they use ‘bait and switch’ tactics to sell the service. For instance, companies that advertise to have an open casting call for you to come to, but really it is just a sales meeting to sell classes or whatever. It is the same as McDonalds doing a job fair where they advertise to have positions open but when you get there you find out it’s not really McDonalds, but rather some cooking school just using the name and they start trying to sell you lessons to make cheeseburgers. Point is, you didn’t go there to buy something, you went there to get a paying job.
I don’t think anyone has an issue with paying for a service, the issue comes up when they hide the fact that they ARE a service and NOT a casting director hiring actors for REAL jobs.
In most industries if you buy something then decide you don’t want it, you get a refund for whatever was not used. There is nothing out of the ordinary or special about getting refunds.
I also want to thank you, for spending your time giving free advice to so many. A good friend of mine has a simple answer (to most, if not all of these questions) : “If you have to ask, you already know the answer.” Listen to your gut. You wouldn’t be asking if an ‘Agent’ was legit if they were. You would know if you walked into a legit situation. I don’t believe any ‘entertainment’ type job will be easy/fall into your lap/ be flattering/ pay extra, etc… there will be work, effort, disappointment, and many attempts with many rejections. If you have a question or a doubt, read through this blog! And… proof read / spell check people.
Hi
Great article btw. Anyone ever heard of bluefox Casting? They recruit adult amateurs but get you to pay £250! Not much about them on the internet.
You don’t pay to enter adult. That industry is always looking for new models. You can go to any local production company or even website and find out what to do. Many sites have a link at the bottom that says “models wanted” or something along that line.
how do I get an agent, without having to pay?
Send resumes, reels and headshots to agents. Legit agents do not ask you to pay.
I just recently got a call from a company informing me of an audition, I attended the audition, got a call back the next day and was asked to go into their office for a meeting with a lady who was a part of the company. there they told me I was one of the 10 people selected from 100. She then briefly explained to me how now I was eligible to enroll in their 6 month training program, preparing us for a showcase in the summer. However, the cost was nearly $2,000. It is now too late to get my money back, and now I can not stop feeling guilty for allowing myself to fall victim of a SCAM! She did say that if I do not get a callback from an agent after the showcase she would be sure that I at least get an agent afterwards… It feels like I’m paying $2,000 for just an agent!
You cannot pay to get an agent nor can ANYONE guarantee that an agent will be interested. Having some lousy agent for bragging rights is worthless. The reason people want an agent is because an agent MAY get you work. Just because you have someone that you paid $2K to to say they are your agent does not mean they can or EVER will get you any work.