Erin's First Foray into the Modeling Industry
This past Saturday I took Erin to her very first modeling audition, or interview or whatever it was called. It was in a conference room at one of the hotels in the city. I was very skeptical of the whole thing since I've hear of too many scams ran by fake agencies for years. The scam is that they suck you in promising modeling jobs but then require you to pay for a portfolio through them for marketing yourself. The money has to be paid up front. Then the modeling jobs never appear. Erin, however, was so excited about doing it that I couldn't tell her no. There was no harm in checking them out after all.
When we went in the front door the two people with the agency were in the lobby. As soon as they saw Erin their eyes lit up and one of them said Hello young lady. How tall are you? Erin said 5'9 1/2" and he said "Excellent!" or something like that and how much do you weigh? Erin said 117, he said "Perfect!" then pointed us to the conference room and the applications we had to fill out. I figured right then that was a good sign for Erin if he was one of the judges. After we filled out the application we waited for a while before they started the meeting. The meeting began promptly at 3pm and we were told some basic rules. We were also told that at the end of the day only 24 people would be chosen to join the program. However, that would not take place until after the 2nd meeting that evening. This interview would determine who would be coming to that second meeting and who would not.
It didn't take long for the actual interviews to take place after that. I was surprised that all the potential models had to do was answer a few basic questions like how they did in school. Some had to repeat a commercial line or two. The judge actually asked Erin "Do you eat? I mean, do you just have a high metabolism or are you active in sports or something?" Erin said she was in basketball, the little liar. Really it's her ADHD meds. She doesn't eat very much, but she does eat. They just wanted to determine if she was bulimic I guess. Like a bulimic person would let that kind of thing slip. They asked about noticeable scars and such. They told Erin to come back that evening. They also told me to go on their website to look at the jobs they had available. Erin was, of course, very excited. However, I was getting a little more worried. I had not heard a single person get turned down and I know some of those people could not possible be model material, in my humble opinion. But I hadn't heard any of them told to look at the website for jobs.
So now all we had to do was wait 3 1/2 hours and be back for the 2nd part. We were told to bring a couple of photos because they wanted to determine if the person was photogenic, too. I knew usually photos were necessary so I already had a couple of 8x10's ready. Apparently there is something called a "composite" that is the newest thing for marketing models, besides a webpage. They are preferred over 8x10's and cost around $2 each to print, from what I can tell. Some people actually already had those!
At the 2nd meeting we were basically given the real spiel. We were told what the company is, what their beliefs are and what they expect from their models if chosen.
We were also told about the types of jobs they typically book and the pay ranges we may expect. We were also quickly told about a small amount of complaints they have with the BBB, but nothing to worry about, they were taken care of, etc. Then at the very end we were told about the money maker of the deal for them. In order to be one of their 24, once chosen, we have to agree to do one of two things. Either have a website run through them at a cost of $500 to set up and $20mo to maintain for marketing you, though they would pay for their photographer to take high fashion photos of you for it. Or YOU could pay an outside fashion photographer to do photos and have about 350 composites made up to give to him for marketing purposes (costing a lot more than the website). There would be no other contracts to sign, only the one about the cards or the website. That spiel sounds a little like the scammers of old except instead of a portfolio it's a website or composite. It was fishy. We were told to call a number the next morning to see if we had been chosen and if we had they would set up an appointment for contract signing that very day. Then we were dismissed for the night.
Well I played with this situation in my head. IF Erin were chosen, and I never thought she would not be, would this place truly get her jobs to go to for some modeling experience? Is this a scam? Are they telling everyone to come back and instead of 24 people tomorrow will EVERYONE be told yes so more money goes into the bank for them? The way their system works they don't have to get jobs for everyone so technically they could do that. Apparently everyone looks at their website for jobs and calls in to apply for the ones they want. It's like everyone is a free agent. Anyone could model for them. Of course, only the really good looking ones would get sent out on the jobs, but still, that would be quite a scam for the not so pretty people. So, this kind of stuff goes through my head the whole time I'm driving Erin home.
So, I got Erin's dad and my husband to start doing an internet search on them. Wham! Wham! Right from the beginning, including the BBB 22 complaints, they start finding bad reviews about the company. I dropped Erin off at her dad's house and started driving home, talking to Ken as he looked up the reviews. He told me things like one person said the "high end photographer" was drunk for the website photo shoot and when the person tried to get their money back they couldn't, but also got no pics and no web page. Plus others never got jobs through them at all, lots of people said it was a scam - too many in fact. The BBB had those complaints listed as well as they were a C- rating. Also they weren't accredited.
Then Erin's dad said that he would not pay for anything that was a scam. That meant his half wouldn't be paid for, if I chose to go through with it. I had a big decision to make. The next day I called the phone number to find out if Erin was chosen as one of the 24. Erin did not sign up with that company.
Today I decided to Google the company for myself, to see in person all the bad reviews that was written about the company. I had only listened to the negative things the guys had to say and had forgotten how jaded the two of them were already. What I found made me a little bit mixed up in my feelings toward that company. Sure, there were a bunch of SCAM reviews written at first but past the first page and a half on Google there was nothing but positive stuff. Actually, even with some of the reviews, if the guys had bothered to read on, they would have seen positive reviews too. It really kind of ticks me off that I didn't check it out myself before moving forward. Those two may have caused more trouble than it's worth.
This weekend I guess we'll find out. She has another modeling audition. I think this one will be a horse of a different color. It's actually an accredited national talent scout company. Plus it's being held at a place that's established in the modeling industry and I trust it more. There are a few more hoops she has to jump through it sounds like but I think she'll do well.
Whatever happens Erin's dad and I are going to take the money we didn't spend at the first modeling audition and use it for a professional fashion photography shoot for Erin. Then Erin will have something she will be able to put on a composite if we want to make one up. Erin will hopefully be happy with the pictures she gets from that if she doesn't get a call back from this weekend.
UPDATE 3-9-13
Erin went to the audition today. I think she did well, It was quite different. We were taken in to a room with a runway as the centerpiece. The meeting director told us a little about the scouting competition, as that is what this was for, then we saw a video of some of their most famous talent to have begun their career through that association. After that the judging started. Unfortunately Erin was first so we didn't get to see what other people had to go through before she faced the gauntlet. Understandably she was scared. She did her walk and her script run through as asked. Then the guy critiqued her. He did say he'd like to have her at the NY competition because she has the look for it, but she needs the classes in order to boost her self esteem. Then we left to make an appointment for tomorrow to see what her options are. She may have more options than just being chosen to go on to a competition in New York.
Actually, that talent agency, Images Model and Talent Agency, gives classes for modeling, acting and other related stuff. Erin could really benefit from some of them. If she took them, she may also be represented by the agency in the local market. That would be great for us. I'll be talking about that tomorrow with the agency.
UPDATE 3-10-13
The meeting today yielded exactly what I thought it would. Erin would have been chosen as one of those to be groomed to go to New York if we wanted to take the trip, in the modeling category. We had to turn that down, though, as the price was astronomical - $10,000! There is no way we could pay that on the off chance Erin, a newbie, might get a modeling contract.
We are choosing the other route instead. Taking the classes given by the agency will be good for Erin whether she goes into a modeling career or not so I thing they will be worth the money. Then after the classes, the agency will represent her in the local market. If so she can possibly do some modeling jobs and work up a portfolio to have ready to show if she ever went to the NY or LA competition.
Because she did the audition she gets a discount on the classes to begin with so that is an incentive for some girls to at least do the audition before starting at the agency. All I knew when I took Erin there is that Jeremy Sumpter (Peter Pan) had gotten his start through their agency through that audition originally. I knew that because his mom and my mom used to work together at the beginning of his career, before he moved to LA, and mom has remained e-mail pals with her ever since.
When we went in the front door the two people with the agency were in the lobby. As soon as they saw Erin their eyes lit up and one of them said Hello young lady. How tall are you? Erin said 5'9 1/2" and he said "Excellent!" or something like that and how much do you weigh? Erin said 117, he said "Perfect!" then pointed us to the conference room and the applications we had to fill out. I figured right then that was a good sign for Erin if he was one of the judges. After we filled out the application we waited for a while before they started the meeting. The meeting began promptly at 3pm and we were told some basic rules. We were also told that at the end of the day only 24 people would be chosen to join the program. However, that would not take place until after the 2nd meeting that evening. This interview would determine who would be coming to that second meeting and who would not.
It didn't take long for the actual interviews to take place after that. I was surprised that all the potential models had to do was answer a few basic questions like how they did in school. Some had to repeat a commercial line or two. The judge actually asked Erin "Do you eat? I mean, do you just have a high metabolism or are you active in sports or something?" Erin said she was in basketball, the little liar. Really it's her ADHD meds. She doesn't eat very much, but she does eat. They just wanted to determine if she was bulimic I guess. Like a bulimic person would let that kind of thing slip. They asked about noticeable scars and such. They told Erin to come back that evening. They also told me to go on their website to look at the jobs they had available. Erin was, of course, very excited. However, I was getting a little more worried. I had not heard a single person get turned down and I know some of those people could not possible be model material, in my humble opinion. But I hadn't heard any of them told to look at the website for jobs.
So now all we had to do was wait 3 1/2 hours and be back for the 2nd part. We were told to bring a couple of photos because they wanted to determine if the person was photogenic, too. I knew usually photos were necessary so I already had a couple of 8x10's ready. Apparently there is something called a "composite" that is the newest thing for marketing models, besides a webpage. They are preferred over 8x10's and cost around $2 each to print, from what I can tell. Some people actually already had those!
At the 2nd meeting we were basically given the real spiel. We were told what the company is, what their beliefs are and what they expect from their models if chosen.
We were also told about the types of jobs they typically book and the pay ranges we may expect. We were also quickly told about a small amount of complaints they have with the BBB, but nothing to worry about, they were taken care of, etc. Then at the very end we were told about the money maker of the deal for them. In order to be one of their 24, once chosen, we have to agree to do one of two things. Either have a website run through them at a cost of $500 to set up and $20mo to maintain for marketing you, though they would pay for their photographer to take high fashion photos of you for it. Or YOU could pay an outside fashion photographer to do photos and have about 350 composites made up to give to him for marketing purposes (costing a lot more than the website). There would be no other contracts to sign, only the one about the cards or the website. That spiel sounds a little like the scammers of old except instead of a portfolio it's a website or composite. It was fishy. We were told to call a number the next morning to see if we had been chosen and if we had they would set up an appointment for contract signing that very day. Then we were dismissed for the night.
So, I got Erin's dad and my husband to start doing an internet search on them. Wham! Wham! Right from the beginning, including the BBB 22 complaints, they start finding bad reviews about the company. I dropped Erin off at her dad's house and started driving home, talking to Ken as he looked up the reviews. He told me things like one person said the "high end photographer" was drunk for the website photo shoot and when the person tried to get their money back they couldn't, but also got no pics and no web page. Plus others never got jobs through them at all, lots of people said it was a scam - too many in fact. The BBB had those complaints listed as well as they were a C- rating. Also they weren't accredited.
Then Erin's dad said that he would not pay for anything that was a scam. That meant his half wouldn't be paid for, if I chose to go through with it. I had a big decision to make. The next day I called the phone number to find out if Erin was chosen as one of the 24. Erin did not sign up with that company.
Today I decided to Google the company for myself, to see in person all the bad reviews that was written about the company. I had only listened to the negative things the guys had to say and had forgotten how jaded the two of them were already. What I found made me a little bit mixed up in my feelings toward that company. Sure, there were a bunch of SCAM reviews written at first but past the first page and a half on Google there was nothing but positive stuff. Actually, even with some of the reviews, if the guys had bothered to read on, they would have seen positive reviews too. It really kind of ticks me off that I didn't check it out myself before moving forward. Those two may have caused more trouble than it's worth.
This weekend I guess we'll find out. She has another modeling audition. I think this one will be a horse of a different color. It's actually an accredited national talent scout company. Plus it's being held at a place that's established in the modeling industry and I trust it more. There are a few more hoops she has to jump through it sounds like but I think she'll do well.
Whatever happens Erin's dad and I are going to take the money we didn't spend at the first modeling audition and use it for a professional fashion photography shoot for Erin. Then Erin will have something she will be able to put on a composite if we want to make one up. Erin will hopefully be happy with the pictures she gets from that if she doesn't get a call back from this weekend.
UPDATE 3-9-13
Erin went to the audition today. I think she did well, It was quite different. We were taken in to a room with a runway as the centerpiece. The meeting director told us a little about the scouting competition, as that is what this was for, then we saw a video of some of their most famous talent to have begun their career through that association. After that the judging started. Unfortunately Erin was first so we didn't get to see what other people had to go through before she faced the gauntlet. Understandably she was scared. She did her walk and her script run through as asked. Then the guy critiqued her. He did say he'd like to have her at the NY competition because she has the look for it, but she needs the classes in order to boost her self esteem. Then we left to make an appointment for tomorrow to see what her options are. She may have more options than just being chosen to go on to a competition in New York.
Actually, that talent agency, Images Model and Talent Agency, gives classes for modeling, acting and other related stuff. Erin could really benefit from some of them. If she took them, she may also be represented by the agency in the local market. That would be great for us. I'll be talking about that tomorrow with the agency.
UPDATE 3-10-13
The meeting today yielded exactly what I thought it would. Erin would have been chosen as one of those to be groomed to go to New York if we wanted to take the trip, in the modeling category. We had to turn that down, though, as the price was astronomical - $10,000! There is no way we could pay that on the off chance Erin, a newbie, might get a modeling contract.
We are choosing the other route instead. Taking the classes given by the agency will be good for Erin whether she goes into a modeling career or not so I thing they will be worth the money. Then after the classes, the agency will represent her in the local market. If so she can possibly do some modeling jobs and work up a portfolio to have ready to show if she ever went to the NY or LA competition.
Because she did the audition she gets a discount on the classes to begin with so that is an incentive for some girls to at least do the audition before starting at the agency. All I knew when I took Erin there is that Jeremy Sumpter (Peter Pan) had gotten his start through their agency through that audition originally. I knew that because his mom and my mom used to work together at the beginning of his career, before he moved to LA, and mom has remained e-mail pals with her ever since.
This is Erin
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