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Promises of Fame and Fortune
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Creators Syndicate
FIGHT BACK! BY DAVID HOROWITZ
Promises of Fame and Fortune
As if breaking into acting and modeling weren't tough enough,
phony talent agencies make it even tougher by ripping off people who
are looking for careers in the business, either for themselves or
their children. They promise clients that big break, but they seldom
deliver.
These scam artists prey on their victims' dreams and egos.
Would-be actors and models are particularly vulnerable because they
believe that fame and fortune are as near as the next audition or
introduction to the right people. They are ready to believe anyone who
says they have that special star quality.
Legitimate agents and managers make their money by taking 10
percent to 20 percent of a client's earnings from acting or modeling
assignments. The phony agencies want their money up front. Some demand
an enrollment fee. Others charge inflated fees for slides, audition
photos, agency books and classes on hairstyling and makeup.
Elaborate and expensive photo presentations are usually
unnecessary for beginning actors and models. A few candid snapshots
are enough to show a legitimate agent if the client is photogenic.
It's only after the person is signed that most agents recommend that
professional photos be taken. They usually costs around $200. Some
agents will pay for those pictures in advance, if they believe the
client will actually earn enough to repay the cost.
Established talent agencies rarely advertise for untrained
actors and models. They already have files full of photos and resumes
-- more than enough to fill the very limited call for such talent. Nor
do they promise that every client will find employment. Acting and
modeling are highly competitive businesses -- only a few are chosen.
Even those agencies that do occasionally advertise open modeling calls
are very selective about whom they sign up -- maybe 1 percent or 2
percent of applicants. Any agent who enrolls everyone who walks in is
running a scam.
The idea that producers and advertisers are constantly
searching for thousands of fresh new faces is a myth promoted by phony
agents to lure people with money to spend launching a career. Consider
the odds of finding work through one of these agents. The Better
Business Bureau recently investigated an agency in New Jersey that had
more than 23,000 clients on its books. Of that number, only 629 had
ever received paid work as actors or models. And of those, only 200
had made more than $500 in the past five years. Even that is a better
record than so-called agents who open a flashy office, run an ad, sign
up hundreds of paying clients and then close their doors and disappear
before their "money back guarantee" comes due.
The truth is, there is simply no easy way to break into show
business. Most aspiring actors and models know that from experience.
But parents who have their hearts set on stardom for their children
may become so caught up in their dreams and ambitions that they lose
sight of that reality. Very few will actually "make it big" in the
business. Others may work just often enough to repay them for their
time and effort. It's a matter of supply and demand. As one agent put
it, "The supply is enormous, and the demand is very, very limited."
If you have any questions or comments, please write to David
Horowitz in the Consumer Forum+ (go FIGHTBACK). COPYRIGHT 1995
CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
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