What are Some Acting Scams You’ve Encountered?

I’ll start:
1. Exploretalent- Overcharges for castings that you can find for free ie Craigslist. They also steal breakdowns from legit sites like Actors Access and post it as their own. Most of what they steal are outdated and posted without the original poster’s consent. It also was owned by Blake Yoon who had a scammy casting company called B.A.M.

2. One Source Talent-Similar to Explore talent. They charge you 0 to have a digital comp card on their site with a monthly fee. They tell you to use their photographer that charges at least another 0-800. The only CDs that they work with are reality show ones ie. MTV, VH1

3. John Robert Powers-It’s a crappy franchise that banks on a famous and DEAD agent’s name. They charge a ridiculous price and claim that many celebrities went through the school such as John Wayne, Lucille Ball, etc. NONE of them did!

4. John Casablancas-Crappy franchise like JRP. Dishonest business practices as well.

5. Keith Wolfe-Career consultant who charges 0 to hook you up with scammy agencies like Dedicated and Don Gerler(Doug Bennet). False promises.

6. Hollywood Company/Model One Casting-Charge up front fees for extra work that doesn’t exist and management services. They claim that they’re sister companies with Central Casting, a legit extras casting service. THEY AREN’T!

7. Infinitetalent-Same as OneSource

8. Actorsreps-Scammy agency. Mostly deal with extra work.

9. EAM Casting/Mediaentertainment1.com-Google “Bill Starkov” and you’ll see that this company scammed a lot of people.

10. Dedicated-Originally Zanuck, Passon, and Pace, one of the scammiest agencies in L.A. When they were ZPP they would make their clients use their photographer and take their classes. They also made you get 10 character shots such as literally dressing up like a doctor, cop, construction worker, etc. You don’t get character shots! Dedicated is still up to this scheme.

11. Michael Zanuck-Split from Dedicated in hopes of bettering his reputation, but still up to the same schemes. He at least makes you get 6 character shots instead of 10.

12. Doug Bennett of Don Gerler-He makes you get 15 character shots. Wastes your time with multiple 2 hour interviews, consisting of him mostly talking. If you thought the agent movie stereotype was phony, think again.

13. Sylvia Ferguson-Not state licensed. Charges 0 a year for this bogus casting service called E-Talent files. She entices potential clients into getting the service by saying it will help better their chances.

14. Talent6-Inferior casting site. They like to send “urgent” e-mails from supposed CDs wanting to audition you in their projects. In order to respond you have to pay the Talent Hunter fee to leave reply messages on the site!

15. Barbizon-Popular school in the 70s. Now another JRP.

16. Kevyn Major Howard-Overcharges and underdelivers. Does a lot of things that agents/cds hate with regards to headshots. He’s also known to hit on hot girls during photo shoots.

17. MMPRG- Management company that works with Baron Entertainment. They make you take classes with them for bucks a month. They also make you use their photographer who isn’t very good. They prey mostly on people doing extra work in L.A. using bait and swtich tactics. Howard Ferguson (owner) tells people that he’s associated with Baron Entertainment, edifies the hell out of them and gets people interested in coming to his management company.

18. Model Management Inc-Upfront fees. Another ONESOURCE.

19. Talent Hunter-Another inferior casting site. They post “urgent” e-mails from supposed CDs wanting to audition you in their projects. In order to respond you would have to pay the Talent Hunter fee to leave reply messages on the site!

20. Actor’s Club (they advertise fake breakdowns on other sites and then when you submit for the “project”, they tell you to go to the “Actor’s Club” site to fill out a profile. Only after you have done all that do they tell you about the fees. PRESTO they have your email and then they SPAM you forever to join their site.

21. Talent Jug- Like Explore Talent where it takes castings from other casting sites. They also mysteriously get your email and spam you.

22.ACT-Another JRP

23. Pinkerton Model And Talent-Not state licensed. Lynn Venturella Pinkerton has been known to be associated with various scams notably “Best New Talent” an over priced weekend seminar where you pay ridiculous amounts to audition, be judged, and possibly “be discovered.”

24. Best New Talent-need I say more?

25. Instantcast.com-Another Explore Talent

26. Ambiance Talent in Chattanooga, TN- There have been reports of the agency telling potential clients to take their 0 class before signing with them

27. Alan Baltes-Charges money for inferior services that have inaccurate information.

28-Proscout-Another one of those overpriced seminars where you pay big bucks in hopes to get “discove
28-Proscout-Another one of those overpriced seminars where you pay big bucks in hopes to get “discovered.” The creators claim that Wilhelmina and Ford was involved with their creation, when they have made it clear that they are NOT involved with this. False promises galore! They also give your contact info to scammy schools like John Casablancas, JRP, etc.

29. TCA/Teri- For 0, she claims that she can get you SAG vouchers from extra work quickly. There have been multiple reports of her FAILING to deliver as promised!

30. Triple C Productions/Curtis Arsenal-Independent film production company that has been reported to ask 0 upfront to help with the distribution.

31. Elen’s Kids (elenskids.com)- There have been multiple reports of this “agency” charging upfront fees of 9, inferior headshot services, and false promises. Possibility of it being linked to Kids.com a company that was exposed on Dateline.

32. Kids.com/AdKids (Justourkids.com)-Exposed on Dateline