Watch out For Scams

There will undoubtedly be many times when someone will offer to help advance your career…for a fee. While this is to be expected in a capitalist society, there are some things that you don’t have to and should not pay for. There are others that you don’t have to pay a ridiculous price for and then there are those things that aren’t worth it no matter what the cost.

One of the biggest scams is when someone tells you that you have that certain something and ask if you’ve ever thought about being a model or an actor. Even though there are a number of very successful models and entertainers who were discovered just this way, most of the time it will be to good to be true. Usually, someone will call you to set an appointment, or you may be instructed to call them. You go in and they tell you how much promise you have and that you simply need to take some photographs or take some acting classes, which they offer, for a fee. Well, before you know it you have spent hundreds or even thousands of dollars and your career is really no further along. Here are a few of the do’s and don’ts when it comes to unsolicited help.

First of all be careful! You don’t know who this person is and if they are legitimate at all. Don’t give them personal information like your address. Get a business card from them and call the better business bureau to see if there are any complaints against the company or the Attorney Generals office to see if there are any claims pending against them and if they have a license to operate in the state.

Never give them any money. The way that an agency makes money is by getting work for you. Essentially, they work for you. When you get a job from an audition that they send you on, they get a percentage (usually 10%). With that said, if they truly believe that you have promise, you should not have to pay them to market your talents. If your research shows that the agency is legitimate and does get lots of good work, you may decide that a nominal fee is worth it to get in the door. In most instances, this just isn’t a good practice and you will probably just lose your money.

Finally, don’t sign anything until you have had a chance to take it home and look it over thoroughly. If everything is above board, an agency should not have a problem with you taking some time to look things over and think the situation through. You should only sign if you are sure, are not being pressured and can fully understand a simple, to the point agreement. You don’t want to be legally bound to a situation that is not good for you.

The Federal Trade Commission has a great online brochure on "How to Spot Talent/Modeling Agency
Scams". It is a must read for anyone who is not sure of an agency's legitimacy. Go to the FTC web site
at: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/services/model.htm

Where to Complain If you are Scammed
If you've think you've been scammed by a bogus model or talent scout, contact your local consumer protection agency, state Attorney General, or Better Business Bureau. They're in your local directory assistance.

You can file a complaint with the FTC by contacting the Consumer Response Center via one of the methods listed on their site at: http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/talk_to_us.htm

Careful ... Exclusivity Can Mean Paying Double

The word exclusive can sound, well…exclusive. However, depending upon the particulars, it can sometimes be more trouble than good. Let’s run through a couple of exclusive scenarios. If an agent wants you to sign an exclusive agreement there are a number of things to consider.

Does the agent ask for a percentage from work obtained through their agency alone or a percentage of all work that you do? Though it makes no sense, some agents require that they get a percentage of everything you do, regardless of who acquired the work for you.

Does your situation allow you to take what you get or do you need to make a minimum dollar amount because this is your only source of income? This is very important because the agency may not get enough work for your type to sustain you financially. If they don’t, you will end up working through other agencies to make up the difference and because you signed an exclusive agreement with the agency, you will have to pay a percentage to the agency that got the work for you as well as a percentage to the agency that you are signed to exclusively.

Some agencies will be flexible about agreements, but they won’t volunteer that information. If there is something that you don’t agree with, make it known in a diplomatic way and see if some concessions will be made. Ask if you can strike a line that gives the agency a percentage of work not acquired through that agency. Ask if you can work with the agency for six months without the exclusive and then make a decision. This will give you time to see how much work the agency can get you. If an agent has a very lucrative deal on the table for you, they will definitely want you to sign an exclusive as a condition of getting the deal. If there is no way around it, you may want to sign and get the major deal. However, you should still try to limit the terms if you can. One to three years instead of five to ten, for example. The problem is that things could be great for six months or even a year and dry up after you sign the agreement. The agency will have an escape clause to cover themselves in such a case and you should have one too. Have an attorney look at anything that is involved. The attorney should not be affiliated with or work for the agency or the client. If he or she does there could be a conflict of interest and you want someone who represents you alone.

This is a risky business and if you are serious about it, you should approach it the way you would a game of checkers or chess. Have a game plan in mind for the moves you intend to make. Try to be prepared for the other guy’s or gal’s move. You don’t necessarily want anybody else to lose, but you do intend to win. The more thought and planning you give to decisions and situations like this, the better off you’ll be.

So You Want to be Part of The Crew, Huh?

You’ve been thinking about getting into the business, but you don’t want to be in front of the camera or the microphone. You want to be holding the boom microphone or behind the camera. Yes! You want to be part of the crew. There is just one problem…you don’t have a clue about how to get there. Let’s take a look at a couple of the ways you might accomplish your goals.

One way to go is to enroll in a film school. Here you can make some very good connections, gain some training with the equipment and hopefully have some decent work that you have done on tape to use to market your skills.

Another way is to find independent or low budget films and offer your services. If they pay at all it won’t be much, but you will once again make contacts and gain valuable experience, which will look good on that resume.

You might also try getting a job at a local television station, a college television / radio station or a cable public access station. These groups are almost always looking for people to help them with productions. Yet, another way to gain experience and make contacts.