Avoiding Scams in the Acting and Modeling Industries

I frequently receive questions from people (or find questions online that people have asked others) that make me realize how easy it is to fall for a scam. While many of my posts have messages that can be applied to any industry, this one is meant only for people interested in entertainment (or who are just curious, of course).

1) YOU DO NOT PAY AN AGENT TO REPRESENT YOU!!!!! I truly cannot stress this enough. It is ILLEGAL for an agency to charge talent to be signed with them. Not just frowned upon. Against the law. They may charge a small fee to be on their website and most of them will use third party casting sites (like Casting Networks, Casting Frontier, Actors' Access, ModelWire, etc.) that allow you to pay for extra perks, but that is it. I have heard many horror stories of people paying $1000 to sign with an agency who promised them fame and then they never booked a single job. On a less serious level, I've also heard models say that they don't have an agent because they can't afford one. Either way, this is not something you should worry about because an agent's job is to look out for your best interest (negotiating higher pay for you, checking out photographers to make sure you get good pictures, etc.) not take advantage of you.

2) You do NOT need modeling classes to be a model. Modeling schools are almost always a scam. If you don't believe me, look at the students they accept; if they're taking girls that are 5'2, they clearly just want your money. The poses they will teach you are almost always "too posey" and you can learn them on your own. If you want to pursue modeling, start with getting an agency who will set you up with test shoots to build your portfolio.

3) "Petite models" are not a thing. If a girl is significantly shorter than industry standard and is booking jobs, it's either because she A) is also an actress and that is what her agent primarily represents her for or B) she got started at a young enough age that her height didn't matter yet, so she was able to build up a lot of experience. There are occasional exceptions for print work, but you cannot realistically have a career as a model if you are 5'2.

I cannot tell you how many photographers contact me on Facebook and tell me I should pay them for a shoot and they'll get me published. When I tell them that I don't pay for shoots because they won't benefit me, every photographer tries to tell me that I can be in catalogues or work as a "petite model". Sorry, but that is a scam. Go on any reputable agency's website and you'll see that they don't accept girls shorter than 5'7" and most prefer 5'9" or taller.

4) You do need acting classes and experience to be in major film and TV projects (not including extra work). We have all heard stories of people with no experience being "discovered" and turned into a movie star overnight but that is almost unheard of. 99.99999% of the time, actors land auditions for film and TV through their agents. In order to get an agent, you need to show that you are marketable. If you're young enough, your appearance, determination, and personality can make you marketable, but when you get older, you need real experience or classes at the very least. A casting director needs to see a resume that shows you are worth watching before they even want to see you audition.

5) An acting school is not a talent agency. Many schools (Barbizon, John Robert Powers, etc.) attract aspiring actors because they sell themselves as a place that produces movie stars. While you can certainly learn valuable acting skills and industry knowledge from these schools, they are not agents. They will not get you an audition for movies. They WILL give you connections with agencies, but you're not guaranteed representation.

6) If you're wondering whether a school is a scam, speak to THAT LOCATION'S graduates. One reason John Robert Powers is so popular is that many movie stars took their first acting classes there. The problem is that a star may have taken classes at their Los Angeles location, which says nothing about how good their Orlando studio is. Speak to graduates in your area about what they learned and where they are now. If they didn't improve as actors and only learned how the industry works, you're better off doing your own research or taking a weekend workshop. Don't spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars when you don't know what you're getting yourself in to. And remember, when something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

7) Don't pay a photographer without seeing samples of their work in the same style that you would be shooting. In other words, don't get headshots from someone who only shows you their work with fashion models. And don't shoot fashion looks for your portfolio if the photographer shows you family portraits. It is fine to do unpaid/trade test shoots with them, but you're wasting your money if you don't know how the images will turn out. Your best bet is to ask your agent for a referral and then ask that photographer specifically for images that would look like the ones you'd be shooting ("Hi Photographer Phil, my agent referred me to you for new headshots. Could you please send me your rates, as well as some samples you've taken of other actresses in their teens or early 20s?")

8) When considering signing with an agency, ask for more details about what their actors are CURRENTLY booking. If you go on their website, almost all agencies will have lists of clients that their talent has worked with. Unfortunately, without asking, you have no idea if their actors were just extras or if they had lines, when they shot these commercials/movies/shows, etc. A struggling agency could easily say "We've had actors shoot for Coca Cola" but they actually did a commercial for them back in the 90s and it's therefore useless information.

9) Being professional goes both ways. An agent can't get you work if you aren't doing your part.

• You need up-to-date pictures. If your headshot was taken when you had a different hair color, it's mostly unusable. If you've gained 15 pounds since your comp card pictures were taken, it's unsubmittable. If your only picture is a selfie you took with your iphone, you need to reevaluate your career. This business can be expensive, but you can't get paid if you aren't working, and you can't work if your agent doesn't have photos of you to show the casting directors.

• You need to be reachable. Check your email multiple times a day and return missed calls as soon as you have a chance. In many cases, your agent will call you to tell you you have an audition. If you don't confirm, they're going to give it to someone else. Your agent isn't in this business to make you famous, they're in it to make money and that means making money from whatever actor is going to work.

The general rule of thumb is that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. And don't pay money for something unless you're sure you need to.