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.