E
ver since Thomas Edison patented the motion picture camera, people have dreamed about seeing themselves on the screen. Unfortunately, for just about as long as that fantasy has existed, unscrupulous individuals have sought to take advantage of the dreamers. In Atlanta, and other media centers across the country, con artists posing as talent agents prey on the hopes and aspirations of those seeking to become actors in commercials, films, television shows, and other productions. People are aware that the validity of many talent agencies is questionable. However, despite following what their common sense tells them, people lose all perspective when a silver-tongued persuader tells them they’ve got what it takes to become a star. “It’s an industry that relies on hopes and dreams in the first place,” says Norman Bielowicz, former Director of the Georgia Film & Videotape Office. “When you start using these hopes and dreams to advance your financial position, that’s when you get into trouble.” Atlanta’s reputation as a growing production center is well known ~Norman Bielowicz nationwide, and along with talent and production companies, a large number of rip-off artists have also settled in the area. Although we won’t mention these scammers by name, we’ve contacted a number of well-known professionals in the production community to help us inform readers about the common traps that are set up to snare would be on-camera talent. When dealing with a talent agent, a good rule of thumb is that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. A legitimate talent agent, according to those contacted for this story, would never make any promises or guarantees regarding work. Kay Tanner, Vice President of the Genesis Models & Talent agency, says the agent’s job is to provide occasions for talent to audition for work. “An opportunity to get you an audition and actually getting you work are two different things,” she explains. “Anyone who promises you work is talking out of both sides of their mouth.” “No one can promise employment,” says Melissa Goodman, Executive Director of the Atlanta offices of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). “That’s not the agent’s decision, it’s dependent on the client or the director’s approval. You have to go out and audition to get the work.” Outrageous promises and guarantees are only one tactic used by unscrupulous talent agents. If an agent asks for a “registration fee” to represent a talent, that’s another signal that the prospective talent should leave immediately. “If they take one penny from you up front, do an about-face and run as quickly as you can,” advises Scott Woodside, an actor and radio personality on Z-93 Radio. Woodside advised would be actors on the do’s and don’ts of breaking into the business on his video, You Oughta Be
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It’s an industry that relies on hopes and dreams...”
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If they take one penny from you up front, do an about-face and run as quickly as you can...”
In Pictures. The video, which was available from 1993 until 1998, explained how to break into the Atlanta talent market. After the initial run of his video sold out, Woodside moved onto other pursuits, but says he still helps out people whose children wish to enter the business. His main warning is to be wary of agents who expect money before finding work. “If they want any fees up front, they’re ~Scott Woodside out for your money and not out to market you, or your child,” Woodside explains. “An agent makes money when you, the talent, makes money. That’s what an agent is all about.” Others contacted for this article agree with Woodside. They stress that the only time an agent gets money from a client is when they get work for that client. “We recommend that people do not register with agents who ask for money up front,” says Goodman. “A agent works for you, and should work on a commission only basis when work is obtained for you.” Some of the most common scams involve agents convincing want to be actors that the key to success lies in signing up for acting or modeling classes through the agency, or going to the agent’s exclusive photographer for a complete portfolio of pictures. People stress that if an agent asks for money for any of these necessary services, it’s time to walk away. Goodman says that agencies that are signatories to SAG and AFTRA cannot be affiliated with acting schools or photographers, and can only make suggestions about classes or photographers. “You need to avoid agents who say ‘You have to be trained here,’ or ‘You have to go to this specific photographer, or we won’t represent you,’” she explains. People should also be wary of classified ads in the newspapers. “Legitimate producers do not put ads in the newspaper,” says Bielowicz. “They work through established, legitimate talent agents. Answering ads in the newspaper is typically a way to end up in [an acting] class situation.” Photographer Brian Dougherty, who is well known for his headshots of area talent, says that he’s never seen a legitimate talent agency advertise in the newspaper. “They usually have more talent than they can find work for,” he explains. Executive Producer John McCorkle, of Fireside Productions, says that the vast majority of work cast in Atlanta is done through talent agents arranging for their talent to audition before casting directors. If a newspaper ad is legitimate, it wouldn’t be for a speaking part, but more likely a call for extras in a crowd scene. “The only way you’ll know if it’s a scam or not,” McCorkle explains, “is to
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