Advertisement

Legitimate talent agency or scam artist? How to tell you’re working with the real deal

Legitimate talent agency or scam artist? How to tell you’re working with the real deal

You’re young. You’re hopeful. You have dreams of becoming a star. Everyone sees potential in you, so you’re not entirely surprised when an agent walks up to you on the street and says you’re amazing. He sees greatness and can make you famous, all you have to do is a pay an expensive fee to sign a contract and have headshots taken.

You don’t need to think about it, they urge. After all, how can you put a price on your dreams?

If it sounds too good to be true, that’s because it is. Scam artists parading as talent agencies work across Canada to turn people’s dreams of success into cash to line their own pockets. They’ll promise their target a career as an actor or a model, but demand a hefty fee up front for their services, and then never deliver on the deal.

Earlier this month, ModelandTalent.tv was profiled in a La Presse story detailing those very practices: Parents took their children to an audition in Dorval, Que., and all of them were told that their children would be stars, they only had to pay several thousand dollars, and sign on the dotted line — right that minute.

Elmer Olsen, the owner of Elmer Olsen Model Management, a reputable agency in Toronto, knows the tell-tale signs of scammers and urges people to be careful before signing on the dotted line.

“If they’re just going overboard to the parents saying the girl is amazing and they should write a cheque for $6,000 for a photo shoot,” says Olsen of the charismatic ways a scam artist will approach a target. “They don’t want you to think it over, they just want you to sign. It’s a hard sell.”

Olsen warns that these fake agencies prey on the young at shopping malls, approaching teenagers with flattery to win them over.

“It’s 100 per cent a crime,” he says. “It makes it really hard on legitimate agencies because then parents don’t trust you.”

Olsen explains that a legitimate agency will ask to speak with an underage person’s parent or guardian if they’re interested in representing them. When he’s taking on new talent he’ll put the parents of the hopeful model in touch with parents of talent he already represents so they can discuss “mom-to-mom” how the agency works.

No one should be forced to sign a contract, or pay a large sum of money up front. Olsen advises people take contracts home with them and look them over carefully as well as research the agency that’s approached them.

“Phone the Better Business Bureau and look up the agency,” he says. “Call fashion houses like Holt Renfrew and The Bay, ask them what agencies they work with.”

Doing research is something Mike Dodd wishes he’d done before allowing a false agency to represent him.

Back in 2010, Dodd had just graduated from Mohawk College and was looking for voice-over work. He’d been working on commercials when he was emailed by a talent agency.

“They had me pay $400 and $600,” he says of his experience, in which he was ultimately scammed. “I came in to do voice work, and they had me record a demo of several pieces, but I was never given any real direction of what they wanted me to do. Completely not the set-up I’d expect from a professional. Their sound studio, if you could call it that, was really small and was not what I expected.”

Dodd was with the agency for just over a year and never saw a return on his money.

“They were really charismatic in how they presented themselves in the front end,” he says. “I was never told if I was being auditioned for anything, I was never told if I was being pitched at any particular clients, it was just a huge waste of money for a demo I could have recorded by myself with better audio equipment.”

Dodd has found his success as a podcaster and knows from experience that the talent industry is not an easy one. Having an agency tell you right away that you’re star material may be appealing, but it shouldn’t stop you from doing the research.

“Do your homework, without a doubt,” Dodd advises. “Once you get the name of an agency, do as much detective work as possible. Go on Reddit, go on Yelp, see what the reviews are like. Only go to agencies that have a really good reputation. Understand that, especially with voice-over work, you are competing with hundreds of thousands of other actors, nothing is going to come easy.”

When considering signing with an agency, talent should:

  • Take their time: Read over any contracts carefully and allow a cooling off period before you sign.

  • Do the homework: Research the agency and ask for recommendations. Don’t sign with someone who has bad reviews.

  • Know your rights: In Ontario, people who sign a talent contract that requires over $50 in advances or who work with a supplier who provides modelling/talent services are protected under the Consumer Protection Act. Even if you’ve signed a modelling/talent contract, you have the right to cancel it within 10 days as long as you provide written proof to the supplier.

  • Watch for red flags: A guarantee of work or fame is a sure sign you’re dealing with a scam. Legitimate agencies know nothing is for certain, so they won’t make false promises when it comes to your career.