Hollywood or Scam? Talent Pros Explain the Difference

By Julie Castaneda

Lubbock has hosted several conventions with open casting calls that promise fame and fortune. But how do aspiring stars make sure they’re not being scammed?

Brenda Becknell, who owns Robert Spence Model and Talent Agency in Lubbock, said not all calls result in jobs.

“So what they’re doing is they’re coming into not just our community, but all over the United States,” Becknell said. “They send people in to do searches, and those searches are not for jobs. They are actually to supposedly be selected to go to a convention. ”

Cintrena Johnston, a model in the Los Angeles area who offers “off-duty model and industry tips” in her blog, said wanna-be stars need to be cautious.

“Some of these are legit and some of these are scams,” she said. “It all depends on if they are asking for money.”

Becknell agrees.

“You should never be asked for money upfront, on a time deadline of 24 hours,” she said. “If they say “you’ve been selected but we want an appointment with you, but make sure you bring your credit card,’ that’s not a good sign. ”

Ali Warren, a model at Robert Spence who works with Becknell, has heard a few such stories.

“They asked for money upfront, and  many people pay thousands only to never actually get the children anywhere or signed or doing anything,” she said.

What about those ads searching for models and actors on Facebook or Craigslist?

“If you see something on craigslist, run the other way,” Becknell said. “Don’t even consider answering because all legitimate clients, if they’re looking for someone, they’re not going to go to Craigslist.”

Becknell’s final tip: call the Better Business Bureau to check on the legitimacy of any company that claims to be recruiting actors and models.

 

About JOUR 4350

JOUR 4350 is the multiplatform news delivery class, which is the capstone class for journalism majors within the College of Media & Communication.