CAREER
From Issue #14
Super Star Scam
Hold On To Your Money
Beware
of industry
con artists
who promise
fame and
fortune,
or
you’ll be
left with
more scam
than glam.
Flipping through the pages of any glossy magazine, it’s hard not to imagine what it must be
like to be a star—the adoring fans, the paparazzi, the money—but the lure of fame can leave
people vulnerable to unscrupulous scam artists.
The entertainment business is fraught with scam
potential, insiders agree. There are agents who demand
vast sums of cash up front in exchange for acting work
that never materializes, schools that promise to turn
ugly ducklings into working runway models and talent
scouts who offer budding musicians misleading guarantees
about recording contracts.
“Everyone wants the 15 minutes of fame. That’s why
it’s so alluring,” says Cameron Carpenter, a publicist and
manager with 25 years of music industry experience.
“The reality is that one in 1,000 will make it, and there’s
very hard work involved.”
So pervasive are the scams that entertainment industry
groups regularly hear from families beguiled into
spending thousands of dollars by con artists.
“People are constantly taken in by the dream of
Hollywood,” says Theresa Tova, children’s advocate for
ACTRA, the actors’ union.
People are easily duped because they get so caught
up in the dream of becoming a star that they don’t stop
and take an honest appraisal of their own looks and talents
before signing on the dotted line, she says.
“Kids and irrational parents do not want to hear the
truth,” says Tova. “They won’t hear it until they’ve been
taken,” and then it’s often too late.
She says industry groups all offer advice on how to
avoid cons, and she recommends any would-be stars to
begin by doing some research.
When it comes to spending money to advance a
career, “do not spend any money until you have earned
enough money in the industry to pay for what you are
doing,” Tova says.
Crooked businesses typically share a few key characteristics:
they guarantee jobs for clients, they use highpressure
tactics to get people to shell out for services
and administrative fees in advance and they advertise.
Legitimate agencies, Tova says, never advertise.
Toronto’s ANU Agency is a well-known example of
this common pattern. The company promised clients
lucrative fashion contracts, but in order to get the work
would-be models had to pay for an expensive photographic
portfolio. Even after getting the portfolios done,
the promised work never materialized.
In 2000 the company was fined and ordered to pay
tens of thousands of dollars back to clients after pleading
guilty to 30 counts of engaging in an unfair practice
under Ontario’s Business Practices Act.
“You don’t really have to spend thousands of dollars
to become a model,” says Gail McInnes, a model agent
with Toronto’s B&M Model Agency.
She says it isn’t necessary to build a photographic
portfolio before going into an agency, and classes with an
expensive modelling school aren’t likely to jump-start a
career. “If you really want to take that course, it’s okay,
but you really do not have to go to a modelling school.”
Although the fairy tales do sometimes come true—McInnes says even she sometimes scouts teens in neighbourhood
cafes or in mall parking lots— legitimate
agencies typically open their doors for a few hours each
week and assess people who come in off the street.
Anyone can go, she says, and all they have to take with
them is a handful of family snapshots.
At the agency, scouts assess the would-be models to
see if they meet strict industry height and weight
requirements. In addition to unusually stunning features,
perfect teeth and skin, a female model has to be
at least five-foot-eight and fit into a tiny fashion-industry
size six, which is smaller than retail clothing size six.
She says that often it is people who are repeatedly
turned down in these open calls who turn to some of
the unfortunate alternatives.
“Everybody’s saying: You’re really cute but you’re not
what we’re looking for.’ That’s when people turn to the
scams, they want it so badly,” says McInnes.
McInnes, like Tova, urges caution and research for
anyone wanting to get into the industry.
“Find out as much about it as you possibly can. Do
your research and have fun with it, don’t take it too seriously,” says McInnis.
| Rif Raf (left) with his pal Bucky from Down With Webster, a Toronto funkpop band |
Hit television shows like Canadian Idol and Popstars
have also revived the dream that the average person can
be propelled into instant pop-music stardom. But
Carpenter says even this apparently instant fame typically
follows extensive training and plenty of hard work
on the part of contestants.
He echoes the recommendation not to pay money up
front for guaranteed work and advised musicians hoping
to make a break in the industry to make sure they
have a lawyer review anything before they sign it. A
legitimate representative gives artists plenty of time for
legal consultation, he says.
“I think you have to be careful in any industry you’re
in,” says Carpenter, a publicist and manager for such
diverse musical acts as Down with Webster and
Triumph. “There are people out there trying to make a
buck on your behalf.”
Carpenter also says the important thing is to work
on the music. If young artists can nail that, the rest will
fall into place.
“If you’re good enough the record companies and the
managers – the legitimate ones – will be coming to
you,” says Carpenter.
Eighteen-year-old Patrick Gillett, also known as Rif
Raf in Down With Webster, says he and his friends have
been working on getting their shot at fame for six years.
And even though he has a manager and his band is
beginning to get some recognition, he offers those with
stars in their eyes this reality check: “I think a lot of people
think that you’re rich and famous just because
you’re famous. I haven’t been paid a cent. I still work
washing dishes at a pub.”
Take Note
Advertising
The entertainment industry code of ethics
prohibits agents from advertising for clients
in general publications. Any ad in the
newspaper classified section has been placed
by an agency would-be superstars probably
won’t want to become involved with.
Guarantee
Agents cannot guarantee they will get work
for every artist they sign. Somebody
demanding payment up front for a
guaranteed record deal or television show
is likely a con artist.
Photographs
Photographs: Agents don’t provide
photographic services or give lessons. A
reputable agent may suggest photographers
or classes but cannot require clients take
them. Extras don’t need professional photos;
family snapshots will do. Principal actors
generally need only headshots, which
typically start at around $200 for
a professional shoot.
Extras
Agencies that specialize in finding nonspeaking
extras for the film and television
industry are known as background
agencies. These agencies do not represent
actors for other acting jobs and charge
only a small signing fee—typically less
than $100—and commission.
Costs
Agents make their money from commissions
on clients’ earnings, about 10 per cent for
theatre, 15 per cent for film and TV, 20
per cent for print and modelling fees. In
addition, agencies may levy some small
administrative costs.
Timing
Legitimate agents typically require actors
to have some professional training and
experience before signing. Only background
agents will represent inexperienced people
to work as extras in non-speaking roles.
Pressure Tactics
Scam artists can be very persuasive.
They offer “deals” that will expire on
the spot and expect prospective clients
to sign documents right away. Legitimate
entertainment industry professionals always
allow time for documents to be reviewed
by a lawyer. |
For more info
check out these sites:
Alliance of Canadian Cinema,
Television & Radio Artists
www.actra.ca
Canadian Actor Online
www.canadianactor.com
Society of Composers, Authors and
Music Publishers of Canada
www.socan.ca
Acting and Modelling Information Services
www.amisontario.com
More Than a Pretty Face:
The Essential Handbook for Canadian Models
By Heather E. Young
www.featherbooks.ca
