Has anyone ever heard of this company?

March 14, 2008 11:34 PM

Does anyone have any experience with a company in LA called "CelebrityTalent.TV?"

Classic setup, I know. A friendly lady approached us at the Grove and said our daughter was adorable and invited us to an audition for commercials. But googling them, I can't find anything negative about them, and they seem to promise a number of things that make you think they aren't immediately a scam.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has any experience with them? It's not a big deal, but we thought it might be fun to take a shot at it if they are legitimate. I won't pay them a dime, so I'm not really afraid of being scammed. I'm more worried about the waste of time, and my daughter going through this sham of an audition (although she already knows it's just a fun thing to do, nothing could come of it.)

posted by visual mechanic to Work & Money (4 answers total)

I don't know of this company specifically, but I know their ilk. It's pretty much a waste of time. There are still more than a few levels to get through and a few companies to filter through before you're actually in with an agent. If you were approached by, I dunno, casting director Mali Finn or an actual agent from one of the kid-centric agencies or someone like that (Wait -- did Mali Finn die? Gotta check on that), then exploring further would be worth something.

However, as long as you go into it eyes wide open, there's nothing wrong with going to an audition. Who knows?
posted by incessant at 11:51 PM on March 14, 2008

I don't know about this specific company, but I have heard of similar approaches from other companies. Those end up with high pressure tactics to get headshots from their photographers, and other marketing materials from their sources, and being strung along with promises of having your child seen, but only if you have the right materials. It's very possible that they do indeed have kids go to casting calls, but there are plenty of open "cattle calls" that don't require any special inside track to attend, other than knowing when and where they are.

Their website does not inspire much confidence. Aside from the amateurish design, note that there are logos and links for numerous companies, which imply partnership without saying so explicitly. In my mind, it looks like a deliberate attempt to fool visitors into thinking there is some formal relationship, but the truth is, anyone can link to anyone's website, and the links on that page are just to the public home pages of the respective companies.

If you do go, leave your wallet at home. I'm not sure how to prepare your child for your actions in resisting manipulation. I'm sure they work from the position of making it appear like you don't believe in your own child if you don't go along with their plan. ("What? You don't believe in her enough to invest a small amount of money in her future? Tsk tsk.")
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 12:48 AM on March 15, 2008

And here's an interesting FTC page about similar things.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 12:51 AM on March 15, 2008

Here in Toronto, the Entertainment Industry Coaliton, has a Code of Ethics for agents that all the legit agencies in town have signed on to. It makes a pretty good list of warning signs to look out for.
posted by winston at 8:35 AM on March 15, 2008