[blueflingo]

HELP!! My husband just signed up with Model Search America for a convention in Vegas. They are charging $1200 for this! Does anyone have experience with this company or know anything about the business? Everything about it feels like a scam... HELP.

[charlotte234s]

They are known to be a scam.

http://www.easybackgroundcheck.com/msashowcase.html

[charlotte234s]

That link takes you to a story about how they are a scam.

[blueflingo]

Thank you so much. Yikes!

[rpg219]

I have been through them... RUN! Run very fast! Run very far! They are the biggest scam I have ever seen! They will persuade you out of sooooo much money.

[excon]

Hello blue:

Yeah, I'm an actor and model. I did pay for an on camera acting class put on by my agent, and I paid for my portfolio, but nothing else.

Yes, you can see me in several movies - Black Widow and Harry & The Hendersons amongst others. I played a jailbird in Harry & The Hendersons. That's type casting.

excon

[biancatrish]

HELP!!!!! My husband just signed up with Model Search America for a convention in Vegas. They are charging $1200 for this! Does anyone have experience with this company or know anything about the business? Everything about it feels like a scam...HELP.

Im in the UK I have started my own agency for models and my advice to you is DO NOT GO THROUGH WITH IT!!

Apart from a portfolio You Should NEVER Have to pay money to be seen in the industries. There are ways you can be noticed by the right people without having to pay them for it.

Its about marketing yourself in the right way.

If I can help in anyway let me know.

Bianca

[wisethinking]

HELP!!!!! My husband just signed up with Model Search America for a convention in Vegas. They are charging $1200 for this! Does anyone have experience with this company or know anything about the business? Everything about it feels like a scam...HELP.

Model Search America is a good place to go if you have a unique look or talent. They have many agents and contacts from all over the world. Probably, your best investment is to get an education about the entertainment and understand what you are doing. Knowledge will remove the fear.

If you are interested in learning more, write me back.

[Wondergirl]

This Web site tells that the out-of-pocket expenses with Model Search America never seem to end --

Model Search Experience

[wisethinking]

You need to market yourself to get discovered! People who scream scams are amatuers.

[charlotte234s]

What the heck are you talking about, wisethinking? Don't dig up old threads, and don't tell people to go through scam modeling agencies to be "discovered" or whatever.

[wisethinking]

They are known to be a scam.

http://www.easybackgroundcheck.com/msashowcase.html

Disagree that they are a scam, agree that they are accused of a scam. The problem in the modeling industry is there are a lot of people who want to get involved in this exciting industry but don't know how. When you don't know what you are doing it causes fear. That is why all these modeling companies are accused of scams when they are not. If they were scams they would be shut down. Right? A scam is illegal. But they are not shut down. What people need to understand is that you need to promote yourself to many people and businesses. The problem with Model Search America is that model's expectations are unrealistic. MSA is only source of promoting yourself. Is MSA a good decision to invest in if you are a female and 5'3"? No. MSA is a good decision if you have a unique talent or if you have a global marketable look, like being a 5' 9" female model. Then it would make sense to make this kind of investment.

To be successful in this business is no different than any other business. You need to understand business marketing. What you need to do is promote yourself so that you can get in front of the right people who will be able to use your services. You need to have the tools to promote yourself--Photographs, portfolios, comp cards, business cards, headshots. You need to have the skills and training. Modeling classes, acting classes, marketing classes, education etc.

What has been so interesting to me about this industry is all these people trying to get involved but lose all their common sense. I am not saying that about you in particular, but the public as a whole. It is the fear that causes all these people screaming scam when actually it just takes some knowledge to understand the business to be successful.

So, why do I even care? I care because I would like the public to know the truth about this industry. It is exciting for sure! But on the same token it is a very difficult business to be in. It takes a lot of dedication to the arts. You need to be promoting yourself constantly. You need to meet a lot of people and contacts. You need to deal with rejection well and just go on to the next.

Most important of all. You need to follow your dreams and never give up.

If you would like further help with anything about the industry, write me back.

[wisethinking]

HELP!!!!! My husband just signed up with Model Search America for a convention in Vegas. They are charging $1200 for this! Does anyone have experience with this company or know anything about the business? Everything about it feels like a scam...HELP.

If you spent the $1200 and went and a casting director discovered you for a movie and were paid X amount would it be a scam? If an agent told you that you should not be in the business would it be a scam then? If you went and all your dreams came true, would it be a scam? If you went and all your dreams were broken, would it be a scam?

Do you see what I am driving at? What you need is knowledge about the business. Would you like to become successful in the modeling and entertainment industry? I can help you. I would like to help many people. If you are interested, write me back.

[charlotte234s]

I can't stand people who discriminate against others, and what you said is rude. Is being a decent person a good decision for you if you are short? Yes. Is it a good decision if you think beautiful people have to be tall, yes, but obviously you are too judgmental to see past that. The things that you say are exactly like the things the modeling scam people say.

[rpg219]

No, wisethinking, I am not scared or unsure of my thoughts. I have done plenty of modeling and yes! They are a scam. They make promises that they don't keep!(mind you after they have taken your money) I do agree with the fact that some people that walk into those "meetings" know that they are not "model material". However, they (model search scams) should not be charging out the a** for you to take pictures, just to be able to meet the "real agencies". If you have it, you should be able to meet these folks without a $1200 fee. An agency will take your photos at no charge if you have what it takes.

THEY ARE A SCAM!! I'll stick by my first post!

[excon]

If you spent the $1200 and went and a casting director discovered you for a movie and were paid X amount would it be a scam?

Hello again, Oh Wise One:

I re-iterate, I see casting directors for FREE. They even ASK to see me.

In answer to your question. It would NOT be a scam to the one who got the part. It WOULD be a scam to the 1,000's who didn't.

excon

[wisethinking]

What the heck are you talking about, wisethinking? Don't dig up old threads, and don't tell people to go through scam modeling agencies to be "discovered" or whatever.

I'm talking about being knowlegable in the industry. The problem with the modeling entertainment industry is people who are not even involved in the industry giving advice and accusing modeling companies as a scam. Wouldn't you agree that a scam is wrong? That a scam is illegal? So how do you explain how these businesses stay in business. Wouldn't they be put in jail. The reason that they are not, is because they are not scams. So why do they get accused of scams? Because so many people want to get involved in the industry and they don't know how and then get advice from people who don't know anything about the industry. I place a challenge on you, please explain to me how MSA is a scam.

[wisethinking]

Hello again, Oh Wise One:

I re-iterate, I see casting directors for FREE. They even ASK to see me.

In answer to your question. It would NOT be a scam to the one who got the part. It WOULD be a scam to the 1,000's who didn't.

excon

If you are a model or an actor or have your own business it is all the same. It costs money to promote yourself, business or product. I agree there are times when you can present yourself for free, but there are other times that it is not. In either case, you may be fortunate to have something come your way. But one thing is for sure, if you don't ever promote yourself you will not ever get any offers.

In response that you think it would be a scam to all who didn't get selected, doesn't make any sense. Does that mean that any person or company that promotes themselves that they are guaranteed a response? Does that mean if Sears advertises on TV or on magazines and spends millions on advertising that there is a guarantee that people will shop there? If Sears didn't get any response does that make the TV stations and magazines a scam because they spent money on advertising and promotion and got no results.

So no I do not agree it is a scam. It is the public's lack of knowledge of how the industry works.

[wisethinking]

I disagree---it costs money to promote yourself.

[wisethinking]

I disagree that they are a scam. Yes it is expensive to go to the convention. The convention is one way to promote yourself to many casting directors and modeling agencies from around the country and some parts of the world.