The Lottery Of Instant Fame

Writen by Anne Clarke

In the acting industry, this phrase is worth more than a $20 million-dollar, big-budget film contract. Almost every actor will run into one type or another of there such acting scams. Con and scam artists, as unfortunate as it may be, have great luck working the entertainment industry. There is no law against taking money that is willingly given, and the promise of stardom is quite an incentive. Taking advantage of your aspirations if you do not no better is your villain's specialty. The acting scams we are about to discuss will come to you from all directions. Even if you go to a photographer with a good reputation, a highly recommended talent agent, or a seemingly sincere advisor—you may find he or she trying to lure you in; trying to sell something you do not need. It is very comparable to any large business, the beauty counters at the shopping mall, the clothing stores that say "oh that 120.00 dress looks great on you!" perhaps the mechanic who tells you your car needs more fixing than it actually does, or the doctor that suggests unnecessary surgery or starts you on a medicine you do not really need. Any business can and will make quite a large amount of their profit doing just this.

Suckers Wanted:

So here's the scenario: You see an ad in the paper, the ad seems like it is coming from an agency of good reputation. The ad says they have initiated and boosted the careers of many famous people, or that they have booked an unbelievable amount of jobs for their clients.

Now, the ad claims that they are suddenly looking for brand new talent and new faces for show business—people just like you—how wonderful! And when they claim that you do not require any acting experience whatsoever. This is your clue. You can be almost positive that such an ad is an acting scam. They will claim that all you have to do, no matter who you are or how good you are, is go to their office for an interview and you will have a good chance of becoming a big star. Then they may recommend you to a photographer or talent instructor etc with whom they are affiliated.

Dead giveaways:

First, reputable agencies do not usually put ads in the newspaper or in magazines. These companies have so many headshots and resumes from experienced actors that they have no reason to look elsewhere.

Second, when such a so-called "agency" claims to have launched the careers of famous people, usually it is not true, not the way you think. They may only have had some brief affiliation with that celebrity, but celebrities change agencies all the time the acting scam is that their abilities had something to do with this actors success. Not necessarily, not even probably. Often there was actually no affiliation at all the "agency" could just be making the whole thing up—and who would check up on those sorts of things? Would you? The purpose is to get you to envision yourself as a star, just long enough for them to take your cash.

Third, most actors need some acting experience before looking for representation. There are few exceptions. Therefore it is highly unusual for an agency to call inexperienced actors in for consultation. Real agencies need actors who can nail their auditions and get booked for parts—not need excessive direction and deliver monologues that reflect inexperience.

Fourth, a legitimate agency gets paid only after an actor is booked. So if they want money upfront, it is likely to turn out that you have been cheated.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, acting and home décor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on acting and film or theatre visit acting scams.