THE BAD NEWS
Have you been inundated by adoring people in the mall telling you how cute your child is. Telling you that you should get your child an agent. You’re thinking about it. Several have told you about agents to call.
Then one day you get a call from an “agent”. They tell you that your child has been selected for an “audition”. In the back of your mind a small voice tells you it’s a scam (99.9999% chance it is), but you know your child is adorable, and you agree to take your child to the audition despite your qualms.
When you arrive, you are horrified to see there are dozens of children present. As you look around, you see children who are clinging to their parent’s legs, terrified. Some are bored, crying, wanting to be home playing with their friends.
Chances are that you have been enticed to the audition by a “Talent” company that preys on proud parents. They buy databases of school age children and set them up. Have you ever wondered where these companies really get your child’s name and number? Would you believe the school photography companies sell the mailing lists? Nooooooo...that can’t possibly be true!
After the “audition” the parents are told the child has “great potential”. The parents are told that if the child will take classes and have pictures shot, there is no doubt that the child will get bookings. The cost for the classes and pictures seems to range from $2000 to $6000 dollars. A sliding scale directly proportional to the willingness and capability of the parent to pay.
Strictly speaking the company is right on target. In order to get work a child MUST take classes and have pictures taken. But these companies are in business PRIMARILY to sell poor unsuspecting parents as much as they can in the way of classes and pictures. There is no intention of limiting selection to children that are truly gifted actors. These children are too far and few between (maybe 1 in 20,000). They will take almost anyone who will comes to an “audition”. They will then fleece the parent for as much money as they can. When the money runs out so does their interest. They “file and forget” the child.
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