I was approached by one of the people who works there and I was wondering if anyone has any experience or comments on them.

I'm relatively green if that helps you assessment.

I personally think they are scammers, but their kid department consistently works.

What makes you think they're scammers? They're not the type who ask for money down are they? I know that's a big warning sign.

At any rate probably not a good place if you're not a child?

quote:

Originally posted by drew27:
I was approached by one of the people who works there and I was wondering if anyone has any experience or comments on them.

I'm relatively green if that helps you assessment.

Approached? In what sense? Talent scouts do not exist any more and people RARELY, if ever, get discovered any more off the street etc.

It was at a casting directors workshop. The guy was another attendee there and he was an assistant to somebody in the firm. So it's not like somebody came to me on the street. However, I've looked at the client list on IMDBPRO and each manager has a pretty big list. That fact alone might be enough to skip it. I'm used to seeing agents with tons of clients, like commercial ones, but when it comes to managers I always figured they liked to keep the client lists small. Also, they have mostly kids, probably about 75% of their clients are under 13.

I think they have three managers there now and they’re client list is very large (they have more clients then what IMDb lists). Way too much to be considered a “management company”., In regards to them being scammers, they don’t ask for money upfront, however they periodically send out emails about taking commercial workshops, seminars, taking headshots every 6 months with photographers they “recommend”, etc…so maybe they could get kickbacks from these services (not sure). I wasn’t with them for too long..no theatrical auditions, no agent meetings etc. Some ppl have had some luck getting an agent and booked some work with them, I just wasn’t one of them LoL..just be cautious that’s I guess the only advise I can give.

I am having a callback with them tomorrow.

Even with that checklist thing they have you do you got no work at all?

Did you leave them or did they leave you and how are you faring now?

Someone else has a current post on this forum in regards to ESI Network..definitely read it. The title is "Time for a new manager?" I left them. I had no auditions, not a single one. They were pretty useless. I'm doing better now than I was when I was with them. But since they didn't get me any meetings with agents and no auditions, they was no point to working with them. Just be very cautious.

We went with a Manager to get agents, and ESI did get us hooked up with good agents. It took six weeks of time in LA from when we signed with ESI to when we signed with a good agency, and they have connections with pretty good agencies-you can see this from imdbpro. Good commercial and print agency connections as well.

They are nice and very organized and well-run, but do feel extremely busy. They seem to always be taking in new kids. There are two managers and two assistants. You can always get someone on the phone and they always respond to emails within one day. In general, I have learned to be proactive. To remind them when I am waiting for them to do something.

They do recommend a specific photographer, and bring in people to teach classes, and also CD workshops. This seems like a bit of a grey area because most/all of the kid Mangers that I know of do recommend a specific photographer and acting coach.

They encourage kids that are new to acting to take classes with them and it seems to use their photographer. Again a bit of a gray area because a lot of people come to LA totally green and looking for guidance, which is what managers are supposed to do. I also noticed that these kids do end up in good agencies and working by following this path, and it happens within a relatively short period of time, like maybe six months. My assumption is that some people want this as a package.

We came to them having already had many months of training and CD workshops, and good headshots, and we were not pressured to take any classes or headshots with them.

We had almost no auditions with them prior to signing with an agency. They do not seem to be submitting their actors who are without agents Of course, technically, Managers are not supposed to be submitting anyway..

There clients are mostly kids.

My recommendation is to go with them if you are unable to get in with a good, name agency on your own.

I like the folks over there fine. They are good people. But has far as "management" it feels more like a factory of kids vs. providing the one-on-one guidance one needs when just starting out. They have A LOT of kids. It's almost more like a school than a management company. And they do tend to take a lot of kids, regardless of true talent. In my mind, an Agency has a lot of actors, and a Manager only has a few so they can provide personal service.