I had an experience in the last couple of days which I'd like to share. I'm kind of confused about it and I don't know if I handled it in the best way (though I have no idea how else I could have handled it).
A casting director called me about a project, and I called him back. On the phone he explained that the director was award winning. He said he won the grand prize at Sundance this year and was nominated for two academy awards. I got very excited by this information. The director would be writing the roles for the actors in the project. He then explained that Lead actors were $5,000, and Supporting was less etc. I of course thought he meant that would be what the actors would be getting payed. He then said the words "if you can afford it". Which confused me, and I know I should have asked what he meant by that. But I agreed to the audition because I was excited. I went online and looked up the casting directors website and realized that actors had to pay those prices to be in the project. I called back and explained to the casting director that I had been confused about the nature of the project (online the description used the word "student") and he said that it wasn't a class. I explained that I couldn't afford it. He was pissed. I know I burned the bridge but I'm kind of skeeved out by the whole thing anyway, and I'm not sure that I'd ever submit to him again. I don't know if he was intentionally trying to mislead me or if I was hearing what I wanted to hear. I also looked up the director and was unable to find the specific awards he mentioned (however he has won/been nominated for some awards at smaller film festivals). Maybe my research is wrong, but I've never know IMDB to be wrong.

SCAM O'RAMA!

What's this douche's name so people can know to avoid him?

Yeah, any time a supposed casting director, director, talent scout, manager, or agent, asks the actor to pay money, they are NOT legit.

The only "pay up front" places I know of are some extras casting offices, like Central Casting.

If it is allowed, post this guys info here.

actually, IMDB is OFTEN wrong. quite often. the problem is that they don't like to admit such wrongness and it takes forever, years for some people, to get wrong information corrected.

i'm surprised he used such prestigious information (which could be tracked and found!) to advertise himself. um. ACADEMY AWARDS????? interesting. and this director was listed nowhere in the Academy Awards lists of past winners/nominees for ANY category??

hehe, these guys must be just incredibly stupid, or think that everyone else is and won't check up.

don't even worry about it. this was a scamming slumbag. you burned absolutely no bridge whatsoever, except the one that keeps this scammer FAAAAR away from you.

Yeah, total scam! I would love to know who this so-called "casting director" was. I can't believe he got mad at you.

And don't worry about burning that bridge... you want those scammers out of your life.

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Wow, this is quite an ambitious SCAM. Usually they try to get a little money out of a lot of people, but to go for thousands. Wow.

You did the right thing. Don't worry about burning this bridge... I guess you won't be called the next time they are trying to make a film with the money of their actors.

quote:

A casting director called me about a project, and I called him back.

Do you know how he got your information?

I wouldn't worry about burning that bridge -- it was the bridge to nowhere. (only the government builds those...)

That's a good question, where did they get your info?

Whenever I get a scamy call like this, I do my best to find out... but of course they will never tell you.