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Message Board Homepage Child and Teen Actors, Singers, and Dancers This could be the biggest scam in kid actor history...
Message Board Homepage Child and Teen Actors, Singers, and Dancers This could be the biggest scam in kid actor history...Page 1 2
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Johnny Depp |
We've discussed the idea of standard business models quite a lot on this board lately. Alot about John Robert Powers too. I think this is an important news article, as it may very well be the biggest money scam in kid actor history.
We estimate that in a matter of a few months, Pacific Modeling and Acting Academy would have taken around $12 MILLION from parents across the country. And the same guy owned a John Robert Powers in Santa Clara, CA. He apparently stole their money as well. Pacific wasn't a JRP officially, but the business model was EXACTLY the same. "Wannabe Child Stars Get Cold Introduction to Show Business" http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/may/31/me-cold-introduction-to-show-business/ "Families Scammed out of Shot at Stardom" http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=81648 The email they sent to some of the parents they were ripping off: http://www.tampabays10.com/images/pdfs/pacific.pdf We first heard of Pacific Modeling and Ating (based in Seattle) when they stole two BizParentz CARE press releases and reworded them to make it appear that they were sponsoring the event (NOT!!!) Then we fielded a few phone calls from Tampa FL parents a month or so ago. Apparently, this company flew into town and did open casting calls at the convention center. They used various people in different cities, but in Florida, they used Talentworks agent Brandy Gold as bait. They ended up selling parents packages of classes, at the end of which they would go to a competition/showcase. The parents in FL never got a single class. Apparently there were schools in Nashville, Albuquerque, Greensboro NC, and more... HERE'S WHY THIS MIGHT BE IMPORTANT TO YOU... There is another company called A.C.T. (Academy of Cinema and Television). Their business model is the same, and it even appears that they use a common recruiter, Kathy Eisner (yeah...ya noticing that Disney name...isn't that a convenient name for scamming??). In fact, we've seen a few common threads. ACT is ALSO recruiting all over the country and is holding open calls RIGHT NOW. Please be careful out there... A Additionally, the owner of Pacific , Stanley Robinsion, owned other John Robert Powers franchises. Are you starting to see a commonality? his is the same business model over and over and over again. If you have been ripped off by either of these schools, please drop us an email. PAcfic parents are working on a class action, so we can try to help you out/connect you to the right people. Another lesson for all of us that package deals, advance payment of acting class blocks and "open calls" are just not the way to get into this business. |
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Julia Roberts |
A,
Thank you so very much for bringing this to everyone's attention and sharing this information. We all know that there are so many thousands of unknowing families out there. I wish there were more ways of getting this information out to the general public who are not yet aware of sites like this or of BizParentz. Have you thought about getting the word out on "The View," "Oprah" or "The Ellen DeGeneres Show?" This topic is so important and you would be awesome! - MIB - If you can dream, you can do. Making it happen is up to you. |
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Johnny Depp |
Aw, you are so sweet. I would give my eye teeth for some national coverage of this news story. It is getting bigger by the minute.
Our newest development is that Pacific was also presenting themselves as Edge Productions, LLC (aka Academy of Cinema and Television). ACT aka Edge has been to Cincinnati, Salt Lake city, Providence RI, and Chicago. They are recruiting in PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY RIGHT NOW!! Yep, same crew who skipped out with over $1M from Tampa ALONE last month. If anyone on this board has the ability to grab any of their literature or marketing materials, I would be really grateful for the help. Please email me if you can help, or if you can keep your eyes and ears open on Disney Channel, Nick and Radio Disney in the NJ/PA area. We need actual quotes and wording, logos used etc (they are claiming to be auditioning for Nick/Disney) A |
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Sean Penn |
WHAT A GUY-this is why I come to this board.Your help is invaluable.You just saved a bunch of people money.Thank you,Thank you,Thank you. K=NYC |
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Johnny Depp |
Karl...
You are welcome! I can see you are in NYC though. You could help...and other parents could help too: 1. Spread the word to everyone you know--don't pay these people! 2. If you see any ads for the New Jersey open calls, we could really use some help in documenting that. We need videos of the TV commercials on Nick and Disney, or transcripts of the exact wording of the radio spots, along with any paper advertisments. We need to give these to the studio legal departments, and they will help with the fraud claim. So if anyone is in the neighborhood, especially Seacaucus NJ, please help! Thanks! |
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Julia Roberts |
Maybe we could get some fliers made to e-mail and also hand out at dance/acting/voice classes, school PTA meetings, community gatherings, little league/soccer games, etc. Also, those in any areas where they hear ads on the radio could notify the radio stations of the reasons why they should not be broadcasting any of the ads.
How about presenting the story to 20/20? The ladies on the view read their e-mail, how about them? I would think nationwide coverage would help keep these scam companies from spreading from state to state. - MIB - If you can dream, you can do. Making it happen is up to you. |
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Sean Penn |
I will do whatever I can to help. K=NYC |
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Sean Penn |
Hey Henry I just forwarded your post to my Email List with a request for them to do the same. I hope a lot of you will do the same.The message will be heard. K=NYC |
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Sean Penn |
Ann just heard it on the radio (NJ) I'm emailing you!
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Newbie |
A.C.T. was just in Cleveland this weekend and we went. They chose my children, but we didn't do it. I must say, they are very convincing. I hope I did the right thing by turning them down.
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Sean Penn |
A.C.T. was also in RI a few weeks back. A highschool friend of mine called me since she knew I had kids in the business and asked me about it--before she took her daughter to the callback. She had a suspicion, and I'm so glad she called me. She almost paid them $4000. A friend of hers, though, wasn't so lucky. She went to the audition with her daughter, who has been begging her mom to let her get into the industry. This WIDOWED mother paid $10,000 (divided between 2 credit cards!! ) to make her daughter happy, and she is not a wealthy woman! She's a mother trying to fill a void by making her daughter happy. I hope she is able to put a stop payment on both cards! I hate hearing stories like this!
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Julia Roberts |
Cross referencing, hoping to help more newbies.
http://bbs.backstage.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/932105/m/12110087/p/1 - MIB - If you can dream, you can do. Making it happen is up to you. |
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Newbie |
ACT is in Philadelphia right now. I went but had a feeling it would be like John Robert Powers as soon as I entered the room so we did not get scammed. Of course they loved my child! A friend of mine did get scammed, but it is difficult for me to convince her that it is a scam. She ended up signing her child up for $2000 worth of classes. I said that is nuts but her response was "but I went for the least expensive...LEAST EXPENSIVE...OMG!
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Glenn Close |
She should try to get her money back. Tell her she won't even be able to put any of the ACT-related stuff on her kids professional resume. And tell her this is just the beginning. They are going to milk her for more and more and more. GL to your friend.
mom of 3 girls in the biz |
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Morgan Freeman |
Its such a sad situation with things like this. In all honesty when we first started out, I wouldve known better not to pay a couple thousand dollars but probably wouldve paid something if they told me they liked my child. To think of people taking advantage of parents and children that have dreams. There should be better laws for this area. Its not just money your throwing away, its a childs feelings that theyre playing with.
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BackStage.com Message Board Homepage Child and Teen Actors, Singers, and Dancers This could be the biggest scam in kid actor history...
Message Board Homepage Child and Teen Actors, Singers, and Dancers This could be the biggest scam in kid actor history...© 2008 The Nielsen Company. All rights reserved.