I was just wondering if anyone in the L.A. area has had any experience with Tami Erin Model and Talent Management; is it legit or should I run for the hills? Many thanks.

To explain furthur...My dd had an audition in San Francisco for a TV pilot. I submited her through sfcasting. After her audition, I received a call that they were interested in my daughter and she needed to be on set Nov. 29th. HOWEVER, she needed to first register for a 6 week 'Celebrity Boot Camp' (9 hour total class time for $750)

That's a lot of money for them to ask you to pay for a class. I would hold out for another Manager.

Thanks for your input....that'a what I thought also. She would, however, be guarenteed 2 episodes minimum and be paid (not a lot)for doing them. I still end up in the red though, but my dd would gain co-star credit. What to do, what to do!!!

It sounds like a scam to me. If she auditioned for a role and they liked her enough to cast her, that should be IT. The idea that you'd have to pay $750 for a class in order to book the role sounds VERY fishy!

I dont think any Management Company can "guarantee" any client will get a gig. That "guarantee" would be a big red flag to me.

You can get a Agent and a Manager for the cost of a postage stamp. It just takes time. You can build up your DD resume with Student Film credits. Which also are free or at least just the cost of gas to get to a location.

Thanks again for your thoughts. I really appreciate it.

See my other post to you in regard to "On Camera".

What you are describing is WAY, WAY illegal. It's called paying for a job opportunity and is against CA law.

You asked in a post above what to do? Learn to say NO.

This pilot story has been going around for more than a year. That just doesn't float. A "pilot" is something done by a network, and this isn't it. A legit pilot project is just ONE episode filmed (that is what a pilot is), and it involves a studio/network etc. Otherwise it is just a "spec", or a "pitch" for a show.

Even if this is true, and it was a real pilot, you should never accept sub-standard pay. Why? Because usual pilot contracts require that you do no other jobs--the studio 'owns" you for a specified time frame. If they don't have that clause, they will be likely to replace you if the project gets purchased.

I don't want to be cruel, but this just isn't how the real pilot system works.

If this show doesn't make it on TV (what are the odds? they can't seem to get it made), it won't matter that you have a "credit". Everyone in the real Hollywood community will see it for what it likely is--a vanity project and/or bait to sell classes.

I would be surprised if other things will be on the up and up. Work permits? The required studio teacher (if they don't have this YOU can be held accountable for child endangerment)? Coogan account deposits? It isn't a union project, so if they never pay you, never give you a copy, you will have no recourse. But you will have paid them the big bucks for camp.

A

Oh my goodness blondie'smom, the same thing happened with my daughter. She also went for the audition and got the same call and was told the same thing. I was stupid enough to believe it and sign her up for this class that starts tomorrow but now I've been tryig to contact Tami Erin and the person that had me sign the form for my daughter to be in "Just Don't Sit There" and NOBODY will call me back. I don't know what to do and wonderin if I should call my bank to cancel this whole thing. I've sent e-mails and nobody gets back to me. The "director" doesn't have a direct number but just a fax number. I traced that number to a Fed Ex office. Any suggestions out there? I didn't realize that this was going on for a year now and didn't realize that this was illegal.

angelsmom- I am so sorry. How were we to know? The notice on sfcasting did not even list Tami Erin's name.
henryshowbiz- thank you for educating us newbies. And saving me $750 and a lot of grief.

angelsmom-Call your bank and cancel the transaction.

Madisoncoco- I called my bank to cancel it and then e-mailed them that I was cancelling the classes because nobody had contacted me regarding any type of filming. All of a sudden Tami contacts me directly. Wow, what a coincidence. I'm still following through on cancelling it. Supposedly my daughter missed a shoot last month. Tried to make it seem like it was my fault because we didn't show up. I told her that we would have showed up if someone would have contacted us even after I sent numerous e-mails regarding the status on the production. Nobody ever got back to me and then tried to turn the tables around again and said maybe I e-mailed the wrong e-mail address. I told her again, "How can I e-mail the wrong e-mail address when all I do is click reply to the previous e-mails." I told her too how that's strange that she NOW contacts me after notifying them that I'm cancelling the classes. A total scam!!! I hope others read this before they try to get scammed too.

We too, appear to be taken in, but so far, we've not sent any money anywhere, instead I've been dedicated to finding out what's going on with this company.

One thing, the Agreement they send you, says there is an estimated budget, exclusive of distribution costs, and the production company and it's investors have agreed to pay those costs. Later, the first moneys received will for the series will be first applied to outstanding accounts payable for production and post production costs; thereafter moneys received will be paid to the actors at the rate of $165/episode.

There isn't really any money here for the kids until the "series" is in distribution and the other costs are paid.

Sounds good, doesn't it - uck - I would rather do business with someone else.

Very tricky wording, isn't it?!!
Angelsmom and I discovered that even though both of our kids are supposedly to be on the same show, our 'contracts' did not list the each other child's name on the list of 21-22 kids. There may be several different contracts out there with different lists of kids names on them.