Indigogirl is RIGHT ON THE MONEY.

Phil Brock is NOT a good dude. He's got a bad rep for being a little creepy/controlling with women, and just "plays" at being a manger. Personality aide, he simply doesn't do his job.

I was with STG for half a year and they got me TWO auditions: one for a student film, and one for an indie feature. I found the experience of working with Phil personally and professionally unpleasant.

I also got way more auditions for myself outside of STG, and all the TV auditions I got were after meeting CD's on my own at workshops who would then call me in.

All Phil does is travel a lot, eat at restaurants, Twitter non-stop, audition actors, and take "meetings" and "beach walks" with clients so he can play minds games with them. He really, really gets off on the "idea" of being a manager but when it comes to what a manager actually should DO (i.e. pitch clients, take a personal interest in clients career, etc.) he does NONE of that. I think Phil Brock is only interested in promoting Phil Brock.

He also takes FOREVER to choose photos. I remember sending him my Argentum photo link after a shoot and I literally had to email him twice to remind him to pick photos. I think it took him over 4 weeks to choose!!!

My gut feeling is that he just doesn't really care about his clients careers (and how can he when he reps 122 people, which is just the number on IMDB...), and he can't get them into rooms.

The other three people in the office, the "associates," and basically people brand new to the entertainment industry and it's a revolving door where no one seems to stay for long. Travis is really cool, but he's been there the longest and I think he's only been there a year or two.

Hope this helps!

So I went out on a date last night with an actress who has been with STG for about six months now. I was stunned by what she told me. I've never heard worst career advice. To protect her identity, I can't be specific but I think my tone says it all.

Sounds like Phil Brock is a poseur.

P.S. Yikes. I guess we have a new SAM or something happened to Mrs. SAM.

quote:

Sounds like he is toying with aspiring actors.

Yep.

If you google ego and click google images you will see Phil Brock. Joking but that guy is the epitome of an egomaniac.

Doesnt sound good to me. Hes my friend on facebook. I used to think he's great but now, not so much

So appreciative of all the feedback and the lengthy replies. I was offered representation by STG and have decided to take my chances and continue to look elsewhere.

LAActor, that is crazy that you only got two auditions and I am not interested in giving somebody 15% (that's what he takes) for auditions I get myself. And don't even get me started on the photo choosing, that is just not ok...if we do our jobs you better do yours.

SECRET AGENT MAN, I totally get it that you can't be specific but I am so dying to know what he told your date! LOL He did give me some unbelievable advice as well when I went to meet with him, they were things that I am sure would NEVER push my career ahead, basically accepting all and every part regardless how small and if it paid or not just so I could have tape. WHA?! I have enough free, indi, student film tape thank you. I am actually trying to get paid for what I do, crazy, I know.

Thanks again for all the replies, I think I might have been saved a lot of stress and time wasted.

Congratulations on having the courage to say no!

Thanks Secret Agent Man! I did get nervous about it but I believe that, as an actor, you are better with no rep than the wrong rep. I have faith that that I will get a team that really gets me and works for me at some point. I might lose a few auditions in the meantime but I think it will be worth it.

Sounds like you won't miss any worthwhile opportunities. Keep fighting; you'll find the right agency for you that has a great rep. I've been with my agent for too long; so long I hardly get out and I finally got an opportunity for new rep. It will be hard to part ways since he's been such a great guy but great guy doesn't pay the bills. And he's doing just fine with what bookings he gets so I'm sure he'll get over it lol.

I went to an agent workshop with Phil Brock a short while ago, even though I had heard some less than desirable feedback on the guy. Basically most of which has already been said on this forum. So...besides the fact that he was EXTREMELY disrespectful to a few actors in our group. Ex; calling one brand new to LA actor's hometown of Houston TX the "armpit" of America. I was quite disgusted by the fact that some of the women in this workshop realized that this guy only really cared to flirt with young good looking women, or so it seemed in my opinion. One girl even asked what he typically looks for in a "date" and if he has ever been on a blind date. Unfortunately, he was flattered and responded with "step outside and I'll tell you". I quickly realized being a guy that I had no chance in hell to make an impression on this guy. Which turned out to be very true.

His advice also is that if you are an actor and did NOT join AFTRA in order to get into SAG before the merger then you are clueless and there is no excuse. No matter what your experience level. That sounds like bad advice to me but I could be wrong.

I don't want to bash him for no reason, but this was just my only experience with him and he just seems to be the cliche of this industry.

quote:

His advice also is that if you are an actor and did NOT join AFTRA in order to get into SAG before the merger then you are clueless and there is no excuse. No matter what your experience level. That sounds like bad advice to me but I could be wrong.

It's water under the bridge now so why bring it up? What can an actor do NOW who didn't join. That would be helpful.

This guy sounds like a real piece of work.

Disclaimer: I say this as helpful advice and a warning to anyone who might think of signing with STG...

I tried to work with Phil. I know at least 4 other AMAZINGLY talented actresses who have also "tried" to work with him. He is the WORST, totally takes on dozens of otherwise REALLY talented young actors and TANKS their careers, making them spend hundreds of dollars on crappy headshots, casting director workshops, crappy acting classes... all for what? His minions can't even get paying non-union auditions for their clients. All the "auditions" that he tweets of were auditions that clients acquired themselves, or through other representation which they acquired, again, by themselves.

Phil is rarely actually in town because he's always off taking lavish trips (how can he properly run a talent agency if he's not here??), can't get a casting director to actually see any of his clients, and then instead of oh, I don't know, maybe believing in his clients and giving them confidence in their work? Every time I was in his office he was yelling at me or yelling at another actor or yelling at his staff members. Complaining, negative, unhappy.

OK, so as for me: I booked an U-5 on a soap ON MY OWN, and he insisted on taking 15%. So, I wrote STG a check. Then I got one co-starring audition (very cool!), but his office gave me the WRONG TIME and I ended up sitting at the empty casting office for over 2 hours waiting, trying to figure out what was going on, because I couldn't get a hold of anyone at STG because the entire office had decided to take the day off. I mean, really guys, really? Go take a vacation on a Sunday, not on a Thursday when your clients have auditions. And after that, I only got a couple of crappy student film auditions (where the auditions were on weekends, no less), a couple of $100 total-pay nonunion PSA-type auditions... and the last straw was an audition for a non-paying student film for a character that was the antithesis of my type that was auditioning at a community college on the east coast. I live in Hollywood.!

He may have been on his game several years ago, and he may do some good community/charity work (which was the reason I signed with him -- I appreciate all that!), and yes, Travis who works in his office is AWESOME (I hope he moves on and does good things with his career). But STG built up a reputation for being bad and I do think that casting directors have caught on (hence the reason none of his clients get auditions through STG). I even had 3 commercial agents tell me they refused to share clients with him because he was so awful.

If you want a surefire way to ruin your chances at playing in Hollywood? Sign with Phil. He's full of BS and his company is all smoke and mirrors to prop up his enormous insecurity and ego.

I also don't intend to badmouth, but I heard similar reports from all the other gals I know where were signed with STG.

So my advice? Sign elsewhere :-)

That's an interesting post. Thanks for taking the time to write it.