By Paige Engelhardt
In the glorified world of modeling and acting, one must always be on the lookout for scam.
Professionals in the entertainment industry warn college students of the dangers of being scouted and scammed by a modeling agency.
'This is a buyer-beware industry; there are a lot of scam artists out there,' said Linda Bearman, a talent agent for Talent Management Group, Inc., based in Utah. 'A buyer-beware industry means to be very cautious. A lot of people don''t know, and they''re not able to recognize a talent scout, or, who knows, a creep. There are people who are out there that are not to be trusted.'
There are many amateur agencies in local areas that feed off young college talent.
'Agencies in Utah are looking to scout for new talent,' Bearman said. 'A small fledging agency is looking for new faces to beef up their talent pool.'
The college-age market must be especially aware of scouting agencies because their genre is very appealing to modeling agencies for a variety of reasons.
'We like to draw from the university because they are bright, articulate and responsible,' said Terry Gillenwater, owner of Elite Management Inc. in Salt Lake City.
But many people who are scouted are uneducated when it comes to the dangers associated with talent agency affiliation.
Kristy Oakey, director of scouting in Provo for Urban Talent Modeling agency, said she knows just how to secure young talent.
'We guarantee our models work if they go through us,' Oakey said.
As simple as this may sound, experience often discovers the catch in the promise.
'We''ll guarantee them the opportunities - live promotion, etc.,' Oakey said. 'We as an agency decide to represent them. They have to have a certain look. They have to audition. An agency won''t represent you if you don''t have any experience or training.'
Most people are initially interested in modeling and willing to sacrifice monetarily in the beginning because of the great cash rewards and guarantees that are often associated with this high-profile industry.
'They said you had to take classes too to learn how to do runway, and they made you pay for that, and then they said they''d pay you back for it,' said Sam Hayes, a junior from Oakland, Calif., majoring in Zoology. 'You can make it back in like a month.'
But scams are still prevalent in this modeling industry.
'I never experienced a scam until I came to Utah, oddly enough,' Bearman said.
Bearman sees these assurances as bright red flags of warning.
'There are no promises and guarantees in this business,' Bearman said. 'You can hope, but I''ve been in this business for so long that I think I know who will work, but never in a million years will I be like, you have a great look - you''ll be a star.'
Some students have innocently explored the world of modeling with local agencies only to find the road to success much longer than they thought. Sarah Saunders, a sophomore from New Canaan, Conn., majoring in visual arts, responded to an ad in the newspaper for aspiring models.
'She (the talent agent) basically said I had to take this class before because I didn''t have any experience,' Saunders said. 'I didn''t really want to, but if you want to work for them you have to do it, so I did.'
Bearman, who works for a modeling agency that does not scout nor hold modeling classes, warned about the lure for scouts looking for new talent because of the money-hordes these suggested classes can be.
'(Some agencies are) looking to appeal to people to also sell classes because it can be a real cash cow,' Bearman said. 'If your talent''s not booking jobs, that''s a way to stay afloat.'
Saunders invested a large sum of money for these classes from which she has yet to reap the benefits.
'You had to pay for the class, and it was a good amount of money,' Saunders said. 'It could have been a very stupid choice.'
Bearman has seen all sides of the industry, including the painful stories and images that are not printed in the magazines.
'I have seen people primarily damaged financially, maybe emotionally too,' Bearman said.
Hayes was scouted at Muse Music in downtown Provo. He, like many other students who have been scouted for modeling, did not know anything about the business. To educate himself and ease his curiosity about the market and its specific requirements, he visited the local office to see what it was like, he said.
Unfortunately, modeling agencies that employ scouts to search for new talent often benefit from the community''s na?vet?.
'A lot of (agencies) are going to feed on the public''s lack of knowledge about the industry,' Bearman said.
But Bearman said there is still hope for prospective models.
'Go online and see books; (there are) tons of books that educate you on different parts of the industry,' Bearman said. 'Go to a Web site and determine what it is you want to find out. I wouldn''t call agencies around town because every agency has a different story. It''s tough - it''s a catch 22 - you got to get your education but it''s hard to get good information.'