One Source Talent is a total scam. Aside from the $395 registration fee they ask for upon sign-up, they also encouraged me to get my headshots done there with their "professional" photographer and hair * make-up artist.
This was back in January. The make-up was horrible (and it turns out it was because the make-up artist had gotten into a fight with One Source regarding payment and he had quit earlier that morning. (I got there at 12 and stayed til past midnight b/c there were 6~8 people shooting at one time with one make-up artist and one photographer.
So the make-up was terrible, and he didn't even touch my hair. He put it up in a ponytail in the beginning for my "sporty" look, and kept it like til the end. Not once did he consider changing it, until I took out the ponytail and brushed my hair straight.
So I get the pics back and I hate them. They didn't reflect who I was at all, and tho I don't know much about the industry, I just KNEW they didn't represent me at all.
So I called them, and they offered me another shoot. So I agree. After paying $895 for the "supermodel portfolio" package, that's the LEAST they can do. So I go in, and this time they have a hair sylist, one of the workers who just "likes to do hair". (She had just moved to the "big city" from the suburbs of Michigan, and thought it was something cool to do on the side.
This time the pictures were better, I admit, but I still wasn't too sure about them. Then I did some research, and went to free info-sessions with models, signed to legitimate agencies like Elite. 3 models looked at my pictures and said they were absolutely "crap".
They looked unprofessional, and not by any means industry standard. And when I told them I had them done at One Source, the first thing she said was that they were a scam, and that she also wanted to investigate them (and other companies like them) to stop others from being scammed.
I also went to a prominent acting school in NYC, who also asked to see my pictures. And this old lady who has been in the industry for over 40 years looks at the pictures and says, "you have to get these re-done."
When I told her I paid almost $1000 for them, she was shocked. She suggested I contact the BBB as well. She also told me I was very naive and that these scams are all too common. She also said that the top three sites found on the internet are most likely the ones that will rip you off and take your money.
One Source is ALWAYS the first one when you search through any search engine for a modeling agency in NYC. (It's VERY likely that One Source pays for this type of positioning).
I called One Source today to complain, and spoke with Jane, part-owner of the company. I told her about my experiences with the pictures, and explained that I was NOT going to pay for pictures that are absolutely worthless in the industry. $1000 is my RENT. I was only willing to make the investment because I THOUGHT it would be a real investment.
After about 40 minutes of talking, and coming PRETTY close to getting my money back, she spoke with the owner and said she could offer me another shoot with a different photographer and make-up artist. I ALREADY TRIED THIS! I told her NO, that I wanted my money back, I didn't want to have anything to do with them, and I wasn't going to stop until I got my money back.
She asked me not to contact the BBB (the owner suggested she tell me this when she called me back), and that I could still look for castings on their site. BTW, the castings you pay $20 a month for on their site, are the same ones posted on Craigslist or any other free site. I also told her I would report the company to the Attorney General, and have a news team investigate the company. And that I would stand in front of their building on the day of open calls and tell everyone what they're getting themselves into BEFOREHAND. At least that's fair.
She sounded a little concerned, but I think the only way to get anything back is to pursue to the end. There ARE ways to make it in this industry, but it's NOT through One Source. They are worthless, and in the end, don't do ANYTHING. AT ALL!!! You're paying for nothing. They prey on gullible, anxious, young and nice people for a living. And they'll deny it to the end.
If you look online for One Source Talent, you'll find a bunch off stuff about them and how they scam not only the "talent", but their employees too. Only one person I spoke to during my first and second interview is still employed with them today. Their explanation was that they moved on to pursue their own careers, and that it had nothing to do with the company. But if that was the case, then when my "talent agent" left, why couldn't they call me and let me know? If this is what they do, why wouldn't they think this was necessary? I didn't even get an email.
Emails, phone calls and messages are very rarely replied to unless you keep at it.
I can go on and on about One Source, but I think you get the point. Fully look in to them before hand. Don't pay anything up front. And you can DEFINITELY find much more professional photographers around for less than half of what they charge. Don't let this happen to you.
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