Back in the summer of I went to the Annapolis Talent Agency to find work as a voice-over and sound effects specialist.
I found Ric Shaw to be mealy-mouthed and evasive. However, he did have the guts to charge me $700.00 - just for a makeup session - then give me a "discount!" The makeup artist was just one of the agents. All she did was put a little makeup on me, fluff my hair with her fingers and spray. I also ended up paying another $300.00 or so for headshots - which weren't that professional-looking.
At that time, Wayne S., an associate of Shaw's and another man were building a small recording studio below the upstairs office. They told me they would be using me on some upcoming projects. When some weeks passed, I gently broached the subject about when the project would begin. These two men proved to be as mealy-mouthed as Shaw. Later, I learned they had left the company, and were working in Tennessee.
I was then assigned to work with a young black man named Michael. Michael was very unprofessional - failing to show for recording dates and badmouthing people. When I complained to Shaw (he'd always be at his desk, reading a Bible) he simply replied that Michael was "all artist."
As of this writing, I now know that Ric Shaw was shot dead back in the summer of 2006. While I hate to hear that someone died, I still have to wonder if I'll ever get any of money back. I make very little money and I'm sure every client who used this agency couldn't afford to lose any, either.
There were many red flags that should have alerted me at the time of my dealings with ATA, but I did not know as much then as I do now.
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