I was approached at a mall about how my son was perfect for acting and invited to an audition. There were hundreds of kids and after seeing my son they said he was the best and they only was interested in him. The said they would get him an agent but he needed pictures and classes both were over $1000 dollars. At the time I didn't have the money nor he had the grades.
About 5 years later, I approached by someone about my twins and told the same thing. We went to an audition at the same place, and they put my kids on camera and said they both would be great for acting. Katie is who we dealt with mostly, but she showed their tape to Patrick O'Brien.
They said photo would be over $1300 each child. I had pictures done. We were not given any direction in the type of clothes to bring. Only to bring about 7-8 changes in clothes. I was told that a top photographer would be doing the photos. The agency owner Patrick did the photos.
We received two discs each child that same day without any editing. Many of the pictures were bad. They said that they had to taking acting classes lucky it was on a day where my kids were not available due to religious school. The classes were also expensive. I told them they could take classes during the summer.
They said they would have agent show cases where there would be several agents come and see my kids and that they would contact me. I waited and waited. I called Katie's cell several times and never got a call back.
After several months of calling, I received a call from her about the classes again, my kids were still religious classes. She said they had a show cases but only the kids that have done the classes were invited. Basically telling that they wouldn't get a show case unless they had classes.
At this point I decided to look up the agency and Patrick on the computer. I saw many complaints to different agency about him and his company. The BBB gave his company a F rating.
I called a manager that my kids used when they were babies and she saw my son. She wouldn't see my daughter because of her learning disability that see would probably wouldn't be able to work.
She said my son had good personality but needed classes and photos. I was told that the photos taken by Patrick were not usable not one of them. She gave me a 2 page list of acting classes that he could take. She told me who the best classes were. She also gave me a 3 page list of photographers and told me I shouldn't need to pay more than $100-$200 for pictures.
We picked one of the classes that she said was good. It was taught by a casting director, who also sent a tape of the class to agents. The cost of the class was $150. From this acting class I was referred to a photographer who has done many $300.
At the acting class were instructed what to wear for pictures and auditions. Never wear white, red, black, strips or designs on clothes. My sons pictures had him in stripes and my daughter was in white.
Both the photogragher and the acting/casting director liked my son and said they would refer them to agents. My son was sent to 2 agents. One agent was with a large firm. They said they liked my son but they had too many blondes.
The other firm was run by a man who has won the commerical agent of the year for the last 3 years for kids and now had his own firm. He saw my son and thought he was great. He signed my son.
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