What prompts this little rant? I received an email yesterday from an acting related blog I’m apparently subscribed to that led me to a link to a message board at backstage dot com. For those who don’t know, BACKSTAGE is trade type publication that originally was centered on NY theater and film issues and has for some years also been also covered the LA market as well. It is a legitimate publication, so what I have to say is not a criticism of Backstage.

Here’s the link: Backstage Message Board

Do me a favor and finish reading here before bolting for the message board. I’ll give you a taste of what you’ll find. Here’s the way the discussion begins:

Is anyone familiar with Peter McMahon? He wants my 14 yr. old daughter to be in his new movie. I am excited about this, is it for real? …he said I needed to send him $250. for the SAG, AFTRA, and ACT memberships. He said he could get her 150 hours in in about 3-5 days, because he owns a radio station, cable network, and so on in New York. We were in touch via telephone. He got my daughter’s resume from ***talent.biz, where she can go for casting calls, gigs, and so on for $20.00 per month. I haven’t heard from him since Friday night, and he said he’d send us a “confirmation” for our airline ticket on Sunday night, or Monday morning. It is Monday after 2pm, and he hasn’t returned my phone call. I realize that I am not high on his priority list, since she has 0 experience, but I am getting nervous. His phone number is out of Nashville, TN. Thank you for ANY info you can give me!!

How many red flags do you spot in this post? For the promise from a complete stranger, via a contact across state lines and over the internet, some well meaning but completely clueless parent is about to waste her money, at the very least, and quite possibly jeopardize the safety of her 14 year old daughter. Unbelievable. But believe it, it’s true.

Let me save you some time it will take to read the entire thread on Backstage. An frighteningly large number of other posters responded that they had already sent the scammer identified as “Peter McMahon” at least $250 to be ‘cast’ in his supposed film project called “Italian in the South”. At least one person posted that they had already purchased their tickets to NYC but were waiting for Mr. McMahon to forward their itinerary.

Uh…don’t hold your breath on getting that ‘itinerary’. But this poor person wasn’t the only one taken in by this rather transparent scam:

All of this is happening to me now I have been talking to him peter mcmahon [sic] all day and am suppose to fly out to new york tomoorow [sic] I sent him 250 through western union. I think I got taken.

Ya think?

And this:

Same thing happened to me yesterday. I had noticed this blog yesterday but thought surely that he would call you. I actually called him last night and he answered and said that he would be sending my schedule and itenerary soon. Has anyone else heard anything??

And finally someone injects a bit of good old common sense:

DO NOT FLY ANYWHERE. Obviously, we are missing some information in this situation, but this simply cannot be legit. I guess this COULD just be a money scam, in which case you will never hear from this guy again. But if he was intending to actually fly a child to NYC, it sounds like more than a scam: it sounds more like sex trafficing [sic] . I’m not kidding.

Listen up actors, wannabe actors, and parents who want their kids to be the next big thing in TV and the movies:

I don’t even know where to start listing the DON’T and NEVERs that apply but here are a few in no particular order of importance:

1. NEVER pay any agent upfront money to ‘represent’ you or your child in the entertainment business. That is NOT the way a legitimate agent / client relationship works.

Agent’s work FOR talent in a effort to secure employment. AFTER the talent books a job and is paid, the agent will receive a commission. NOT beforehand.

NOT on the promise of getting the performer work.

NOT in advance in any legitimate situation.

IF an agent requires you to pay a FEE of any kind in exchange for representation that is NOT a legitimate agent and you will be throwing away your money. PERIOD.

Agent scams are as old as show business. See my former post on Headshots for some discussion of the old ‘use my photographer’ scam where the ‘agent’ is nothing more
than a referral service for one or more photographers from whom the ‘agent’ receives a kickback.

Old scam, still going on every day in Hollywood and across the country.

2. NEVER pay a casting service that purports to cast roles in film, television or commercials. Casting directors get paid by production companies, not by actors.

I suggest you check out LEGITIMATE casting offices like casting director Beth Sepko’s where you’ll find the following statement. By the way, Beth’s company casts both principal roles and background:

There is NEVER a fee to be registered or on file with our company. There is also NEVER a fee collected from the talent or extras for any booking. We are compensated by the production companies who hire us. Which means we only book talent for projects we are casting.

Google Beth’s name and you’ll find her site. Read all the information there and you’ll get a good idea of how a legitimate, professional casting director works.

Also check out the web site for THE ALLIANCE. There you’ll find a wealth of information about legitimate conduct for actors, agents and casting directors. This information applies nationwide, not just for actors in Central Texas, so if you’re in LA or NYC or Nashville, TN check out these resources for some very solid information.

3. NEVER post your home address and/or home phone number on some internet ‘casting’ site. Most of these sites have as much chance of generating a legitimate casting opportunity as I have of beating Lance Armstrong in a bike race. Not Likely.

I understand that parents and young actors are trying in every way possible to gain entry into a very competitive business that doesn’t seem to have many open doors.

You should understand that most legitimate casting sites, sites that are actually utilized by professional casting and production people, require that talent have some credentials: an agent, legitimate credits, SAG or AFTRA or AEA membership, for instance.

Listing your home phone and address only sets you up to be more easily scammed or possibly worse.

4. NEVER allow you minor child to have a private meeting with a casting person or agent. That is particularly true if you’ve made contact via the internet or, heaven forbid, Craig’s List.

You are a parent first. Your child’s future career, if there is to be one, will not be thwarted because you exercise good parental judgement.

On the other hand, your child’s safety could definitely be compromised if you do not. Unfortunately, pedophiles and other scumbags can be very clever. Wise up.

5. NEVER post provocative photos of yourself or your children on casting forums or sites. Don’t invite trouble. Unless you’re trying to get into the porn business,
no legitimate casting site wants to publish your nude or semi nude photos. Period.

And to wrap this up:

If you get contacted about a casting call, do your homework. Google is your friend. The IMDB is your friend.

The national or regional offices of Screen Actors Guild or AFTRA are your friends. You do not have to be a union member to get lots of FREE information off the SAG dot org site, for instance.

If you have a question about a producer or production that is supposedly shooting in your area, check with SAG. See if it is a signatory production. Not all legitimate productions are SAG signatory, but the SAG office may have information that will be helpful.

Understand that every state has CHILD LABOR LAWS and legitimate casting and agent’s office go out of their way to make sure they are in compliance with all legal requirements for working with or even interviewing minor children.

Finally, don’t be so desperate to break into the film business that you break the rules of common sense. I could go on forever on this subject…and probably have but the situation that prompted this post is disturbing. To resurrect a line from Hill Street Blues (yeah I’m old enough to remember HSB), BE CAREFUL OUT THERE.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS….SEASON 3 UPDATE

I was happy to get the call last week that Dr. Campbell, the character I played in Episode 2, “Tami Knows Best” would be reappearing in episode 11, “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” now shooting here in Austin. Filming in working hospital in the middle of the day was interesting…may not so much for the real patients…but this crew moves so well and so fast, that I think any interuption was minimal. Look for Matt to have deal with his grandmother’s deteriorating mental health.

Last night was the second big meeting by The Alliance Austin, a cooperative of Central Texas casting directors, talent agents and acting coaches. Speakers at this meeting were:

Representative Dawnna Dukes, Texas State Representative, District 46
 http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dis…

Nan Bernstein, Producer ­ Friday Night Lights
 http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0076987/

Bob Hudgins, Texas Film Commissioner
 http://www.governor.state.tx.us/film/

The bottom line message was that we in Texas have a big fight on our hands to increase our film incentive in the coming legislative session. If you haven’t done so, please join the TXMPA

One of the most sobering statements made last night came from Texas Film Commission head, Bob Hudgins. Although the current Texas film incentive authorized by the state was capped at $20million over two years, Hudgins says its not likely that even that paltry amount will be expended. Why? Out current 5% incentive is so low that we are not even attracting enough production to deplete the $20Million that is available. We MUST have an increase in our INCENTIVE PERCENTAGE in order to compete with our primary competition in Louisiana and New Mexico.

SPEAKERS: A Panel of Speakers from THE ALLIANCE
* Donise Hardy, President, Talent Works-USA
* Veronica Kelly-Albiez, Vice President, DVA Talent
* Liz Atherton, TAG Talent
* Heather Collier, Collier Talent
* Gabe Folse, State Theater

Our September 24 Mixer will feature the panel of Speakers listed above from
THE ALLIANCE, a cooperative of Casting Directors, Talent Agents and Acting
Coaches that provides insights into the needs and concerns of the acting
community. SEE: http://www.theallianceaustin.com/index.h….

This is a very important Mixer and all actors, and those in the film community in general,
are encouraged to attend.

Please pass on information about our Mixers to your friends and associates
in the film/media industries, and if you have a website associated with
those fields, please post our website - www.networkaustinmixer.com

Here’s an excerpt from today’s post and I encourage you to bookmark his blog or subscribe to his RSS feed and check it out often.

In an effort to get enough work by June 30th (to make my health insurance minimums before a strike deadline), a friend started to send me the daily breakdowns so I could see what was roles were available for me. She said that it would double my auditions because as hard as they try, agents just miss stuff. The theory was that this would put me in many more rooms over the next 4 weeks improving my odds for the jobs I need. So, I’d scour the lists for appropriate roles and send in emails to my agent and manager.

Gosh I wish I hadn’t….

Read the full post at the ONE LESS BITTER ACTOR BLOG.

Good Morning Colorado-int. w/ Markus Flanagan from Markus Flanagan on Vimeo.

LINK to second video

The Alliance exists to develop and promote Central Texas area actors, and to ensure continued use of Austin for TV and Film.

Based on comments made during last night’s meeting ofThe Alliance Austin, the SAG casting service, I Actor is not yet in the mix for use by local casting directors.

During the Q&A which followed brief comments by casting directors, Beth Sepko, Rachel Flanagen, Sally Allen, Shelly Reese and Vicky Boone, the CDs were asked if they were using the IActor service.

There was a pregnant pause which seemed to indicate that some of the CDs might not even know what IActor is, followed by Beth Sepko’s comments that it has taken a long time to get the local casting and agent’s community up to speed using Breakdown Services. Sepko went on to say (paraphrasing here:) that IActor may be a factor in the future but as of now, she is using Breakdown Services and won’t be relying on IActor in the near term.

While IActor only officially rolled out in March of 2008, it looks like SAG has some work to do to introduce the service properly to the local casting community. The fact that most of the actors in Texas, a right to work state, currently decline to join SAG, doesn’t bode well for the viability of this service for the SAG actors residing in the Texas market.

Other questions posed to the CDs present regarded marketing, upcoming productions and the necessity or lack thereof of affiliating with SAG. Several hundred local actors attended the event which was held at the Gateway Church of Austin.

And the beat goes on….

It’s often been said that those who can’t do, teach. Sometimes that is true. But sometimes a person comes along who puts it all together as both ‘player’ and coach. I’m happy to say I know such a person in Colleen Patrick. Actor/Acting Coach, Author and Screenwriter/Writing Coach, Film Director…you get the picture. Do yourself a favor and take a look at Colleen’s website and see what some of her students say. She’s helped scores of actors move from “potential” to pro.

If you’re lucky enough to live in the Seattle area, do yourself a real favor and hook up with a real pro who can be that acting or writing coach you need to advance your career. Be sure to check out some of Colleen’s articles in the excellent movieScope magazine.