Barbizon Modeling School
To Whom It May Concern:
Can you please fill me in on this company? My twins
have been accepted as models by Barbizon and now they
want $1,500 for each of my daughters for six classes
over a six-month period. Is this a legitimate company?
Thank you for your assistance.
Barbizon is extremely expensive. Being "accepted" means
nothing, because Barbizon is not an agency. They are
a school. Did they give you the impression they could
get your daughters work?
Most modeling agencies teach their models free. Barbizon
wants you to pay $1,500 for something you could get free,
and they can't even get them work?
Furthermore, a certificate or graduation from Barbizon
means nothing in the real world of modeling. There are
no standards and there is no central education organization
for the modeling industry.
To Whom It May Concern:
Right now I'm attending Barbizon, and I want to know
if it's true that Barbizon is a rip-off.
I'm going to graduate next year, but now that I have
been hearing this stuff, I really don't know what I'm
going to do.
If someone could help me, I would really appreciate
it.
Have you already paid in full? What are the classes
like? How many have you attended?
It's difficult to respond without more information,
but if you have already paid in full, is it possible
to cancel? Will you get your money back minus the amount
for the classes you already attended? If you only pay
by installments, what happens if you back out of the
school?
Is it a ripoff? Only you can decide, because much depends
on why you are attending the school, what you are getting
out of it, and what you hope it will do for you.
One girl said she wanted to attend Barbizon to learn
about hair and makeup; she was not in the slightest bit
interested in modeling. Others attend Barbizon with little
interest in learning about hair and makeup; they only
want to become models. Others still want to learn social
graces and develop confidence.
Whatever your purpose, to figure out if it is a ripoff,
you would want to compare the program with alternatives
and their prices. You can learn about hair and makeup
in books and magazines, and learn about makeup at makeup
counters free.
Also for free you can learn what you need to model at
modeling agencies. Have you learned or can you learn
social graces and develop confidence anywhere else? Or
do you have a lot of confidence already?
The point is it's an individual thing. Everyone has
a different background. There are teens, for example,
who have more confidence than they know what to do with,
they have good manners, they know enough about hair and
makeup to teach others, and they have a great personality.
They may find Barbizon redundant.
Each Barbizon modeling school is a franchise, which
means there are different owners and different teachers.
Some will be more experienced, more competent, more successful,
and more ethical than others.
Still waiting to receive a message from a Barbizon student
who had already signed up and was attending classes but
went to modeling agencies on her own, seeking representation,
got signed, learned whatever she needed to know free
from the agency, started working, earned money, then
went back to the class, stood up, and said, "I have
not even graduated from this school, but I have already
worked. I realize I don't need to be here. This is my
last class."
Don't think for a minute you have to wait until the
classes are over, you have graduated, and you have a
certificate to prove it before you can approach one agency
or as many agencies as you want seeking representation.
Barbizon can't say who is agency ready, because they
don't represent every agency, and they don't know what
every agency requires of models before they can get representation.
Now you need to be careful because apparently Barbizon
sets it up to where they affiliate with one agency which
conveniently requires its models to complete the Barbizon
school and graduate before they will offer representation.
For that one agency, you will not get representation
unless you successfully complete Barbizon. But if it
is not the only agency in town, does it really matter?
You could project from this situation with one agency
that all agencies require modeling school attendance
and graduation if not through Barbizon then through some
other school before they will offer representation. But
this is simply not the case.
Find the agency you want to represent you first. Then
find out what they want if anything before you can be
represented. Don't start with a school; it is the wrong
place to start. A school is not going to get you work;
the agency can get you work, and they know if you are
ready to work.
Just a few days after you
first wrote, in the Nov.
12 edition of the South Bend Tribune, there
was a question and answer about Barbizon in Schaumburg,
IL, exactly where you were not only a student but
also an employee:
- Q. My 15-year-old daughter is interested in modeling
and has found Barbizon Modeling School & Agency
in Schaumburg, Ill. The Barbizon group offers modeling
training at what I consider a hefty price tag. Is there
a way to find if they are a reputable organization?
- G.R., South Bend
-
- A. According to the Federal Trade Commission, the
best advice when it comes to modeling schools is, "Save
your money." Most of them charge $1,500 or more
to take some photos and put your child through a few "finishing" classes.
Be wary of agencies that charge up-front fees. Legitimate
agencies sign a model and make money by taking a cut
of her earnings from assignments.
The mother who wrote the newspaper seems to be under
the impression Barbizon is a school and an agency, since
she called it "Barbizon Modeling School & Agency."
Since you worked for them, can you answer these questions:
1. Is the Barbizon in Schaumburg, IL, not only a school,
but also an agency?
2. Do they have an agency license?
The Barbizon in Schaumburg is affiliated with an agency.
That agency is Royal Model Management. The agency only
uses models who have graduated from the school.
The agency used to be run by Ann Emmrich, and she was
fantastic. She used to get very credible work with companies
like JCPenny's, Kohls, Coca-Cola, etc.
People (including me) did a lot of print work out of
her office. Barbizon didn't really have anything to do
with getting the jobs —the agency did.
Ms. Emmrich often battled with Barbizon about their
ethics. Barbizon recommended shady agencies and managers
in California (I am assuming they got some sort of commission
or deal for this).
For example, they recommended one manager in Los Angeles
that essentially left a 13-year-old girl alone in Los
Angeles with minimal representation and zero supervision.
When the girl's mother flew to Los Angeles to meet with
the manager about her concerns, he blew off two meetings
and never met with the mom. She ended up flying back
home and leaving her daughter in LA with nothing.
Ann often went to bat for models that were put in bad
positions due to this sort of behavior. I am sure that
she wasn't winning any friends, as a result.
Also, Barbizon was often pushing her to take more than
her standard 15% from the models' paychecks.
The Barbizon in Schaumburg has other agencies that take
30% from each paycheck —15% for an agency fee —and
15% for a finder's fee. Ann refused to do this.
I am sure that I am only grazing the surface here. However,
Ann Emmrich no longer directs that agency. I am not sure
what happened to her (it is all very hush, hush).
At any rate, Barbizon got "one of their own" in
the agency director position now; I wouldn't trust any
work that came out of that office now.
Models are probably still told about the agency, but
my guess will be that no work will come out of it. Just
thought I'd let you know.
The mother that wrote to the South Bend Tribune will
probably be told that Barbizon in Schaumburg is indeed
affiliated with an agency. However, without Ann Emmrich
to back up that claim, I certainly wouldn't trust it.
Barbizon in Schaumburg is also heavily involved with
IMTA —beware! I could write another huge testimony
on the problems with that competition.
To Whom It May Concern:
I am a former graduate and employee of the Barbizon
Modeling School in Schaumburg, IL. Having been both student
and an employee, I can verify that the school is a total
waste of money.
I paid $800 for my lessons back in 1996; I know that
the school now charges more like $2,000 for the classes.
I am writing this letter after several years of denial.
I have never been one to burn bridges, so I always tried
to look on the positive side. However, there is just
no denying any more that Barbizon is a total scam.
I was fortunate enough to have an excellent instructor
who had great contacts. I did get A LOT of work after
I graduated. I did print work for Haughton Mifflin and
a ton of hair shows.
I always got paid at least $80/hour or $500/day. I was
working 1-3 days/week. I knew that this wasn't going
to make me rich —but it definitely paid for some
college courses.
My point in disclosing my success isn't to brag, but
hopefully to give me some credibility to anyone who might
read this.
My main point is Barbizon didn't get me ONE job. My
training with Barbizon didn't get me ONE job. Yes, Barbizon
does teach makeup and runway. However, I have NEVER,
EVER had to do my own makeup at a job.
And, furthermore, when you audition, people don't want
you to wear makeup. Girls that have on too much makeup
are asked to either wash it off or leave.
As far as runway goes, you would be better off watching
models on the runway and copying their moves. Rent a
movie like "Gia" that features a lot of runway,
and then copy it in front of a full length mirror until
you get it.
Also, what Barbizon doesn't tell you is that runway
shows are generally CHOREOGRAPHED!! That means that you
need to be able to copy what someone wants. You are better
off not getting stuck in one particular style. You would
be better prepared by practising a variety of styles,
so that you get used to mimicking what a choreographer
wants.
All of my success as a model (and I would say I am a
success story from a small market point of view) came
from practice. The best thing to do is go on as many
auditions as possible. Part of learning to be a model
is learning to audition. So the more you audition, the
better you get.
Furthermore, when you get a job, watch everything and
learn. I learned to do makeup from watching the artists
that did mine at every job. I perfected runway from watching
other girls.
I also worked for the Barbizon in Schaumburg. When you
work for the company, however, you see a whole new side.
It was this experience that finally convinced me that
it is a total scam.
Until then my only experience had been with the classes
I took. Back then the classes only cost $800 and I had
a great instructor. True, Barbizon didn't get me any
work. However, I always felt that my instructor had been
great and she did a lot to boost my self-esteem.
My instructor was also a working model and actress.
When she was offered contracts in Los Angeles, and turned
in her resignation, the owners of the Schaumburg Baribizon
actually tried to blackball her.
They called the agencies in Los Angeles and told them
that she was an addict and a bunch of other lies just
to keep her from moving. They also tried to tell her
that the agencies which wanted to sign her were fraudulent
(pot calling the kettle black!).
Just to support her side, she is a stable mother of
two and she was offered a contract with Matthau Incorporated.
That agency is run by Walter Matthau's son. Hardly a
fraudulent agency!
When I was working as an instructor, they refused to
pay for ANYTHING. I was required to put on a fashion
show and a graduation with NO budget.
I was told to get money from the students. I couldn't
believe that. My students were already paying $2,000
to attend the school, and now they were being told that
they would have to pay for the fashion show and graduation
as well.
I just couldn't bear to do that to the students. I had
75 students who were paying $2,000, and I only got paid
$500 per class for six classes.
When I was teaching, Barbizon was taking in an astounding
$150,000 in tuition (for just my class), and paying $3,000
to me.
Now, keep in mind that the Barbizon in Shaumburg has
about 30 classes going at any given time. That makes
for $4,500,000 every six months or $9,000,000 per year
in tuition.
That also means that they are taking advantage of 4,500
students PER YEAR.
Now maybe you are thinking that it is worth the $2,000
to get lessons from an experienced instructor. Think
again. I was an exception. Most modeling instructors
at Barbizon are former students that couldn't make the
grade. That's right, they are former students that weren't
able to get any work as models so they teach.
They are told to lie so that the students and parents
won't figure out that they are clueless. Also, the Barbizon
in Schaumburg does not even have a complete curriculum
to give the instructors. So many teachers just make up
the class as they go.
I also worked on the recruiting end of Barbizon (once
again the recruiters are people who couldn't get any
real work). When I did the recruiting shows, the "talent
scouts" would make up jobs that they had done in
the industry. They would claim to have walked the runway
in Milan, etc. This was all crap.
No model who has ever been successful enough to walk
a runway in Milan is going to come back to be a "talent
scout" for Barbizon at a Holiday Inn. Girls who
are that successful in the modeling industry go back
and work for reputable agencies, and they don't need
to recruit. They hold open calls out of their office.
Furthermore, those girls get a bonus for each student
that enrolls in their courses. They get $100 for each
student they enroll. So basically, the more students
that sign up, the more money they make. So everyone gets
in to the school. The whole "audition" process
is really a sales pitch to get you to pay for the classes.
There is no audition —if you can pay, you get in.
I could go on and give more examples, but hopefully,
this has already gotten through to the readers. These
people do NOT care about the students. It is a total
scam. All they want to do is make more money. I am sorry
that I didn't see through it faster.
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