John Casablancas Modeling School
To Whom It May Concern:
All of these letters make me so sad. I can't believe
how awful some of you were treated. No, it's not fair
at all. It's not right.
I guess when it came to this company, I was "lucky," you
would say. Yes, we did pay the money to get the classes
as well as the two photo shoots (three rolls of pictures
each-32 exposures); three clothing changes hair and makeup
included.
We currently own the negatives (CD) as well as the contact
sheets. The photo seasons ran for 1 1/2 hours each. Total
$1,200.
They did flat out tell us "you may not get any
jobs once you are done with the school; would you still
like to continue?"
I said, "yes," because I was thinking of it
as a learning experiece as well.
A step back a little before I continue. In school (k-12
grade) I used to be so shy that I would play sick or
skip school, pretend I lost my voice, etc., just so I
didn't have to stand in front of the class and give a
presentation.
So I went to the school the whole summer after I graduated
from high school, and signed with the affiliated MTM
agency.
I am amazed at how much more outgoing and happy with
myself I am. If I had not received any jobs with this,
it was all worth it to help me be more outgoing.
I have received local jobs with a few companies.
Just this past April, I was invited to attend a meeting
about the Mike
Beaty Expo in Dallas, Texas.
I went to the meeting and they asked us to read.
The next meeting was for the people after they had narrowed
it down.
A week later I got a call. They invited me to go, but
had things they wanted to talk to me about before they
had me commit.
I went in and they sat me down and explained everything,
right down to "an agency may call you just to say, "I
wanted to see you up close."
"Now some of you may get one call back some many
and some none."
We had classes on a runway practice (that was where
the agents saw you). We had an overall, agency shirt
and black pants, a black, white or black and white outfit.
Children could wear any color. And a swimsuit, but only
those 13 and over could participate, and that was optional.
The children could wear any sports type outfit (play
clothes).
There was a commercial reading (the other thing we had
to do).
We had meetings from September to October to make sure
people were understanding everything.
They helped us set up fundraising to get us there for
cheaper and many of us did not have to pay for even the
hotel stay.
Our group (a total of 23 I believe from North Dakota,
South Dakota, Minnesota, Illinois, and Wisconsin) went
to Dallas from October 31-November 4 for the modeling
Expo (there is also a talent one).
Our group took best overall agency and swept the overall
divisions.
It was fun to watch because all these other groups were
thinking that those things meant everything.
We had been told before that they are just for fun, "Don't
take it (the awards) seriously, concentrate on who you
are here for. You."
Out of 23 of us I think 12 may have gotten call backs
(I got one). One guy in our group got a call from every
agency he now lives in New York.
The call backs were everything they had said they would
be. They had told us we would stand in line and may not
get to everyone, but we had their cell numbers, so if
that was the case, we had to call them, and they would
run around and grab cards from the ones we did not make
it, too.
The people who helped us through Casablanca's were amazing.
Hopefully there are more good Casablanc's than bad. I
really believe it's all in who you work with.
N.L. in Bloomington, Minnesota
N.,
It is not all in who you work with; it's all in the
business model. Is the JC business model consistent with
modeling industry standards? No.
Some JC franchises are going to do business with higher
business ethics standards than others, but every one
has the same business model.
The issue of confidence always seems to come up in defense
of modeling schools or JC. Confidence is important. If
you want to take classes at a "modeling school" for
confidence only, fine.
JC franchises in the past have claimed affiliation with
Elite in NY. Consider the words of Monique Pillard, president
of Elite, as published in a news report.
- The fact is, when top agencies see a girl they think
has a real chance to make it (and generate huge fees
down the road), they are willing to pay for runway
lessons, housing, transportation, pictures, you name
it.
-
- "If [a girl] comes off the street into Elite
and we think she has potential, she doesn't need to
pay for classes," says Monique Pillard, director
of New York's powerhouse Elite Models, which represents
Linda Evangelista, Shalom Harlow, Amber Valletta and
Trish Goff, among others.
-
- "Somewhere down the line, she may take runway
classes, which she doesn't pay for," Pillard says. "We
absolutely bear the burden. If a girl has talent and
potential to become a model, of course, we help.
-
- "It's a scam of [the model] paying $1,000 or
$2,000," she says. "That's [expletive]."
("The Improbable
Dream," Robin Givhan, Washington Post, December
2, 1996)
Modeling conventions like the Mike
Beaty Expo operate at the same ethical
standard as modeling schools like JC. Therefore it
is no surprise they get along so well and work together.
Neither one accepts the industry standards and both
operate with an unchecked conflict of interest on extreme
upfront fees.
To Whom It May Concern:
I would like to make some things clear about John Casablanca's
(JC).
If the modeling world were a family, JC would be the family
member who has a different "the greatest
business opportunity" for you every time you see
him.
My first encounter with modeling was with Manhattan
Model Search. Now that was my only encounter ever with
anything to do with modeling.
So, three months down the road, I get a call from a
guy at JC in the Easton Town Square in Columbus, Ohio.
He said, "Yeah, xxxx company referred you to us,
so I would like to set up an appointment with you and
discuss some things. Remember to bring a photo of yourself."
First of all, xxxx company was not Manhattan Model Search,
so I knew that was a lie, because, as I said, Manhattan
was the only other company with which I had ever dealt.
Second of all, I knew that JC had never seen me before
because:
a) they wanted me to bring a picture;
b) I had never worked as a model; and,
c) I had never even been photographed!
So this guy is not starting off on my good side at all.
I didn't say it, but I knew the only reason they were
calling me is because JC had bought my name off a mailing
list somewhere, so at best this was a waste of time.
Still, I had my doubts as to how much of a farce JC
was, so I decided to do some extensive research and cross
referencing.
I found much more negative material than good about
JC.
Now, I'll admit, the gentleman on the phone never made
any promises to me; however, most of the complaints I
read about JC said that they really don't let "the
cat out of the bag" until you are in the office.
I am a more seasoned professional now, and I have some
recommendations for future hopefuls:
1) Before the "agent" can speak the first
word, your mouth should utter the following: "Please
inform me of any and all costs I will accrue before my
first modeling job with your company."
If any, ask why they are asking for money up front if
they are so confident in you? Sounds to me like they
are trying to take out an insurance policy.
Frankly, you don't want an agent who only thinks he
can make you money if you spend yours.
2) If you are in the younger crowd, let's say,
13-17, possibly younger, let your parent(s) go to the
first meeting alone —without you!
Why? Agents can be sharks, believe it or not. They will
try and play a parent's guilt by getting their child's
hopes up and rubbing it in their parent's face.
Going in together the first time makes this all the
more easy for the agent to do. Your mom and dad will
be objective and looking out for your best interests,
which is a very good thing.
If it is just the parent and agent on the first meeting,
more times than not the agent mystically drops the smoke-and-mirror
act, and is more honest versus being able to manipulate
the mind of an impressionable teenager.
This rule is a "must follow."
3) Do research on every modeling company you deal with
until the cows come home. If you can afford it, hire
a private attorney to research and review all the technical.
If you choose to do it yourself, research it, read it,
re-read it, and then start all over again.
I cannot stress this enough.
Too many times I have seen models promised riches only
to see them go to their agents, only because they "didn't
read that part of the contract."
If you apply these rules and have some common sense,
you can have a rewarding career in the modeling business.
I hope I have been of some help.
Sincerely,
R.H.
To Whom It May Concern:
I am a teenager who is currently attending John Casablancas
Modeling and Career Center in Connecticut.
I was reading a woman's letter on the site and I too
heard the same things as her when I went in for my interview.
My classes are not as bad as she described them. We
do work, and are instructed, and do not share any of
the same supplies.
However, I know that my family does not have the easiest
time paying for these classes.
But since I am the only child, and my parents are split
up, I do get to do a lot of things as long as I agree
to stay with it.
I do have hopes to some day be a model, because it has
been an ambition of mine since I was a very little girl,
but I do not want to put my mother's money into it if
there will be no benefit from it.
I have heard from many people that it is a very good
place, and they recommend it, but I have also heard from
people that it is a bad idea, and a waste of time.
I was looking through the papers one night, and one
thing they failed to mention was that you had to have
a 2 average for every class in order to receive agency
representation. (We are graded between 1 and 4; 1 being
the best.)
Do you have any suggestions as to what I should do?
And if I do stick with this, but nothing ends up happening,
even if I meet their criteria, grade wise, is there anything
I can do about my parents' money?
On a related note, my friend from school attends John
Robert Powers of Connecticut. I believe it is located
in Norwalk. Is there anything I could possibly tell her
about her school?
Thank you for your time,
L.L.
L.,
You asked: "Do you have any suggestions as to what
I should do? And if I do stick with this, but nothing
ends up happening, even if I meet their criteria, grade
wise, is there anything I can do about my parents' money?"
How many classes have you attended? Is it even possible
for you to get your money back if you want? Are you paying
on a payment plan, or did you pay everything upfront
already?
If you do not want to get your money back, or you are
unable to do so, make the most of the situation. Learn
whatever you can and have fun.
The first thing you should know, which JC may not have
taught you, is the JC standards are not the industry
standards. There aren't 1s and 2s and 3s and 4s which
qualify or disqualify models. You don't even have to
attend classes!
You can and probably should seek out respectable modeling
agencies in your city or state. You do not have to wait
until the classes are over. You don't even have to say
you are going to a modeling school. If you want you can
look for and contact them today.
You also asked about your friend at JRP: "Is there
anything I could possibly tell her about her school?"
You can suggest she reads the
letters and complaints about JRP.
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