Canadian Showcase for Models and Talent
To Whom It May Concern:
I was wondering if you had ever heard of Canadian
Showcase for Models and Talent. It sounds
like many of the scams on your site, but it is not
mentioned.
About 30 out of about 300 were "chosen for a call
back." At the call back, you had to give them $295
for registration to their showcase being held in Edmonton,
Alberta, from October 11-13, 2002, with the full cost
being $595.
I would truly appreciate any information you may have
on this company.
Thanks,
C.B. in BC
C.,
Does the Canadian Showcase for Models and Talent have
a website? There doesn't appear to be much info about
them online. I've only heard about the Canadian Model
and Talent Convention (CMTC), which is at cmtc.ca.
When you said 30 were chosen out of 300 for call backs,
are you referring to the showcase organizers' screening?
This sounds common for modeling conventions. People are "selected" to
buy a seat at a modeling convention.
Modeling convention prices, separate from travel expenses,
food and accommodation, can range from $300 to $3,000.
Unfamiliar with the specific convention or "showcase" you
asked about, I'll explain the general issues, and you
can apply them to the Canadian Showcase.
The biggest problem with modeling conventions is the
organizers are not held to the same standard as modeling
agencies.
Modeling conventions organizers are essentially modeling
scouts. They scout nationally or internationally but
independently for modeling agencies. They are like free-lance
model scouts.
The agencies have their own model scouts, too, and they
are paid finder's fees. The agency scouts don't get paid
until the model gets signed and typically after the model
works (percentage of future earnings).
Why is there a double standard for modeling convention
scouts? Why aren't they also paid only when a model is
signed? If the same standard was held for modeling convention
scouts as for modeling agency scouts, and modeling agencies,
which aren't paid unless the model gets work, nobody
would get ripped off.
The second biggest problem with modeling conventions
is the modeling convention screening process. It is like
a blind date. People show up without seeing each other
to see if there is a mutual interest.
Pictures of potential models should be sent to agencies
which are planning to attend a convention before anyone
cuts a ticket. Let the agencies decide which model hopefuls
they want to see in person at the convention. It does
not have to be like a blind date.
The modeling industry has modeling scams where there
are no checks and balances. (It seems as if wherever
there is a conflict of interest someone is getting exploited.)
Holding modeling convention organizers to the modeling
agency commission standard puts the checks and balances
in place. So does letting the agencies screen potential
models in advance of a convention.
Obviously the Canadian Showcase for Models and Talent
makes money off the models from the fees, but it may
be worth asking if they send out pictures to agencies
in advance. Without that screening, they are wasting
the agencies' time and the model's time and money.
It would essentially turn the event into callbacks instead
of a parade where 90% are rejected, followed by 10% (or
less) getting callbacks.
Right now their failure rate is something like 90%.
They may want to do something about that. Agency screening
could reverse the numbers: 90% success and 10% failure.
Thanks for your reply. CSMT apparently does have a website,
but I can't find it... They said, "Our website is
down right now." (I did phone their number but was
unable to talk to a real person.)
Of interest, CSMT is exactly like the one you mentioned,
CMTC. I went to the CMTC website and everything is the
same, except the name, the date and site of the convention,
the address, and the phone number.
My daughter had been selected for a call back. (She
is actually a singer, not a model.) I was leery as I
had to pay a $295 deposit and then apparently I would
have to sign a contract at the call back.
Of course I'm not going to sign anything without a lawyer
or notary seeing it, so that also rang a few bells for
me.
What really bothers me is that they do not mention money
at all during the entire auditioning process. Actually
they don't ever say anything about it. You find that
out when they give you your time for your call back.
So here you have these teens all excited and happy to
be chosen, then you have to crush them because you simply
cannot fork over $595 on the off chance that a record
producer is actually even going to be there.
If I'd known about the cost of the whole thing, I would
never even have attended.
C.B. in BC
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