emodel.com, Options Talent Group
To Whom It May Concern:
I am interested in finding out about an agency called Options
Talent that I know has several offices in
the country, one of which is in St. Louis, MO.
I would like to know if it is a legitimate company,
if there have been any complaints about scams, and what
kinds of business their models receive, and for what
companies. Are we talking Vogue, Sears, or are we talking
about less legitimate companies?
The sooner I could get this information, the better.
Thank you.
E.N.
E.,
First off, just to make a quick correction, Options
Talent is not an agency. I thought I should make that
clear, even if they do not, since you may have been led
to believe or under the impression they are a talent/model
agency.
I don't know what their scouts say, but their website
said: "Options is not an agency so we will not book
you directly. We do not form any “special” relationships
with agencies, nor do we have legal affiliation with
any agencies."
Options Talent used to operate under the name emodel,
according to the Better Business Bureau.
emodel was in the St. Louis news (Jill Farmer of Fox
2 News, KTVI, St. Louis) last year. The summary of the
report which first aired November 26, 2001, is here:
The report includes typical complaints, but there have
been many
more.
It doesn't look like a legitimate company if you go
by previous news stories and the conclusion of Bill Mitchell,
President of the Better Business Bureau in Greater Los
Angeles:
"The whole thing, fundamentally, from beginning
to end, is a scam."
The kind of business their models get seems to be low-end
for minor companies. For example, handing out footballs.
Adam Luck of Atlanta said he's gotten modeling work
on his own, but not a single job through eModel that
was worth anything.
"Want to hear about the one I got? I stood outside
a stadium in the rain for two hours handing out little
plastic footballs. I don't know what I was thinking when
I signed on.''
Crystal Quantock, of Ypsilianti, Michigan, said: "I'm
considering stopping my monthly payments to eModel. A
monkey could have done the jobs I've gotten.''
Chris Pace, of Ahead of the Pace agency in New York,
has said he has hired eModels for promotional work at
conventions, fairs, and stadiums around the country.
Promotional work at conventions, fairs, and stadiums
does not pay like print work in magazines (Vogue) or
major catalogs (Sears).
emodel and Options Talent are so new, you would be surprised
if they got members work which was anything other than
minimal quality and minimal quantity.
Victoria Hornbeck, 30, an emodel member from Montgomery,
Ill., said a Chicago production company cast her for
a small role in an independent film. She did not get
paid.
There has been false or misleading advertising or claims
about work which have not been substantiated. So don't
believe anything they cannot prove.
A reporter last year asked emodel how much work they
were getting members, and the guy could not answer the
question.
Brian Davis, who was the general manager of eModel operations
in 2001, said the business had no statistics showing
how many models showcased on its site have actually procured
work.
If you are serious about getting decent work from a
reputable company in St. Louis, contact Sharon Tucci,
the owner of St. Louis' most prestigious modeling firm, Talent
Plus.
Good luck!
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