John Robert Powers Modeling
School
To Whom It May Concern:
I'm 14 years old and need advice on a company called
John Robert Powers.
It is always best to start at the beginning, so that
is what I'll do.
About a month ago, I went to a concert with a friend.
At the concert, they had a booth set up which said "John
Robert Powers."
A lady approached us and asked if we wanted to audition
to be in commercials.
My friend and I wanted a laugh, so I said, "Yes."
They gave me a piece of paper with a script on it from
a Taco Bell commercial.
Then they put me in front of the camcorder, and I read
it.
My voice sounded good, but I hardly looked at the camera,
and my friend and I had a good laugh.
Like I said, I did it as a joke, and I had no idea I
would get a call back.
Well, about a week ago, I did, and this guy named Mark
talked to my parents, and said that he really liked my
style, and wanted to see me at the audition the next
day.
He also said that not very many people got invites,
and that most called trying to get in.
I was ecstatic, to say the least!
So the next day, we went. We sat in a room for about
a half hour, listening to the head of John Robert Powers
talking about all the success stories that I guess had
happened.
Next we went one-on-one with a really nice lady named
Rachel, and then we waited in line to shoot the audition
on a camcorder.
I waited, then I did it.
I thought I did an extremely good job, and I guess the
cameraman thought so, too, because he said this to me: "You
did a really good job; you'll probably get a call back."
Then they gave us a number to call in two days to see
if we made the call back list.
Sure enough, I made it!
The head of the company said that he really, really
liked my style, and said that I didn't even have to go
to the second interview.
My parents, though happy, were a little concerned about
the humongous price ($2,000).
He said that we could pay half now, and half in 30 days.
My mom asked if there was any way that she could pay
monthly payments.
He said he'd talk to the head of the Sacramento office
to see what he could do. He will call back later.
This school —even with monthly payments —would
be a huge sacrifice for my parents, because this is a
large sum of money.
I really want to do this, but I have heard of many people
getting scammed by John Robert Powers, and if this is
true, I don't want to waste my time.
Also my mom has a friend of a friend who's a lawyer,
and has children who model through JRP, and absolutely
loves it. He says it's a legit company.
Is the Sacramento office a non-scammer?
Sincerely,
R.G.
R.,
The situation is you have no experience in the industry,
no reference point for pricing, and they have years of
experience practising their sales pitch, plus a serious
conflict of interest for extreme upfront fees.
How do you know they are not just saying things so you
will pay them? How can you trust their opinion is not
biased?
It sounds as if they are stringing you along.
1. "He also said that not very many people got
invites, and that most called trying to get in."
2. "You did a really good job; you'll probably
get a call back."
3. "The head of the company said that he really,
really liked my style, and said that I didn't even have
to go to the second interview."
You asked about the Sacramento franchise. There was
an earlier warning about it.
The bottom line is JRP is not the only store on the
street. You MUST shop around. You can get second opinions.
What is there stopping you from finding acting classes
which are much cheaper?
What is there to stop you from going to an open call
at a talent agency or several talent agencies which are
not going to try and sell you something?
You admitted it would be a "huge sacrifice" for
your parents.
Based on the conflict of interest, the "humongous
price," the huge sacrifice, the earlier specific
and general warnings, and the fact there is no guarantee
you will get work or even an agent, you should start
by examining all your options, comparing all the prices,
and take it from there.
Spend $20 of your own money learning about the industry
and the pitfalls before you spend $2,000 of your parents'
money.
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