who loves ya baby?

As a performer it kills me to see my fellow actors and performers getting duped. It’s usually by the same kinds of people every time. You know the ones. ‘Do you want to be the next Hannah Montana or Ashton Kutcher? Then you need to come down to the SnakeNavel Convention Center and audition for our top agents and managers this Saturday from 10am to blahblahblah.’  Ads in the paper or on a website promising casting info or introductions to casting directors, agents or producers for a fee.   This is a multi-BILLION dollar criminal industry.

Like a slimy used car salesman they’ll promise you the stars and deliver zero.

Question: How do you know if you’re being taken advantage of?
Answer:  Below are the most common scams and how to spot them. (thanks to the Better Business Bureau for their help on this)

Beware of any person, company or organization who:

1. Asks for up-front money, which may be called “registration,” “consultation,” or “administrative” fees. Legitimate agents work on a commission. They don’t get any money until you get paid for doing the work they have obtained for you.
2. Pressures you to leave a check or cash deposit or sign a contract immediately. (I’ve been repped by William Morris and ICM and never had to sign a contract.) The agent may insist that you take acting lessons at a particular school or from a particular teacher; or may try to get you to buy expensive photographs, audition tapes, or other services or materials sold by someone he or she suggests. An agent’s time should be spent finding work for his or her client, not selling products and services. One of the biggest complaints from casting people? Actors spend WAY too much money on photos that don’t even look like the person who walks in the door. Money doesn’t make you photogenic.
3. Displays pictures of famous models or celebrities on the walls to make you believe they are represented by that agency, although they’re not.

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4. Uses names which sound similar to well-known agencies. Fraudulent companies will sometimes do this to give the incorrect impression that they are connected to a legitimate entity.

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5. Places phony ads in the help wanted section of newspapers that say something like, “new faces wanted” for commercials, movies or modeling or claim that “no experience is necessary.”

6. Charges you money to speak with agents over the phone. There are several websites who do this. Agents and managers are busy people but they won’t charge you to speak to them. They may not return your calls right away but that’s part of the game. No one should charge you on their behalf.

Problems or complaints about an agent or an agency may be referred to the Better Business Bureau, state Department of Licensing and Regulation or consumer protection agency in the city where the company is located. To obtain helpful consumer information on a particular agency, you will need to contact the local BBB that serves that particular city.

There is no magic formula for success. Following your heart will take you to greater heights than following your wallet.   If it sounds too good to be true…well, you know the rest.  Here’s to your success!

-Kahlil at GigSmacked dot com

We want to hear from you on this.  I’ve snuck into a few of these ‘conventions’ and ‘agencies’.  The dishonest business practices are shocking. Share this with your friends, family and colleagues and let us know what you think.

The people you surround yourself with can keep you from reaching greatness or they can be the one thing that keeps you grounded. Here’s what happens if you don’t know

the difference:

Duffy went from a film deal with Harvey Weinstein and gracing magazine covers to has-been in record time.

His downfall?  1. Smelling his own piss. (Believing his own press) 2. Mixing friends and family with business.

The problem with hiring family or friends in the entertainment business is two-fold:

Emotional attachment: It is impossible to make smart creative and business decisions when emotion is involved.  You need to be able to step back.  Separate yourself from the situation and look at things objectively and make the call without flinching.   If your mom is managing your career and is obviously in over her head how do you tell her to buzz off?  Answer is don’t hire her in the first place.  I’m a parent.  If my kid is kicking butt at something I’d want him  to have the best person possible to make sure he’s on the right track.  Doesn’t mean I can’t check in on them here and there.  There’s a fine line between concern and interference.

Family and friends want to protect you.  I get it.  But the ‘you’ they have known all these years will have to evolve significantly in order to face the temptations and challenges of succeeding in this business.  Learn to separate the ‘old home you’ from the ‘work you’.  They need to let go of the old you and give you room to grow. Your past can either propel you to success or hold you back.   My past is nothing to brag about (it’s actually pretty horrible) but it is also my biggest advantage because to hide it is fake and won’t hold up in the long term.  Keep your eyes on the prize.

NOTE: If you happen to hate your family’s guts then consider yourself at an advantage.  Chances are they won’t be working for you anyway so skip this bit.

Maybe your family gives you useful input.  Great. But you need to know where to draw the line. If you are among the lucky few who have a competent team of professionals with your best interest at heart working their butts off for you there is no need to jeopardize that relationship by second-guessing their guidance. The very nature of growing your brand and an intricate part of any  major career evolution is that it has to be broken down in order to be built back up.

Expectations: I am closer to my friends than I am with most of my family.  My buddy from Tops In Blue was the best man at my wedding.  Would I hire him to manage my career or affairs?  Nope.  And he doesn’t expect me to.  A lot of the business decisions you’ll have to make may be what’s best for your career but not in the best interest of your friendship.  The phrase ‘we started this together’ is a slippery slope so beware of people who are hanging on to your coat tails with this sly form of guilt.  You don’t owe anybody a damn thing.  And the world doesn’t owe you anything either. When you hire an industry professional who may not know you but is passionate about your work everybody starts on even ground.  Someone who doesn’t know you takes you at face value and all their decisions are clear and transparent.  They’re not afraid to piss you off, and you’re not afraid to give them a piece of your mind.  This is how business relationships work, as long as you don’t start talking about each other’s mamas you’ll make lots of money together and enjoy a successful career.

With success comes a lot of guilt which we’ll cover in another post.  Remember that the sacrifices your family and friends have made to support you on your journey don’t come with strings attached.  Thank them by being successful and never forgetting where you came from.  And mention GigSmacked.com in your awards acceptance speech.  (kidding)

It’s Showbusiness.  Not ShowFriends.

-Kahlil Ashanti, GigSmacked.com

I know there are some successful family/friends situations out there but it’s very rare.  Agree or Disagree? Is it working for you?  Share your secrets!   We’re here to shed as much light on this subject as possible.  ReTweet, Facebook, and share this post.  Let’s keep the dialogue going!