All emerging actors want to find new roles that are both exciting and well-paying, whether these roles are for stage theater or films. Most of these actors already know that finding great roles is incredibly hard and that there is a lot to the casting process of every theater or film company. However, because the casting process can vary so much, many scammers make up faux companies that use a secretive casting process to lure in unsuspecting actors.
Many times, theater scams work by taking money from actors rather than paying them. Other times, scams work by taking advantage of the talent of actors and forcing these actors to work for free. In both cases, new and emerging acting talents should be aware of the popular signs of scams that will steal their money and time.
You have probably heard or seen advertisements from agencies looking for young models and actors to audition at a local mall or shopping center. These are usually a scam. Oftentimes, these agencies accept all people who show up to auditions and promise to help them find jobs as a model or actor so long as they take and pay for classes through the agency. In the end, these classes cost two to three times more than legitimate acting or modeling classes do, use untrained teachers, and do not offer actors or models any jobs at the end of classes.
Casting couch scams are scams that involve directors or agency executives who seek out favors, particularly sexual acts, from auditioning actors in exchange for work. This practice is illegal; however, the term "casting couch" has become so popular that a movie, Casting Couch (on fuboTV), has been made based on it. While the movie is comedic, real scammers use this illegal practice every day to victimize new and emerging actors, and all actors that are asked to perform favors in exchange for work should report it to the authorities.
All actors looking for new roles know the importance of headshots in auditions. Headshots should be taken by professional photographers that have experience in working with previous actors; however, there are plenty of photographers out there who will scam actors looking to get headshots too.
If you are an actor looking to get your headshots taken for the first time, ask other actors and acting teachers which photographers in your area they have worked with before. In all cases, avoid working with photographers who ask for a deposit of money before meeting you or who refuses to give you a free consultation. You can expect to pay around $300 to $700 for a session with a photographer, and you can expect to receive a variety of samples or prints after a session, not just one photo.
Agents that represent actors earn commissions on their actors' work and are never paid by the actors directly. Some scammers that disguise themselves as agents ask for money upfront, before even finding work for actors, or ask that actors make regular payments to them. Most real agents may take 10% or less of the money their actors earn and never bill their actors, so steer clear of any agents that do otherwise.
There are a lot of websites that promise to show aspiring actors the best auditions in their area; however, any such website that asks actors to pay to see these audition results are always a scam. As an actor, you can certainly do your own online research to find new roles that may interest you, but you should know that most auditions are not open to the public and therefore will not be posted online. In these instances, you will need to use your references, like an agent or teacher, to help you get your foot in the door of an audition.
All actors know that looking for acting work is hard work in itself, and new actors should be advised that there are no shortcuts to landing great roles. Acting and modeling scams ranging from casting couch scams to acting agent scams are everywhere, but all actors can certainly steer clear of them. As a general rule of thumb, any agent or agency that ask for money or favors from you is probably part of a scam, and any other deal that seems too g