They're on Belmont, west of the tollway about four blocks. The place looks legit, and everyone working there is very 'skit skat, skit skat'. But what made me suspicious almost immediately was the 50 or so other people sitting there watching a video when I got there. A video showing all the famous people who got their start this way. People like Ashton Kucher, Katie Holmes, etc.

They were trying to make a sale, and I picked up on that right away. But...I sat through their presentation anyway, because I was curious about their angle. Apparently, their angle is to get you to think they are going to prepare you to go to some convention in Los Angeles where you will be exposed to 400 agents from around the world, and that they only want to send the very best, so if you are picked by them, you are helping to maintain their reputation as the best agency in Chicago.

Each person was given a 2-3 line commercial to memorize, and then taken into a room to present it and then tell a little about themselves. Then you would be given a booklet to take home and read which contained info about the convention and about REM.

On the booklet would be a number to call the next day at noon to see if you made the cut. My guess is everyone who calls back is told they made the cut. That is because after reading the booklet, you would know that it is going to cost you $5,000 to attend that convention. I found that out by picking up a copy of the booklet while waiting for my turn and going straight to the back pages where the truth comes out.

That is when I said "I am not going to waste any more of my time here.", and I left.

I am not 100% sure how I got on their calling list, but I would guess through a posting on Craig's List. If you get a call from REM, don't go. It's not legit.

Sandy Gulliver

I went to REM after a phone invite. Adults are $5000?  They said my daughter could go for $1500.  This was for airfare and hotel from what they said. Another $1200 for the parent though.   Didn't take them up on their offer.     They were sending her to a real event called IMTA in LA but if we really wanted to go their we could have gotten there alot cheaper. I guess they have over priced classes on modeling and acting there. It seem a little like John Robert Powers with a different name.  John Robert Powers has alot of scam alerts on the web.  

--Last edited by hawk66 on 2008-01-24 01:50:45 --

Dude, one of the ones i have gone to... one of the ladies turned out to be the head of casting for UNIVERSAL STUDIOS!  and i been in touch with her for many years since then!  she went on to be head of casting at new line cinema.
  learning a little about Hollywood along the way might help, i've always known it to be tricky finding ones way through it all.  the one where you get to travel with as the parent would be a very neat trip, anywayz!!!

Moviestar

Quote :

Moviestar wrote : Dude, one of the ones i have gone to... one of the ladies turned out to be the head of casting for UNIVERSAL STUDIOS!

Moviestar,

Did you go to REM, JRP or to IMTA. I know IMTA is for real. It happened 2 weeks ago.  What I am questioning is the price of REM and all their programs just like JRP. They claim just like JRP certain people go thru their program and become stars.  There is no way to substantiate their claims. JRP has been doing it for years and getting sued.

Dude, in addition to the information i sent you in private, there used to be a great Extra Casting Seminar by Shirley Telly it was called the Sparks Seminar for $20 and was a really good deal!
  Originally i took a class called actors studio and i still run into some of the other students from there.  I noticed the teacher from that class is still around, Paul Cook.  he also starred in a lot of commercials himself and is the doctor in the movie "Somewhere In Time"  he's still in commercials every now and then.  (he was also the president of the Screen Actors Guild in Detroit, once, too!!!) that class was several hundred dollars... but, again, i feel it was worth it!

Moviestar

Quote :

Moviestar wrote : Dude, in addition to the information i sent you in private

I never got a private message from you but these place like REM and JRP want a couple thousands of dollars not a few hundred.

Here is a posting from a website a few years ago about the scam. Don't know if they have changed much since then.  When I went to an invite to JRP they thru alot of names out and that was in 2006. REM did the same thing and that was last year.

http://www.2nd-tier.com/showfax_bbs/index.cgi?noframes;read=4985

Hawk  

--Last edited by hawk66 on 2008-01-24 23:00:36 --

Watch out.  Glamor Model and Talent is posting on Craig's List again.  MAJOR SCAM.

Quote :

msgulliver wrote : I am not 100% sure how I got on their calling list, but I would guess through a posting on Craig's List. If you get a call from REM, don't go. It's not legit. Sandy Gulliver

As usual, Google is your friend...

Click this link:

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/318/RipOff0318805.htm

-Bruce

Another scam that's resurfaced lately on Craig's List is Glamor Model and Talent.  They are mainly interested in selling you expensive pictures.

Has anybody heard anythign about One Source Talent. I "applied"on their website this past sunday. They called me later in the day and wanted to set up an interview for this Wednsday. I said sure and asked them if I had to pay for anything at this interview and they said no. I still want to go but I want to make sure what I am doing first. Any help would be appreciated.

Shaggy85 --

Sorry I did not see this sooner, but in case it is not too late...

OneSource Talent is another complete scam.  Stay away.

The following is from the forums at Backstage.com:

http://bbs.backstage.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9131061/m/158106571

OneSouce.com is nothing but a scam.  They are NOT a licensed agency, which means they cannot legally take a percentage of any work you do anyway.  This is always the first clue.  This means they do not care to try to get you work, since they know they could be prosecuted if they did so, and then tried to take the usual 10%, or 20% for print, etc.  That should be the tipoff that they merely want YOu to give them money, perhaps for amateur headshots, or for useless comp cards, or for a listing in their own inhouse magazine, or for special "training," or for a listing at their website.  Regardless, no one will hire you because of this relationship.  You will be asked to fork over money to them.  You will receeive nothing in return to help your career.  You will get screwed. End of story.

The same is true of REM.  The same is true of Glamour.  Be forewarned.

The real agents:  cannot require you to pay them money in order for them to represent you.

The real agents:  might tell you you need better head shots, but they will then give you a LIST of true outsiders to consider.  They will also not insist you must use one of those photographers.  They cannot do that.

The real agents:  most are listed at the SAG web site as SAG agents (and most of them also will work with non-union talent, especially in this town).  All of those are real agents (although their are two on that list who are rather lousy agents, at least they are real and licensed, and they do send their talent out to audition.)

The real agents: might ask if you wish to be posted on their website, but you can decline (and you should decline, since no casting director really casts from that anyway).  The real agent will still rep you, even though you said "no" to the listing.

The real agents do NOT offer training.

The real agents do not ask you to pay for a photoshoot or spread in any magazine (a magazine which, by the way, cannot be found anywhere except in the lobby of OneSource, or REM, or Glamour...)  This so-called "magazine" is self-published merely so you cannnot come back and sue them for not delivering what they said they would deliver...   An appearnce or ohotoshoot for a magazine.  The only people who will open that magazine are other naive new models and actors, sitting in that same lobby, a few weeks from now.

Hope this helps...

-Bruce