StarSearchCasting.com Casting Calls Auditions Acting Modeling Singing Dancing

When we’re investigating recent scam activity, we often find that new scams are really just revised emails that are being circulated by the same scammers
over and over, simply using a different name. Many parents are
discovering that this same tactic is used by agencies offline as well.
More and more parents are learning that companies who have been
investigated for fraudulent activity
are now changing the names of their companies to avoid detection. This
tactic now requires parents who are researching reputable opportunities
for their child actors, models, dancers and singers to dig even deeper
to make sure that the agencies and industry professionals that they
work with truly have their children’s best interest at heart.

StudioKidz was an agency in California that recruited children for acting jobs, often in stores such as Wal-Mart and Target. The
agency was accused of charging exorbitant fees for classes and
training. Later it was discovered that the agency didn’t have a license
and therefore was never able to legally book acting jobs for any of
their clients. When parents began to report the agency to consumer
action agencies, the owners decided to change their name to TVKidz so
that parents who looked them up online wouldn’t come across the large
number of complaints that had been filed against them.

However,
it wasn’t long before parents begin to discover that TVKidz was the
same agency as StudioKidz, which prompted the owner to change the name
of the company again to CommercialKidz. Additionally, she even changed
her own name. A watchdog group who has been following the agency’s
activities has now found information that suggests the owner may even
have a previous criminal record.

So
you see, you can never be too careful when it comes to researching
agencies or industry professionals who have expressed an interest in
you or your children. It’s unfortunate that there are so many
individuals out there that lay in wait to take advantage of those new
to the industry. However it’s important that instead of being
discouraged, that we simply do our homework each and every time and
stay focused on our goals.

Be sure to log in to http://www.EliteCastingNetwork.com each day to review our Scam Alert. We will continue to keep you posted on the latest scam information affecting the entertainment industry, as well as strategies you can use to make sure you don’t become a victim.

Star Search Casting
has been a leading casting website for 10 years, serving both casting
and entertainment executives as well as singers, actors, dancers and
models seeking opportunities in the industry. While Star Search Casting
has developed a solid reputation for providing casting information for
some of the industry’s most popular television shows and feature films,
the website is also a leader in providing the most comprehensive
database of industry resources
on the web. From agents and photographers, to production companies and
dance schools, Star Search Casting provides all of the information an
aspiring performer needs to get a head start in the industry.

Founded by Jonathan Parker,
an experienced entertainment industry executive, Star Search Casting
provides all of the essentials for getting started in the industry.
"For many, pursuing a career in entertainment can be overwhelming
because there’s so much to learn," says Parker. "In addition to
providing singers, dancers, actors and models with casting information,
we also felt that it was important to give them access to everything
from hair stylists to professional associations so that they have
everything they need in one place to ensure a smooth transition into
the industry."

For most, developing a career in the entertainment industry takes time. And aspiring performers
interested in acting, modeling, singing and dancing will have to learn
the ropes, and sometimes even get additional training, before they are
ready for stardom. To help aspiring performers along the way, Star
Search Casting guides them with critical information in their community
forums, supplemented with comprehensive lists of contacts and resources
organized for easy access.

"I
wasn’t introduced to modeling until I was in my early 20s, so when I
decided that I wanted to pursue it as a profession, I felt like I had a
lot of catching up to do," says Amy Reynolds, a Star Search Casting
member. "However, at Star Search Casting I was not only able to find
lots of modeling casting calls, but I was also able to get a list of
photographers, agents, fashion stylists, makeup artists and even books which were all extremely helpful."

SSC is committed to ensuring that aspiring actors, dancers, models and singers
have all of the tools they need to become successful in the
entertainment industry. To learn more about how Star Search Casting
helps its members make their mark on the competitive entertainment
industry, visit http://www.StarSearchCasting.com today!

While a career as a professional dancer
is rewarding, it can also be extremely demanding. The toll that it can
take on a dancer’s body can often lead to a short-lived professional
career. Based on that fact, many dancers
often struggle with the decision of whether they should go to college
or immerse themselves in their career immediately after they graduate
from high school in order to maximize the years their bodies are able
to endure the physical stresses of the industry.

While most ballet dancers who have the potential to become professional dancers
either join a company or a conservatory immediately after high school,
dancers who pursue other types of dance including modern, hip hop, and
lyrical have more flexibility in their decision. This decision is
usually made after weighing the pros and cons and making a decision
that’s best for the individual.

Some
critics argue that the majority of college dance programs are not
designed to train professional dancers, and that dancers benefit most
from professional experience accompanied by studio classes.
Others argue that a college degree helps dancers to prepare for
post-dance careers, develop their level of maturity and learn many of
the skills they will need to live in cities like New York, Los Angeles
or Chicago where there are lots of opportunities for work.

If you’re a dancer and you’re struggling with whether or not college is right for you, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do
  you have other interests outside of dance that are equally important to
  you that can be nurtured by attending college?
• Do you have a desire to teach at      the collegiate level as a post-dance career?
• Do
  you think college would be beneficial in helping you learn important
  life skills and lessons such as meeting deadlines and following through
  on projects before you head out into the real world?
• Is having a “backup plan”      important to you?

If
you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, then college may be an
important step in your journey. However, if you’re still not sure, you
might also look into colleges that offer delayed enrollment, which
would allow you to take the professional route for a year with the
option of entering college the following year. Some dancers also try
community college while pursuing their dance career in order to earn credits in a less demanding setting.

If you’d like to explore professional dance opportunities in your area, visit http://www.StarSearchCasting.com and check out some of our casting notices.

While we pride ourselves on being a resource for aspiring entertainers,
there are also lots of Star Search Casting members who have already
achieved enormous success. I like to spotlight these members
occasionally as a reminder to others of the opportunities that are
available in the entertainment industry and how attainable success in
this business can be.

Melanie Tillbrook is a Star Search Casting Silver member currently residing in Miami, Florida. Her page has been viewed nearly 60,000 times by casting directors, agents
and other visitors. Melanie, like many other Star Search Casting
members, has a number of interests and has pursued opportunities in
music, dance, acting and modeling. She’s even currently working on
developing her own independent music label, Fire House Entertainment.

Melanie
has gained a tremendous amount of exposure through the numerous jobs
that she has booked. She has appeared in a number of national
publications including Maxim, Super Street Bike Magazine, and Sister 2 Sister
in both editorials and advertisements. You also may have seen her in
the music video for “I Won’t Tell” by Fat Joe and J. Holiday, on the
cover of the calendar published by Muscle Mustang magazine, or on The Best Damn Sports Show
or the Home Shopping Network. She’s developed an extensive resume,
which includes experience in television, music videos, runway shows,
calendars, commercials and more. Not only has Melanie pursued
opportunities in music, acting, modeling and dance, she’s excelled at
all of them! In fact, in addition to singing in the choir at Florida
State University, she also studied both ballet and modern dance there
and was a backup dancer for Snoop Dogg on the Projekt Revolution Tour.
Pretty impressive, right?

In
addition to her past accomplishments, Melanie has lots in store for her
in 2008, including hosting a local Miami television show called Spread the Word TV.
To her credit, Melanie has managed to juggle all of her success while
simultaneously attending college to earn her degree in business. We
want to congratulate Melanie on all of her achievements and wish her
the best as she continues to excel in the entertainment industry!

If you’re inspired by Melanie Tillbrook’s success and are eager to pursue a career as an actor, dancer, singer or model, visit www.StarSearchCasting.com
today to gain access to tons of opportunities that can help to propel
your career. You can also browse profiles of other Star Search Casting
members who are proving they have what it takes to make their mark on
the entertainment industry!

If you’re an aspiring model,
you probably spend a great deal of time pouring over the pages of
glossy magazines, admiring the models that grace the pages. You
probably study their poses and their expressions and imagine that one
day you too will be featured in some of the industry’s most popular
fashion magazines modeling high fashion trends and the world’s most
glamorous brands.

Editorial work for a model is one of the most surefire ways to get exposure in the modeling industry. Models who successively book editorial jobs,
and appear in numerous magazines month after month are seen by industry
executives and decision makers as rising stars. This signifies that not
only do they have the look of the moment, but that art directors, photographers
and fashion editors love to work with them. This can boost your career
tremendously and open many doors. Magazines often set the standard for
the rest of the industry which means that editorial work in fashion
magazines often leads to runway shows, calls from major advertisers,
catalog work and other major opportunities.

While editorial work
can do wonders for your career, what you may not know is that it
doesn’t pay particularly well. In fact, editorial work is one of the
lowest paying jobs in the fashion industry. But this is a small price
to pay, because as your popularity in magazines goes up, so does your
rate and your demand for other types of jobs. Editorial work also helps
you to build a phenomenal portfolio.

There’s one other thing you should be aware of. Remember when I said that lots of work in magazines lets others in the entertainment industry
know that you have the “look of the moment?” Well while this is an
exciting time, it won’t last long. Therefore it’s important to
capitalize on it. If you aren’t noticing a lot of other opportunities
arriving on your doorstep during this time, you may need to give your agent a nudge and urge him or her to get your work in front of industry players.
If your agent plays it right, your next stop could be anything from a
series of runway shows in Milan to an endorsement deal with a major
cosmetics company.

Have you visited Star Search Casting this week to explore our modeling and print casting calls? Visit http://www.StarSearchCasting.com for opportunities for fitness, swimsuit, promotional, lingerie, hair and runway models and so much more!

Recently we discovered a scammer who claimed to be from an agency called the 29^th Ave W Group.
He said that he was recruiting models for an upcoming modeling
competition. When we used Google to research the modeling competition
and the agency, there were no websites to confirm the legitimacy of the
agency or the competition. When we called the phone number he provided,
it was an answering service that doubled as a fax, and made no mention
of the agency or the competition. Lastly, while the scammer claimed to
be from Washington D.C., we later learned that he was actually in Nigeria based on his IP address.

While we often use the Internet or other sources to investigate possible scams, sometimes we’re simply able to detect a scam based on our instincts. Perhaps the wording in the email seems suspicious.
Or maybe the tone causes us to question the validity of the offer. But
for many of us, our instincts can be our best defense in protecting us
from both online and offline scams. That being said, it’s very important that we trust them.

Last year, the Better Business Bureau
received 46 complaints from aspiring models and their parents who had
been targeted by A New Concept Modeling and Acting Centre. While many
of the victims later said that their instincts told them not to sign with the agency, they still allowed themselves to be pressured into the scam. Some of the allegations against the agency included:

• Charging models more than $2000      for headshots they never received
• High-pressure sales tactics
• Asking models to sign contracts      and not providing them with copies of what they had signed
• Though
  the agency promised them work, the models didn’t receive any calls,
  auditions or jobs after investing thousands of dollars in the scam.

If
you come across an email, newspaper ad, or even a talent scout in the
mall and you get a “funny feeling” that something’s not right – don’t
be so quick to dismiss it. Had many of the aspiring models
targeted by A New Concept Modeling and Acting Centre relied on their
instincts, they would have saved themselves a lot of money and a lot of
heartache.

For more information about the latest scams and how to avoid them, log in to http://www.EliteCastingNetwork.com today and check out our Scam Watch.

Recently we discovered a scammer who claimed to be from an agency called the 29^th Ave W Group.
He said that he was recruiting models for an upcoming modeling
competition. When we used Google to research the modeling competition
and the agency, there were no websites to confirm the legitimacy of the
agency or the competition. When we called the phone number he provided,
it was an answering service that doubled as a fax, and made no mention
of the agency or the competition. Lastly, while the scammer claimed to
be from Washington D.C., we later learned that he was actually in Nigeria based on his IP address.

While we often use the Internet or other sources to investigate possible scams, sometimes we’re simply able to detect a scam based on our instincts. Perhaps the wording in the email seems suspicious.
Or maybe the tone causes us to question the validity of the offer. But
for many of us, our instincts can be our best defense in protecting us
from both online and offline scams. That being said, it’s very important that we trust them.

Last year, the Better Business Bureau
received 46 complaints from aspiring models and their parents who had
been targeted by A New Concept Modeling and Acting Centre. While many
of the victims later said that their instincts told them not to sign with the agency, they still allowed themselves to be pressured into the scam. Some of the allegations against the agency included:

• Charging models more than $2000      for headshots they never received
• High-pressure sales tactics
• Asking models to sign contracts      and not providing them with copies of what they had signed
• Though
  the agency promised them work, the models didn’t receive any calls,
  auditions or jobs after investing thousands of dollars in the scam.

If
you come across an email, newspaper ad, or even a talent scout in the
mall and you get a "funny feeling" that something’s not right - don’t
be so quick to dismiss it. Had many of the aspiring models
targeted by A New Concept Modeling and Acting Centre relied on their
instincts, they would have saved themselves a lot of money and a lot of
heartache.

For more information about the latest scams and how to avoid them, log in to http://www.EliteCastingNetwork.com today and check out our Scam Watch.

Casting directors of leading reality television shows on major television networks use www.StarSearchCasting.com to discover new talent!

HOLLYWOOD – Star Search Casting,
the industry’s leading casting website is helping its members
capitalize on opportunities in reality television to get their shot at
the spotlight. A popular resource for aspiring actors, dancers, singers and models
for the last decade, Star Search Casting is now one of the premier
casting portals where casting directors of today’s hottest reality
shows post their casting notices and scout for new talent. Casting
executives from MTV, CBS, A&E, TLC and NBC have all used the
website to find cast members for today’s most popular reality
television series.

Lauren Conrad, star of MTV’s Laguna Beach: The Real O.C. and The Hills,
is one of the industry’s most prominent examples of how reality
television can turn today’s girl next door into tomorrow’s cover girl.
Star Search Casting is giving singers, dancers, actors and models the
chance to see if the reality television formula can produce the same
results for them. The website offers aspiring singers, dancers, models and actors a variety of reality programming options to audition for including appearing as the co-host of a new show starring Armando Montelongo of the popular home makeover show, Flip This House. Other current opportunities on the website include a new CBS reality television show similar to The Apprentice, as well as upcoming seasons of the Amazing Race, Survivor and Big Brother.

“In the entertainment industry, there are many paths to success,” says Jonathan Parker,
entertainment executive and founder of Star Search Casting. “We make an
effort to provide all of the tools, resources and opportunities that
will help aspiring singers, dancers, actors and models showcase their
talents and make their mark on the industry.

In addition to reality television programming, the website offers casting notices for major television shows, feature and independent film, modeling, theatre, and dance casting calls.
The website also features casting notices for bands and solo artists
hoping to land a career in the music business. Each day the website has
thousands of roles available for aspiring actors, dancers, singers and
models to browse and audition for.

When Elisabeth Hasselbeck appeared on Survivor, she probably never dreamed she’d go on to host The View
and become a household name. As the popularity of reality television
shows continue to grow, more and more entertainers pursuing careers in
dancing, acting, modeling and singing will use reality television as a
launching pad for bigger and better opportunities.

To learn more about the reality television casting opportunities currently available at Star Search Casting, visit http://www.StarSearchCasting.com.

While television and film roles are exciting, commercials are great opportunities for actors
as well. In fact, commercials can be extremely lucrative, especially if
you’ve booked a major, highly recognizable brand such as McDonalds,
Apple or Target.

Once you book a commercial,
there are a number of fees that you must be paid. A session fee is the
amount of money that you’re paid for the day or time that you work on
the commercial. This amount is regulated by the unions (SAG,
AFTRA, etc.) and varies based on your role in the commercial. You’ll
also receive residual payments – this term is thrown around in the
industry a lot. Every thirteen weeks that the commercial runs, you will
receive a holding fee (or residual payment) equivalent to the session
fee that you were originally paid. The idea of the holding fee
originated when executives decided that they didn’t want actors in
their commercials also appearing in competitors’ commercials. So by
“holding” the actor with the holding fee, the actor in a Pizza Hut
commercials could not simultaneously appear in a commercial for Dominos
or Papa Johns.

Additionally,
residual payments are also made based on how often the commercial runs
during those thirteen-week periods. This is referred to as a use fee.
The use fee is determined based on how often the commercial airs, the
markets (or cities) that it runs in and on which networks it appears.
If your commercial is apart of a large campaign and runs often on
network and cable stations nationwide during peak hours, like
primetime, this can mean a huge payoff for you. For one or two days of
work, you could eventually make several thousand dollars.

Voiceovers for commercials for major brands alone can be a six-figure career. Often major brands choose one person to serve as the voice for all of their commercials. This is a major opportunity and the audition process
can be lengthy. After your first audition, you may be required to tape
demo commercials (which you’ll be paid for) just so the decision makers
can be certain that your voice is the right fit to advertise their
brand.

Want to make your big break in commercials? Visit http://www.EliteCastingNetwork.comcasting opportunities. today to search for television and commercial casting opportunities.

If you’re the parent of a child or teen actor who has begun working on projects in the industry without the guidance of a talent agent or manager,
it’s critical that you familiarize yourself with the child labor laws
and regulations in your state. Not only is it important because it’s
the law, but these regulations are put in place for the benefit of the child or teen and are great guidelines to follow.

States can regulate many aspects of a production when it comes to kids and teens working in the entertainment industry. Before your child walks on set, make sure you find out the answers to the following questions:

• What’s the maximum number of      hours my child can work on set?
• Are the hours different for      school and non-school days?
• How much light can/will my infant      be exposed to?
• Is my child required to have a      work permit?
• Is a studio teacher required to      be on set?
• How much time does my child get      for rest and recreation?
• Are there any exceptions?

There
are always gray areas, loopholes and exceptions. For example, many
regulations are determined based on the age of the actor. However while
a seventeen year old student in California may only be allowed to work
between certain hours, a seventeen year old who has graduated from high
school is not subject to child labor laws and can work as an adult.

Whether your child has a manager or not, you are your child’s primary advocate. A production
set can be a harried, hectic environment and if a director is running
behind schedule he may not want your child to get their mandated break
time. It’s up to you to put your foot down to make sure that your child
has a healthy, balanced and enjoyable experience in the industry.

For more information about the ins and outs of the entertainment industry, stay tuned to Elite Casting Network. Visit http://www.EliteCastingNetwork.com today!