emodel.com, Options Talent Group

Dear Modeling Scams,

I started my scout training with Options Talent Group this past Friday.

Initially, I felt this was a great opportunity for models to gain exposure with agencies, clients, etc., and in theory it is a good idea.

However, after doing some research about the company and eModel, I am now not so sure.

By the way, I am not a disgruntled ex-employee. As a matter of fact, I got my first enrollment on Saturday.

The depictions of the scout interview process I have read here are accurate. Also, the open call process is correct.

As a scout, we are appealing to a person's vanity, and when we tell them they have "the look," they are obviously flattered. They think they are going to have a one-on-one meeting with a Talent Director and that they are special.

In actuality, they are going to an open call. I had three shows my first day out as a scout, and I have seen the dissolutionment on the faces of two people I personally scouted when they arrived at the open call. That did not make me feel good.

These people trusted me when I told them they had the potential to be a model. Don't get me wrong -- they definitely do -- but after their presentation, they realized that what they thought they were getting was not what they were offered.

As scouts, we are instructed to give as little information as possible, to leave them guessing and wanting more information. If they ask questions, we tell them the Talent Director will answer them.

How can you be effective as a scout when you can't tell them anything, and also when Options is advertising on the radio and television?

That Options gets free labor from its scouts is another post, another conversation.

What Options does not tell them is that they still have to pay additional money to have photographs taken, whether on their own, or by purchasing photography packages from Options Talent Group.

The $495 only secures them a spot on the network, and $19.95/month keeps them on the network. Also, why does the model have to pay the $495 fee during the phone call from the Corporate office right then or have to wait one year to reapply? High-pressure sales tactics.

You would think that if these models are really the next new faces, Options Talent Group would work with them to get them on the network. It's not about talent -- it's all about the benjamins.

While Options Talent Group may say that the contact rate for models is 83%, they do not say of that 83% how much has actually resulted in work. I would think that information is more of a marketing tool than the contact rate. That is tangible information, something that would increase market share.

I am not here to bash Options. I know they are going to do well. It is the models I am concerned for. If two or three models from Options can just share the work they have received from being on their network, my concerns would be alleviated somewhat.

I believe Options exploits the naivete of the hopeful by exaggerating the amount of money models have to pay for their comp cards. Granted, it can be expensive, but a smart shopper does not have to spend an arm and a leg, either.

Educate yourself on this business if you are serious about becoming a model, so you can see a legitimate offer when it presents itself.

Options leaves out just enough information to set my alarms off, and I don't want to be the one who leads someone to get taken advantage of.

A.G.