a Tampa Bay Acting project
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We are not a Talent agency. We are better. We have the best interests of the talent and actors in mind.
Talent Opinion: Tampa talent agencies are working conflicts of interest, and should only be used as a source of talent auditions. They have no business giving talent career advice or attempting to manage the career of any talent! Would you trust the advice and the guidance of someone who is also guiding the careers of other talent who compete with you? Smart talent, who only use talent agencies as a source of talent auditions, should also avoid exclusive representation and obtain representation with as many talent agencies as possible. Talent agencies cannot guarantee that talent will book steady work through them just like they cannot guarantee their clients that talent represented by them and booked into a job will not be unprofessional and unreliable. Why? Why are talent agencies regulated by the state of Florida? We wonder why it took all of these decades for a group of talent to point out the flaws of talent agencies and provide the first, real, balanced view on them. We are thinking that many have realized the flaws before, but never bothered to bring it up or address them. Well, we are now.
See also: Tampa Modeling Agency
TAMPA TALENT AGENCY
Tampa Talent Agency is a sister site
of the Tampa Modeling Agency, a Tampa modeling agency information site from
Tampa Bay Modeling. Tampa Talent Agency is a Tampa talent agency site from Tampa
Bay Acting, the sister talent resources site to Tampa Bay Modeling.
Tampa Talent Agency is not a talent agency, and is not a licensed Florida modeling
and talent agency. We are an information resource site for Tampa talent, and
have information on Tampa talent agencies.
We do NOT charge for access to this site, and do not make any money referring
talent to auditions and talent job information. This site is a free resource
for talent, with no obligation to buy anything!
The Tampa Talent Agency site has not officially launched, but we do have a lot
of useful information about Tampa talent agencies, how they work (or, rather,
how they are supposed to work), and some things that Tampa talent agencies may
not want you to know.
WE ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH
ANY TAMPA TALENT AGENCY, OR ANY TAMPA MODELING AND TALENT AGENCIES, SO PLEASE
DO NOT ASK ABOUT THEM, OR ASK WHICH ONES WE RECOMMEND. In our opinion,
however, the only talent agencies that you should ever deal with are SAG franchised
talent agencies, because they have additional regulation and oversight by the
Screen Actors Guild. In our qualified opinion, the two top Tampa talent agencies
are Benz and Alexa. Both are good talent agencies, and both are SAG.
This said, this site is owned by entertainment producer and modeling and talent
expert C. A. Passinault, and Passinault.Com. IF he were to open a modeling and
talent agency sometime in the future, this site, along with sister site Tampa
Modeling Agency, would be converted as marketing and business sites for the
modeling and talent agency. If that were to happen, the TA Talent Agency license
number issued from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation
(DBPR) would be published on this site, as is required by law. Passinault has
also indicated that he already has a comprehensive business plan ready for just
such a possibility, and that there are proven concepts in that business plan
which are much more effective than what any talent agency has ever done. A Passinault
talent agency, if one were to be opened, would be at least 30 years more advanced
than any talent agency in the world, and it would be at least ten times more
effective. More importantly, this modeling agency of the future could be done
with technology and infrastructure available right now.
As you know, talent agencies work for talent, and they do not employ talent.
Because of this fact, it is, in our qualified opinion, a conflict of interest
for any talent agency to manage the careers of the talent who they represent,
especially since the talent agency works for the competition of the talent,
who are other talent represented by the same talent agency. A future Passinault
talent agency would not manage models and talent. That future agency would concentrate
on obtaining jobs for the models and talent, which is what a talent agency is
supposed to do in the first place. A future Passinault talent agency, according
to Passinault, would also be completely compatible with the independent talent
movement and his talent resource sites.
Again, this agency is not officially announced, and does not exist yet, if it
ever will. We are not a talent agency.
What is a talent agency?
A talent agency is much like a temp
agency, and they act as a middleman to find auditions and obtain work for actors
and talent. In most states, including Florida, talent agencies are regulated
by the state. In our opinion, the reason that talent agencies are so strictly
regulated is because of the potential for unethical business practices and conflicts
of interest. Many talent agencies don’t do what they are supposed to.
They bait models and talent with the promise of jobs and a career, and then
make their money by selling them services such as modeling portfolios, modeling
portfolio photography, and actor headshots.
It is against the law for any talent agency to make money by selling services,
or making models and talent buy services for the consideration of being referred
to any modeling and talent job. Even if it was not against the law, it would
still be a deceptive trade practice, which is fraud because misleading sales
tactics were used. It would also be highly unethical, and a conflict of interest.
Talent agencies find and obtain work for models and talent. That’s all
that they are supposed to do. Ironically, an agency does not technically “book”
talent into jobs. The find job leads, and refer talent to the auditions. Once
there, the talent has to interview and book the job on their own. Once completed,
the job pays the talent agency middle man, which takes out its cut and then
pays the talent. Typically, the cut that a talent agency takes is 20% from the
company which hired the talent, and 20% from the talent.
For talent, representation from a talent agency is not required to have a professional
career. Many talent find and book work on their own, saving agency fees for
both them and the job. Talent agencies are obviously not happy about this, but
the agency way is no longer the only way. This said, talent often have it both
ways, and use representation from several talent agencies as one of many sources
of job leads. With or without agency representation, the find and book work
on their own. This makes the talent agencies do what they are supposed to do,
and work harder, because the talent who they work for are often competing with
them to find job leads, and the talent agency would rather make money from referring
talent to the job than the talent finding the job before they do and cutting
them out of the process.
In the state of Florida, it is a Felony for a talent agency to operate without
a TA Talent Agency license. In order to make money referring talent to jobs,
they must be a licensed talent agency. If they are not a talent agency, and
they are advertising jobs, keep in mind that they are not allowed to make any
money referring talent to those jobs. In most cases, operations like this are
talent audition and job scams. They bait talent is with the job offer, and then
try to sell them services instead. You cannot trust anyone who has to trick
you in order to buy the services that they are really selling. Also, most services
sold through deceptive marketing are often overpriced, and of questionable quality.
NEVER BUY ANYTHING FROM A JOB OFFER. If you require headshots or a portfolio,
find a professional photographer who does good work, and who does not advertise
jobs.
Are talent management companies talent agencies?
Not necessarily.
If THEY ARE a licensed talent agency, and they manage talent, keep in mind that
this is a conflict of interest because, once the represent you, they work for
you and your competition at the same time. Other models and talent which the
talent agency represents, and works for, are your competition. Do you really
want an agency managing your career when they also manage the careers of your
competition?
In our qualified opinion, a talent agency has no business managing the careers
of anyone who they represent. Remember, the talent agency WORKS FOR the talent.
The talent is the boss! If you were an employee of a business, and you went
in and started telling your boss what to do, would you have a job for long?
Would your boss tolerate your blatant insubordination, and you crossing the
line? Of course not! As an employee, you would respect your employer and know
your proper place, working hard for them in order to keep your job. Ironically,
modeling and talent agencies, despite working for the models and the talent
who they represent, have been able to reverse the roles and tell models and
talent what to do for decades because of the misconception that the “agency
way is the only way”. This is not the case, and should have never been.
Talent should firmly put talent agencies in their place, and allow them to do
what they are supposed to be doing: work for talent and find them jobs! Talent
should never allow, in our opinion, a talent agency, which is supposed to be
working for them, to tell them what to do and manage their careers.
As a side note, in the business world, applicants usually finds job openings
on their own, and submit their resume for the consideration of the job. Temp
agencies are usually looked down on, and not considered as a primary means of
obtaining a job; temp agencies are normally used as a last resort for someone
who is desperate to get a job. We’ve also never heard of a temp agency
trying to manage the career of an job seeker, giving them advice, or telling
them what to do. There is really no difference between a temp agency and a talent
agency. Why has it been backwards in the modeling and talent industry, then?
Because of entertainment and fashion industry propaganda keeping misconceptions
alive, and allowing the talent agencies to be in charge when it is supposed
to be the other way around!
If THEY ARE NOT a licensed talent agency, they still cannot manage the careers
of talent. Why? Because they are not allowed to make money by referring talent
into any jobs. How do you suppose that make money if they supposedly “manage”
talent? The reality is that they lure the talent in with the promise of job
leads, sell them services, and then once they get money from the talent, the
talent is cut loose because there is no incentive to find jobs, and refer the
talent to the jobs, without making money from the referral!
If a “talent management” company is NOT a licensed talent agency,
AVOID THEM at all costs. There is nothing that they can do for you, and they
are only out to trick you and take your money!
A modeling book said that I should not get headshots or a portfolio before going to a talent agency. Why do does Tampa Bay Acting say the opposite?
Because the books often have bad
advice. Modeling and talent books are often written by industry people and talent
agency owners who are only interested in controlling the careers of the talent
who they represent. It is shady, and it is in their interest to publish this
advice. This information also plays into the hands of a talent agency which
is interested in making money off of you in ways that they are not supposed
to. This is a conflict of interest which enables unscrupulous talent agencies
to make money is easier ways, scamming talent, rather than working for them.
They say that only an agent knows the industry, and how best to market you.
They say that this is why you should not invest in career tools before going
to a talent agency.
They are wrong!
It is way too risky to rely upon a talent agency to refer you to photographers
in order to obtain the career tools that you need. Why? Because some talent
agencies are more interested in selling you pictures, or in making money from
referring you to a photographer, than in actually finding you work!
A reputable talent agency will be able to market you and find you work regardless
of where you got your pictures done, as long as the career tools are of professional
quality. It is not hard to find professional photographers who can give you
effective portfolio tools and headshots. You don’t need an agent point
the way for you when you cannot be sure if they are making money from the referral
or not. You cannot trust anyone who operates under a potential conflict of interest.
Is the talent agency actually referring you to a photographer who will give
you’re the pictures, headshots, and the portfolio that you will need for
your career? Or, is the agent only doing it for the money, with no plans on
actually working for you and finding you work?
ALWAYS, ALWAYS invest in headshots and/ or a portfolio BEFORE attempting to
obtain the representation of any talent agency! That’s the only way that
you can be sure that the talent agency will do what they are supposed to, and
work for you, rather than work to sell you something that will not benefit your
career.
Besides that, there is something else that you need to consider. One of the
reasons that many Tampa talent agencies are getting a backlash from talent is
because they often represent shady photographers. NEVER buy services from any
photographer who a talent agency refers you to. Find a professional photographer
on your own for what your career needs!
UPDATE 09/13/09: Tampa Bay Modeling just added a HUGE Tampa modeling agency section, complete with links to Florida modeling agency statutes and laws from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and links to Tampa modeling agency scams. See also Tampa modeling agencies and Florida modeling agency laws. Isn't it interesting that Tampa modeling agencies are such a hot topic that entire comprehensive sections on Tampa Bay Modeling have to be brought online to address them? There will be similar sections launched on sister modeling resource sites Florida Modeling Career and Independent Modeling.
TAMPA MODELING AGENCIES - TAMPA MODELING AGENCY SCAMS - FLORIDA MODELING AGENCY LAWS
UPDATED 02/23/10
Agency - Bookers - Casting - Talent - Actors - Models - Booking - Photographers - Resources - Contact
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