Casting Fusion
reviews and complaints

True, they are NOT all the same. To succeed in the industry of acting and modeling, you have to start learning about it SOMEWHERE...it doesn't just happen - you don't just get lucky; you have to KNOW how to do it...and John Casablancas School of Modeling and Acting is one of the best places to start! It's a lot of fun, you get all the information you need plus more from the teachers, and you make some great friends in the process. The fee is definetly worth it, if you're serious about working in the industry. All private learning institutions requires a chunk of money, haven't you noticed? Check out your local private university for starters.

EACH JOHN ROBERT POWER SCHOOL IS INDIVIDUALLY OWNED AND OPERATED BY DIFFERENT PEOPLE. EACH SCHOOL IS NOT THE SAME. STOP CATEGORIZING EACH SCHOOL UNDER THE SAME UMBRELLA. ALL THE CORPORATE OFFICE OF JOHN ROBERT POWERS DOES IS COLLECT MONEY FOR THE USE OF THEIR NAME, THEY DON'T CARE HOW EACH LOCATION IS RUN.

Casting Fusion is a big scam! If you made it to Austin(thank God i didn't) you would have to pay for the "big" hollywood agent's hotel room. Never tryout for it!

Hi there!
I attended a casting fusion meeting..not the "event" with all the casting agents..but look..I want to be straight-forward with you guys. I'm 18 years old...1/4 done with my senior year..and I'm very enthusiastic about this industry. I'm extremely cautious though! I'm reading both opinions here and I don't want to be involved in ANY scam.

I really want something like this to work out..more than anything. These events sound great and all..but I want assurance that this is the real deal.

I'm new to this whole industry and I'd love pointers or suggestions how to get into this. I don't want to be involved in ANY criminal activity/scam. However, I want this more than anything. I'm on both sides here! haha! I would just love to hear any help how to get involved!

Thank you so much!

I need to make a correction - typo!

I said above

If you meet a manager - they cannot find you employment. You must be introduced and signed with an agent and that means TWO COMMISSIONS, one to your manager 15% and another to your agent, 10%. so if you are meeting AN AGENT at these events, they must still get you an introduction to an agent, which will mean a trip to LA and there are no guarantees the first agent will accept you with NO CREDITS, NO EXPERIENCE, NO RESUME.

I meant to say if you meet with a MANAGER OR MANAGEMENT COMPANY at Casting Fusion or any other event, a manager must THEN GET YOU AN INTRODUCTION to an AGENT! It's the Agent that is going to find you work!

So you will still have to convince an agent that you are worthy, brand spanking new, maybe no working credits, no union affiliation (SAG card) of their representation and you are more than capable of competing with all the other established actors hitting the pavement every day with a long resume attached to the back of your headshot.

So you may have a few trips to LA to find that agent - not getting away cheap. $695.00 +++++

And the agent that was quoted as getting attendees of this event introduced to local agencies in Texas...well that's cos he began his career as an agent in the one of them in Texas!

I wanted to add this statement:

If, Fusion Casting attendee and advocate of this convention, if you can answer all of the above questions, I think everyone can learn better why you are an advocate of this company...not just my comments but all other statements made.

We will give you a chance to answer, to be fair.

We can start by something every consumer does first...and that's rearch a company starting with the Better Business Bureau and Labor Department if there is licensing involved.

Please defend the "F" Rating or why quite possibly a person researching this company/event should not take into consideration their statements.

And if you can, which will help others, please tell us your age range, give or take a year or so.

Also, if you are going to mention imdb you also need to mention that you have to pay a monthly membership fee to look up the agents and their clients and casting directors and the projects they have done.

I am going to assume you have that membership if yo have research all the agents you were told you were going to meet and see their list of clients the represent and the ages.

If you meet a manager - they cannot find you employment. You must be introduced and signed with an agent and that means TWO COMMISSIONS, one to your manager 15% and another to your agent, 10%. so if you are meeting an agent at these events, they must still get you an introduction to an agent, which will mean a trip to LA and there are no guarantees the first agent will accept you with NO CREDITS, NO EXPERIENCE, NO RESUME.

Was all of this explained at the workshops?

These are valid questions posed by all...can they be answered?

Dear attendee of Casting Fusion.

If you had such a wonderful experience, why not share the agent who you speak so fondly of so we can see the clients he/she represents and I agree with the previous poster that agents "don't do lunch. I think you are either very young or very inexperienced or someone has prompted you to write this because agents do not accept phone calls NEVER and NEVER set up an appointment with someone with no experience at all and take them out to lunch?
This what you stated above:

"Besides...what's the difference between paying for the conference WITH workshops included or taking these individuals out to lunch? I know they do that in LA b/c I have a friend who is an actress their. She says she's lucky enough to get a return phone call when she calls their office to try and set up a meeting to "do lunch."

What workshops did they give and what did you learn that you didn't learn at JRP, Casablancas and Barbizon...the three schools you were "involved" with?

imdb - very familiar and have a membership and know how to research agents and their clients, so please tell me, advocate of Casting Fusion why...

Brandy Gold stated she represented clients (which was not true when researching imbd and then the information was changed a month later to "past clients she represented"?

Original statement from Fusion:

Brandy Gold Back to top TalentWorks

TalentWorks has launched the careers of some of Hollywoods biggest stars: including Leonardo DiCaprio, Hillary Swank, and Lisa Kudrow. Brandy Gold heads the television and movie department and discovered both Zac Efron and Corbin Bleu, stars of Disneys High School Musical. In addition to representing these major stars, as well as other well-known celebrities including William Shatner and Farah Fawcett, TalentWorks represents series regulars on all networks. Some clients include Mitchell Musso Hannah Montana, Zac Efron and Corbin Bleu, John Krasinski The Office, Chad Michael Murray One Tree Hill, Michael Copon One Tree Hill Leah Remini Kings & Queens, Evan Palmer Unfabulous, April Bowlby Two and Half Men, Daniel Curtis Lee Neds Declassified Adventure, Miguel Nunex Joey, Mark Moses Desperate Housewives, and R & B artist Ashante.

CHANGES MADE:

Brandy Gold
TalentWorks
TalentWorks has launched the careers of some of Hollywoods biggest stars including Leonardo DiCaprio, Hillary Swank, and Lisa Kudrow. Brandy Gold heads the television and movie department and discovered both Zac Efron and Corbin Bleu, stars of Disneys High School Musical. Well-known clients include William Shatner and Farah Fawcett, TalentWorks represents series regulars on all networks. Some past clients have included Mitchell Musso of Hannah Montana, John Krasinski of The Office, Chad Michael Murray of One Tree Hill, Michael Copon of One Tree Hill, Leah Remini Kings & Queens, Evan Palmer Unfabulous, April Bowlby Two and Half Men, Daniel Curtis Lee Neds Declassified Adventure, Miguel Nunex Joey, Mark Moses Desperate Housewives, and R & B artist Ashante.

Please explain, if you can the following:

You've stated the three schools you were INVOLVED with and the horrific prices, JRP, Casablancas and Barbizon? Why, may I ask did you attend three schools and spend so much money? Sounds like you may have spent close to $20, 000 and came away with nothing! Why didn't you stop after the first school and do some research? And why do you want anyone to attack these schools because YOU, specifically came away unhappy? Just like you, with Casting Fusion, there are many who have had good results with some of these schools.

Wow, you sound more like a disgruntled employee more so than a student of all three schools!

And it seems that even after this event, you are still only signed with a local agency and doing "print work"? I believe we did see a blog from an LA agent stating he was able to get some people signed with a local agency in Texas..

I did find this in a press release where an LA agent placed 30 or 40 kids with local agencies in Dallas, Austin and Houstin. "A number of participants have also been referred to local agencies in Texas, including the well-known Kim Dawson agency, so that the developing talent can get a local career started in conjunction with their development for the Los Angeles market"

Sounds like something you stated where you needed to start off to gain more experience to even be considered to compete with those who ARE signed with agents in LA and have huge resumes and are working actors. That's what people need to remember..the competition is fierce and just obtaining an agent and still not having a theatrical union affiliation, such as SAG, you are starting at the bottom and have a long way to go.

So you saw 25 reps and came away with one agent who got you signed with a local agent and attended three schools as well and came away with no representation or satisfaction. Sometimes in this industry this may be a signal that this is the wrong career choice for you and I'm being honest. Usually people realize this after attending one school that their bank account has suffered enough before spending another few thousand on the second and my goodness, never a third!

Please do explain why Casting Fusion still has an "F" rating with the Better Business Bureau and why? They are quite specific as they explain the requirements these companies need to meet.

Please visit the site and come back here and tell consumers why they should ignore the warnings of the Better Business Bureau, which is not a "chat board or acting forum"!

http://www.la.bbb.org/BusinessReport.aspx?CompanyID=100071246

I have read many statements regarding this company and the complaints seem pretty compatible with the Better Business Bureau's statements, so I would say that these are advocates who are looking out for people's money and have some real hard knowledge about and industry have picked out some VERY VALID reasons to send up a red flag and very valid facts as well.

You have a print job, you were set up by an agent to get more experience and you spend THOUSANDS on three schools!

This is a tough competitive industry and if you've been through this much and faced 25 of the "top" hollywood reps and only have one that connected you with a local agency, I truly feel you are a long way from competing with actors your age who are actively working with credits on their resume.

Local agencies are pretty easy to work with, so you spent another $700.00 and you will commute to LA every time there is an audition if this agent calls you or are you going to relocate? What if you have 5 auditions a month? Commute back and forth to LA from Texas - that's pretty expensive!

These are not casting fusion HATERS...they are experienced in this industry and understand how it works. No one calls an agent and no one takes them out to lunch...unless their name sells tickets at the movie theaters!

That was enough to make me stop and realize that you have been misinformed right there.

Well, thank you for taking the time to post your opinion.

First of all, I don't even believe you are a real attendee, but whatever.

You've gone to JRP and John Casablancas and Barbizon and you are STILL trying to make it? You would win the all time award for being scammed by everyone available. Are you an adult?

While I tend to believe that REAL people who attend these events have a perspective that is real to them, it is very naieve. Everyone wants to talk about opportunities and dreams and hopes and maybes and promises... when you get a JOB you can talk about success, and if a print job does it for you, then congratulations.

Are the agents pictured on IMDb? No.. so you have no idea who you really saw, and I believe some of the advertised agents didn't quite make it to Austin, and it was assistants and receptionists instead. I also don't recall reading that accusation about 'actors' anywhere, other than in the Lou Perlman court records. And btw... just guessing which agent really liked you and made that Dallas phone call - don't call him at his office this week, because I heard he got fired.

It isn't clear if you are a child or an adult - but children don't 'do lunch' with their agents.

I find it very interesting why you, just a consumer, would want Casting Fusion to be so successful that you need to go and write about how great it was everywhere. Don't you realize that every time it happens your favorite agents will be looking at other, newer, fresher people to work with? The success of future events isn't beneficial to you in any way. Your post just isn't adding up.

Most of what you call "haters" are really concerned people, industry insiders, who don't like seeing people get ripped off and don't like what this is doing to their profession and the industry. I guess the New York Consumer Protection Board are haters... and the California DLSE, and the FTC - all entities which do not condone people paying moonlighting agents/casting directors hundreds of dollars just to meet them.

OP

I am going to make this as simple as possible for everyone to understand. Although one may FEEL good about where they spend their money, or have many emotions when it comes to auditioning, or think John Doe the agent is someone to glorify because they are an agent, there is something called LAW that governs our society. And this LAW is black and white when it comes to criminal activity. Laws are put in place to PROTECT PEOPLE. When an action is taken that breaks the law, then one is punished accordingly.

In California it is illegal to do what Casting Fusion, JRP, PMAA, ACT, BE Productions, etc...and every agent real or not that is supporting them has done/is doing because of the Advance-Fee Talent Services Law. I'm not going to get into the specifics of this because I feel it is very important that every consumer on the planet needs to do the research on what they are getting themselves into before they get themselves into it, but I will give you one point and the link to better educate yourself on this topic.

(b) "Advance-fee talent service" means a person who charges, attempts to charge, or receives an advance fee from an artist for one or more of the following:

(1) Procuring, offering, promising, or attempting to procure employment or engagements for the artist.

(2) Managing or directing the development or advancement of the artist's career as an artist.

(3) Career counseling, career consulting, vocational guidance, aptitude testing, evaluation, or planning, in each case relating to the preparation of the artist for employment as an artist.

For further review:
http://www.modelingscams.org/1701.html

Now you might say "Well Casting Fusion isn't in California". The office for Casting Fusion is in Los Angles California and the agents who work for agencies are from Los Angeles California. THE LAW HAS BEEN BROKEN PERIOD!

LAW ENFORCMENT is CURRENTLY investigating these people for actions taken that would be considered FRAUD. These are not opinions, this is not emotion, it is the LAW and I'm sorry to all supporters of SCAM operations but this is the REAL word and I am getting it out.

I wish every performer, artist, actor, model, singer, songwriter the best. This industry has many people that say many different things. Take precautions and educate yourself. This entire industry is going through a huge change. This entire planet is going through a huge change. Educate yourself and become aware of the truth.

Hi albert123456, the Santa Clara and Marin franchise offices ran by Robinson and Sinaikin have already been closed for a long time. Fortunately, John Robert Powers as a whole is an awesome organization that helps people realize their dreams in the entertainment industry. Just visit youtube.com and search for John Robert Powers and you will see the countless amount of success stories, including testimonials from stars like Chris Brochu from Disney's Hannah Montana and Zoey 101. There is also a news story on them as well from Fox 5 News. Take a look for yourself and experience it yourself. Hopefully "Johnny Boy Powers" will be able to help you succeed.

Im going to be googling this johnny boy powers benay sinaiki and see want i can find on them

The basic fact is that there are people who work for companies that misrepresents clients for their own benefit. Nonetheless, one should always do research before investing and weigh all the available options.

John Robert Powers is one of the most reputable schools in the entertainment business and it is unfortunate that two individuals can negatively impact the image of an entire corporation. Visit a local John Robert Powers and meet with the staff just to get the feel of the environment and their true mission of helping talented individuals excel in the entertainment industry.

Good luck to all those out there trying to realize a dream.