Casting Fusion review: SCAM 8

Is it a scam or not? I believed it wasn't, but now i'm doubting..please somebody clarify. I don't want to get into anything stupid.

To Ms. Dupris ...
I appreciate your post. There is but one thing I would like to address. You said : "We really just wanted to see how we would fare and if it's worth it to come to LA"

That is the very problem with events like this, where the same agents who go to similar events every weekend are paid to be there and make the people happy. It is giving you a very false sense of where you stand, and who you are really competing with in a major market.

I wish your family all the success in the world, but please do very careful research before believing everything you were told. The agent or manager has nothing to lose and for them to 'sign' or work with a child means almost nothing. Your family, however, and your children bear the brunt of all of the risk, both financially and emotionally.

To get you started, you must have an agent in California, but you don't have to have a manager - so your manager should get on those agent meetings right away. Please know that it would be very, very common to be in LA for a month and have NO auditions. Obviously your stay will be quite costly, please be realistic with your expectations so you don't have regrets and a big expense later.

Fun is good, it's certainly better than 'not fun' - keep in mind that this is a very serious business and a very big investment to hang on 'fun'.

OP
P.S. It's very interesting that anyone associated with casting fusion would be prepping people to think that naysayers are just bitter that they didn't have interest. That has to be the number one most common explanation given by scammers, everyone else is just bitter and jealous. Not very logical, is it?

I attended the Austin Event for Casting Fusion. I think it is a shame and really don't understand why there are a select FEW people attacking this company when they themselves haven't even attended an event. Why do I keep seeing the same NAMES and PEOPLE on all the complaint boards. Their complaints are so malicious and specific it almost seems like disgruntled employees or someone with an AX to grind for a certain reason. YOU are going to end up hurting the real people that could benefit from this great event. Take it from someone that has actually been there.

I got so much out of the Casting Fusion Conference. I was able to audition in front of twenty agents and managers and five casting directors. Not only THAT but I received actual feedback. Some of it was critical but it worked to my advantage b/c I took their criticism & corrected my performance between the other audtions. It was great! Auditioning 25 times helped me calm my nevers. By the the time I saw my fourth agent, my jitters had calmed way down. I could relax, be myself & let my talent shine.

The other companies I have been involved with...John Robert Powers...John Casablancas...Barbazon...should be on this small individual's group attack list. They made me take classes, work on run way walking & a bunch of other things that don't pertain to the actual art of auditioning. If I wanted to audition in front of agents, I had to pay WAY more then the $695 w/Casting Fusion. One school was almost $3, 000. The other one was closer to $10, 000. With both other schools events I didn't see more then three agents. At one event, I wasn't chosen so I didn't see any agents. I was an idiot then and didn't know any better. I thought that was the norm until I heard about Casting Fusion.

I saw the false complaint where I read they hired "actors" to pose as agents is HILARIOUS! You can verify they are legit on www.imdb.com Also one of the agents that I got a call back from really liked me and I have been keeping intouch with him. I am not posting his name b/c of that small group of Casting Fusion haters seems to take what ever someone positive posts and then attacks anyone specifically named. This agent even made a phone call for me and got me a meeting with a local agency in Dallas so I can get more experience on resume. THANK YOU CASTING FUSION...b/c of you I got signed with a local agency through an audition with a LA Agent. My LA Agent contact has agreed to "hip pocket" me. That means I don't have to sign a contract right away with him but he is still submitting me for LA jobs. If I start getting auditions through him then we are going to talk about signing a contract with him as well.

I read where some of the Casting Fusion Haters said you should NEVER pay to get in front of an agent. Maybe that's true for an individual meeting at their office but since this was a conference with other workshops included, I thought that this seemed like a fair price. 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."

Plus, you know you'd want to impress them so I doubt you'd be taking them to Wendy's. You do the math.

That was the best $695 I've ever spent! I've already booked one print job in Dallas that is going to be used in the South Eastern Area and more then paid back what I spent.

BTW...You will see my name and this same posting in as many boards as I can put it. We have got to get the real word out. I have also been telling other people that I met at the Casting Fusion Conference, that I've been keeping up with, to do the same. Casting Fusion Attendee Lovers Unite! I feel sorry for you Casting Fusion Haters...your like a critic giving thumbs down to a movie you've never seen...you just "heard" about it.

We attended in Austin. Both of our girls wanted to check it out. In the end One of our girls got "called back" by 7 people-amongst those from 2 major agencies that had never responded via the headshot submission. We just really wanted to see how'd we fare and if its worth it to come to LA. I do not want to come to LA and sit around and wait for meetings from people based on a hunch. At this point We have yet to decide which agency. We did decide last week(via email and phone) which manager we would like to work with. Reputable, has many working actors and will introduce us to some other agencies that werent there as well. Are there guarantees? no. But to the person that says its 40.00 for a class, It would cost my family 3500 to go LA for the weekend for that class. Now, we will be coming out in 3 weeks for a month with management rep. For our family, thats a sound decision. We have kept in touch with a few other families from the event. Everyones experience was different. I don't feel scamed. But, we've been warned by a few of the industry people that many of the parents of other kids not chosen my respond differently. and by the way my kids had fun and even my older who didnt get any callbacks, she still wants to try and take classes. Make your own family decision

oops - my bad math. At $695 for the day .. the 'take' for 400 (or more) participants is $280, 000 .. more than a quarter of a million dollars.

Here come the judge...

First of all, there is no such thing as a 'callback' to have a meeting with someone, for a job that doesn't exist. I know it isn't your fault that they taught you something wrong right off the bat, but that is a misuse of an industry term.
Most people get agents by submitting to them in a professional manner, and when they are able to really be available, and ready to make the move to a major market. Not traveling back and forth from somewhere with no experience.
To the person traveling to LA, that is such a mistake. Work here is at an all time low, and you have no idea the competition waiting for you. Getting an agent to represent you is just the very, very beginning. Many aspiring actors with agents never work, and hardly ever audition.
Please do more homework about the industry and don't make a big mistake. All of the pros who got paid to be there made more money than any of the talent ever will. That, along with some gross misrepresentations, is why consumer advocacy groups, SAG, AFTRA, the DLSE, and pretty much everyone with an understanding rightfully call this a scam.
Be a wise consumer! If 400 people were there, that was $160, 000 coming in for a one day event? Hotel room, cheap staff, and payoffs to agents and it's still a mighty nice payday for Ms. Erin. Yes, the same Benay Erin Sinaikin who was a part of Pacific Modeling and Acting Academy rip-off, but who has no industry experience otherwise.
Events in the LA area where you can see the same agents cost about $25. A stamp is $.42. They took advantage of you.

Casting Fusion is definitely not a scam. I attended the Austin conference and weas called back by twelve agents and a castging director. I met 25 different agents and casting directors and have already gone to LA with my parents to meet with the agents and decide who we'll sign with.They are defintiely real and I am starting my acting career becaused of Casting Fusion. Sounds like your talking about a totally different comapny/this conference was really fun and i am so excited i went.

I met a couple of real actors at the CastingFusion Confrenece its no SCAM matter of Fact. Call backs were harsh as they went from a turn up of 400 people that fell to about 57 participants in the call backs. Many that were turned away had great amount of talent but not the look they were looking for. In the end those who were signed usually didn't need any acting lessons, but an ACTING COACH. there is a big difference.