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A couple months ago, I saw an ad on IG for a free intro zoom call to VIP Ignite, a program to help aspiring actors and models. As a hopeful actor, I was thrilled to have found a way to break into the industry and signed up for the call.
The first red flag? The entire intro call dedicated to assuring us it's "not a scam." That should have been the end, but I wanted to assume the best in people. I booked an “audition” call with one of the head workers, Denine White. She never auditioned me though, instead running me through a subtle and manipulative sales pitch. She avoided discussing the program details, instead asking whether my husband was supportive, if I could pay $3,000 for an upcoming trip (with no refunds), and quickly read through a form, locking me in with my initials by the end of the call. I questioned a $30,000 payment on the form, but she brushed it off with a "don't worry about it until the trip."
The next few weeks involved a 21-day challenge and several acting/modeling workshops. Still optimistic, I enjoyed learning and being a part of a supportive community (other people going through the program). However, I started feeling suspicious when they got upset at me for doing photoshoots independent of them. They insisted (somewhat rudely) that we use all of our social media profiles to direct bookings to Truth MGMT (VIP’s “agency”), even though I wasn’t signed to their agency. Exploitation much?
Adding to the deception, VIP Ignite took credit for my work in a social media post, falsely claiming to be my "trusted talent guide" in writing a play they had nothing to do with. Their social media pages are full of fake, misleading posts like this, highlighting other people’s work and taking credit for it (with very minimal engagement, I would add).
The classes themselves SEEMED challenging but were disappointingly basic in reality, especially for the expensive monthly charges (on top of the $3,000 trip fee). As for the promised connections and opportunities, their biggest connections were with less-renowned acting coaches, screenwriters, and agents, setting us up and letting us down time after time. For example, VIP promised Actress Allie Grant would come speak to us, but of course, they shared DURING the meeting call that she couldn’t come, giving us hope until the last possible second.
In summary, if you want to help a scammy organization get exposure while wasting a lot of your time and effort and burn $3000+ in the process, go to VIP Ignite. You also may get mediocre acting classes, fake connections, stolen opportunities, and advice you could just as easily get from a YouTube video. All in short, if VIP is trying to convince you to join their program, RUN!
