The Directory is now Up and Running!! Go check it out!

Angelus 02-20-2007, 04:09 PM

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That is right MMT members.

The directory is running. Go check it out.
http://directory.mymodeltalk.com/

Our search funtion is near perfect. It should be perfected shortly.

Catagories:
- Agencies
- Casting Directors
- Actors
- Models
- Comedians
- Photographers
- Creative Design
- Make-up Artists
- Management companies
- Stylists
- Modeling Schools

For agencies we already have Texas and California "licensed" companies listed in the directory and should have New York and Florida will be uploaded shortly. And the remaining states that are also regulated will folllow.

Each month we will update this listing for each regulated state as well.
This will give you guys a quick resource to check out agencies and to see if that agency is legally licensed and bonded. As well as providing contact info for agencies in your area so you may inquire with them on your own accord.


The models, actors, and photographers, etc. sections will automatically fill up with members when the profiles become active, which will be happening very soon, also.

Take a look and let us know what you think.
We're open to opinions and feedback.

Angelus
MMT Admin/ Police

Hey there,

i'm working on New York and Nevada today Hope to have them put in by the end of the week.

actingfamily

Wow, looks great! That will eventually be a very helpful resource esp. for those new to the industry. Thanks for all your hard work on it.

Couple comments -

How are you going to handle posting agencies in states like Georgia where unfortunately, there is NO regulation requireing licensing, bonding,etc.? Anyone can open an office and claim to be an agent. At the same time, there is a good base of legit established agencies. I'm sure Mykal knows who most of those are. I do as well and would be glad to send you a list. Even though our GA agencies aren't licensed, I'd rather see people steered towards the legit companies than submitting to some of the unknown agencies that could possibly be scams.

Also, under schools - you have JRP, and John Casablancas. Yes, they are schools - however they are not held in high regard within the industry and are not the best way to get started. Many agents will even ask talent to take reference to these schools (and to conventions) off of their resume because of the negative connotations associated with them. I really don't know who models go to for training but for actors in ATL there are a number of acting studios with good reputations within the industry --places that agents send talent for continued training. I'd rather refer people to places like that for classes that will actually benefit their resumes.

Hey there,

Your asking good questions. I'll try to answer them to the best of my ability.

1. The states that aren't regulated could pose a problem because anyone that decides they want to start an agency is immediately operating legally.

Because of this there is no database for me to reference. States like Georgia intend to stay un-regulated because we do not allow unions to be created in Georgia though they operate here through charters from other states. The film industry makes (saves) a lot of money because they don't have to pay SAG or any Union rates here.

Basically all I can offer is to allow members only to add listings. And once the profiles become active the directory will cease to be available to the public. That means we can track ownership of a listing to a person or at least a computer.

I can't really do anymore then this to protect our members. Until the profiles go up only the MMT staff can add entries but anyone can edit them. I could add an option to flag entries in the directory so that users can let us know about directory listings that may contain information on fraudulent companies or people. Basically I can create as many safeguards as possible but the information will never be perfect. Hopefully it will at the least always be helpful.

2. Until a company is listed/verified as a scam I'm really nervous about red flagging or censoring them. One reason is obviously liability. As long as a company is legally operating I would encourage people to exercise good judgment in choosing to do business with them. And because we are endeavoring to become an un-biased tool i really don't want to censor at all.

So those schools can stay in the listing.

Would an option to "rate" each entries suffice? Let’s say a voice over school might have five stars while John Casablanca’s might have two stars.

Ideas anyone? Coding it wouldn't take too long i guess ( a day or so).

Angelus

Unlicensed agencies.
Business license. Every business NEEDS a business license no matter what you're in business for.
For Georgia, honestly there just aren't alot of "good" modeling agencies out here.
Less than 10?
Although there are several actor's and full talent agents.
Plus we're more of a commercial modeling and music industry market.

There are a ton of promotions companies, street teams, recording studios, etc.. that act as "agents" for promotional/calendar/urban models. And these are clearly NOT agencies but act as managers. Alot of these companies aren't even legally in business.And they're usally fly-by-night companies.
Yet, some of them are and have been around for a while. Shades of Chocolate, Metro Boyz Ent., ATL Boys, Atlanta Bars, etc...are a few well known promo companies that also rep models for calendars and events.

There is no license requirements in GA. But you need to have a business license. That is mandatory for ANY business anywhere.
So, if you run into a company you can check with the city Chamber of Commerce for buiness operation license. If they don't have one, then they are not actually in business.

Ex. I wake up one morning and decide I want to manage models, so I create some fancy bus. cards on my computer and go out asking girls if they want to model. I claim my agency to be My Models or some crazy spin. I have no clients, no business plan, no office, no knowledge of the industry, no knowledge of business in general and no idea what a business license looks like. IF I do something illegal or unethical, the model has NO recourse. No way of proving such because honestly, I don't even exist.

If they do have a license (check the city chamber of commerce) then they have a physical business address and contact phone number. You can find out more information about them from with that type of information. It is a few more steps to take...yes. But it is still a way of due diligence.

This is to protect people in general from illegal business practices and that is how you're going to have to approach an Agency in an unregulated state.

Modeling is a Business. a Multi-BILLION $$ business at that. Most people tend to not see it that way because of the glitz and glamour.

Acting schools would be a good category.

Modeling schools.
The modeling schools, I'm with mixed feelings about. I woudln't eliminate the catagory. Having a listing for them is good, such as the one at AIU in Buckhead is a good idea. While there are many others that aren't such a great idea.

We know that most models don't need them...and most models have high expectations from these schools upon graduation. (Which is usually instilled by the recruiters...while the rest usually come from the myth of the industry.) But, for the model who is looking to hone his/her skills and has extra money to spend, it can be a very fun adventure and help him/her with their people skills and other little things. As long as their training isn't too formal. A known truth is that modeling schools really do not make a career. So, you should never register with one assuming it will. That is like pursuing a BS degree in Busines Management and assuming some company is automatically going to GIVE you a job just because you got a degree. And then you turn around and blame the University.

Modeling Schools on Resumes.
You're right.
Since models don't really use paper resumes (promo model castings and the very rare general model castings ask for one)...they don't place modeling schools on them. (And shouldn't if they happen to have a paper resume.

Agency View on Modeling Schools.
Agents don't care how many times youve been scammed or not.
They really don't. They only care if you can make them money RIGHT NOW! It's unsympathetic and impationate but it's business.

The reason that modeling agencies don't like schools is not because of these "reputation" we know them to be.
It is because of the reputation that they have experience with.
Modeling school graduates are usually just as identifiable as beauty queens. The formal walk. The predicable poses. The flat portrait studio lighting on their compcards, etc...


It is near impossible to "untrain" a model from habits s/he's become accustomed to. Especially when convicing them, they've just wasted their money going to school.
American Intercontinental, for example, isn't as formal as most schools and they don't make out-of-way promises. They're Univeristy and they only promise what they promise for the other100s of programs they offer. Plus, a student gets an actual degree from a college versus just a random certificate. A degree with transferable credit hours, so if s/he changes careers, the first two semesters of college weren't for nothing and they can go on to pursue a Bachelor's in another field.

Conventions.
As for conventions...mentioning conventions is also a good catagory.
I believe in conventions (the right one). It's just like agencies. Talent needs to know WHICH conventions to attend, so that they don't run into the wrong convention...also so that they don't pass up an opportunity to go to a REAL beneficial convention.