Wilhelmina of PA - Page 2 - MyModelTalk Free Casting Calls for Models and Actors!

Wilhelmina of PA · 06-30-2009, 11:19 PM

I'm receiving conflicting information on an agency I recently talked to.

I went to a casting call for Wilhelmina of PA recently and was accepted into the agency. The agency is run by Kelli Harman, and after doing a background check on her, I came across the following information which made me believe the whole thing was a scam:

Centre Daily Times archives

But more recently I did a search on Wilhelmina's official website and found out that she really is a legitimate affiliate of Wilhelmina models:

http://www.wilhelmina.com/licensees.cfm

The problem is, there are some up front fees I would have to pay: photos, classes, etc, coming to a total of over $1500. I was told to avoid agencies that made you pay these fees before actually getting a job. However, I was told at the casting call that these fees are tax deductible as business expenses and could be written off when I filed my taxes. So it's like an investment more than a cost.

I'm so confused about this. I'm new to modeling and don't really know where to go from here. Plus I'm a COMPLETELY broke college student and can't afford any scams. If you could give me your opinion based on this information, I'd really appreciate it!!!

Thanks a lot!

mykkal · 07-22-2009, 06:52 PM

Gotcha... well i'm not sure they are doing anything wrong honestly. Models have to expect to make an substantial investment in their portfolio. Especially if they are new and have no images.

However an agency should recommend the photographers (& any other services) and not force any talent to use any particular service. Sometimes agencies do this becuase they are making money on the backend with the photographer.

Wilhelmina Models is an outstanding agency with great work. I don't know Kelli Harman (personally) or her background but the name Wilhelmina is very well known. If the agency signs you I would be cautious but very optimistic and truly excited.

The only background information concerning a dispute about Kelli is on easybackgroundcheck.com which isn't a very reliable site. In fact I've heard from more then one person in the industry that the site is used to extort money from those they post on. Basically charging those named on their site to remove the posting. I'm not sure if this is true or not but if this is where the information is coming from I would definitely trust Kelli Harmon or any random person more then that site.

allyoursphoto · 07-24-2009, 11:21 PM

Have you checked with the local Better Business Bureau? It's a great place to get unbiased info on a business.

Legit agencys will charge for their services, but should not require that you use their vendors for training, photos, etc.

There are a lot of "agency"s that accept virtually everyone that comes in the door so that they can sell some pricy trainings and photoshoots, regardless of the odds that they will succeed in the modeling business.