Amanda Droke

We are not an agency. We are a model/talent management company.

Also yes we do advertising. Many companies do advertising on the net. I am not sure why that is a problem.

Also the reason why you can not search through our talent is because our talent are not publically displayed. You MUST be a registered Talent, agency, producer, photographer etc. in order to see all digital comp cards. You can see some of our talent in success stories, and testimonials.

We are linked to scam sites because of those companies, because our owner used to be an investor/franchisee holder through them until he seperated himself. We are not affiliated and do not run our business the same. In those reports it even clames that we have Many offices and not only are talent being scammed but so are scouts. I have been with the company as a scout for over a year out of the 3 years that we have been in business and can assure I have recieved everything promised to me, as well as seeing many great things come from One Source Talent.

I am not sure how clients such as ABC, NBC, and MTV are not reputable companies to be affiliated with. We have also work with with Playboy, FORD, Elite and IMG.

We have been around for 3years, I have rarely, if ever seen anyone send me any recent honest complaints about our company, for all of our locations. We are not misleading in any way.

During your first visit to our office we tell you everything about what is involved with becoming a part of OST. It is up to you whether you want to sign with us if given the opportunity.

I am not saying in anyway that everyone who has been signed with us has been successful... its the entertainment industry, there are many reasons why poeple do not make it.

Whether you try getting signed by an agency, market yourself, use a model management company, attend large model searches take classes etc. 99% of the time somewhere along the way you will need to invest in something. I have read many articles in this website about this subject. And have rarely talked to a model or actor who doesn't have a comp cards or headshots.

This is just another way to get started. I love my job and the company I work for I have seen growth and opportunities for the company as well as our models since the beginning and think there is just more to come. That is the reason we opened another office in the Chicago area. The next office we will be opening will be in Miami.


Also if you go back to read the link on OST being discussed on this website before, it was one of our talent saying positive things!!

Also I scout for all of our offices. The office that we just opened in Chicago is being run from a TS promoted to office director. I honestly can say that I know nothing about whether or not we are thinking about franchising. If you visit the website we have 4 offices that are run through the main office in Detroit. That is the company I work for. I work out of the Detroit office and I know how it is run. I have access to the talent and the castings. When in the office I see first hand the group who is responsible for finding new castings and auditions and shoots for our talent. I see with my own eyes the great things that we do and have met face to face some of our top models who are now on to bigger and better things who have told me that it was because of OST.

So you can choose to say what you want and think what you want. But I KNOW the truth and I know that we are paving the way and are only getting bigger and better everyday! If we were scamming people we wouldn't have had the means to open another office, we wouldn't have just celebrated our 3rd anniversary. We have talent who have been with us since the opening day and that right there tells me we MUST be doing something right.

If anyone would like to discuss anything with us more you can feel free to email me at amanda.droke@onesourcetalent.com. You can even call Anthony Toma the owner himself at 248-816-7900. If there is something I can't answer I will find the answer of at least direct you to someone who can help you.

austinmodelsandtalent

Do you find work for the people who join OST? If "yes," then you qualify as an Agency, regardless of what you call yourselves. IF you do not find work for your people, then what do you do for them? If you are not finding people work, why are they signing with you? Are you a modeling school?

Models generally need a comp card and portfolio and generally do need to pay the cost for this - though a good agency will help arrange test shoots for them when building a portfolio. Actors must have a headshot and resume. They go to photographers and printing companies for these things... they DO NOT buy them from their Agent, Manager, or Management Company. That is a clear conflict of interest and can lead to prosecution and fines in many places. Read up on the term, "Photo Mill."

Actors study acting from qualified acting coaches. They pay for this. The coach is not their Agent, Manager, or Management Company. Models do not need "modeling school." They test with qualified commercial and fashion photographers.

In most states that regulate agencies, management companies and managers are also required to be licensed. If you "direct or guide" the talents career, then you need to be licensed as an agency. If you are just selling photo shoots, then you are a photography studio and not a management company or an agency.

In several places on the OST website, you refer to yourselves as an "agency." If you are not an agency, why refer to yourselves as an agency on your website? If you boast of clients such as ABC, NBC, and MTV... what is their client association to OST? If you are not an agency, then you certainly are not providing talent to them. If you are saying that OST registered or signed talent are getting work through you with ABC, NBC, and MTV, then you must be an agency.

In your reply above, you state the following: "When in the office I see first hand the group who is responsible for finding new castings and auditions and shoots for our talent."

If you are finding "new castings and auditions and shoots" for your talent... isn't that what defines being an agency? I'm confused because you say you are not an agency, and then you basically describe yourselves as doing all the things that an agency does.

What are your State issued license numbers?

Amanda Droke

There are MANY Model Management companies in the industry. If you want License information you can contact our home office at 248-816-7900.

Also we do find work for our talent. We do NOT take a % from them like an agency does. We use digital comp cards, instead of print. That is why there is a cost. YOU can get your comp card printed from our system wherever you want. There are MANY talent management companies that use digital comp cards. They can charge anywhere from $300-$1000..

We offer meet and greets, not classes. And we do not charge you to attend a meet and greet. The meet and greets are done by industry professionals to teach, train, or just give some knowledge to talent for anything from Acting to Health and Fitness.

We also have photographers that we work closely with and have had models do test shoots for their comp cards as well. It’s called networking.
Also no where online have I ever heard OST call themselves an agency.

I honestly do not know what MI state regulations are on licensed talent management companies. Like I said if you would like that info you can call the office. We are in fact registered with the BBB in Michigan. Any and all complaints or issues are handled through that office.

It is also illegal to go onto a large website like this and make false accusations against a person or a company. It’s called deformation of character. This is basically what you are doing. You do not have any knowledge on One Source Talent itself. You have never worked or been affiliated with our company.

All of the accusations, suggestions and questions that you have are completely covered with potential talent during open call, their first and second interviews. There is no hidden anything. If someone does not feel that our company is the way that they want to go then they lose nothing by attending an open call and getting all the specific information. We do not bully anyone into attending or signing. It does not benefit any one to do such a thing. We want to maintain a good reputation so that we can grow and become very successful.

Everything I have said is legit. I don't understand why people like you have to put something down that you know nothing about.

This is all the info I have. I am a scout. I set up open calls times with potential talent and send them in for evaluations. Like I said if you really want VERY specific info on License, Franchise, or any other business info please contact the office.

Angelus

Being non-reputable or relatively unknown due to low success rate or notorious for the wrong reasons.
Yes there are many, you are correct.

The burden of proof falls on you.
Name one client,casting company or casting website that will go through the trouble of making a blanket call to a phone number to find out info that is REQUIRED by you to list EVERYTIME you post a casting or casting call or advertisement.
Check your state laws for each office.

Singling this point out.
It is required to post your talent license number EVERYTIME you post a casting call..or you post your name or logo anywhere related to such. You have not. You, as you state yourself, don't even know it.
I can't even find "OCT" registered in either of the states you work out of.


Even as with a lawyer and pro-bono, he's still acting as a lawyer...

When you search for or provide castings you are acting as an agent. It does not matter if you're being paid or not. (Even though you are, just not as a percentage.)

It is far cheaper to market digitally than with brick'n mortor marketing. All you do is email and post.
There is no paper, No ink, No postage, No courier service, No storage, none of the other costs associated with paper composite cards. There should be NO cost.
And you charge $300+ for digital comps? The average printed comp costs less than $250 for up to 500 average. And there are printers who charge even less for more.

Again, No. They don't. If you honestly believe these are normal prices for comps, you need to get from behind the desk and walk into an actual management company. You can google printingcompanies right now and be hard-pressed to find a printing company charging over $300...and that's high.
A portfolio, depending on the photographer and paid directly TO the photographer can start at $300 and be in excess of $1500. But comps? No.

Anyone can claim to be a professional. If a model is new, how will s/he know the difference?


Check your ownwebsite. Check the link I provided above to your other California office, check the link I provided to your .tripod testimonial site. Or you can just google your company name.

As a new faces director it is your duty and jib to know. It is also your respobsibilty to know and disay your talent license number alkng with state of registration.

First...we have tons of knowledge on One Source. More than you apparently...
Again the burden of proof is on you.

There is no defamation of character. We asked you questions. Accused you of nothing and displayed information printed not only by others, but by your company as as well. Yet, you address none of it. You actually haven't even addressed nor answered anything with a straight answer.

Your reputation is NOT a goid one.
You even had a model question
You directly. I also know many many models personally who have dealt with OCT in the past. And it wasn't good.This is our reason for concern and why we are asking you to provide us with what we ask.

Maybe you're trying to make it good, we don't know. But your track record says more about you...until you prove otherwise.

"People like you"
You haven't provided us with anything to say yes on. Legit? You basically have no info on your company.

Well which is it?
Are you a director or a scout?


If you want to post castings here, you will provide us with one. It's not our job to call a number and search for something that should already be there.

Are expensive. Agencies don't advertise. They network. Management companies don't advertise. They network. Agencies HATE overhead. They must minimize their costs as much as possible, yet OCT utilizes one of the most expensive forms of advertising. Google. And there are costs associated with a large pool of talent. So advertising in search of talent...having a website that caters to the enticing of talent (not client), advertising in search of scouts all lead to only one way to recoup your money. Photomills (includes composites as well) webpages. And convincing models that they need them.

ModelIng schools, photomills, conventions and the likes DO advertise on google. Among others ways. Agencies simply don't. They can't.


Also, we never asked about searching through talent. We never stated NBC, ABC etc...were not reputable. They're not agencies. I stated that there is no record of a talent license.

I also stated that you feature, models, photographers and agencies on the front page of your website. The agency feature on your site right now in the "Featured Agency" section you have an agency called Production Plus. Not well known.

You have testimonial. No legit company has that plastered on the front page.

MTV's NEXT casting.
Is an open casting. No talent needs anagent for that. They've beenholding open castings and accepting video auditions since the early 90's.
This is also how the audtions for reality and "specialty" shows on newtworks like NBC, MTV have always been done. There is no "relationship" required.

All the castings on your front page are for major networks but are for shows that they open to the public regardless. You can go to each network show's website and read about how to apply.

You even placed a "pop culture" quiz on your front page.
Is this a spin-off of the E! Network, a talent management company, an agency or a model portfolio hosting site?

Anything like a network pilot, sitcom or other show or Union Movies...you need to be registered with The Breakdowns Servies, Ltd. http://www.breakdownservices.com/

And yes you can browse at talent on
http://onesourcetalent.com, and you can even look up talent ID.
http://onesourcetalent.com/models/

Here is Tianna's compcard: (webpage)
http://onesourcetalent.com/compcard/...lent/14909.htm

PS, I am a former mainstream agency model and I know how agencies work. As do other memberswho have as much, if not more experience than me. And your presentation and tactics are currently not representative of such.

We are here to protect the talent on MMT. If you cannot provide us with the info we need to feel that our members are safe, then we do not want you posting nor participating here.

If you can provide us with the info we need to trust our members are protected when dealing with you...and if you abide by ethics, moral standings and legal boundaries and actually want to benefit the talent, not prey on them, then we welcome any agency or management company able to do so. This goes for ANY member-type, not just model agencies.


Angelus
MMT - Site Admin.

austinmodelsandtalent

Angelus hit every point on the nose, but to also reiterate:

Laws in most states (definitely California) REQUIRE that the license number be included on all advertising print and copy of any type - including even business cards. Definitely, with your posting here that license number is required to be included.


If you are finding work for your talent, YOU ARE AN AGENCY. This is not just people's opinions... this is the definition, by law.



That doesn't even make sense. A digital comp card costs nothing. Real printed comp cards, like real agencies use, cost money. In today's day and age of electronics, a digital comp is a useful tool too... but it's more likely to see a cost for printing nice, glossy, card stock comps... vs a scan of one in the computer online.


Okay, wait... back up here. You say you don't provide classes, and then you follow that by saying that you teach. Isn't TEACHING a CLASS?


Where online? Try your own website where it is stated clearly in black and white.



"Deformation" of character? Do you perhaps mean "DEFAMATION OF CHARACTER"? There is no such thing as a "Deformation" of Character. The correct legal term is "Defamation." It's not that either. If it were anything, it would be LIBEL. Libel is defined as the written and FALSE accusation of something which is designed to hurt your business... and it's not that either, because nothing that has been stated is false. Stating legal laws, such as that agencies in some of the states you claim offices in, must be licensed is not false... it is a legal fact.



Where has anyone said you bully anyone into something? We are simply quoting some laws and pointing out that your agency is supposed to be licensed in order to operate legally.


If you were a degreed doctor with a licensed practice and some guy with no medical school or training and no medical license opened an office next door to you and was telling people he could perform surgery on them... wouldn't you, as a legitimate doctor want to have them stopped as quickly as possible? The fact that he says, "Oh I am not a doctor, I am a management company... but I do perform surgery on my patients," is NOT a valid excuse for pretending to be something he is not.