Orange Model Management review: Scam 59

# Real agents don't guarantee work if you sign on with them.
# Real agents don't require you to buy services from affiliated photo studios, training schools or video producers.
# Real agents don't represent extras, models and principal performers in the same organization.
# Real agents don't advertise or hand out leaflets.
# Real agents make money if you make money - they don't charge you high fees if you're not working

http://www.actratoronto.com/perform/protectyourself.html

I admire those of you that are reading this message. It means that you are researching and verifying the company that you are possibly getting ready to work with. It means that you have a true interest in your choice to be a part of a very cut throat industry and that you want to make the right decision concerning your career. Knowledge is power and by researching you educate yourself so that you do not act in ignorance. There are many model management companies that cover the cost of your portfolio, head shots and comps and some cover nothing. But agencies who charge money are not scam, they just don't want to invest in any beginner.

Unfortunately this is a cut throat industry and there are many different reasons that a model may not succeed in the business. It may be anything from a bad attitude, not showing up for casting or work, being difficult to work with or just not having the right look. One model will never be able to look at another models career and judge how their career will go. Sometimes it does not work out between an agency and model.

How do you know what to believe? Good question! Go with the facts! Most of the time the work that the agency does speaks for its self. You can look at a website of a model management company and tell if it going in the right direction. You can tell by the quality of models that the agency represents, the caliber of work the models are doing and the kind of clients they work with

I have been with Orange for almost 8 months, have got a few castings landed a role in a music video but I am very happy with the over all experience and definitely plan to renew my contract.

This is in response to la tartaruga:

"for complexions make-up agency/school, one of the most prominant make-up school to affiliate itself with orange models... which people say is a scam, is in possible jeopardy of it's own reputation. something to think about. something really to think about... so if you want to find out about orange model, call complexions make-up school and ask? life can be so simple sometimes!"

Just so you know, complexions is not a respected school! they are a scam. they charge twice as much as any other make-up school for the same quality eduction. where does that extra money go? they spend it on publicity and advertising so people think they are "one of the most prominent make-up schools". when in fact anyone who is actually a professional working make-up artist will tell you they are a joke!

How do I know all this? I went to school for make-up. the teachers at the school I attended were previously teachers at complexions but quit because they didn't like the way that school ran their business. I got the same quality education from a reputable school for half the price of complexions.

Also, being in the industry I happen to know a lot of other make-up artists. and the ones I know who went to complexions have nothing but horror stories.

My point?

Any agency that affiliates itself with a known scam (such as complexions) is probably a scam themselves!

I am with Orange Models and was with two other Agency's before them and so far they have treated me the best. I did not pay a ridiculous amount for my photos and have only been with them for three weeks and already had work. In fact even hundred is even cheaper then what other agency's charge. When I started I payed twelve hundred dollars to take 'lessons' and do a photo shoot they then sent me to a hair show and charged me another nine hundred dollars to re do them.
SO Orange is an excellent agency. I am also in CONSTANT contact with my Agent who lets me call him whenever I feel I need to touch base or ask questions he is always very helpful and informative. Not to mention the agency is run better then some of the other ones I have seen.

I also have worked as an Agent in the industry so I do know the other side... so in response too Jpn's comment those 'postcards' are used in EVERY SINGLE AGENCY and if there are not then you are with a BAD ONE. They are handed out to cliental and customers and kept ON FILE if they like or appreciate your look. it COSTS MONEY to print things and PHOTOGRAPHERS DO NOT WORK FOR FREE EVER! And If they do I would question it. I went to an Arts College quite a few of my friends are photography students and even that charge a minimum of two hundred dollars to people they know. So before you slander an entire company look into other things. Check out Photographers and their Sites, call them, ask them how much they charge, then either create a COMP card yourself on Photoshop, ask the Photographer how much they would charge to do it or find and pay someone else to create them. Then take the PDF file and go to any print shop including Zellers and ask them to print it onto manila or harder cardboard like paper. Price THAT all out and THEN add a make up artist to come to your shoot into that cost. Once you have done this look at your final price and then the price the agency is offering you. Just to roughly do it for you, the Photographer friend I have who runs his own company charges: 585.00 for a one and a half hour shoot. Mac charges anywhere from 90 - 100 dollars for a session and if they have to come out of their area they will charge more... Blacks charges upwards of 30 dollars for 6... the agency gives you 100 so the total cost (roughly) would be: 715 and then you have to TIP the Make Up Artist and Photographer so your looking at around 735 dollars...and you are only getting six comp cards. Photographers also charge extra to put your pictures onto DISK or USB for you and that will change dependent on the amount of photos ect. but Id add at least another 10 or 20 so your final total would be 755.00 - I think I will pay my 600 or 700 and get a minimum of 100 COMP CARDS thats 94 free cards. Look at it that way.

And that's that. I am an Orange Model and I am Happy with my representation.

16yroldTO two things

ONE if you are uncomfortable taking off your shirt you are in the WRONG industry I was 15 on stage at a hair show in nothing but a bra and pants and the guy cutting my hair touched my bare breasts at least a dozen times getting hair off of me it is NOT a sexual thing AT ALL it is work they view it at work you are basically selling yourself and your body to different markets. YOU have to be confidant and comfortable in unusual situations if you were uncomfortable with him measuring you .. YOU could have said something and YOU could have asked for a female to do it. You are 16, you are legal and you have to grow up fast in this industry.

They have companies like prime time their a major con . I k now how they work they charge u portfolio prices at ridiculous prices and don t guarantee ###

So much confusion here...

After reading numerous bad reviews, I was really disheartened as I only checked for reviews after I had joined the agency. But lo and behold, I have been getting casting and I could not have been more satisfied :)

I just don't know what to do. I have a contract in hand, not signed yet. I'm torn. I'm on disability, so $650 is a HUGE amount of money I just don't have. Don't know where I'm going to get it, but want this so bad. Reading so many contradictory assessments of Orange.

So, i have a contract with them also, did sign it 6 months ago.. i wasn't sure, and the manager was pushing me to start sooner, so i can sooner start working, he made it look, like there are clients waiting for my type of beauty etc..
they made me pay 700, yes.. basically the manager was describing everything in pink colors, showing examples of 500-1000$/day jobs.. and me being a russian, and being considered very beautiful by people i meet here in toronto, i thought what the heck, let me try..
so the reality is way different, i get auditions and casting calls from time to time, but mostly "not paid" type of jobs.. and even so, they usually are "canceled" 2 days after.. yeah right.. or they just don't choose you, so you basically never know if this is real, or Agency is just playing to, so it will look real..
well i got several real auditions, but still i didn't make any money at all with them!
so, my conclusion? are they a scam or not, yes and no.. they just don't have that many clients, and they for sure mostly make money from girls that dream to be a model.. cause several times i went to the agency, everytime some new girl was signing a contract, lol..

I TRULY REGRET wasting my money..

I would have to say that if an agency really wants you and can see your potential - they will pay for everything! if they make you pay - it is because they are not certain you will be their money maker - aka cindy crawford naomi cambell etc. you think they paid? lol.. I have 2 friends - both of their daughters were signed their portfolio paid for and they are doing runway modelling! So to the lady/girl - who commented things in life are not free well.. if you got what it takes it is free - if you are average then yes you do pay! and i dont mean it in a bad way. I worked with a talent agent - and she never made the people she thought would get her huge contracts like covergirl etc. but really how much does the bay or walmart pay? compared to covergirl or chanel?

Respected name in the fashion industry, so the experience looks great on your resume. Small team, so work is very hands-on. I was in charge of very large projects, which was great for my portfolio.

Orange is as good as it gets. They blow their competition away with their professionalism, and attention to detail. It is so refreshing to have calls and emails returned in a very timely matter!

Other Toronto area modeling agencies I have worked with have done nothing but disappoint; they nickel-and-dime their models and clients, and reduce their integrity by assigning "model numbers" huh?

Overall, Orange is an excellent agency. Professional, with a boutique feel. I highly recommend working with them!

christian pallanteon are probably the manager of this terrible agency acting as clients. What a scam. I've heard terrible things about this agency.

One of the best agencies in Toronto. Very professional agents and great team! I have nothing but good things to say about them.

Clearly this conversation about Orange modeling agency is intriguing. My daughter started her modeling career with Kamera Kids (a branch of Sutherland Models) who is a Legitimate Agency and I was quickly asked to pay $350 for head shots and comp cards. I spoke to Rhonda at the time and I said that $350 wasn't a lot of money and I didn't mind paying this for photos but was Kamera Kids the real thing and was my daughter going to get modeling work? Rhonda quickly ensured me that my daughter would absolutely get work.

I might also add that my daughter was one of only two people that Kamera Kids took the day they had an audition for talent with approximately 25 kids in attendance. There was a lot of sad kids and parents that didn't get picked that day. The audition was a bit harsh too with Rhonda saying at the beginning, "that if you or your child cannot take rejection you had best leave now." When she had interviewed all the children (you could watch your child get interviewed through the glass but were not allowed to attend the interview with your child) Rhonda returned and said my daughter and another boy were in and the rest were out. She then said she would contact the parents of the two kids that passed the audition and abruptly left.

A number of weeks went by and finally we got a phone call for some print work and my daughter was paid for it. She then did more print work, a fashion show and eventually it led to commercials where you can start to make real money in this business. During the time I went to auditions with my daughter and spoke to several parents I saw several scams parents and their kids were unknowingly involved in. One sounds a a lot like what may be happening at Orange Models. People were paying a lot of money for head shots and photo albums but never getting any work. Some were going to auditions and trying to get work but nothing ever seemed to work out. I remember speaking to one father who spoke about several thousands of dollars he had spent on photography, acting and modeling lessons (his daughter was six at the time) through a modeling agency that I forget the name of, had been to several auditions and his daughter even had some work. In further conversation I found that even when his daughter got some work she was never paid for it. I told him that whenever my daughter worked she was always paid. He showed me the photo album of his daughter with pride and several glam shots the model agency had taken in a book he carried to each audition. I told him he may be involved in a scam and he should perhaps look at Kamera Kids as an alternative, audition and see what they say, as Kamera Kids told me that young kids don't need acting or modeling classes until they are around 10). Sadly, when I finally met with his daughter I realized she probably wouldn't pass a Kamera kids audition as she was very shy and unfortunately not that attractive.

Modeling agencies are not only looking for looks but also for big personality and the ability of your child to take instruction. They also interview the parents especially if the children are young (our daughter started at 4) since you need to take this seriously and be responsible to get your child to and from auditions and acting shoots. (It can be a full time job for one parent) We eventually left Kamera Kids - it was a great experience and the beginning as my daughter has now acted in several big feature Hollywood films and currently lives in LA, however this has a lot to do with natural talent and personality more then anything else and we know this is not the norm.

From what I see in reading these comments, is that if you are paying a lot of money for photos and not getting any work or not getting paid for your work you are probably not with the right agency. Also, if you are paying for classes whether acting or modeling and under the age of 10 you are probably with the wrong company. I might also add that I saw kids all done up with hair and make-up coming to auditions - my child came as she was in comfortable clothing often in her favorite camouflage jeans and more than often got the part. Unfortunately, I also saw that parents seemed to want the modeling career more than there kids - we were always careful to see if our daughter was having fun and that she wanted to continue to work in the business.

Hope this helps.

nothing like ripping off a single mom. my son is very handsome with the right help he could at least make a bit to help for university. [censored] sorry