PROSCOUT review: PROSCOUT 187

Are you a disgruntled employee or something? I checked the BBB and several other consumer agencies and had nothing but good remarks about ProScout, plase tell me what happened to you to make your experience such a bad one. I am contemplating the idea of attending the Dallas event in November, and would really love to hear what happened to you. Thanks

I JUST WENT TO AN INTERVIEW W/ PRO SCOUT A FEW DAYS AGO AND WAS INVITED TO THE DALLAS EVENT IN NOVEMBER. THEY SEEMED TO BE THE REAL THING. IF U HAVE ANY INFO TO BACK THIS CLAIM UP, PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT IT IS. THEY SEEM TO BE LEGITAMATE ALL THE WAY AROUND... SO PLEASE LET US ALL KNOW WHY WE SHOULD NOT DO THIS.

THANX
~K~

My daughter was invited to go to New Orleans for an Invitational in January and I am having a hard time making a decision to go. I am a little skeptical. Has anyone else attended with their child?

*N*

I also attended the seminar in New Orleans and recieved a call back for the show in January. Is this a fraud? Email me your answer.

I went to an open call in October and got picked to go to an event in February. I want to know if this really is a scam.

I attended the proscout meeting in Dallas, TX in November and was absolutely disapointed. This is a huge scam. There were about 800-1000 contestants there, and about 10% were interviewed. There were very beautiful girls who really looked like models (including me), very adorable children, and very talented poeple who really could be actors, but only a couple were chosen for interview. You would have thought that the $800 would cover travel, food, and hotel expences, but we had to take care fo these things on our own. Meaning we paid for NOTHING. This was so sad because poeple came from across the freaking country for this useless event. Those FAKE agents were talking, laughing, and not even paying any attention to the catwalks. Proscout is a huge regret of mine. Proscout is coming back to my hometown to try to talk poeple into going to their next event and Im passing out flyers expressing the fact that they are a scam. No one deserves to get played like that.

Proscout is a SCAM FOR SURE! I am sorry to dissapoint those of you who got picked to go to an Invitational...nice. They are playing a numbers game and it's all about money. They are in business to make money not to scout real talent. YOU SHOULD NEVER PAY ANY OF THESE PLACES, I.E. PROSCOUT, JOHN ROBERT POWERS, IPOP, A.C.T. - just look online under Proscout Scams and you will see the proof. It is impossible to get noticed at a 2 day event when there are 400-500 other people attending. It is a sad and cruel joke, all of these companies should be ashamed. They have a goal for the amount of people who they invite to these events and they are shooting for the highest number. Please don't be fooled. Go to www.agentassociation.com, www.lacasting.com, they list all of the agents, managers and casting directors - do extra work, send out headshots - proscout will get you nowhere! They are disgusting.

okay r u people just saying this because you had 1 bad experience with them and are just trying to get people not 2 pay or do u actually have a legit. reason 2 complain?

They want my two small children to go to Charlotte for sat and sun, and i nalso called two agencies and they both said they use proscout, should i go or just try it on my own?

I also just went and I was chosen to go to chicago please some one write and tell me what to do.

i think its kind of funny how everyone who has a bad complaint said they asked for 800$ i believe there may be truth behind this scam claim...whomever has paid have u seen any results yet..ur not supposed to pay for talent agents "THEY PAY YOU' ...Agents recieve a percentage of what u make thats why if a REAL agent believes they can work with you then the agent supports everything meaning clothes, hotel and food until ur checks start rolling in...That my friends is how you know this is a SCAM!

We personally know an 18 year old who gave up an academic scholarship to sign with an agency through ProScout. She's livin' the dream. Now I'm taking my son and daughter to the SoCal event in April. Someone has to pay for the coaching you receive on Saturday, the agents housing and the ballrooms, etc. I don't think $800 is outrageous unless you have spent lots of money already on photos and fake modeling agencies like JRP.

I dont think many of you realize what proscout is actually doing.

Do this first: Google Proscout and read the numerous complaints they have gotten. They also have numerous complaints in the Better business bureau. Not many people realize that they are professionals.

Meaning, they all have trained eachother on how to make ProScout look legit. Of course people who attend their events feel as if they are a real company and that they are indeed there to make your dreams come true. But this is their job. This is the way they make money.

I have attended a ProScout event in Washington DC/ Maryland/ Virginia area. They picked out half of the people in the room. After the took all the people they thought would be " good models/actors " They went on to show us a video about their company. All you have to do is pay $500-$800 to have this once in a lifetime opportunity. The funny thing is, they will make about $10, 000 off of one meeting with these people who want to be models and actors. And what will they get? Nothing.

Their photo package are outrageous. Why does it cost so much money to have these portraits made? Modeling agenices dont need to go to scouting events. They have more then enough people who want to sign with them. Take for instance FORD Models. Go to their website and you'll see that if you want to be considered for an interview, you have to turn in pictures and your measurements directly to them.

The agencies who attend the meeting are actually the agencies assistants. They have a booth to give you their cards and a lil chit chat and your back on your way.

How many success stories do they have? About 1 from a group of 1000 people.

If you want to play your cards and spend useless money. Then attend a proscout convention. Have fun. And dont cry too much when you're on your way home, going back to where you started.

SIDE NOTE:

I ended up not going to the invitational convention and decided to use my money to pay for part of my car. BEST decision I have ever made. What I find amusing is that I went to the meeting over 2 years ago. But I still get emails to this day to go to one of their events.

Hey everyone, I am a student who has wanted to be an actress since I can remember. Things like this are always getting scam arguments going. I went to Proscout last year, and I also plan to go again in April. Why? Because its fun. Yes, there is A LOT of sitting around, but you meet other people who have the same aspirations, AND it gives you some audition experience. Now, I know $800 is a lot of money, so if you're expecting to go and get a ton of callbacks but you don't know if you should spend the money, you probably shouldn't. One of the only reasons I'm going back this year is the discount, its only $200, and I feel like going last year prepared me to do better this year. Keep in mind that the agents ARE real, but they won't settle. Meaning, you really have to bring it. Why would they pick someone who's only giving 90% when there's others out there (not at ProScout) who are giving 200%? Just because you don't get a callback doesn't mean this is a scam. You just need to understand what you're paying for, and that this is NOT a guaruntee to stardom. =)
AND to anyone who is attending the Boston one in April, I hope to see you there!

i got the call back and thay had a guy who had been scamed when he was a kid and said he would never do that to other kids

Free speech, like above, gives many the chance to post drivel, misinformation, even nonsense. In many of the above "negative" complaints, complete lies have been floated. Proscout does NOT sell photos... does NOT sell modeling classes... does NOT charge money to get an agent. Even models.com forum moderators are sick to death of uninformed people whining about Proscout in threads, because it's always the same thing - people who don't understand it. Proscout is not an agency - theyt help people MEET AGENCIES. If you think that's easy, dude, stop complaining and go find out the reality for yourslef. Just becuase people don't prepare enough or stand out enough amongst competition, that makes Proscout a scam? Man, people, grow up and take responsibility. My daughter went to Proscout last year, and it was not a scam - not at all. Just a business forum where you had the chance - a real chance to meet obviously legit agents. I saw people make it big, and yes, others fall short. To see those who fall short go out and write crap like the above is well, embarassing for them.

Even the dude who began this thread who says he is a "former PS agent" is suspect, saying he got paid to go to ProScout. I don't believe his is a legit post for a moment. Even if he was for real, I'm supposed to be a ProScout hater because they have to cough up the airfare and cabfare for the agents? That's why Proscout charges their fee - because they bring you the agents!

So - in closing, if you dont' like paying Proscout to bring you 40 or so major agencies to your nearest city, then buy a couple of plane tickets and fly yourself - and then you can start calling the airlines a scam... because, obviously... they shouldnt charge money either... I mean, after all... you're just a poor old kids who wants to model, right? And all the time it takes, your contacts, your travel costs... eveything you must do to achieve that chance should be for free, right?

My daughter has attended an event in PA. My opinion is that NO ONE should go with hopes of "getting discovered." What my daughter got out of it was a fantastic weekend socializing with people with similar interests and dreams. She also learned how to present herself as more confident and professional. We thouroughly enjoyed it. I did go in knowing it was somewhat of a "scam." I made her earn half the money to go. Once you go the first time, attending other events is much cheaper. I guess they figure that you are aware of the scam already, so they have to charge less to get you to come.

She did get interviewed and accepted, but was given the name of another agent to contact in order to go further, and they could "only see her on a Tuesday morning." She would have had to miss school several days for us to travel there, and we never did.

My daughter loved it so much that, at 18 years old, she has decided to spend her own hard earned money to go again. She "tested" them by interviewing again, as if she hasn't attended an event before, and they chose her again.

To sum up, don't go with any REAL hopes of getting magically discovered and making money, etc. If you go, just expect to meet a lot of interesting, talented people and have a good time. It's an adventure, but also a bit of a scam.

i think ps is a scam too because last year when they came too fresno me and a couple other girls had attended and when we got up there they said ure not wat where looking 4 and this year i went up there by myself and i made it so a few days later the enervention was at orange county on dec 10 and 11 my aunt send 300 in and when we got there they said the money never got to them and my aunt was like how is that when i sent in the money to this axact address. then on top of it we had to pay 400 just too stay 1 night in the hotel. when they said the agents was going too be there they wasnt even there they came the next day. then i wrote proscout and they never wrote bck. DONT FALL 4 PROSCOUT IT IS AFACK SCAM AND THEY JUST WANT URE MONEY...URE NOT SUPPOSED TOO PAY THEM THERE SUPPOSED TOO PAY U EVEN TYRA BANKS SAID SOO...

okay first of all, you should get a receipt saying you sent the money. and second learn how to spell.
proscout is not a scam. i got invited to the invitational in dallas.
we are paying for them to fly down to watch you and for them to stay in the hotel and for the ballroom and food...
and you dont have to stay at the same hotel they do.
duh.
whoever is saying its a scam is probably just mad because they didnt get picked.

I am an assistant to a well respected talent agent in LA and she has been attending Proscout events for the last 5 years. The parent of an actor we represent and found at Proscout told us about this website. The first thing my boss wanted me to mention was that the person who claims to be an "agent" that posted this complaint is most likely not a legitimate agent. First reason is that everything they said is totally untrue. And secondly, a real agent wouldn't waste they're time blogging about things like this. If they are a credible agent they are far too busy doing their job and hopefully promoting and booking their talent. It's unfortunate that a good ethical company like Proscout has to deal with things like this. Here's something to consider...Why would a real agent sit around posting slanderous remarks about ProScout? What's the motivation? If you're still skeptical, just contact a few of the agencies yourself. Hopefully this helps.

However it is rather suspicious that we are only hearing "a friend of a friend of mine that i represent was found from Proscout..." from the defenders, rather than from actual people who have been successful..

I hope this idiot isn't referring to my post, when saying "a friend of a friend". I am referring to a working actor that attended ProScout, that we represent. I speak with this client every single day, and my boss attends Proscout events. I'm not sure how much more of a reliable source one could ask for. I really wish I knew what the motivation was for some of these "haters". I have to assume they're just losers who have no better way to deal with their constant rejection than to post negative things about legitimate companies. It's actually kind of sad when you really think about it.

1. if proscout was a scam they wouldn't have been here for so long
2. they can back up that they aren't because they have videos interviewing the people that procout discovered telling you that they got discovered.
3. these are the top agencies their not going to just pick anyone. you have to have something that they really like about you.

I TOOK MY DAUGHTER TO PROSCOUT IN 2005 IN ORLANDO & IT WAS GREAT! SHE MET THE TOP AGENCIES & HAD QUITE A FEW CALLBACKS !
SHE IS SIGNED WITH FORD MODELS !
PROSCOUT IS NOT A SCAM! THEY SIMPLY BRING ALL THE AGENCIES TOGETHER TO MEET YOU.

oH & I WOULD BE HAPPY TO VERIFY THAT !

My child was picked we paid 868.00 in June 2007 we went to Texas where she was then picked by 2 so-called agents she has had 2 commercials that for whatever reason and never aired the last one being in December 2007 all in all we have spent out of pocket over 4, 000 and we was not paid back in full as promised she was not paid they spent maybe 300.oo for 2 night stay in Texas however Denver, LA, and Washington was on us with the understanding we would be paid for our Air Fair and Hotel as I said before it didn't happen now you take what you want from this but be careful of scams that's lots of money

I went to the Boston Event, as an actor, I was one of the people who made it through the initial monologue screening, and was one of probably 80 adults who made it to perform for the talent agents. I got a call back for only one of the talent agents. We are currently talking about the possibilities. In my opinion, ProScout is not a scam.

If you show up prepared, really prepared, and by that I mean know your monologue forward and back, and HAVE PERFORMED YOUR MONOLOGUE, dozens of times, and own it, you will go on to perform for the agents. If you think you are just going to walk in to the room and be discovered...good luck to you.

There were agents there from major companies, many of them were rude, some were really great! It is all on you. Be prepared, listen to the directions they give, and show up with a positive attitude.

I saw one woman who was walking around like she owned the place, appearently someone told her she should be a model, acitng like a diva...she didn't get one call back...

Be friendly, be funny, be yourself...and if you really want to stand out, find a monologue from an obscure, or little know play. The agents and scout have heard the same old monologues hundreds of times! People were actually performing monologuse from The Fast & The Furious! C'mon! My monolougue was original and fresh to them, and that is one of the reasons I went on to perform on Sunday!

Proscout could be a scam, but if your prepared, Agents WILL notice you

well they came down to brownsville, texas a few months back. they sound and look like a legit company. my daughter got chosen to go to dallas in may 9 and 10 of 2009. is it a good chose to go or should i not take the risk. give me some suggestions.

i dont know...after reading some of the comments i am a little skeptical now but i attended one of the conventions and it was a lot of fun and i learned a lot about the industry...this was about 2 years ago...
there was an agent there who was casting for the movie "Notorius" which is a movie about the famous rapper "The Notorius B.I.G" aka "Biggie Smalls"...and the movie came out not too long ago...take from that fact what you want...
uhhhhh...i dont dont believe that proscout is a scam...
some comments seem legit and some seem like BS...
after you are picked representatives from proscout explain that they are NOT AN AGENCY, THEY ARE A SCOUTING COMPANY HIRED TO FIND NEW TALENT FOR OTHER TALENT AGENCIES, THEREFORE THEY DO NOT MAKE MONEY OF THE ACTOR/ACTRESS... so take from that what you want...
Im not telling anyone to spend their money to attend this convention if they feel its a scam...but i do feel that you can not believe everything that you read, see, or hear on the internet...I have my own opinion about this company and anyone reading my comment or any other comments should still think for themselves in the end...
i will say however, to please, please...DO YOUR RESEARCH! on companies such as this one. When i attending the ProScout auditions i had a great time and i dont regret going at all...i learned a lot while i was there and i left feeling inspired to keep persuing an acting career...

p.s. not everybody is going to get discovered at those conventions and the representatives at proscout made that perfectly clear...but like i said...have your own opinion about what you read and if this is the first piece of information you've happened across when researching ProScout...dont stop here! please continue to research because some of these comments seem very biased.

Take a look at the ProScout web site from the Orange County (California) event. Some child stars who were recruited BY PROSCOUTS in other states were in attendance. SInce they are now working actors, I doubt they would say this is a scam.

I took my daughter to a PS event this weekend in Dallas. She is 7 years old, it was a good experience for her and a expensive one for me, LOL! In all honesty I do not think PS is a scam, when it comes to this industry there is something the agents and management companies are looking for the fact is we do not know what that is, unfortunately. Out of the 200 kids that were there this weekend only 4-5 kids actually got callbacks the other callbacks were pre-teens, teens, etc. My daughter was disappointed, but I explained to her that she had fun, met a friend, and got some experience. I will not take her back in October even though it is discounted; maybe when she gets older I will allow her to have the PS experience. What I will do is submit her photo to agencies that allow you to mail photos in. There are a couple of local agencies here that do this. All I can say guys is if this is your dream, don't let this one monkey stop your show. God has given each of you a wonderful talent use it to the best of your ability believe me someone will notice. Keep striving there are plenty of other ways to break into this industry do some research.

I too attended the Proscout convention this weekend in Dallas. My daughter is almost 7 and she had a good time. She got only 2 callbacks. It was kind of messed up to me that not a lot of kids got callbacks. I do not think that Proscout is a fake. I will keep in touch with my daughters' callbacks and see where this might take her.

Good for her tikiboos mom, I don't believe it is a fake either. I wish her all the best.

I went to Proscout in Charlotte May 2nd and 3rd and was very surprised when I saw this Complaint page...

Alright, speaking from experience with obviously some bias:

Yes, you will pay money. NO, this is not a scam! What you are paying for is a service. The ability to get all of these agents in one place at the same time. The weekend is about exposure. The weekend is finding out if you have the look that the agents want. In the entirely of my stay in Charlotte, I learned valuable knowledge through guest speakers and agents in the business that I could not get anywhere else.

In my experience I stayed at the Blake Hotel (but you do not have to to answer the question above, it is not required) I had coffee with several of the agent during breaks. You see them in the hallways, bathrooms, and share the elevators with them- things are very casual the first day and the second day is all about presentation and seeing if you got call-backs. ProScout is very upfront about the agents, costs, and whether or not you have what it takes to make it. I would rather find out at Proscout that I don't necessarily have the look that is appropriate for the industry, rather than travel and spend large sums of money going to see agencies personally. ProScout is a wonderful organization who have helped so so so many... But remember they are also a business and NOTHING in life comes for free.

Before you go to a ProScout event. Prepare yourself. Ask yourself if this is really something that you can put your time and effort into- and even if you come back home with no call backs, you have still learned more in one weekend than some people learn in a lifetime...

The most valuable thing I learned there was confidence, learning to "collect nos" and learning that it is work- not a fairytale- to get 'discovered'. It does take money, determination and lots of time. However, I would definitely recommend ProScout to anyone who really thinks that they have what it takes to make it in the business! Even if you don't make it to the big time, the experience you have, the friends you make, the memories- they all stay with you. I know it sounds cheesy and really far out there, but even with just one call back (which really is not that bad!) I have found what I am looking for.

Good Luck! And please do your research before you write off something just a little different than the normal-everyday business- Give it a shot, you won't regret it. A little information never hurt anybody-

The picture below is of me (in the grey) and Ashley (in the pink) on the first day at ProScout. I got a call back from Victors International Model and Talent Agency and Ashley got a call back from VH1.

So yes, we are real people and this really can happen to you too.
Best of luck,
Grace Welsh

I agree I just came from a proscout open call here in Lake Charles, LA and and when it was my turn to go to the table he asked me my name (never looked me in the eye) and then looked on side of me toward the back of the room where some kids were and was like "Your not what we're looking for!" How the hell! He didnt even say why or anything and I am a very pretty girl I was only there to be an actress! He didnt ask me nothing to try to get insigh or anything. And its true their callback are invited to New Orleans in August and the fee is $895 to attend! On the radio ad they had said that talent agents and casting agents would be there, you didnt need experience. So what did I do wrong...maybe walked up to the table wrong or handed him my paper wrong...should I have started a conversation. I didnt want to speak when I wasnt spoken to. I am puzzled of what the hell I did wrong!

Since Pro Scout is a scam, what is the best way to market yourself to agencies; what is the best way to get an agency's attention?

Since ProScout is a scam, what is the best way to market yourself to the different agencies?

I sat on a plane next to one of the Director of Scouting for Pro Scout this past Thursday. We had a couple of hours of time next to each other and we spoke about life the economy etc. We spoke about my work, and his. I was very impressed with him and his love of his profession. I feel 100% confident that this operation is legit, I even went to visit him this weekend with my two kids in Orlando so he could feel them out for potential. He liked both my kids, but felt rather than rushing them into the current event in Orlando, we should wait for a future event so the kids have time to prepare. If I read only the info on this site I would have reservations regarding this operation. Having met this individual and spending some quality time with him, I feel that Pro Scouts is attempting to open a door for you. Regarding the fee's A lot of planning goes into an event, there is a lot of overhead and salaries to be paid. If this were free people would still complain about not being picked etc.

I attended the proscout event in Orlando Florida, I must say, I do agree. Proscout was very professional, the speakers were great. They give you may pointers on how to speak with agents, how to act and how to walk. Day 2 - is the day you meed the agents. You walk on a catwalk and the agents are below you looking. Some look at you and ask you questions ( IF THEY LIKE YOU). True, you are not guarenteed to call back - BUT, if you are beautiful, I am sure you will be. My daughter recieved 2 call backs, she meet with agents and needed to be 5"8 or 5"9, she is 5"6 - one agent kept her picture. There were other girls who all fit the requirements and recieved 18 callbacks.

The truth to the story is.. if you are not good looking and tall or cute.. PLEASE DON"T EXPECT TO BE PICKED.. of course you are going to be upset, but for those who are picked its an amazing experiance. Yes, its expensive, but they are giving you an opportunity you will never get. We are going to go a second time, since we feel perhaps my daughter is more experianced.

I personally met models who have gotten jobs from agents they met at proscout, SO ITS NOT A SCAM.. don't listed to the people who are upset for not being picked! Again, if you have what it takes a turns into a wonderful experiance. BUT if you do not, don't be upset and lie - Proscout is amazing!

This is exactly what happened to my son and I, and I thought proscout was just a money racket, but my son wanted to go so badly, he went. He wants to be an actor, is great at school plays, funny kid in the class, makes friends easily, just a great personality. We attended proscout in boston mass this spring. He also took one of the little classes offered there, and enjoyed it, for 25 dollars. He got a callback from an agent in New York, part of silver modeling agency, by a talent scout. Needless to say, we have not heard from the talent scout since. He told my son, you have a lot of potential I would like to see more photos of you, and have you fill out a resume. We emailed this agent, we wrote this agent, nada. No reply, no email reply or postal mail replies. Was it worth it, for my son maybe, I know it was a lot of money for myself to dish out, for him to have a weekend of fun. Does he think it is a scam, no, he's nieve and he is 12. Why did the agent not reply to my sons letter after giving him a callback who knows. Why did he not reply to my sons email, not sure, but he will not be attending again. He will have to work his way into the acting industry by doing theatre and if he still wants to be an actor can pursue it out of high school, proscout isn't the answer. I do not think many of these agents have any intention of signing anyone on just because they get a callback, but what he told my son was totally misleading. So to all of those who did not get a callback, do not feel bad, imagine getting a callback and getting led on, to discover it is all a hoax. The talent scout who called my son back wanted my son to send him photos which we did, and contact him for a resume which we did. Why lie to young adults and get them excited about something they really have no intention of doing? I should have put my foot down and not let him go, sitting in the augusta maine auditorium learning about what proscout was, I felt in my heart this is all about the almighty dollar and parents so want their children to be models, or discovered, they will do anything. I am supportive of my sons decision to want to be an actor, but by no means would push him to do it. I would not recommend proscout to anyone, you may get a callback but that means basically nothing.