The Scam that is Explore Talent

I'm sure I've written about this in the past. I am too lazy to search my archives for a related post.  So I'll just talk about the last week of annoyances from Explore Talent. I had a profile on Explore Talent 5 or 6 years ago. I realized it was pretty useless after about a year or so. I deactivated my profile. I was getting no work. And it was just a repeat of notices that were readily available everywhere else.

Well, I've started getting text messaged from them within this past week saying thing along these lines:

Here is the problem with this. This is meant to lure people in. You think, "Oh man! A part for me?" You call in and the operator will tell you that in order to submit you for this project you have to sign up for an account with ET. Which is way more expensive than it should be. Especially compared to the other casting sites out there which are MUCH cheaper.  

So looking at this notice right away alarms should tell you that no one is going to cast for a major film via text. Also a little research will uncover that this is most likely in reference to "33." The film she is in pre-production for about 33 miners trapped in a mine. Probably not filming in NYC. So why are they texting me? Oh yeah, to get me back into their fold for $$$$.

A little more staring at this and you'll realize the rate. They can't just claim here is how much you'll get! Because really, again, who is casting through this.  

So to sum this up. They spam people, those people call in thinking...what an amazing opportunity, and then shell out moola to join this site in order to be submitted for parts that are either already cast, or just would never be cast in this way.  It's a scam. A total scam. It's horrible.  I cannot stand how people in our business are always being targeted as fools and being taken advantage of.

I called them. Yes I did, thank you very much. And basically said, I ended my account years ago, why am I being spammed with misleading text messages.  Of course they tried to defend themselves, but the texts are EXTREMELY misleading and it's pretty much spam. I did not ask to receive these. I did not sign up for them. If I had in the past, I have clearly made it known that I don't want to receive them by, you know, deactivating my account.

After being transferred from person to person I was finally able to get my information purged from their system.  I hope.  Moral of the story is to steer clear of Explore Talent. It's such a slimy, skeezey, sketchy...and other "s" words, website.  They're in the business to make money off of actors. Not to help actors get work.

Instead look at Actors Access

Backstage if you must (but it's also got it's issues)

When Smaller Agents Call You In...

Are people just rude because it gives them some kind of self satisfaction? A misplaced feeling of power?  I really don't get it!


I'm pretty sure we're all in agreement that this business is hard.  Much harder than anyone ever truly is able to convey.  (One thing my professors lacked was the ability to tell us all what we were getting into. Thank you professors for dropping that ball...that energy ball...)
That being said, shouldn't we all be in this together more or less?

I was contacted by an agency in PA recently.  (Those clever few of you who know me better than others can guess who)  I had not reached out to them. As far as I know I hadn't. Like all good actors I keep my log of mail outs and submissions.  So they reached out to me.

First off, PA. It's not my market. It's not too difficult to get there.  And I know plenty of people who do that trek on a regular basis. Hell, I know plenty of people who travel in from Long Island which at times could be just as much of a journey as the train to PA. So it's not unheard of.  Ideally I would rather not go there but it's an option.

So I replied to their email with some simple questions. Mostly logistics.
Do you ever send your clients to auditions in NY (my primary market)?
Is there a sister or affiliated agency in NY you could refer me to if PA isn't too viable an option?
And of course lots of thank-you's.

The reply was 2 lines. Essentially saying they represent people in the tri-state area.  Which I knew, but thanks. And to re-apply when I'm ready to travel to PA.
Thank you but no thank you. There are ways to say things and this was not it. It's a smaller market anyway and will not do much to push my career forward. I looked at it as just a possible something extra to have in my corner, but I feel like they're the kind of agency that just sends people out for whatever, over-saturating auditions until someone books it and they can get their commission.

Don't need em.
Don't want them.

But can't we just be a little nicer to people out there? Anyone else ever have issues with these smaller boutique agencies acting like this? As I write I also think it's an attitude they adopt because they think it's how the big agencies like Abrams operate.

**This is also a lesson in 'Trust your Gut. Nearly all of the comments online about this agency are negative. The only positive ones are THEY THEMSELVES defending their reputation. Red flag anyone? Way to help that reputation.

Photo A Day 352-366

Here we go, the home stretch to the end of the year!

352. Many a mixtape died that day.

353. Dropping off a thank-you gift to my agent and was pleasantly surprised to find a pianist tickling out holiday tunes. 

354. I pass this a lot walking around the Union Square area. I love this old drinking fountain from the zoo. I wish they would set it up as a real fountain outside this antique store. Let people get some use out of it.

355. One of my last submissions before the new year. Fly my little friend. Fly fast and true and hope I get a call.

356. Andre is always there. Always watching. Always Obey.

357. Take off for the holidays with the family...

358.   Pretty much sums up this day!

359.  Grandpa...Miss you...

360. Sucker for Italian cookies on Christmas. Mine...mine...mine...

361. I'm sure this is somewhere in this photo blog, but Jeff this will always remind me of you. on top of it. a king of the springs.

362. Home again home again. Goodbye sun and hello NY Winter.

363. The ever elusive Lily. Cat-sitting.

364. Early morning snow/rain storm fire truck scare. Still no clue what was going on. But we had fun playing with the pencils...(name that reference)

365. Possibly the greatest socks ever. And I mean...ever.

366.  Starting the evening off with eggnogg and Hennessy, which I do not suggest anyone in their right mind ever does. But Happy New Year. And here's to 2013!

Thus ends this wonderful experiment. My Photo a day in the year of 2012. It's be a long eventful year. And looking back, these are some amazing glimpses into that journey. Hoping 2013 is an even greater adventure! And thank you all for coming along for the ride. See you in the new year.

Photo A Day 296 - 351

A MAJOR update to my picture a day experiment. Here are the last few months.
Getting down to the end!


296.  Travelling the the freakin' Mac store in order to get the recalled hard drive replaced. Hindsight: Did you know that Apple Care will come to your apartment? Huh.

297.  Hooray Public Art! Sometimes I miss it cause I'm rushing by so fast.

298.  Go on, Laugh. I don't care. Halloween costume! Tony Stark! With my custom-made arc reactor chest piece.

299. Here is another of my projects that's slowly being finished. The Millenium Falcon. Fired up the lights and added a few little details to the hull. (Bonus points: Unicycle tire in the background)

300. APPLE! Ugh. That's all I have to say. The freakin Cube on 5th Ave is like a zoo. Always.

301. Halloween is fast approaching and the first sighting for the weekend is a Fairy Football player. I'm told it's from a commercial. (I should watch more t.v.)

302. The beautiful and evil HellGate Bridge through Astoria Park.

303. Aftermath of Sandy in our neighborhood.

304. We slowly ventured out. Since there was nothing else to do for a week with the subways down. This massive tree crushed 2 cars, a house, and knocked out power to a street.

305. Halloween! Robin Hood being stopped by the Police. What can ya do? (Or is he Peter Pan? Either way, damn the man!)

306. Just my birth date on a NY Plate. No big.

307. Possibly the greatest thing to come out of college. Don Hertzfeld. You MUST check this filmmaker out.

308. Just stocking up on essentials after the power was turned back on.

309. The dreaded gas lines everyone has been talking about. This one was over a 2 hour wait for those people in cars.

310.  I love my neighborhood.

311. Despite being somewhat handicapped as a city...we still turned out to vote!

312. And if a Hurricane wasn't bad enough, snow. Yup. First real snow. 

313. And the next morning? More than a dusting. A lot more stuck than I thought it would have.

Happy White...not a holiday.

314.  This is the block where the giant tree crushed two cars and a house.  A lot of repairs still going on. Con Ed has been there non stop.

315. Quite possibly the world's most adorable wife and amazing Standee!!!!

316. Somedays you just have to take a pic of your cat with laser eyes. You  just have to.

317. This world runs on Dunkin'. And oh look, a holiday cup that doesn't cost twice as much.

318. Love Union Square all throughout the year and especially love the people trying to figure this out. I know it's secret, do you?

319. Spending a few days in Union Square shopping for gifts from all of the amazing vendors. Sun Set over the Square!

320. Here is the market from above. Looking over from the Buildings on USqu, South.

321. Sword! To add to my arsenal. Here is a rapier that just needs a little cleaning.

322. The stantions are out and the city is gearing up the the Thanksgiving Day Parade!

(no I will not be there, you crazy?)

323. How is it that a BANK with 3 ATM machines only has one working. You'd think of all places the BANK!!! would keep their machines running? TD I'm looking at you.

324. Look WHO arrived. Finally. You're jealous, I know.

325. This is specifically for Lauren. Lean something from these forward thinking people.

326. Now I Vigo can rule the earth!

327. Sidling Hill on the way to Kentucky!

328. Wine..turkey...wine...zzzzzzzzz

329. The Natural Bridge we hiked up to...

330. Welcoming us home on the GW.  I love home.

331. And the Christmas Season has officially started for me. The Trees are here...

332. I think this sums up the day quite nicely:

333. New little side project. I'll be pulling this apart and painting the details on it in order to make a Hotwheels...hotter.

334. I love you NY.

335. Doin' it classy, Astoria.

336. You just don't know. Rolf's in the city is pure amazing. It's like eating inside of a Christmas tree all year round.

337. I want a Vespa. I do, really. And I think were I to have one it would be yellow in honor of it's older sister, my VW.

338. First official house on my block with all the trimmin's

339. Bryan Park

340. You know, the things you find lying around.

341. Dad's Christmas present. Well part of it. Almost done.

342. NY Apartment "Fireplace"

343. Misty Mountain hop. I love it when the buildings reach the clouds.

344. Roamin' around Ft. Greene. And these popped up.

345.  Talk about out of shape. Or maybe it's cause I find running SO boring.

346. So sad to see Colony go. It's windows are empty and they're taking down all the signs.

347. I watched. Did you? I kinda waited all day, then all night for Sir. Paul.

348. The Beer Garden may have lost some of it's charm thanks to the douche crowd who piles in, but it's still the freakin Beer Garden.

349. Professional gifts ready and on the way out the door. Merry Holidays everyone. (book me)

350. The extent of our decorations this year. Enjoy. We go all out. I know. Baller.

351. I'm trying to get more and more organized. Do I smell a resolution? Here are these AWESOME folders I found that are the perfect size for headshots and sides down around Union Square. I've got to look up the name. But if you're curious, ping me I'll get the name asap.