Pay-for-Play Model Conventions, Stay Away From Them

Tiffany Neal — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:00:42 -0500

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Last night, Dateline NBC aired its Chris Hanson special on model convention scams, the ones that charge wannabe models thousands of dollars for the "chance" to be looked at by professional model and acting agents. In this particular piece, Hanson followed three aspiring stars -- Alexis Burke, Francesca Trombley, and Averie Schrier -- who went through the Barbizon (har!) modeling and acting program in hopes of getting discovered. Burke's parents, in particular, ended up spending $30,000 on her and her twin sister.

Even worse, these were little girls and their families who had been taken advantage of and the money spent on the bogus convention could have gone towards some kind of college fund. Nonetheless, Elite's Neil Hamil made an appearance to set the record straight about these type of scams: if an agency wants you, they won't make you spend a dime. Just send your pictures out to agencies or attend one of their open calls. It's totally free.

This is startling to me on so many levels. If only because for those who don't follow fashion and modeling closely, they tend to believe the industry works and operates much like America's Next Top Model. And on numerous episodes, Tyra has talked about the dangers of models scams like the one Barbizon was hustling and how to avoid them. Still, these instuitions continue to make millions each year off the backs of their false promises. In this clip, watch Burke's parents talk about the Barbizon fiasco.

Chic and Untroubled

Pay-for-Play Model Conventions, Stay Away From Them