I
understand skepticism, as I have been working with families in the San Diego
office for the 3 years we have been down here. I meet with at least 1 family a
week who is nervous about entering into this industry - and it is sadly because
there ARE companies that are not legit. These parents are my favorite to
work with because they were lucky to have found us. When they
call/write me a few months after starting and rave about the Hollywood Group it is so
rewarding!You
notice only 4 'rip-off reports', all whom are obviously confused about who we
are and what we do. We are the Hollywood Group, always have and always
will be. The BBB gives us a 'B' rating in the San Diego office- even though their policy is to
automatically give anything related to children and the entertainment industry
a 'F'. (By the way, the BBB is a privately owned company and has nothing
to do with the government)
To the
writer of this report: It is apparent that you did not attend the call
back meeting you were invited to, or you would be more knowledgeable. Here
are a few facts, as my co-workers have reiterated in previous posts.
Perhaps repetition is key.
1.
The Hollywood Group does not scout. We hire a company to bring us
kids THEY feel would be good in the industry. We then select 15% to 20%
out of those who attend our screen test and invite their families to a call
back meeting. 2.
We require both parents and selected kids be in attendance for a 1.5 hour
presentation where we go through our program. In this, we highlight many
truths/falsehoods, including but not limited to the following:
-You do
not need fancy photos to get started. They are a waste of money.-You
need to have experience on set before you will get hired as the lead in
anything.
-If you do not have training, an agent will not support you or send
your child on an audition they won't get.
-We are
not an acting school. Kids do not need a lot of classes, they learn
quickly.-When
the kids are ready, we use our reputation and introduce the kids to the
agencies we work with. We work with the top 40 agencies in LA. Ask
them.
-We can
not make your child a star, nor do we promise to do so. Neither can
you. 3.
We are not and have never claimed to be an agency. If you have ever
tried to walk-in, audition, call, or get in touch with an agency you would
understand they do not give you the time of day. The agents come to the
Hollywood Group to fill their roster with qualified kids they feel confident
sending to auditions.
4.
Notice there are no parents who are members of the Hollywood Group
writing reports. That is because they are happy and love our program. Of
course, there will always be misleading information found on the internet.
I hope this helps whoever is reading this report to remain positive.
There are good companies related to children in acting out there - we are
one of them.
