Casting Fusion CASTING FUSION IS A SCAM!!!! Los Angeles, California & Austin, Texas

One way to avoid this kind of scam is to make sure that the "bait" to the bait and switch called on it. Let the agents know that they are supporting scammers.
Make them "own" their behavior. They are responsible for getting into bed, so to speak, with people who rip off families.

Perhaps parents should call their companies and let their bosses know what their employees are doing with their company name.

Maybe if their names show up on Ripoff Reports and other such sites often enough, they will be embarrassed, as they should be.

Some of these people are real agents. Others are receptionists and assistants. Of course, unless you know them personally, how would you even know they were actually there..pretty easy to pretend you are anyone you want to be in TX.

Here are the agents and managers that were scheduled to attend the Casting Fusion conference in 8/2008 (according to the Casting Fusion website as of 8/15/2008). Here are the people that allow their names to be used by scammers:

BAIT
Eddie Winkler (ACME Talent and Literary)
Bryan Leder (BLT Management)
Chris Fioto (Gersh)
Stephanie Lappin (independent Casting Director)
Pedro Tapia (CESD Los Angeles)
Melissa Moss (La Padura Hart Casting)
Keri Owens (La Padura Hart Casting)
Estelle Hertzberg (Hertzberg Management)
Jamie Malone (MC Talent Management)
Brett Carducci (Soveriegn Talent Group)
Pamela Frazier (Casting Director)
Brandy Gold (TalentWorks)
Vivian Hollander (Hollander Talent Group)
Fatmata Kamara (Don Buchwald Associates)

I am a consumer has spent a significant amount of time researching the Pacific scam, Benay Erin Sinaikin and Stanley Robinson. I have many friends who were victims of these people. Everything stated in the the original ripoff report is true. Casting Fusion has an F rating with the BBB in Los Angeles, and they have only been in business a couple of months!

I encourage readers to do their own research before paying Casting Fusion a nickel. Google their names, and note the other Ripoff reports regarding JRP in the Bay Area, Pacific Modeling and Acting Academy, and Casting Fusion (aka Fusioncasting). Look on www.imdb.com to see if agents really represent those people they are claiming.

Other employees of the Bay area JRPs also went on to form ACT, Academy of Cinema and Television, based in Phoenix, which has ripoff reports of its own.

Tigers don't change their stripes. They all learned the trade in the same place.

A rebuttal to Ms. "Erin" (she is not using her real name):

You say: "CASTING FUSION IS NOT RELATED IN ANY WAY..."
Answer: Perhaps the brand new company, with a website purchased in June 2008 (just days after Benay and Stanley ran with millions from parents in Tampa FL), is not technically the same as Casting Fusion, since you just created a new business name. But the employees are the same. Even the agents, such as Brandy Gold, are the same. Benay Erin Sinaikin herself is the same. And no doubt, the money used to fund Casting Fusion was garnered from parents in the Pacific scam.
I'd say that's "related", Benay.

You say: "we certainly do not charge the kind of fees the poster has described...no bait and switch"
Answer: Casting Fustion charges around $695 for ONE DAY, although you will not find that info on their website. They advertise that there is no fee to meet with one of their talent scouts (whose credentials are lacking, as stated below). You will have to attend an interview where they CHOOSE you to pay that money. No experience necessary though. That is the bait and switch: it is an "opportunity" and if you are "lucky" and "get chosen" you can come. Oh yes, but THEN you are told the price, after you attend the open call: you'll have to pay hundreds of dollars to come to the actual event.
The amount is less than JRP or Pacific, but that is irrelevant. The entire event is unnecessary, and therefore ANY money is a ripoff.

You say: "we provide our customers with a very flexible refund policy..."
Answer: Really? Because it isn't listed anywhere on your website. On that one day event? So if they attend the event, and don't like it, you will give them a refund? Are you THAT flexible? I didn't think so. Would you like to share where people can find you to get a refund? I'm sure the Texas crowd will be interested to know that your office in Beverly Hills is a shell. Will they go to the hotel you are renting? This sounds an awful lot like the way Pacific operated and those parents sure didn't get THEIR refunds from Benay.

You say: "...created this company in order to provide aspiring actors a unique service that connects them directly to Hollywood industry professionals."
Answer: Sorry, Benay. You aren't unique. This same scam has been pulled by many before you. You learned it at JRP, so it's old news. ProScout, Best New Talent, Worldwide Star Search, the list goes on and one. It's been done. They try to sell you on the idea that you NEED to be connected because these agents won't see you otherwise. This is false. All legit agents open their mail. There is no need to pay anyone. Of course, the type of agents attending Casting Fusion are low level, so perhaps they can't trouble themselves to open their submissions at the office. I suppose they have to be BRIBED to do their jobs. Is that the kind of agent an actor should have?

You say: "I am committed to providing an honestly-described, straightforward service..."
Answer: Well, I think you are a little late on that one, Ms. Sinaikin. I see deceptive advertising in a few spots:
A. not using your real name
B. not registering as an Advanced Fee Talent Service, which is required by law in California and requires a bond so that consumers don't get ripped off
C. not having a real office. I went to the address listed for Casting Fusion, and it is a fake. A rented suite, with a phone bank. There were no Casting fusion offices and no staff present. They didn't even have business cards available there. Talk about an empty storefront!
D. not being honest about your background. You have NO experience in the actual entertainment industry. Your only work experience has been scamming wannabe child actors. Maybe you should describe that honestly.
E. Andrew Caldwell is hardly a star of Hannah Montana. He was in 3 episodes as a day player. The rest of his credits are low level. But wait...I see his manager is attending the conference. That explains it.
F. None of the logos you keep on your site are licensed or sponsoring your event are they? Disney, Nickelodeon, the show posters. Come on, that is blatant false advertising. NONE of them endorse or even remotely approve of this event.
G. The "scout" listed claims alot of Screen Actors Guild connections, but SAG did not endorse this event did they? I noticed her experience, although she is claiming to be a scout, is in a very small market and she has no professional acting credits listed on IMdb.com. I have a hard time believing she can effectively spot talent anywhere.
H. You use many industry terms incorrectly, such as agents being "state franchised" (doesn't exist) and "industry executives who work with every major network and studio" (you don't have any industry executives coming), "executives who cast for these shows" (executives don't cast anything. Casting Directors cast, and you don't have all the casting directors for the shows listed).
I. The lies within the agent biographies are too long to list. They are low level people and has-beens who want to claim that they "discovered" someone that they once knew. They make more money slumming at talent competitions than they do getting legitimate commissions from real working actors.

As an example: Pablo Tapia does not represent Miley Cyrus and he didn't even get hired by CESD until after Miley had left the agency (she is a client of UTA, who is not attending Casting Fusion). Pablo likely never met her. CESD does not represent the stars listed.
Brandy Gold does not represent Zack Efron or Corbin Bleu, neither does her agency. In fact, Talentworks closed their young people's division over a year ago. I hope no young actors are hoping to impress her. It won't do them much good. The rest of the representatives listed have similar lies in their descriptions.
And that is assuming that the agents you list will actually show up. Who is to say those people are really who you say they are. Could that be why you did this in Texas? They aren't likely to recognize agents and managers on sight?

Finally, your entire business is based on the idea that industry professionals are inaccessible.
You say (on your website): "Can I get meetings like this on my own? No, exposure is the most difficult thing to acquire on your own. Top casting directors, agents and managers are inundated with thousands of requests for individual meetings. Every day, they throw out hundreds and hundreds of headshots and resumes. The fact is, they just don't have the time to deal with people who aren't referred to them by someone they trust. The best way to get their attention is to show them what makes you special, right there, in person. That's not going to happen just by dropping your photo in the mail, and these are busy professionals who don't take appointments from a cold phone call. Most high-level professionals don't meet new talent at allthey leave that to the scores of interns and assistants who don't have the power to get you jobs. Even if you are successful at gaining the attention of one of these busy interns, there are layers and layers of roadblocks and eliminations above them. "

Answer: THIS IS A LIE. Legitimate agents and managers open their mail, and in 25 years, I have NEVER met an agent or manager who did not meet with the prospective talent directly. To say they trust that to interns in ludicrous and shows how much you DON'T know about the entertainment industry. Even if it was true that an agent preferred referrals, why would agents TRUST Casting Fusion (a brand new business, the same people who just took the country wide ripoff tour?). Why would they trust a day in Texas where the talent had no training, no experience?

Lessons to consumers: Read between the lines on the Casting Fusion site. Scammers will say they "worked with" lots of people because that can't be verified. They will say they "discovered" lots of people because that also can't be verified. Don't be fooled by logos of big studios and photos of stars since anyone can steal them off a website. Don't pay money to businesses that operate out of hotels and have no brick and mortar offices.

I have gone on too long, and I am badly in need of an editor. The end of the story is that those that have done the research aren't buying what you are selling, Benay.
Go Home.
Try a new career.
You don't belong in the real Hollywood. You are a poser, an amateur, a liar.
Go sell something less hurtful to children. Maybe insurance, like your mentor Stanely.
Justice will be served to all of you.

I hope those innocents who attend Casting Fusion this weekend will post their experiences. But before you do, I don't want to hear that it was FUN or you LEARNED something. That is not what Casting Fusion is selling. Tell us if you got an agent, and if you got a paying, professional job.

Benay Sinaikin now known as Mrs. Erin is one of the most sought out SCAM artists of 2008 next to her primary investor Stanley Robinson. Together these two have traveled the country and held BAIT auditions for children and SWITCHED their story into conning parents into paying thousands of dollars for classes. After taking thousands of dollars from these families, Benay and Stanley (PMAA) disappeared. Benay Sinaikin has now changed her name to Mrs. Erin and Stanley Robinson is hiding. Police authorities are looking for all parties involved in this FRAUD.

THIS IS A MESSAGE FOR BENAY ERIN SINAIKIN:

YOU WILL BE CAUGHT BECAUSE WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO THESE CHILDREN IS CRIMINAL. YOU CAN NOT HIDE BY CHANGING YOUR NAME. YOU WILL BE CAUGHT!

Even though Benay and Stanley have changed their business plan from offering classes to offering an exclusive audition with Casting Agents, these two have STOLEN MONEY from thousands of families across the country.

THIS IS A MESSAGE TO ALL CASTING AGENTS AND DIRECTORS:

You are accomplices in this Fraudulent business plan. You are being paid to make an appearance and you have helped these two steal thousands from many families. BACK OUT NOW while you still have the chance.

THIS IS A MESSAGE TO ALL FAMILIES WHO HAVE BEEN RIPPED OFF OR WHO ARE ABOUT TO BE RIPPED OFF:

Report any and all fraudulent action to your local authorities. DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING!! TAKE ACTION AND DO NOT BE FOOLED!!

This is the news report from Seattle on these people:

http://www.kirotv.com/consumer/16968721/detail.html

Stanley Robinson
Benay Erin Sinaikin
Zack Annous
Kathy Eisner
all worked under PMAA/JRP and now CASTING FUSION

This is completely false information. It sounds like the poster had a very negative experience with acting schools. Their frustration with other companies does not justify what they have written here.

Casting Fusion is not related in any way to the companies the poster mentions, and we certainly do not charge the kind of fees the poster has described. We do not sell classes, photos, or anything other than the service we describe on our web site and in our presentations. There is nothing bait-and-switch about that.

More than that, we provide our customers with a very flexible refund policy, because we want our clients to be satisfied and know that they are not locked-in in any way when they decide to work with us.

I am the President and Owner of Casting Fusion, and created this company in order to provide aspiring actors a unique service that connects them directly to Hollywood industry professionals.

I am committed to providing an honestly-described, straightforward service that is valuable to aspiring actors. I meet personally with our clients, and work very dilligently to ensure that they have a very positive and productive experience! I very much enjoy helping actors take steps toward achieving their dreams.

I truly hope that this poster will find positive ways to advance his or her acting career. That's what Casting Fusion is all about.