3 years ago
I have been in the industry for 10 years modeling...
I have been in the industry for 10 years modeling/acting and I decided to go to a casting for Lily's for possible representation. I've read reviews online and they seem credible as they are SAG, AFTRA, EQUITY, AFM, and WGA franchised agency.
I was handed a few paperwork that included a welcome letter and a list of photographers to use ($500 special for Lily's talent only). It had stated I needed an updated comp card so I hired my own photographer (permissible by Lily's) as I got a good deal from another photographer.
Two weeks later I submitted 8 pics to be approved (because that is what is stated in the welcome letter) and sent it to Stephanie. No reply. I called the office and asked if she had received my email, then that's when she said that my pictures looked "cheesy", I replied I wanted to make them look "commercial". Stephanie then proceeded to raise her voice stating that "the photographer was not a headshot photographer", that I had "too much make-up on", and they were unusable because they were "taken at a park". She used every excuse in the book how unusable these pics were and that I needed to "follow directions" and use their photographer. She was very unprofessional and condescending.
This sounded fishy. I've been in the business for quite sometime and this sounds like a scam to me if you have to pay $500 upfront for pictures. Agencies make money from bookings (they usually take out 10-20% per work they book you for) not the commission they make from photographers.
I was considering to sign my 2 year old daughter to Lily's but it seems the whole agency is a sham. Parents beware. I went with my gut on this one!