ProScout

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ProScout is an American model and talent scouting corporation, working independently to organize meetings between aspiring talent and industry leading agencies. The company was first incorporated in 1993 with its main office in Chicago, Illinois. In 1999, the company moved its headquarters to its current location, Scottsdale, Arizona.[1]

ProScout acts both as a pre-screener of undiscovered talent as well as a meeting organizer; its main focus, providing convention style meetings between aspiring artists and well-known professional talent agencies from New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, and other cities prominent in the entertainment industry.[2]

The concept of ProScout

ProScout does not act as an agency, and it does not represent artists or talent in the traditional role of a talent agency.[3] Rather, ProScout acts as a talent pre-screening service and a "clearing house" which identifies and assists new talent that are interested in meeting with agencies that are generally difficult to meet.[4] At ProScout, qualified event participants meet national level agents, managers, and casting directors that are conveniently brought into close proximity of where hopeful talent live.[5] This "bringing the agents to the people" concept is designed to increase exposure while reducing the travel and personal out-of-pocket expenses that would accumulate for emerging models and artists attempting to make these contacts on their own.[6]

Notable ProScout Alumni[1]

Supermodels

Actors

Young Performers

  • Michelle Defraites
  • Michael McShae
  • Bridger Zadina
  • Audrey and Fay Skoropad
  • Savvy & Mandy

Advance fee controversy

A frequent confusion results when persons do not understand the difference between ProScout and the agencies they work with. Talent Agencies advise and represent models and artists in the pursuit of work and engagements; whereas ProScout works solely in the capacity of promoting and introducing new artists to these agents. Whereas a talent agent customarily charges a commission fee of 10% in acting or 20% in modeling, ProScout is not engaged in this does not represent talent for work. Rather, ProScout arranges its artist to agency meeting services for a one-time flatfee basis with no commissions. A talent agency must be licensed by the state, and may also be franchised with an actor's union, primarily the Screen Actors Guild, or AFTRA.[7][8] Some disreputable companies have sometimes imitated the industry-accepted ProScout business model but have exceeded the limits of promising work. If there is an implication of work, and a required upfront fee - it is referred to as an "advance fee" enterprise and is generally shunned by the industry, and in many cases, illegal.[9] A Talent Scouting firm, such as ProScout, is not an "advance fee" enterprise because it is engaged solely in meeting arrangements, not the pursuit of work. ProScout acts as an "ambassador" between an artist and the agencies through a convention style meeting where aspiring talent can been seen and network with multiple agencies at one place. They guarantee nothing more than this opportunity. Though a fee is earned for the meetings and workshops provided by professionals in the industry, it is not considered an "advance fee" enterprise because meeting attendees are seeking an audience with agents to gain representation; not the promise of work, clients, or "end-user's" that hire and pay clients.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://www.proscout.com
  2. ↑ Leader-Post "Would-be Models are Optimistic August 13, 2007
  3. ↑ Sacramento Bee "Making of a Model" July 18, 2007
  4. ↑ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Casting Call Lures the Tall, Slim, Hopeful" August 17, 1998
  5. ↑ Miami Herald "Model Talent Search Goes Quickly" August 11, 2000
  6. ↑ How to Be a Working Actor by Mari Lyn Henry and Lynne Rogers 4th edition page 19 paperback
  7. ↑ http://www.sag.org
  8. ↑ http://www.aftra.org
  9. ↑ http://www.modelingscams.org/afts.html
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