Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Something a Performer Shouldn't Do

I came across this Craig's List ad a few days ago. In case you haven't figured it out, Craig's List has some useful purposes (I've managed to meet legitimate people in the business by using it) but there's also a lot of shadiness & utter stupidity going on there as well.

Exhibit A:

There are other ways to become famous... (Financial District)
Date: 2011-03-27, 5:23PM EDT
Reply to: job-hydty-2289922856@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

Got entertainment related complaints? Or any other kind of complaint?

Are you frustrated with career issues? Casting, agent experiences, no pay gigs, bad on set encounters, contract horror stories, etc.

Visit CAMPLAINTS.COM and tell the world about it. Help others avoid the same fates.

Camplaints is the only video sharing site of its kind. Upload your complaint, rant, tirade or grievance about any issue on your mind...

Who knows; your Camplaint may just go viral. Remember there are other ways to become famous...

http://camplaints.com/

* Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
* Please, no phone calls about this job!
* Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

PostingID: 2289922856


What happened to Charlie Sheen when he decided to bitch about his employer? That's right, he got fired.

Before you dare to post such a complaint video on this site, You Tube or elsewhere, you'd better think very carefully about that decision.

First off, is it a common frustration everyone goes through or something illegal & inappropriate. Having to avoid asking famous people for autographs or not getting called much by an extras casting company? Normal stuff.

Aside to famous actors: I won't ask you for an autograph as long as you don't ask me for free legal advice or to get you an audition, etc. Is that fair? All bets are off if you ask me for things & didn't earn them.

For that matter, all bets will be off if you proposition me or make me feel uncomfortable; you'd just better hope you have good medical coverage b/c my husband could care less who you are, he'd kill you for thinking even ONE impure thought about me. Hurt him & I do the same to you. Don't say I didn't warn you.


Abnormal stuff worth complaining about: sexual harassment, not being paid for your work, violations of state & federal law, defrauding investors. Those you should speak up on, preferably to the proper authorities, the casting company, whomever. That's shout it on the mountaintops so we can all avoid that mess.

This business is what it is: you won't get called back for everything & extras don't get to eat before the crew & principals. Guess what? They have to be on set far longer & do a lot more work. Don't be a jerk. You also can't take it personally if you don't get a part; chances are, it had nothing to do with you.

Listen to people who know what they're talking about & you'll be all right. You'll notice a lot of the guidance is the same. There's reason for that.

Oh, and there's a little legal concept called defamation. If you accuse someone of being a scammer, you'd better have proof or you're going to lose that lawsuit. That goes for any accusation you make against anyone.

I feel like thanking this person for mentioning a website where industry insiders can see if there are actors we should blacklist b/c they are trashing us or somebody else for things that are just part of the entertainment industry working as it does. Tee hee!

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for checking us out. Your comments are duly noted. However as the creator/owner of the site, we would respectfully disagree with most of your points. Camplaints.com is the world's first video sharing website dedicated to allowing a consumer to complain about anything or anyone. What more compelling testament is there than a persons own true experiences? The site is for a person to discuss "anything"?

    And with regard to the entertainment biz I submit for your consideration: As a newbie Actor or Actress in Hollywood or NY; wouldn't it be great to know some of the career pitfalls and mistakes others have made? Scam headshots providers,scam acting coaches, bad agents, casting couch stories(yes they still exist), firearm/weapons safety on set, contract percentages? I could go on and on.

    Just a thought. Again, thanks for visiting the site. I further welcome you to login and make full use of our site. Who knows; you Camplaint may become the featured complaint of the day.

    Michael
    Camplaints.com
    Michael@camplaints.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. First off, I'm an attorney. I'm a tad more familiar with defamation law than you are.

    Second, I've worked with actors firsthand & heard some of the common complaints of the industry. Some of them are things like "(S)he was rude to me." or "They got mad because I was drinking on the set." or "Busy famous actor wouldn't sign my autograph." Some of the actors I dealt with even complained that I wasn't nice to them when I simply stated facts & didn't take excuses or rudeness.

    There are rules in the business & if you violate them, you're going to pay a price. I didn't create them or this system but it is what it is. If you whine about someone being brusque or wanting you to take personal responsibility, then you will not last very long in the industry. That's reality.

    An example: I saw an actor post on Facebook something saying "F-you XYZ, FGH, etc. casting agency for not calling me in for work!" As someone w/a film company & who knows others who consider actors, you'd better believe I'd be telling them about that.

    Third, there are liars. Your intentions may be honorable like the person running Rip Off Report who refuses to delete anything but at the same time, it's very easy for anyone to make defamatory statements. A defamatory statement is stating a purported fact that you know is a downright lie, not a personal opinion or truthful info. Consider a small company: someone could effectively put a talent agent, film company, etc. out of business by making up stories about the casting couch. Those companies don't have the money & resources to take people to court.

    Not to mention the fact that threats & haters run rampant. I know people in the business (including me) who've been threatened or targeted in smear campaigns.

    If something serious is true, I agree that people should know about it. Did you read that part? I was involved in what I later learned was a scam TV network (you can read about that on this blog) & made sure investors, actors I felt had a future + others w/a future knew what was going on. I actually had no choice since the scam artist was claiming I was still working there when I wasn't & not speaking up could have jeopardized my law license.

    But...I also did my homework & made sure I had personal knowledge of what I claimed before I said it. If I didn't, I simply said "apparently, X happened" or "a colleague told me about Y." The evidence was obvious.

    Now, if you're just making stuff up because you're pissed off that someone wasn't wowed by your acting or didn't want you to show up to their office without an appointment (very normal things in the industry), grow up. Creating a smear campaign could easily turn into a potential defamation lawsuit.

    A colleague of mine became the target of defamation on Rip Off Report b/c someone had an axe to grind with the guy running the scam TV network & claimed this colleague (using his full name & company name) was associated w/the scam artist when he lost more money & had more harm from it than anyone else.

    Personally, I use places like Rip Off Report as a supplement, not as my one & only source of information.

    My first and best suggestion to learn anything is by networking.

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