I am trying to model and before I send my portfolio out to various agencies via email and mail, I do research to avoid the countless scams. So far I am questioning this agency’s legitimacy. I know I maybe wasting my time even asking this question and some say even if you question the agency at all or have any doubts move on, but again this agency I am unsure of and somewhat curious about. If you search on youtube, Empire Model Management and watch some of their videos and check out their youtube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/empiremodels#play/all/uploads-all/0/hyn95Q-i8Io, you will see that their videos look like they are made with a home camcorder and are anything but professional. Also, the owner is in his early 20’s and they only have been around since 2006. The models in their videos look far from models. I also found this, http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/380/RipOff0380573.htm This link, someone is claiming Empire Model Management as a scam, but the Owner claims the report as false and slanderous, (I am only asking/looking out for my safety, not slandering/harassing…I am not making false statements against this agency, only questioning and posting what I found out posted by others, there is no malicious/damaging intent here) there is also this, http://forums.models.com/viewmessages.cfm?Forum=1&Topic=75000, here again, someone questions Empire Models and the owner quickly answers the questions, I am no professional or anything, but it seems many people that “complain” or “question” an agency, nothing happens by that agency, but the owner himself, replies to people’s posts/claims/questions, this seems strange! In the following link, there are many many agencies listed, but Empire Model Management is not included in the “featured participating modeling agencies,” nor “participating modeling agencies,” but in “other participating modeling agencies.”
So I am just curious to what others think, know, or if anyone has dealt with. If in fact, this agency is legitimate, great!, one less scam and I can send them my portfolio. And if people are making false claims for “revenge” or anything like that, than I am sorry, yet again, I am finding out that there are countless scams in this industry and I do not one to fall victim to one, my safety is my first priority. THANKS