Audition scam

[ranger100]

Hi
Did anyone else go to the CGTV auditions this weekend (7th Dec) at the Hammersmith Novotel?
They said that the select 30-40 out of the 300 kids that they see. I reckon they select everyone in the hope that you'll pay the $5000 to send your kid to LA for a week. If 200 people sign up, they've made themselves an easy $1m.
My kid got "the call" the following morning to say that they had made it. Did yours??

Oh Tony, :o you're the gift that keeps on giving.

You're right CGTV don't give care about us poor little Brits. They don't care about the visa issues for the course, and they don't care about how impossible getting to auditions in the US would be, or the visa issues for working there and the fact that employers wouldn't bother because it's not worth their time.

So why are they happy to tell our children they'll make their dreams come true?

It may not be a scam insofar as "you don't get what you pay for" but it is a scam insofar as it is misleading people into spending large sums of money which will not benefit their children's career in the same way it could an American child. If NorwegianMother is telling the truth about the visa she used, then that is very concerning as she entered the US under false pretences.

I hope that explains it :)

Hen, the coaching sounds excellent, but actually could you work on "making my apologies sound genuine"? That would be great.

Be fair, Chris.

They may not care about us Brits, or indeed anyone in RoW, but they most certainly care about our money, and getting hold of it.

The fact that after spending thousands we have not a snowballs chance of getting acting employment out of it, nor a US work permit, is our problem, not theirs. They are selling an expensive overseas activities holiday with an extra charge for unrealistic dreams.

You're right, that was a very biased post. I have to admit they seem to care about our money even more than we do. And that's to be commended in these apathetic times.

Oh I love this thread.

And I wouldn't trust that bob carolgees. Everybody knows it's spit the dog who was the real brains of the outfit. Luckily, I can get you a 2 week holiday in Marbs with a similar mutt and a kid who was on Swap Shop once. $3,000 exclusive of flights, accommodation and food. PM if interested.

Thank you for that, Tony (More irony. And some sarcasm).

Thing is, if the programme (as we spell it here) has little value for British people (and with the visa and travel issues identified above, the chances of it having the 'value' or positive outcomes advertised are vanishingly slim), then it is-how can I best put this- unfortunate...Oh, to hell with it, DISHONEST to market it as though it does have value.

HTH, Tony.

My dd is so DESPERATE to get into the industry and she is DESPERATE to go to Hollywood and 'learn the ropes' but I JUST DO not have the cash so what we decided to do in the end was like, ok so I know this makes me seriously sound sooooo not a good mom, but we decided for her to LIVE HER DREAM she would need to be prepared to NEGOTIATE HER ASSETTS so like in the end we contacted that really really old guy? in the US? the playboy one? who has like lots of slappers and whores pretty actresses living in his really tasteful mansion? and he was so cool he wrote my daughter and said GET YOUR TITS OUT HONEY so like she really really didn't want to but I said IT'S LIKE SO WORTH IT JUST TO GET TO HOLLYWOOD so she got them out and even though she didn't want to she is now well on her way to becoming a serious actress and has a small part in a playboy film, ok it's maybe like not what we wanted but it's worth it as she GETS TO GO TO HOLLYWOOD and OMG she could like be a movie star I said to her OK babe I said I know you sold your sold to the porn devil and became a trailer trash plastic whore didn't wanna do it but you got to GO TO HOLLYWOOD so in the words of the original Machiavel the end like so soooo justified the means. I hope all you weirdy momnset haterz just seriously listen to your kids and let them live their dreams.

(takes tramadol and swigs vodka)

Applauds Donne

Bravo performance

AZTony, you said "When it was brought to our attention that this thread existed". Who is the "our" in that sentence? Who was it who brought it to your attention? How and why? Is there some kind of secret CGTV Bat Signal that gets sent out by the Beloved and Most Holy Adrian when CGTV is being maligned on the Internet?

The reason I ask is that it strikes me as very peculiar how a brief thread on a UK website suddenly attracted so much attention from gushingly positive first-time posters from the colonies. And yet (to my knowledge and forgive me if I have missed it) there hasn't been a single positive post from a UK-based client of CGTV even though the vast majority of mumsnet members are based in the UK.

Odd, no? Does the CGTV Satisfied-Punter Bat Signal not travel well across the Atlantic? Maybe it's a visa issue...

hilarious thread. I'd just like to warn people in the UK that there are existing child talent agencies in the UK that already represent 1000's of kids and the vast majority of professional bookings come through them - you'd be better off applying to them I'd have thought and they can organise acting courses etc that have been vetted and/or suitable for the UK market.

This thread is hilaire

Donne

I'd give you a part, hun, but there're visa issues :o

I've never used the H word before. It feels dirty.

I second Howard's question; who are the "our" of which you speak. Because it sounds scary as fuck.

It was brought to our attention, Beehatch, that last night, whilst alone in the kitchen, you picked your nose.

A lot of things get brought to our attention

Yes, I picked my nose. Your sources are correct. How much do I need to pay you to keep that image off the internet .

Nowhere did i say that CGTV didn't care. I said that "I" didn't care. I'm not part of them. I am a father who took my daughter there. They did right by us and so I am defending them here, from the baseless nonsense they're being accused of by this thread. They are not a scam. Their program (programme, for you ) may not be what you need, but that doesn't make them a scam.

If you have great programs in Britain that serve the same purpose then great, use them. No one in this thread has tried to sell you on attending CGTV. We're only defending the program from the untruths posted here because CGTV is legitimate in the services it provides and we loved the experience.

As far as how we found this thread in the first place, it was a simple Google search that a parent did for CGTV stuff and events. (Google tends to rank recent posts from blogs higher for a time so this thread was near the top) They were taken aback by the accusations and told us about it. Having had real experience with CGTV, we simply gave a truthful reply as was requested by the first poster in this thread.

It simply amazes me how distrustful you all are. If I had come here to post some made up lies about CGTV's integrity you would have embraced me without question but being someone who has actually gone through the program and is giving you a first hand report of how much we liked it - the Truth about the program from our perspective - and you want to close your ears and just ridicule me for giving the original poster an answer they asked for? That's a shame.

But this isn't a recent thread.

It's been restarted. It's a zombie thread from December last year.

We're not distrustful, just pointing out the obvious flaws in a European spending money on a program (see what I did there?!) that is unsuitable for our needs. This is valid. The word "scam" is emotive and open to interpretation. Whether this is a scam or not, it's being marketed in a manner that could cause financial harm and deportation to someone who had followed the company's advice.

Don't worry, it wasn't you I had the nose-picking footage of. You're safe. :o

As I'm pretty sure has already been said, a thousand American parents coming on here and raving about the course will just show that a thousand Americans haven't really listened to the EU posters' concerns. We are worried about the visa issues, the true benefit to our children and the hidden costs (because the $5000 is just the start).

The lack of transparency for the original op was the issue. She felt her child was manipulated. That is a bad feeling to have.

Had the company been upfront about visas, cost, the unlikeliness of being able to work in the US, then this would not have been called a scam.

I think the repetition of "oh and Adrian is great" is worth a bit of ridicule :) every poster had it in their closing statement.

I'm sure Adrian is just super!

Tony, I appreciate that this time you do sound as though you've actually read the responses and are trying to answer our questions. This is a good thing. If CGTV want to start something over here then I recommend they arm themselves with facts and figures and go into things honestly.

The marketing could be seen as somewhat aggressive.

I repeat, if you'e in the UK and want well respected program(me)s look at YMT:UK, NYMT and NYT. They have real auditions as well. If you want something cheaper lots of local theatres run great summer workshops.

If you're nowhere near London, Manchester, Cardiff, I wouldn't necessarily bother with an agent - and contrary to popular belief you don't need an agent to get professional work (although for sure, you'll get more castings with one, but then if you're not within easy reach of London in particular you'll be pissing your agent off by turning many down).

Nor do you need Adrian to get you work, if work is what you want.

But Adrian is still the best though?! Isn't he?!

He must be or the world makes no sense at all.

I have heard terribly, wildly unsubstantiated rumours that Adrian is, in fact, distinctly average and somewhat non-descript.

Nooooooooooooooo!

I won't believe it.

I can't

:(

Adriaaaaan (shouted in Rocky-style wailing)

Chris,
I have several questions for you since you are well versed and educated with immigration laws. Are their British actors on American TV or in American films? If so, did they have an 01 visa to work in the states? According to you they must have...so how? I'm assuming they went through a process by establishing themselves as a professional actor in London or Europe? Just asking because I'm assuming they had to start somewhere and at some point and at some age to go through this process. Maybe they hired a recommended immigration attorney like most Brits and European actors do that are in American movies and on American TV. But wait, I don't think there are ANY European actors on American cinema according to you. Since it's a long process to achieve an 01 visa then they should just give up on their dreams of going to the Mecca of the industry (Hollywood) and just live the rest of their lives with....I WISH. I'm not sure about CGTV but any job outside your country needs a visa and everyone must research extensively for their own cause. A career is not a race but a marathon so enjoy the journey and don't let a guy whose blog name is "Fuckyouchrisandthathorse" bully you off your dreams. "You can fail at what you don't want so you might as well take a chance at what you DO love!" Jim Carey

FuckYouChris You're just a dream killing bully. I bet you kick unicorns and everything

Krakken, welcome. Aren't you a friendly fellow.

As I said up thread, I'm not the visa expert. Piglet John is.

I'm just the resident bully persistent question asker.

The British child actors I've seen who've made it big in America were already big stars over here and had established careers.

Of course there will also be some with duel nationality I'm sure.

But are you really trying to suggest that getting an American visa without a sponsor, to work, is easy? Or are you under the impression that they won't need one?

I'm confused.

It would be illegal for a Brit to work in America without the appropriate visa.

For a child, with all the associated pressures, it makes sense to train at home.

Right that's the reasoned bit.

Now for the bullying bit... "Your mother smells of elderberries!"

But hey, what would I know, I'm just a boring old British mum trying to do what's best... Ho hum

:o

Oh shit, Edu, I did :(

I'm so sorry.

But they kicked me first!

It's in your horse hating nature.

(Btw, are you the original field-owning poster?!)

If anyone does have any specific dreams they would like crushing, I'll do my best. I can't promise anything but I will do my best.

Did Krakken call me a guy?!

I have obvious bosoms! Damnit! I knew I should have gotten that boob job when Adrian suggested it :(

Edu, that would be me :)

Now I'm a bully. That's how much I have grown as a person thanks to Adrian