BE Productions: Acting Classes for Kids

[Annette]

Parents beware: BE Productions will ask you for $2K -$5K for stuff you can get MUCH cheaper or for free. Go to bizparent.org , "Scams" to get the real scoop. Taken myself.

[Robert]

I agree a 100%, BE Productions, BE GONE from San Diego. Principle owner has 3 other companies. IDTalent is one which has a "F" rating with the BBB.

[milamonster]

The United Marketing Group for Be Productions (My Artist's Place)/ Buzz Entertainment / National Entertainment -- they're all the same and is the biggest scam in the state of California: Please visit the following link for a detailed rip off report about this marketing job scam www.crashkittyinseduction.com/theunitedgroup/...

Be Productions (marketing done through The United Marketing Group) places misleading advertisements when hiring new recycled employees weekly to do their dirty scam work passing out invitations to families in shopping centers and malls trying to recruit kids:“PR Division has full and part-time positions in San Francisco bay areas for outgoing chit-chatters, professional presentable people to get kids into TV/film.“ 1) You don’t get paid $30 an hour to start. 2) They lie about locations you can work at. Trick new employees to drive miles away spending $60 or more gas dollars of your own pocket money. You and other girls wait 3 hours at a meet spot doing nothing with no pay. 2 girls are grouped into pairs while one provides her own car to drive. Each grouped pair is given a drawn, unreadable map to drive to 7 locations out of county plus other surrounding cities that are too far away. Details in training are avoided and refuse to answer questions until you’re at your location to pass out invitations. If 6 approved families don’t come into B Studios, your gas money isn’t reimbursed. You worked for free, wasted your time, and driving money. No men are allowed to be hired for this marketing job, only women; preying on moms, college students girls who have no real income. You can only work hourly helping with screen tests at BE Studios if you're good at passing out flyers and willing to waste your gas money. I spent $100 of my own money to do their job and made no money. A big scam! I resigned on Sunday, May 4 of 2008 at the BE Studios when talking to Sheila who is the one in charge of the San Jose grouping of girls even though I expected to work in a local area where I lived. I would like The United Marketing Group tied in with BE Productions to reimburse my gas money (but of course this is never going to happen). The United Group and BE Productions (Studios / My Artist’s Place) displayed many deceitful, misleading lies online on Craig's List and left out massive details in training. Myself and many girls are upset. Others quit and refused to do the Sunday job because it consisted of more driving and more gas money. I have already filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. My family and friends the girls I worked with are highly upset of the fact that Be Productions (My Artist’s Place) works with The United Marketing Group in such scam manner.

For proof from other parents / kids who have been ripped off from My Artist's Place (Be Productions / studios), please visit www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/310/RipOff0310...

[success story]

we signed up at a rate that was expensive but only sightly more than we have payed at JCC and CYT in San Diego (when you price out the hours of instruction, fundraising, ticket selling,etc) and DEFINATELY cheaper than professional acting, singing and dancing classes. the training has been much better-as judged by my kids and myself. my daughter got signed by an agent that set us up with a FREE professional photo shoot and ZED cards. this has all happened in a 6 month period. she goes on her first audition monday...it is an odds game. we have gotten everything promised to us and more.

[clark]

The encinitas story sounds like a shill. The red flag is the closing tactic. It is the same format as a time share presentation except they don't feed you and there is no free trip or gift.
Also, when I go to their web sight all my virus alarms go off, so don't unless you have protection.

[la jolla mommy]

i disagree. my daughter joined be 2 months ago and i've seen her attitude change. she was the typical, bad mood teenager and now she actually talks to me. she's much more focused on her studies because you have to maintain a certain gpa to be a child actor. be productions isn't a "scam", it's a great company.

[The dude]

All of you people should be ashamed of yourselves for pimping your children out the the lowest bidder on the hopes someone will give them a ridiculous contract to do nothing so you don't have to work for the rest of your lives.

[ripped off]

i joined be, and the classes are oversized with too much of an age range. wish i could get my money back. they are also charging for auditions which is illegal.

[success story]

Why is it okay to pay for private sports lessons but not acting/singing? This is NOT what i thought my kids would be interested in but they are. Therefore, i support them. Their teachers have commented on their increased confidence when giving presentation. Even if my kids get no more paid jobs (my daughter had 3- my son one), their increased self confidence was worth the price. they never complain about going to classes. they love it. if you couldn't afford it, you should have done it. i think it's the people who were trying to make their kids "stars" that are disappointed. you are the adult. Ask questions (such as class size, age range, etc.). i hope you don't whine like this in front of your kids. Be realistic.

[thinker]

milamonster wrote:

The United Marketing Group for Be Productions (My Artist's Place)/ Buzz Entertainment / National Entertainment -- they're all the same and is the biggest scam in the state of California: Please visit the following link for a detailed rip off report about this marketing job scam www.crashkittyinseduction.com/theunitedgroup/...
Be Productions (marketing done through The United Marketing Group) places misleading advertisements when hiring new recycled employees weekly to do their dirty scam work passing out invitations to families in shopping centers and malls trying to recruit kids:“PR Division has full and part-time positions in San Francisco bay areas for outgoing chit-chatters, professional presentable people to get kids into TV/film.“ 1) You don’t get paid $30 an hour to start. 2) They lie about locations you can work at. Trick new employees to drive miles away spending $60 or more gas dollars of your own pocket money. You and other girls wait 3 hours at a meet spot doing nothing with no pay. 2 girls are grouped into pairs while one provides her own car to drive. Each grouped pair is given a drawn, unreadable map to drive to 7 locations out of county plus other surrounding cities that are too far away. Details in training are avoided and refuse to answer questions until you’re at your location to pass out invitations. If 6 approved families don’t come into B Studios, your gas money isn’t reimbursed. You worked for free, wasted your time, and driving money. No men are allowed to be hired for this marketing job, only women; preying on moms, college students girls who have no real income. You can only work hourly helping with screen tests at BE Studios if you're good at passing out flyers and willing to waste your gas money. I spent $100 of my own money to do their job and made no money. A big scam! I resigned on Sunday, May 4 of 2008 at the BE Studios when talking to Sheila who is the one in charge of the San Jose grouping of girls even though I expected to work in a local area where I lived. I would like The United Marketing Group tied in with BE Productions to reimburse my gas money (but of course this is never going to happen). The United Group and BE Productions (Studios / My Artist’s Place) displayed many deceitful, misleading lies online on Craig's List and left out massive details in atraining. Myself and many girls are upset. Others quit and refused to do the Sunday job because it consisted of more driving and more gas money. I have already filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. My family and friends the girls I worked with are highly upset of the fact that Be Productions (My Artist’s Place) works with The United Marketing Group in such scam manner.
For proof from other parents / kids who have been ripped off from My Artist's Place (Be Productions / studios), please visit www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/310/RipOff0310...

Are you an idiot? there's no such thing as a free lunch. it's no wonder you couldn't get better job. you should thank them for helping you be more discriminating. welcome to the real world.

[busy mom]

success story wrote:

we signed up at a rate that was expensive but only sightly more than we have payed at JCC and CYT in San Diego (when you price out the hours of instruction, fundraising, ticket selling,etc) and DEFINATELY cheaper than professional acting, singing and dancing classes. the training has been much better-as judged by my kids and myself. my daughter got signed by an agent that set us up with a FREE professional photo shoot and ZED cards. this has all happened in a 6 month period. she goes on her first audition monday...it is an odds game. we have gotten everything promised to us and more.

I would love to hear more about your experience. How can we contact each other?

[busy mom]

Encinitas mom could you tell me more about your experiences pro's/cons... cost/times?????

[saved]

busy mom wrote:

<quoted text>
I would love to hear more about your experience. How can we contact each other?

hmmm...she never replied, did she...makes me think those "positive" statements are a shill...I am glad I did not call them back...

[saved]

weird, I am not in Oceanside, wonder where it got that

If anyone knows of a LEGIT program, please post..thank you!

[Tired of whiny babies]

There are a lot of success stories at Be Productions. I met a little girl who got signed for KSA modeling, then just landed her 1st job for H&M clothing company, all within 6 months. I have been in the industry and paid WAY more than $5000 over my career with little results returned.
I agree with the above poster that anyone who thinks Hollywood will spread their cheeks because your kid is the cutest, best, etc, is full of something. You think Miley Cyrus or Hillary Duff just breezed into town and Hollywood decided to MAKE them rich and famous? They paid their dues for training, etc and now are getting the results.
My advice to broke ass parents: Don't use your kids and even if they go thru the program and get onto Be's TV show once, its a hell of a lot more than you would have gotten on your own!!
Grow up...

[dude]

I'm sure Miley's dad had something to do with her getting into the line of work she does. I highly doubt she had to "pay her dues" like some people.

[saved]

really!!!

What was this so called person's name that has "made it" People are not whiny, they are concerned...Money does not come easy and everyone wants to make sure they get what they pay for.

I looked up the owner in regards to WHO he says he has worked with AND NOTHING, ZERO, ZILCH comes up in reference to him and these stars...hmmm???

Ther is a BE PRODUCTIONS back East too...maybe she was with them...I trully believe that the positive sayers are just working for BE Productions OR maybe the owner...No one gets a free ride and I do not think any of these people are looking for a free ride...they are just good parents trying to do something good AND LEGIT for their kids...we can all PAY for them to go to Robert Powers, that is NOT what we are looking for...Give us proof of someone who has actually made it, anything from Be....names???? Anything???

[concerned parent]

WOW! I am amazed...especially by "tired of whiny babies" you seem to take it so personal...makes one wonder if you are not the owner or someone else who has an interest in the company...what a weird reaction from someone who was "obviously" (???) not part of the company...if you ARE NOT part of the company then you need to get a life...I wish I had such small things to worry about....IF YOU DID YOUR RESEARCH before calling people names (wild that you would resort to name calling yet then state...you hope these parents don't whine to their kids...you seem to be a very unprofessional person with an axe to grind...only someone who feels they have something to lose resorts to name calling...it is so beneath...adults...you can research other actor/actess road to stardom and get their stories and NO Miley did not have to struggle...her dad actually spoke about it on our radio station here...he has pull...good for them...
We should learn to be happy for people and uplift them, not tear them down...you are obviously not a happy person...I wish you the best in finding yourself and happiness...Bye the way I did not really have the time to write this...except I am on HOLD on the phone..lol

[Targeted Parent]

Okay so I am in San Diego and we got the card for BE productions in October 2008...

Some lady at the Mission Valley Mall gave us a business card with a time and address to come to a talent scouting (for our 6 year old) audition 3 weeks later. She said to keep the card as this was a legit talent scout who came down from LA to get some new faces. So we go to the location (a hotel conf room in La Jolla) wait around and let our kid get up and read a quick line about toothbrushes infront of a camera projecting the image on a big screen. We then get herded to another room sign some paper work and get the whole "don't call us we will call you if your kid did good". So two days later we get a call saying our kid was in the top 10% and demonstrated real potential and that we were on the first list of 100 people to get call backs, please come to our office this week ASAP. So we free up some time to go to the 6:00pm meeting on a Wednesday. The office is/was? on Clairemont Mesa by the 163 across from Evans Tires. The presentation is a 45 minute video shown to us and a couple other families (all of them got the same call) and went into detail about all the stuff the program offers (photos, comp cards, acting lessons, body language, how it builds confidence...yada yada yada) So after the presentation ends we all get seperately called into offices. Now mind you the place looks like it just got painted a week ago, all the cubicles have no real belongings of anyone working there for over a week, the girl at the front desk is a temp and I am pretty sure the person "staying late" is talking on the phone to her mom. SO very suspicious already. In the office we get the drill of this crap can cost 2 - 3 times as much at other places and that for our convenience we can purchase option 1, option 2, or option 3 depending on how much we can afford and how much we want out of the BE program. Well we didnt like how much any of it costs and we didnt like the fact that they threw all these "values" at us and that it was a use it or lose it program and that we didn't do any research on any other talent agency in the SD area to really know what there prices are and what you get for there prices. So here we are getting the usual car dealer "this offer is only good right now", sign this 8 page contract and we are good to go. I don't think they wanted any money down but I do know the contract was really specific and I think demanded payment within 3 days of signing. When I asked the guy why the offer was only good for today he said "this program is geared toward ppl motivated to see their kids succeed in acting and that there are alot of people on the list behind us who would die for a spot on the BE production team." Whatever, nothing is only good for a day, especially something that is not advertised nor explained in full before the first meeting. How the hell I am supposed to know a "value" of something if I have no basis for comparison. All in all the office was shady the tactics to get parents to sign the contract are shady and the real results are shady. These parents who say "my kid is more confident" yeah I bet they are, but you can get that a lot cheaper than $5000. Have your kids read the first or second reading to the congregation at church. Turns out the best way to gain confidence is overcome your frieght of public speaking...that's not too hard to figure out. Also I agree, if you want your kid to be a movie star or in the "biz" go talk to a real talent scout, if your kid has any actual potential the talent scout will share some of the bill to get some of the reward when your kid actually gets work. Plus talent scouts work with a whole group of people and can hook you up with the cheap head shots, lessons etc. All in all if your kids like acting get them involved in theatre and school plays. They will learn alot more for alot less.

[big talent]

but read his resume. he casted paulie shore and stephen baldwin in Bio Dome!!! Hes got to be totally`legit