Hello Sandra:  We are in the Bay Area and my daughter was signed up with JRP for the 20 weeks program, with many classes and auditions each week, she was dedicated and determined, she was 13 at the time and will be 15 in Sept.  It turns out that JRP is now facing legal issues in CA, I receive the emails, but won't be participating in the suit.  I believe that there are many parents who expected much much more from them and wanted immediate results.  We chalked JRP to experience and if she took away anything from the experience it was the confidence to face the "directors".  At this time I am not certain if any of them ever really were actual bonafide directors, but it was what it was and we've moved on, she did however receive 1 letter from a director saying that she was excellent, but in no way were they making any offer.  We've actually taken JRP off of her resume', which sucks because we did pay the near $2000 and she spent the 20 weekends at JRP.  She is currently at another company local to us and they have been fantastic.  She has done several showcases for less than $100 each show case and has been signed on with a talent agent, although, we are seeking management representation in the LA area.  She's gotten a few roles and has been in a national teen magazine.  I don't know that her currently talent agent is producing enough for her, but my point is that through the new company (we joined last July 2007) she's found much more exposure and has added to her experiences which has benefited her resume'.  This is a patience and waiting game, that's for sure.  I am not saying to get out of JRP, but I hope that I was able to give you some info to go on in making your decisions.  Good luck!  -edie

Thank you very much for your fast response!

Does anyone from experience know, if an Agent tells you 1000 times how he likes your child and how he wants her to start and then it doesn't call or respond to your e-mails, text...anything.

Is he still interested?????

All I can say is that nothing is definite and especially not until a contract of some sort is signed.  This is going to sound really harsh towards Hollywood in general, but people "say" a lot of things.  I'm not just talking about agents and managers, etc.  I'm talking you could meet someone at an event or a dinner party and they'll talk you up on any number of subjects and ask you to dinner to "chat more" and then you never hear from them.  

I'm not sure what enduces this "flakiness" or "fakeness" but being from the East Coast it is something that I had to come to learn.  That said, when you find people that you know you can truly trust and turn to, maintain that relationship because these kinds of genuine people do exist too!

 In regards to your specific situation, don't give up hope on this particular agent necessarily, but don't limit yourself.  Keep shopping around.  If you can send a note or email to follow up, it wouldn't hurt.  

 I'm hoping some more parents/Industry pros will leave you comments on the specifics of their JRP experiences.

Heather  

 BTW - have you done more research on the specifics of the agent you delt with?  Who does he work for (agency), who does he represent, is he on our site, do you know of other parents whose kids are repped by him that you could talk to, etc, etc???

 Hi Sandra,

 I just want to echo what Heather said.  Is this person a licensed talent agent?  Have you done any additional research on this person? Was this meeting merely a meeting to see if JRP would accept your child into their classes? 

 I would definitely suggest using our KidStart program for steps to get started in the industry.  Although JRP is a successful school, and your daughter will learn a lot, you will be more proactive taking steps to get your child representation through some of the suggestions in our program.

 Best of luck to you and your daughter,

Trisha  

Thank you everyone for your feedback! I e-mailed Heather, and she confirmed that he's an reputable agent, I feel better.

Thank you for the tips, I'll check everything out, and educate myself.

 Awesome Sandra!  That is what we are here for :)

Another note about JRP.  Remember, JRP is a franchise and no two schools are alike.  Although the member paid $2,000.00 for a twenty week program (which sounds like a LOT of money), you can expect to pay about $100.00 per hour for acting classes.  Sometimes more, sometimes less.  

Make sure you interview ANY potential acting coach no matter who they are with and make sure they work well with your child before you commit to anything.  Acting classes are NEVER a guarantee of employment. 

I can tell you that agents and casting directors DO go to these schools and scout for new talent.  I just bumped into Bonnie Ventis at Kazarian Spencer and Associates (a highly regarded agency) and she told me that her entire office travels around the country going to both Barbizon AND JRP seeking kids. So does Steven Nash at Arts and Letters Management. 

You will read a LOT of negative comments about both acting schools and talent conventions and although that type of experience is definately expensive, it is an option and has proven successful for some.  The ratio of success can be compared to the usual Hollwood cattle call where hundreds of kids show up for one available job.  Again, there are NO guarantees. 

Talent showcases provide the greatest benefit for Talent Representatives who can view literally hundreds of kids in a short amount of time.  Last January's IMTA convention had just about every Hollywood agent in attendance.  

Agents do attend these events and do sign new talent as a result. Find out who your JRP plans to bring in for any proposed talent show cases offered and then do a little investigating to find out if they are qualified industry pros.  

Be advised that acting schools should not also be acting as talent agents or managers.  This is because reputable agents do not charge money up front fo their services.  If you are required to take classes as part of your agency or manager representation there is a conflict of interest.  Some states do not regulate talent agents and therefore although this practice might be perfectly legal in one state, it is not in others and is considered bad form in all.

 Good Luck!

Toni Casala

Thank you everyone!

I'm little upset today, no I'm furious...well the agent we spoke to, never called. We left him several messagess...but nothing, I still don't get how fake some people can be. Something new to learn, how do you start to trust people???

Severina went to JRP for her first class today. I guess, is to late for us to change our mind. I did some research and all sounded good, but I just found out that long time owner Kim Flowers, now has her own school. I'm not sure who is the owner now, but stuff seems to be very unprofessional. I just learn that I'll have to be very aggressive.

What's the best way for me to seek for an agent?

Well, Sandra..... I guess you have learned your first lesson about this business.  A lot of times, you will be told anything to get you to sign on the dotted line.  You ask "how do you start to trust people???" Well, the fact of the matter is, don't.   This is a business and the bottom line is most people are out for their best interest.  Now, don't get me wrong, there are plenty of good people out there, and although it sounds harsh, you need to look at your daughter as the "product" you are trying the market and sell.  If your daughter has a look/talent that is marketable, agents will want to represent her because they think that she can book jobs, which in turn will pay them a commission.  This is how the business works and how people make their living.  It is not a bad thing.  

When I initially read your first post, where you said you "auditioned" for JPR, I have to say I cringed.  Not because signing up for school is a negative, but because it seemed like you were under the wrong impression for what you were signing up for.   

Now though, since you have signed up for classes, it is time to move on the not beat yourself up for the decision you have made.  Look at this experience as a way for your daughter to work on her skills and learn how to perform under pressure.  It might very well show you if this is something that she/you are ready to actively pursue.

As far as seeking out agency representation, there are tips and information here in the KidStart program I mentioned before.  Look under the "Casting" tab, then "Kidstart Program".  That will give you step by step instructions on how to get started.  While seeking representation, don't be afraid to ask questions, research the agent, interview them just like they are interviewing you, and ask other parents who are repped by the agency (you can ask for references, or look up parents here on CIF) their thoughts.

 
Hi All,

My daughter is currently attending JRP in the SF Bay Area (but not the same one as Edie Cisneros or currently in a lawsuit).  We started Oct 2007.  Unfortunately, we're in an extremely expensive 2-year contract, $6000.  It was the only film acting school in our suburban area and little did we know anything about acting, the film industry, etc.  After 9 months in the program, our director / franchise owner, Angelica Beverly, was secretly shutting down the business...bankruptcy.  Angelica is drop-dead-runway-model-type gorgeous and obviously been spending quite a bit of money on plastic surgery.  (That was no secret).  She scammed everyone, took the money and ran!  Fortunately, a genuinely ethical couple w/ film industry experience was willing to rescue the bankrupt franchise and honor our contracts.  They're cleaning up house (hiring new teachers, etc). 

So let me share our 9-months experience:  I agree w/ Edie....the best part is that my 9 year old learned confidence to face directors.  Other than that....Angelica Beverly ran a business with inconsistent pricing and inexperienced instructors.  iPOP in Las Vegas...we were offered a scholarship of almost 50% ("but don't tell the other parents").  We later found out from the new owners the $5000 we paid WAS the actual cost, even worse some were charged $7000+. 

Last February, fortunately we signed up for Tom Logan's Workshop (L.A. Director) which was held at the JRP office.  Interestingly, everything my daughter (and the other students - teens and adults) previously learned about film acting from JRP, Tom Logan had to undo.  Apparently, the instructors at JRP were teaching "stage" acting rather than on-camera film acting.  BIG difference!  Thanks to Tom's workshop, my daughter recently auditioned for a principal role in a feature film and was offered the part.  The writer/ director of the feature film advised us not to take anymore acting classes at JRP; instead "take on-camera acting classes with people / directors like Tom Logan." 

So now, in addition to our JRP contract, my daughter is taking acting classes elsewhere (justforactors.com) w/ an instructor who taught her more about film acting / auditioning in two class sessions than what she had learned in 8 months at JRP (I am not exaggerating) and it's only costing $100 / 4-5 classes!  The instructor actually films with a camera so the kids can view themselves at the end of each class lesson. 

For now (to finish our contract), my daughter will continue taking non-acting classes (singing, dancing, modeling) while our new JRP owners scrutinize the new-hired acting teachers.  The new owners are genuinely good people and intend to make things right.  It's been quite an expensive (money we don't have) learning experience;  but I'm trying to think positive...w/in 8 months, it has led my daughter to a principal role in a feature film (still in pre-production).   Every JRP is different, so there's a lot to think about.  I hope this helps.

Good luck,

Cindy  =o)

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU ALL!!!!!