FIRST, THE CHALLENGE
Far too many models, actors, singers, and dancers have come to believe that having talent or having "the look" automatically generates a free ride in this business. Some have been told that if an agency wants to work with them, they will pay for the "packaging" costs. Packaging means different things depending upon the type of talent that you are. For models, packaging means shooting a complete and thorough portfolio, printing composite/zed cards, and web services. For actors, it is a mix of head shots, training, web services and video reels. For singers and bands, it is promo shots, demo tapes and web services. Unfortunately, despite the myths that abound, there are no agencies anymore that will absorb the costs of packaging brand new models or talent and retrieve the money out of the money earned by the models or actors. The reasons for this have nothing to do with the agents or managers not being legitimate. It has to do instead with the wishy-washy nature of so many people who claim to want to be models or talent. There were agencies who used to pay for packaging 20 years ago, but virtually all of them went bankrupt. Why? NOT because they did not have auditions and jobs for their models and talent, but because so often, after spending $1500 to $2000 on a model, she would come back in 2 weeks later and inform them that her boyfriend did not want her to model, so she was quitting. OR the model, actor or singer would come in and say that they had decided to go to college in another state where the agent could not work with them. OR the model/talent was into drugs and was too unreliable to be hired... and on and on and on. So your predecessors shut down this avenue of relief. So the stark truth is, if you believe in yourself and are willing to work hard, you need to find a way to come up with the costs to do a portfolio or to take film acting workshops or to cut a demo tape. But many of you are saying, " I am still a student and even with my part time job, I do not have any way to raise the money for a high quality $1500 portfolio or to take a $300 film acting workshop!" Or you have other financial impediments as a young parent or as a single person with a job that just pays the bills. "How can I ever become a model or actor if I do not have the money to get started?" you ask. It is not hopeless... THERE IS A WAY

SECOND, A SOLUTION...
When you look at the history of the three entertainment companies that merged to create Casting America years ago, our expertise extends back to 1981. We have seen this same problem through the years. The person has great promise but no money to pay for packaging. One of our first steps, that helped a bit was to reduce some basic costs by using the Internet to make it easier and much less costly to respond to many of the auditions, casting calls and production listings that our talent find on our site. (Many actors, models, singers forget about all of the shipping and express mailing expenses encountered when responding to auditions around the country). But this did not solve the PACKAGING CHALLENGE. Second, we developed a top notch packaging division, capable of shooting the highest quality portfolios (training the new models in photo movement while shooting) at very modest pricing; and head shots for actors, promo shots for singers and bands. We established some of the best and fairest priced training programs to be found anywhere in the entertainment world: film/tv acting workshops, on camera auditioning workshops, modeling workshops, stunt classes and more. BUT despite the fact that these classes are high end at a low end price, and many of our graduates are working regularly, they still are not free. So the person with no money still has no way of attending. We then developed a Talent Scouting program that allows models, actors and talent to earn their portfolios and training by finding others who need to shoot portfolios or get training (find five people to take a workshop and you take it free; find five people to shoot portfolios with us and we shoot yours free). But we finally have come to the ULTIMATE SOLUTION: CORPORATE SPONSORS.

CORPORATE SPONSORS PROGRAM
Many of our models, actresses and singers have been in pageants throughout their lives. Casting America has been invited to judge many regional and national beauty pageants as well. It took a while for us to realize it, but the solution was staring us in the face. Beauty pageant entrants have traditionally had to pay high fees to enter the pageants along with paying for special gowns, accessories and other items. often costing $1,000 to $5,000 for a the pageant. How have they come up with the money? They have gone out and found businesses to cosponsor them. What was in it for the businesses who put up the money? Whether a business chipped in with $100 or $1000, the pageants would always list them in the program guide of the pageant so the business could write off the donation as an advertising expense. Further, the businesses often enjoy helping beautiful and talented people. We realized that the same thing could be done with models, actors, voice-over talent, singers, dancers and stunt people. So we have kicked off the Sponsors Program. What Casting America is willing to do to help you is this... If you can get sponsors to pay for your packaging/training services from Casting America, we will list them with an acknowledgment on your Online Portfolio Page (as long as they donate at least $100 to you).. if they donate $500 or more, we will place a banner or box ad for their business on one of the regular pages on our site for several months. If they donate $1000 or more to you, we will put up a full sized advertising banner on a primary page on our web site. Considering the fact that we have had well over 3 million visitors to our site, this will give them far more exposure than a simple pageant program received by 200 people. Pageant girls often raise far more than the fee they owe the pageant. If you raise more than what it will cost to work with our photographers and trainers, this gives you more money to improve your wardrobe and to create a travel fund for going to auditions. This is a great way for you to be able to get things done right -- a top quality portfolio, rather than a "get by" portfolio shot by a novice photographer or an amateur friend -- proper tv/film acting training, rather than local theatrical classes.

YOU NO LONGER HAVE AN EXCUSE!!!
If you want to attack that dream you have had, the Sponsors Program or the Scout Program solves the financial barrier. Now the question is, are you willing to finally make the effort? There are no guarantees in this business, but we can help you to find out. We cannot do your auditions for you, but we can teach you to audition well. We cannot make you show up to a modeling go-see, but if you have the look, our photographers can teach you to look like a pro and look like an established model in your portfolio. You want find yourself at the age of 80 looking back and wondering, "what if?".... You will know. Now, if money is no longer the real hurdle, the question is: will you do the work to make it happen??? We are here to help.

How the Sponsors Program Works

There are several steps within the Corporate Sponsors Program:

Step One: Qualify
You do need to be someone who has a viable opportunity to work in the field you are pursuing --- acting, modeling, singer, dancer, stuntperson, performer. The whole program becomes a farce if it endeavors to promote and package people who would have no chance of success whatsoever. For example, while there are many categories and types of models, including petite, character and plus models, if you are four feet tall and three feet wide, modeling is not a viable path for you. However, in the acting arena, every look has potential roles, depending upon your talent. Therefore, in order to qualify for the program, you must first contact a Casting America Talent Coordinator. The coordinator will evaluate you in order to determine whether Casting America will be willing to extend a talent management contract to you. Casting America will only offer contracts to those who seem to be serious, reliable, and have a good work ethic.
Why is the management contract important? In order to create a path for you to find sponsors, they need to understand that you are being offered a conditional talent management contract, based upon you completing certain packaging and/or training steps. This generates the initial basis for working with the sponsors.

Step Two: Conditional Talent Management Contract
Based upon your request to use the Corporate Sponsors Program and a belief that you have the fundamental talent or look required, your Talent Coordinator will bring to management a recommendation to extend you a Conditional Talent Management Contract. The contract costs nothing, although it establishes Casting America as your manager conditional to you completing certain requirements. The requirements will vary pending your talent, history and any packaging or training which may have been completed to date. Again using a modeling example, you may be someone entirely new to modeling and have no portfolio, no composites, and no web presence. The Talent Management Contract will be conditioned upon you acquiring these critical elements, without which you would have little chance of ever getting work. Since you either do not have the funding to put these things together or do not want to use your own funds, this establishes the need for the program.

Step Three: Letter of Intent
If Casting America's management approves you for the Corporate Sponsors Program, a Letter of Intent is generated, stating that you will be given a talent management contract once you complete the packaging process. The letter will provide a list of those things which you need to do as a minimum to qualify -- and will state the combination of packaging elements we would prefer that you do beyond the minimum.

Step Four: Corporate Sponsors Program Letter
Along with the Letter of Intent, you will receive a Corporate Sponsors Program Letter. This will outline specifically what Casting America will do for companies and individuals who sponsor you. Basically the letter will say that only the funds raised from sponsors to be spent on Casting America's packaging services and/or training will qualify for the program. Casting America is willing to provide free advertising for the sponsors. The advertising will be on our web site. Therefore, if you get all of your packaging from a source other than Casting America, we will not have any basis for offering free advertising. In general, if a business or individual, gives you a contribution of $100 to $500, we will place a sponsors acknowledgment on your Casting America Online Portfolio page. This will be seen by anyone who comes to the talent section and browses though to review actors, models, singers, etc. The business name of the sponsor along with contact information will be included. If they give you more than $250, we will also add an advertising slogan or brief description. If the sponsor gives you $500 to $1000, we will place a block ad on one of our popular company pages for easy viewing. If they give you $1000 or more, we will place a full ad banner on our site for them on one of the most widely viewed pages -- and the ad will be on for a full year. They will surely make more in return from the ad than the money they are investing in you. Plus their contributions to you are a tax write-off as an advertising expense. This again , is why pageant girls have been so successful through the years in raising funds from businesses -- it doubles as an advertisement and a write-off expense. Since our web site has generated over 3,000,000 hits, far more people will see their ad or acknowledgment than would ever be seen in a pageant program. However, this emphasizes why we must limit the program to the portion of sponsor money paid in to out services. The ads and acknowledgments do not help us as an organization in any way. They help the sponsor and you. For those of you who are already partially packaged (you have part of your portfolio done, acting training completed, etc.), it should be noted that you are not in as critical need of this program as the person just starting out. However, you may be tight on funds, but would like to do the Kickstart Program and place 20 photos on our site. You can still use sponsors for those expenses.

Step Five: Finding Sponsors
Your talent coordinator will counsel you on ways to find sponsors and how to talk to them. Among other things, you will show them the letters we have given you, as well as a sponsors agreement which you will give them when they contribute. All money from the sponsors will be paid to you directly, unless they want to use a credit card -- in which case Casting America will process the funds for you. The reason you will want all funds paid to you is that you might raise more than is needed to fully cover Casting America's services. In such a case, this will provide you with a war chest of money to use to improve your wardrobe or to travel to auditions and castings.

Step Six: Getting It Done
As funds are raised we work together to package and train you as a model, actors, singer, performer. Once your packaging is completed, we mutually execute the management contract and get the "show on the road" towards success

Contact one of our talent coordinators for details and to have them evaluate your potential for doing this: