Max Agency review: Auditions 31

I did my photos with the photographer that Max referred me to, and I had a blast. Came in to see them a few weeks later, and I was told I needed comp cards...which makes sense. My agent called me and said she had an audition for me, and even though my comps weren't ready yet...she said go anyways. I had nothing to lose. A few days later, I got the booking for a Fashion Show. Everything moved faster than I expected...in a good way ;)

So they asked you to do comp cards?
How much did you have to pay for those?
Did you have to pay for anything else?
And what about the photographer they referred you to?
Do they only refer everyone to one photographer?
How much does this photographer cost?
Sorry for all the questions, but i would like to have this info.
I have heard that one doesnt need to pay anything to agents and if they do then those companies are not legit. But I don't know where to find an agent who will be willing to represent me. I don't know how to start and if I should pay someone or not. You guys sound like you know about this company and you are saying good things. This gives me hope.

I dont mind paying as long as it is an investment. Im sure there are agencies who represent people for free but why would they want to work with a newcomer like me with no experience or contacts? But I don't want to get stuck with an agency which is a scam and just runs away with my money. How do I make sure I am making the right investment?

One of you is saying that her friend works with these people. Can you private message me a way of contacting your friend or someone else who is working with this agency? I know anyone can post anything on the internet these days so I would rather talk to a real person. A lot of times the agency people seem very convincing and friendly but then again who knows? they might be after our money. So please help me out and give me a legit person whom I can contact or some other reliable resource. I am going crazy searching and searching.

Thanks in advance for your help guys.

Max agency is a "real" agency? As opposed to what? I think you are trying to say that they get work for their models?

I hope you get the answers you are looking for.

I am impressed with your diligence.

Sorry to inform you all that this Agency is a fraud and the people who are writing here work for the all the companies that this agency owns which are making on everything I know because I am related to them

Sorry to burst your bubbles.

There is someone and it looks to be one person or company that is really trying hard to point the finger at Juliann for writing a lot of the posts under the heading of MAX Agency and Ross Clidesdale. I personally have read all the posts and there is a lot. Yes I took classes with her maybe I am a little one sided here but I don't think she did any of it, well except the ones that she signed LOL. This is turning into a joke. Someone is really trying to write these things and pin it on her. It's so obvious that it is a joke. Oh and to the guy who wrote about IP address's I am in the business and you can change IP address so easily that is why email's or this kind of stuff is not admissable in court. That is information that you all should have. And this is freedom of speach. But I think most of these posts ARE written by the same person but I think it is someone who is trying just a little to hard to put it on Juliann. So why don't you just quite while your ahead. Three are a lot of people who know her, she has never done anyone any harm. There is one poster that says why are you pointing out what good she did for people for all those years at both schools. I agree with that for sure. You are all trying way too hard to make her out to be a tyrant. No way, she has a very good rep and none of you can take that away. This Renee chick, I don't know her, who cares about a school in Barrie? What is all that about?

IP address can be copied and if you have half a brain you can see through all these posts. They should be asking her to come back and teach at that school not putting her down. LOL

Danny (yes that is my real first name)

Went in there with my two daughters and they were both accepted. It's been eight months now...my one daughter has gotten quite a few auditions. The other not as many (she's a little younger). Understandable, I guess that's how the cookie crumbles.

Shopped around first, I've read up on most of the agencies in Toronto. Read the good stuff, read the bad stuff. At least Max wasn't sugar coating anything. You might get work, you may not. Depends on your category. Been with now for a year, and haven't looked back.

I'm with MAX Agency...Their agreements clearly states that they CANNOT guarantee work. If you didn't read the agreement, which is posted on their website, that's your own fault. So far I've been with them for 4 months and I've gotten 7 auditions, some for commercials, some for made for tv movies and some for print. I think I didn't the land the movie because I haven't had enough training. I talked to them about it, and they sent me to training for free.

I was scouted by their reps a few weeks ago, said I had an interesting look. I went in, they were brutally honest with me. So far I've gone to four auditions, haven't landed anything yet...but that has nothing to do with the agency. At least they're getting me auditions... The rest is up to me.

They set me up, they trained me...with CASTING ppl. MAX Agency is legit...Especially since I'M with them :):):)

Okay MAX Employees LOL you are asking the real people who have be ripped off to tell the real truth when you get employees to post here.

You are paying casting people to beg other lower casting people to give them auditions and they will never get the work so have a nice drive to the auditions that are just sucking you in LOL. And what real Casting People? They are not casting anything Ha Ha no matter what you post here I know you and what you are doing I get the real scoop because I am indirectly related to you and your company. :-)))))))))

I did hear that the lady that used to work there is opening a school with another Zaidi family memeber. One in the states and one here in Toronto.

Really, how many Zaidi characters are out there. Why would she work for them again? I don't think this information is correct. You should not post this unless it is fact. Let us know I would be curious to to know if this is true.

MAX AGENCY IS A SCAM. My daughter tried it out and the women who runs is very negative. They told my daughter and I that they would call us in 72 hours. It has been 3 MONTHS and they have not called us. When we first got there they asked my daughter for her pictures. I don't know what they are doing with them now. They still have not given us her pictures back. I went to the agency to ask them about her pictures about a week ago and I heard the woman who runs it go up to a co-workers and tell them to go online and say good things about the agency on complaint websites like this. TRUST ME DO NOT try this agency

THIS AGENCY SUCKS me and my sis both got accepted and we payed about 5 thousand dollars. THEY SCAMMED US. when we complained to them they said they would call us back in about 5minutes. it has been a YEAR NOW and they have not called us back. we heard the women who runs it say this to a worker" Hey Marie did you write good reviews about us online?!" THATS RIGHT they hire people to write good things about them online. HOW PATHETIC IS THAT/(its kinda weird cuz i just read Ashley Young's comment and we both heard her say that) anyways... THIS IS A SCAM! trust me.

So I just got signed to this Agency, and I'm supposed to go meet with them in a couple of days to make it official I suppose. But when she called she was asking for a photographer and I had a different one already in mind than their recommended one. Now since that's what I keep reading what this scam is about (paying their recommended photographer through the agency) its making me question whether or not I should go through with this. In their agreement it's clearly stated that you're free to any photographer of your choosing so they shouldn't have a problem with it. Guess I'll find out? But now that this seems sketchy I'm going to do some more digging from the more recent complaints. Cause a lot of these names are unfamiliar.

pretty sad competition can't be fair... people of the news board just think...

fake- money, call, call back promise time, months or weeks later no call

real- someone who can tell people places or things ie the girl who mentioned the West 49 brand, etc

There should be a button that after so many clicks it is reviewed and the person and their ip address is then on blocked
This is not fair to the people truly looking for a great agency to start their careers

If you have the drive, and the motivation then you will get the parts, MAX can't hold your hand but they can guide the right people in the right direction and those people will be the ones who will become famous one day

its a scam they ripped me off 1400$ for a photoshoot and comp cards. the photographer emailed me saying he quit and in the email HE gave me the pics which max LOST and said that he only received 100 for the shoot from the agency. they called me in for an audition which was posted on their website which they cancelled on me 2 days before. They still didn't take it down from the website. We have had to wait 1 hour for a sceduled meeting and the guy did not ever apologize for the wait. They're a huge scam they will take money from a student and not give you anything in return.

I am very impressed with Max agency! The staff is outstanding in their professionalism, in their knowledge of the industry and in their ability to communicate with their clients. I have only been with this agency for one week -- and already their proactiveness in ensuring that their clients are exposed to the industry and to auditions, their diligence in providing and gathering accurate information, and their adeptness in preparing their candidates for success is truly unparalleled. I feel very thanful to be with this agency, and I can already state that I highly recommend their professional services to anyone who is committed to hard work and dedication.
Ruth

I thought I would leave a comment here because I work with Max Agency and they have been great to me (I am an actor), it's weird to me that my agency is being called a scam. Every agency in Toronto is going to make you pay for your own photos (they are a few exceptions, but these agencies only take on seasoned actors and models). Unless you look like Naomi Campbell then nobody will invest in you if you won't even invest in yourself. I'm not sure why people are so confused about this concept... Most people that pursue this path are not as invested as they initially think. If every agency fronted the cost for a portfolio and then the actor decides that they don't want/or can't miss work/school for this audition or if the weather isn't great and they don't feel like going out in the snow to go to a 15 min audition all the way downtown. They agency would be operating at a loss. Agencies don't take on people and ignore them after, what would be the point? They can 'scam' you AND still submit you for auditions, truth is you are probably being submitted to auditions but aren't getting booked and there is nothing an agent can do for you in that case. You just have to accept it and try another career or you have to keep fighting to make it in this very tough business. People have such skewed perspectives about the entertainment industry. Did you forget that even the biggest A-listers had to struggle for several years to get work? Did you forget that even they had to work to afford their portfolios and acting classes? You don't just get handed a steady acting career, you have to work at it and spend money on yourself.

Well, think maybe I'm a little bitter - especially if this agency was previously spelled with two 'x's joined in 2009, charged me over $500 for awful, unuseable pictures that I had to fight for 6 months to get hold of (but which in the end were useless 😳 I admit I'm a bit of a pushover and non-dominant so when the lady who was interviewing me about my lack of enthusiasm for paying around the $200 mark for flyers ( after I had paid the original fee) said in an interview - well, what are you here for then? I felt violated then and feel violated now . I guess that is all.

Well, think maybe I'm a little bitter - especially if this agency was previously spelled with two 'x's joined in 2009, charged me over $500 for awful, unuseable pictures that I had to fight for 6 months to get hold of (but which in the end were useless 😳 I admit I'm a bit of a pushover and non-dominant so when the lady who was interviewing me about my lack of enthusiasm for paying around the $200 mark for flyers ( after I had paid the original fee) said in an interview - well, what are you here for then? I felt violated then and feel violated now . I guess that is all.

Well they just accepted me and im about to sign with them. I have been told that everything is free with them(registration and classes) except for my photos. I have to pay for my own photo's because i own them and i can take them with me if i decide to leave MAX AGENCY in the end so it makes sence. They did recomend photographers i should go to because i get a discount if i book through the agency. From the photographers they showed me they cost between $690-$1300 and it my choice who i pick. I dont feel like its a scam because i have shopped around and other agencys have asked my for MUCH MUCH more money to register with them...GOOD LUCK TO U ALL THO...I DO HOPE ITS NOT A SCAM MYSELF.

total scam! Im a photographer. My daughter was recommended to them through a freind. Of course they wanted "their" photographers to take the pics. Fine. I thought maybe this was the right of passage. I dropped $2, 000.00 there. They only sent my daughter on ONE go-see in a YEAR and it was for actors, not models, looking for 30 year age range (my daughter was 18 at the time) . After I asked for her pics on a disk. They conveniently misplaced the disk. I bugged them for some time, lots of excuses, NO DISK. NO REFUND, NO WORK!

https://ebosscanada.com/profile/login.php here is were you can find casting calls