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[NOTE, new update below]
The following is a letter written today, from an actor to Actors Access. We will explain more, after you read the letter below:
"TO: Actors Access
FROM: An Actor [We removed name for privacy reasons]
Dear Actors Access,
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| The actual e-mail |
Over the last few years, a practice in this city has developed whereby casting directors and other talent reps have aligned themselves with various organizations, and for a daily fee, they give seminars which actors pay for: the fee is usually fifty dollars a day. This has become a very lucrative business...in which actors pay thousands to meet casting directors and "learn" about auditioning and getting comments on their work during workshops in which they read cold or perform scenes with others.
It also is a tidy supplemental income for casting professionals. It serves a great back door way to get to be seen; but it is fraught with abuses.
As a result the State passed a law which has clamped down on this talent for sale service scheme and mandated that these workshops no longer be advertised as a method to "meet" the industry. Actors now are forbidden at many to leave resumes. And the "teachers" are told not to promise taking the workshops will lead to employment. The fines for violation range in the $1000's..because these schools are becoming defacto talent agents. In the last two years I have spent about $7000 on these workshops...and I am one of thousands of actors looking for work.
What has happened is that at least one of the workshop organizations is now giving the casting directors the workshop attendees link to actors access to the casting persons who do workshops.
I am not sure that this legally circumvents the complaint that the state has that these workshops are really industry contacts for sale....however it has made it imperative that my Actors Access listing be as complete as possible since that is what the casting directors will see.
That is why [I am concerned] about [my] videos.
I have found myself asking them to refer the casting directors to both Actors Access and ReelAccess. Seems to me that this is a foolish waste of time. I understand that Actors Access wishes to pick up the extra fees...however in time it will back fire, I fear, on Actors Access.
Actors Access limits severely the amount and degree of uploads when it comes to videos....while ReelAccess allows uploads for each resume entry....Actors Access has no such provision.
Once the two are compared, I suspect, these casting schools will start recommending ReelAccess over Actors Access and that is to no ones advantage it seems. It would be far better than Actors Access work with ReelAccess... however, I assume the desire to pick up the upload fees is what is preventing this. This may prove penny wish and pound foolish since ReelAccess does a much better job... and it would be to Actors Access not to compete with that.
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This letter was sent by an actor who is on both Actors Access and ReelAccess websites. The actor is one of many who were confused by what Actors Access has been telling them.
We thought it would be helpful to present this letter in an open forum (with names omitted) so you can see the clear issue and opinion that is prevalent.
It should be noted that ReelAccess does not charge by the minute, does not limit your videos or photos, and allows you to control 100% of your ProfilePage, 24/7 with numerous upgrades and options being added all the time. The actors are never charged extra for any of these features, past present of future. All upgrades are included in the actors flat rate fee.
A historical overview: ReelAccess had a video-sharing agreement with Actors Access and did not charge the actor, or Actors Access whatsoever, for this added benefit. After about a year, Actors Access cancelled this agreement and continued to charge actors their normal rates, leaving some actors still connected to ReelAccess and some not connected to ReelAccess.
We have been inundated with confused actors asking what the reasoning was. To clarify, ReelAccess has no control over what Actors Access does. We can't change their website. We can't change your profile on Actors Access. We will continue to deliver fantastic service and help you in any way we can on our site, but we can't control anything on Actors Access. I hope this helps.
Our offer to Actors Access still stands; We will continue to happily share ReelAccess actors video with Actors Access, without charging either the actor or Actors Access for this extra feature, should they allow it.
Sincerely,
ReelAccess
UPDATE: Recent update proving that Actors Access IS the one responsible for correcting their own site,
and can do it, if the actor requests a response from Actors Access repeatedly:
"TO: ReelAccess
FROM: An Actor [We removed name for privacy reasons]
Dear ReelAccess,
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| The actual e-mail II |
I sent an email directly to their [Actors Access] technicians who immediately removed the link. The problem is that he is dealing with management that 1) does not understand the technology and 2) is singing the office song. It is unfortunate. I love your service. Thank you....soooo much.
"TO: Actors Access
FROM: An Actor [We removed name for privacy reasons]
Dear Actors Access,
Thank you very much for all of your help and for getting that dead end off my page. I will send the video clips to ActorAccess as soon as I have a moment this weekend.
On the issue of CD's only looking for a minute and therefore just uploading a short clip, this is how ReelAccess solves that problem.
You will note that my longer clips are preceded by a short selection of all clips (the demo). At the same time photos cycle, and the resume is available below...this retains the viewers attention. At the same time for more detail, each resume entry can also have an individual clip attached.
This is far superior to ActorsAccess which the CD has to plod through one screen at a time.
The current policy of ActorsAccess forces the actor to choose between two links being referred to a CD (yours and ReelAccess), rather than linking them.
If you were an actor, which link would you refer to a CD?
Would you refer this link?
http://www.reelaccess.com/talent/[the-actors-name]
or this one?
http://resumes.actorsaccess.com/[some-id-number]
Once again, our offer to Actors Access still stands; We will continue to happily share ReelAccess actors video with Actors Access, without charging either the actor or Actors Access for this extra feature, should they allow it.
Sincerely,
ReelAccess
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