Crimes of Persuasion

Schemes, scams, frauds.



APM Talent aka ARTIST PROMOTION AND MARKETING aka ARTIST PROMOTIONS AND MARKETING INC.

ARTIST PROMOTIONS & MARKETING, INC.
9713 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 218
BEVERLY HILLS, CA

The BBB of California has identified the owner of ARTIST PROMOTIONS & MARKETING, INC. as Eric Rottman.

Eric Rottman has a controversial past in the same state in the same industry offering the same type of service, as the BBB noted:

This company's principal, Eric Rottman, previously was an officer of a local talent company called O'Brien Rottmann Talent located in Santa Monica. This company earned an unsatisfactory rating with the Bureau based on failing to respond to customer complaints, and failing to comply with licensing requirements for their industry. O'Brien Rottman Talent Consultants closed their doors without notifying clients in April of 2000.

More on Rottman

Corporation
ARTIST PROMOTIONS AND MARKETING, INC.
Number: C2251361 Date Filed: 6/28/2000 Status: active
Jurisdiction: California
Mailing Address
9713 SANTA MONICA BLVD #218
BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90210 

October 2003

Letter from Parent:

FYI:

The person who approached our [kids] in Toys-R-Us was with a company called Commercial Scouts (aka Debonair Marketing).

They asked us to come to an invitation-only screening on Sunday at APM Talent at 6713 Santa Monica Blvd. We went there and there was several hundred kids there.

When our kids got on Camera we were told to see a person in Room 215 and that only 10-12 Kids out of the 300 or so would be talking to this guy in room 215. It did seem like the rest of the kids went to a table that the guy in room 215 call the "extra work table," where kids they were not interested in went to.

The man asked our kids several questions to make certain that they really wanted to this and told us that he can probably get them print work right away and that they had the perfect look for getting TV and Modeling work.

The person they met with was a model himself and had pictures of himself in all sorts of ads hung on his office wall.

In the end he gave our kids a short commercial to learn and asked us to call him at 1:30 on Wednesday and at that time he will let us know what time Wednesday night to come in and be screened again while reciting the commercial.

There was no mention of money, only that the Kids will need to get 8 x 10 photos once they start to look for work.

Any advice or help is appreciated. Should we call and go back down there or is there a firm in L.A. that you recommend we contact.

Thanks,

Concerned Parent

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I too am a concerned parent who needs more information regarding APM, Inc. talent showcase. I felt obligated to pay their listed services fee of $2,480.00. This includes workshops, photo shoots, and a showcase to feature your child with several well-known talent agents.

I am very leary now that I have heard several stories about how some people are getting scammed. Are these management companies legitimate or am I just being taken for a ride?

I know of similar stories where the parents were in the same situation paying thousands and their child never got any work. I have talked to one parent who has gotten her child into commercials but never paid thousands of dollars upfront. They only paid for a headshot and that was enough to get their child started in commercials.

If there are any testimonials out there from people that know of this company, let me know right away.

Concerned Parent

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You asked: "Are these management companies legitimate or am I just being taken for a ride?"

Management companies are not allowed to charge talent for photographs, classes, or auditions (Labor Code 1701):

Prohibited Acts

1701.12. An advance-fee talent service, or its agent or employee, may not do any of the following:

(a) Make, or cause to be made, any false, misleading, or deceptive advertisement or representation concerning the services the artist will receive or the costs the artist will incur.

(b) Publish or cause to be published any false, fraudulent, or misleading information, representation, notice, or advertisement.

(c) Give an artist any false information or make any false promise or misrepresentation concerning any engagement or employment, or make any false or misleading verbal or written promise or guarantee of any job or employment to an artist.

(d) Make any false promise or representation, by choice of name or otherwise, that the advance-fee talent service is a talent agency or will procure or attempt to procure employment or engagements for the artist as an artist.

(e) Charge or attempt to charge, directly or indirectly, an artist for registering or listing the artist for employment in the entertainment industry or as a customer of the advance-fee talent service.

(f) Charge or attempt to charge, directly or indirectly, an artist for creating or providing photographs, filmstrips, videotapes, audition tapes, demonstration reels, or other reproductions of the artist, casting or talent brochures, or other promotional materials for the artist.

(g) Charge or attempt to charge, directly or indirectly, an artist for creating or providing costumes for the artist.

(h) Charge or attempt to charge, directly or indirectly, an artist for providing lessons, coaching, or similar training for the artist.

(i) Charge or attempt to charge, directly or indirectly, an artist for providing auditions for the artist.

(j) Refer an artist to any person who charges the artist a fee for the services described in subdivisions (e) to (i), inclusive, in which the advance-fee talent service has a direct or indirect financial interest.

(k) Accept any compensation for referring an artist to any person charging the artist a fee for the services described in subdivisions (e) to (i), inclusive.


January 2004

Letter from Parent:

After reviewing the info you have listed regarding APM Talent & Commercial Scouts it feels like deja-vu.

My [...]-year-old daughter & [...]-year-old son were approached by a woman with a Back East accent at Knotts Berry Farm. She was with Commercial Scouts & gave us a card for a special "screen test" being held on a Sunday at 9713 Santa Monica Blvd. There were over 100 kids there. My kids did the "I love McDonalds" thing on camera.

They were then sent to a man standing off to the side, and had a short interview. My children were then chosen to go on and meet another representative in Room 215.

The representative was with APM Talent. He seemed very interested in our children and asked us to call back Tues at 1:30 pm.

My husband spoke with Brook with APM Talent and he invited my daughter back. He mentioned my son was a little too young. It was then we were hit with their fee $2,480. He even offered us a payment plan. This would include her head shot, acting classes with Gary Spatz, a seminar for parents, a showcase to be held for my daughter to meet "well-known" agencies and a manager.

We told him we would have to think about this and would get back to him. He seemed pretty bothered with us because we didn't hand him a check.

After personally dealing with APM Talent and Commercial Scouts and reading the stories on them, someone needs to stop this insanity.

I just wanted to get my story out there too. I don't want them to get another child's hopes up too high.

Concerned Parent

Consumer Comments

We were approached by a talent agent from APM Inc, specializing in kids, but their business card only has a cell phone number plus the office location at:

APM INC
9713 S Santa Monica
Beverly Hills, CA

I am a little concerned because I have spoken with her twice to set appts etc on the ONE PHONE NUMBER on the business card, and it seems to be a cell phone -- which is kind of fishy to me. I did a search on the internet and found their actual office phone number, but then only an answering machine would pick up when I would call it (even during business hours).

I did a search on the state’s website and they are not listed as a licensed talent agency either under APM or ARTIST PROMOTION AND MARKETING...

And if they do not necessarily have to be licensed to be legit, do you have any advice on how might I get more information on this company?

April 23, 2004

I was scouted along with my sister and brother (at two separate times) at the mall to go to the APM talent building in Beverly Hills, CA, on Santa Monica Blvd. We were sent into Room 212 and told all these things and sent home with a Gap script to remember, then came back in two days and got "signed."

My parents have already paid the $2,480 each for me AND my sister, but we get a two-week trial, and get our money back if we feel we don’t want to do it anymore.

We also got Gary Spatz as our acting couch. But I looked up P. O’Brien who works for APM talent and its weird because on this site it mentions how some of his other talent business just disappeared, without warning at all, and now this whole acting/modeling/commercial thing is starting to sound very shady, I don’t want my parents paying over $4,000 on a scam.

Is this a scam?