Lesson Learned
 

Lesson Learned: Don't deal with people who speak in vague catch-all terms.

So I was browsing some classified ads for art-related jobs in LA (I plan on moving there in a few years after art school so I like to know what skills, programs are important to know, etc) when I stumbled upon this:

WEB SERIES PRODUCERS/DIRECTORS | Beverly Hills | eBay Classifieds (Kijiji) | 1983290

Wowzers! That sounds perfect! I can make more KATG animations (a.. WEB SERIES) and GET PAID TO DO SO!

So, I wrote this person an e-mail with links all the various animations I've done and a message about KATG and the many thousands of listeners across the world who have viewed my work (this can only help sell my proposal).

I get an e-mail back from someone at "Model House Entertainment" asking what I'd be interested in... Excuse me? Is it not obvious? Making animation and getting paid.

There's discussion and she sends me a Media Kit. When I view the website and the kit I get suspicious. Not only is this person VERY FUCKING VAGUE ("networks", "content", "web based", "internet based", etc, etc) but "Services" are mention. Services? I thought you "distributed and monetized content for online and mobile". :confused:

Here's the thing. I thought this was going to work like a talent agent type situation: After contracts are signed, my work gets licensed, sold, whatever to these "networks" (again, SHADY! What networks? If this was credible you should be name-dropping) and they pay "us", meaning Model House and myself (and I would be sure to kick back some to KATG).

Seems straight forward enough, right? Turns out Model House just "represents people" and I would be PAYING them for access to these "networks". I'm paying them $500 UPFRONT plus $100/mo. AND they get 20% of the ad revenue!

Bullshit. Then I thought, well maybe this is fair enough and I can call these people and discuss this. HOWEVER, in their projects page on the site the only "projects" seem to involve or be centred around the CREATOR of Model House. Yeah, okay... a lot of people really seem to have jumped on board with this deal.

Get the fuck out.

A lot of places advertise like this.

"Work as a game tester. Just pay us this amount for the kit to get started!" Which turns out to be just a list of companies for you to contact or something similar.

If you have to end up paying them in order to get a job that gets you money back, it's a scam.

Yeah, I knew it was too good to be true. I thought from the start that either I wouldn't be accepted (assuming it was legit) or it would be some kind of scam trolling for content to make money off of.

There are so many people that want to break in that they can always find someone to give them money.

I've been to a couple of these pay-up-front things in Vancouver, when I was desperate for a job. They give you the pitch, then mention that you need to pay them. So when I said, "Hey, no thanks, see you around", they always act confused. Really? You're going? Why? Fucking academy award winners, these people.

She was CONTINUALLY trying to get me into some sort of conference call to "alleviate my concerns" but I just kept thinking: We're talking RIGHT NOW, why can't you just tell me NOW. I knew it was to try and pitch something to me.