Signature Models & Talent Agency

If you’re looking for a modeling agency, I suggest looking elsewhere. They act really nice and convincing to you initially, but change quickly if you question them in the slightest way... Giving the “you’re the talent, we are agency , you will do what we want”- When told I didn’t have the money for all the outfits, shoes they wanted me to buy- the owner freaked out on me, threatening to terminate me (I took her up on the offer) ... there are several other agencies that will respect you.

I have attached email communications with the Mother.  She was accommodated even though she was trying to manipulate how we operate. She doesn't understand how the business works and how to work with an agent. We have been very upfront with her from the beginning. She attached the forms in her previous response that said no refunds to the web fee and she acknowledged it on the form. This mother has paid $200 for her two younger kids for the website placements, however it is $100 for anyone ages 4 and up regardless of how many images.  We had our web designer post the non-professional pictures temporarily on our website. All of our web fees are approved through SAG.  As per the contract offer for Morgan (attached), it states that she will work with a photographer that the owner recommends and payment will go directly to the photographer.  Through all of this resistance with this mother, we agreed to use her photos but they weren’t up to the agency standards. She is the one that gave us the photos to choose from. The Mother resisted multiple times to get us the requested photo which prompted the phone call from me to discuss the matter. I spent an hour on the phone discussing her misrepresentation and she didn't understand any of it.  This is a business and at any time the owner has an issue with any of the photographers that she works with, she tells them and they fix it without any argument. That is why she recommends those photographers. She should have never signed with us if she didn't like how we operate. She has been harassing us and posting negative reviews about our agency.  She is a disgruntled Mother that refuses to see the whole picture. Out of her $370 refund request, we conceded and returned her $70 for the printing of the cards that were already printed (check #9745 on 6/2/16). The oldest son is staying with us so his $100 web fee is not included in the final amount she is requesting. This matter is closed.

Signature is overall the absolute best agency in Arizona!!! My daughter has been signed with them for almost 5 years & we've loved every minute of it :) SIMPLY, outstanding professionalism with 5* service & talent. Proud to be a member of teamSMAT! t&t

This Mom brought her 3 kids to an audition.  We loved the oldest one which was legally an adult.  We expressed interest in all three but said that our priority was the oldest son first. The owner explained that there are expenses involved and she was concerned that bringing all three on...

would be too much at this time.  The mother said money is not an issue. The mom said she took the oldest son and the middle son's photos.  The owner said that the Mom could reshoot the middle boy smiling as he had braces and she was willing to use that photo.  The oldest son needed to get a professional model card specific to the AZ market.  The owner explained that he would have to shoot with the photographer that she recommended but that we would use the photo the Mom took temporarily.  For the youngest daughter, the pictures she brought in were not to the owners standard. The Mom said she didn't take that photo that a friend took it.  So we offered all three contract offers and in the offers it was clearly stated what they needed to do.  The Mom emailed in and said that the oldest son had some financial issues and wasn't able to come up with the web fee or get new photos right away. The owner responded that the oldest son was a priority and if he couldn't do this then we wouldn't move forward with the other children.  The Mom said he has the money for the website and that they all 3 will be signing.  The owner offered to extend the time frame to get professional photos done for the oldest son so he could come up with the money for his photoshoot that he pays to the photographer directly.  We said that we would use his headshot for those few months until August 11th.  Then the owner said she would have the Mom reshoot the middle son however the youngest girl needed to shoot a zed card with the photographer that the owner recommends.  The Mom agreed to all of it. The remaining part of our response since I didn't have enough room.  The Mom agreed to all of it.  They attended orientation and were very appreciative of our accommodations.  At orientation, the Mom was given instructions for the young daughter to shoot with the owners recommended photographer and even gave an extension for her to get the shots done.  A week or so later the owner found out that the Mom canceled the photo shoot for the youngest daughter and sent photos in from her friend that is a photographer.  The owner was disappointed that the mother canceled her photo shoot and sent in photos that the owner didn't like of the daughter.  The owner also expressed that the Mom should have consulted with her first instead of just doing her own thing.  The pictures were not lifestyle shots, landscape, in studio and the child's hair wasn't groomed. At that point the owner said that she will just choose from the photos that she got but they aren't to her standard.  The numbers to the photos were given to the Mom to provide from the photographer.  There was one picture that the Mom wouldn't send to us and she said it's blurry and the dog is cute but my daughter doesn't look good in it.  That is not for her to decide.  She submitted the photos and we asked for what the owner wanted to look at.  It is up to the owner to select the photos not the parent.  So 4 emails later finally the picture arrives.  It isn't blurry.  The Mom just didn't like that photo.  Also, in that email along with all the other emails she is advising us how to do our job.  Again, that is not her place to do that.  In the meantime, we do research on this Mom and find out that she is the photographer of her daughter's photos.  I called her yesterday with the intent to help her understand her role and the agency's role.  I asked her why she kept resisting giving us what we wanted and why she continues to tell us how to do our job.  She kept reverting back to that picture and how she didn't think it was good.  I kept telling her that isn't her place to tell us how to do our job. I then told her that I knew she was the photographer.  She lied in the beginning and said her friend did it.  Then she admitted it and said that she didn't want to tell us because she frankly "Didn't want to hear it".  I asked her if she took offense to the owner's critique and she said "what does that matter" I asked her to answer the question.  She replied angrily, "well wouldn't you".  I said this is a business and the owner has every right to request the photographers do specific things. This is why the owner doesn't use Mom photographers because they don't listen.  She kept reverting back to the picture and I told her that this is a bigger issue.  She misrepresented herself from the beginning.  We can't be in business with someone that is deceitful and manipulative.  After an hour of me trying to get her to understand, I said that this isn't going to work out.  I expressed to her how sad I was for the kids because of what the mother was doing. I had her on speaker phone and my staff listened to the entire conversation.  They were amazed that she didn't get it.  She then said that she wished she would have known this before she got her middle son's pictures printed.  This wouldn't have happened if she would have been honest from the beginning and not controlling how we operate.  As a courtesy, I said we would refund her $70.  She said what about my web fees for the 3 kids.  I said no as their pictures have been posted on the website and they have been submitted from the website and our database for jobs.  They also signed a document that said no refunds.  I told her I would discuss this further with the owner and get back to her.  We conference called her and she wouldn't respond.  She finally emailed in saying her phone died but she would rather communicate via email as talking on the phone is unprofessional.  We emailed her and said if she couldn't talk with us then we will move forward with releasing them so that the Mom could represent her children the way she wants to represent them.  We then explained that we will only be refunding the $70 for the printing but gave her a suggestion to put a label over the logo so they could salvage the headshots.  Her oldest STEPSON already had an audition last Monday and has a callback.  We are going to continue representing him as long as his STEPMOM has not interaction with us. This is a situation where a Mom is disgruntled and won't admit that she was in the wrong. She didn't follow through with her contractual agreement and mislead us the entire time. Thank you     SIGNATURE MODELS & TALENT

The photographer is a recommendation.  As per the contract, I was to have professional images taken with in 30 days of signing with Signature.  Professional photos were taken and submitted to the agency for review within the given time.  No where on the contract does it state the client needs to disclose the name of the photographer.  I am a professional photographer. I was not willing to pay another photographer an additional $350 to take sub-par pictures of my child.  I submitted all requested images with in days of request.Signature Models and Talent advertises themselves as a SAG - AFTRA franchised agency.  As per the SAG website:  Legitimate talent agencies do not charge a fee payable in advance for registering you... for photographs, for acting lessons, or for any other schemes designed to separate you from your money... you will pay that agency nothing until you work, and then 10 percent for limited areas of your earnings as a performer -- but nothing in advance.l. If a talent agent seeks to send you to a particular photographer for pictures, reconsider your agency options.
I was never notified that I was on speaker phone while I was being berated. The agency accused my of lying and then notified me that they were dropping my children and keeping my annual website fees.  One photo of each of my children was on their website for a little over a week.  For the younger two children, it did not include their stats or resume that was provided.  For Morgan, my youngest, it did not include the 4-5 images as stated in the form I signed.  If anything, Signature did not up hold their portion of the contract.  They decided they did not like me personally and dropped my children keeping all fees. My children were represented 11 days of what was on the contract as a yearly web-fee.  If anything I should be prorated and refunded the difference.  The younger two children were never submitted for any roles during those 11 days.

Signature is overall the absolute best agency in Arizona!!! My daughter has been signed with them for almost 5 years & we've loved every minute of it :) SIMPLY, outstanding professionalism with 5* service & talent. Proud to be a member of teamSMAT! t&t