The world is filled with what I like to call "Dream Stealers." These individuals aren't happy with what they have, so they try to take away the dreams of others. They don't know how to dream. Instead, they choose to attempt to cause problems for others. They try to put themselves in a position where others listen to them, then feed them whatever ideas that they have as truth and fact. They scare people into making decisions that they don't understand.
Dream Stealers are the gossips of the world. They are the ones that cause panic. These people are the types to stand up in a movie theater and yell "FIRE!" just to see others react. They're know-it-alls, and convince people that don't understand things that what they say is correct and true.
Dream Stealers are abundant in the entertainment industry. They especially latch onto and steal the dreams of parents that have high hopes for their children to be on TV or in the movies. They give advice - whether it is wanted or not - to do what THEY think the kids should do. Often times, these parents have no one else offering them advice and guidance, and their kids lose out.
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| My son, Charles. (Photo: K. Abernethy) |
Take my company, for instance. I created Cain Casting & Talent Management because my son wanted to be on TV after seeing me in an episode of Malcolm in the Middle. As a former actor, I knew exactly what I needed to do in order to get him cast in something. I didn't have Cain Casting then. But since I had been involved in the entertainment industry since I was 7 years old, I knew exactly what to do. He landed a commercial for Digital Steam Workshop, which you can view here. Then, I submitted him for a stock photography shoot, which he also ended up landing. My friend asked me if I could submit her kids for work, and THEY ended up getting stuff. And so Cain Casting & Talent Management was born.
Cain Casting & Talent Management is NOT a talent agency. The definition of a talent agency is as follows: A talent agent, or booking agent, is a person who finds jobs for actors, authors, film directors, musicians, models, film producers, professional athletes, writers, screenwriters, broadcast journalists, and other people in various entertainment or broadcast businesses. (Definition taken from Wikipedia.)
Do I find work for my talent? Absolutely. However, that is where the work stops for talent agencies. Cain Casting & Talent Management does waaaaay more than get talent work. (And, in reality, I'm not the one getting them the work... Casting Directors ask me if I have anyone on my roster that would fit certain roles, and I send them who I have. THEY decide who they want. THEY are the ones that hire. The checks get sent directly to the talent, not to my company.)
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| A headshot that looks like me (Photo: K.A.) |
I was represented by the Wallis Agency when I was a professional actress in Los Angeles. They gotone audition. All of my acting friends there told me that I needed to get a manager, but I had no idea how to do so. I got myself more auditions and work than Wallis ever did. I did, however, spend a shitload of money on pictures that didn't even look like me, touch ups, printed resumes and a hair cut at a salon I never would have gone to-- All at my agent's instruction. I seriously spent at least $1000 on photos that are collecting dust in my basement-- A helluva lot of money for someone just starting out as an actor. Considering my father was (still is, I believe) a movie director and was the one that got me in the Wallis Agency in the first place, I thought I was doing the right thing. However, when my agent sent me out on a non-union audition - the ONLY audition she ever got me - and I was a member of SAG-AFTRA, I knew that there was a problem.
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Cain Casting & Talent Management IS a talent management company. The definition of a talent management company is as follows: A talent manager, also known as an artist manager or band manager, is an individual or company who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry. The responsibility of the talent manager is to oversee the day-to-day business affairs of an artist; advise and counsel talent concerning professional matters, long-term plans and personal decisions which may affect their career. (Definition taken from Wikipedia.)
I manage everything for the talent on my roster. I've hired three people (Joe, Shannon and Sally) to do the same. We manage the careers of people in the NY metro area, New England, Chicago and the Southeast. We help our talent grow their careers. We lay the foundation for them upon which they can build a terrific career in the entertainment industry. We tell them what to do and what not to do. I personally speak from experience, as I have been on BOTH sides of the camera. (Don't believe me? Check out my IMDB page.)
Cain Casting & Talent Management IS a talent consultation company. The definition of a talent consultant is as follows: A talent consultant works as a go-between, brokering deals between performers and production companies. Along with brokering working contracts with movie, record and television studios, the talent consultant also negotiates a pay agreement for the performer. Typically, the talent consultant provides a photo, called a head shot, or a demo tape to studio representatives in an attempt to get a casting call or audition for clients. The talent consultant maintains contact with the client and the studios and attempts to keep the client's name in front of industry movers and shakers. (Definition taken from WiseGEEK.)
You see? Cain Casting & Talent Management does both management and consultation services. Our company's fee is $500 flat. That is the consultation service fee. We receive 10% of our talent's earnings after they earn $750. Talent Managers usually take 15% - 20%, but we take less because we try very hard to get our talent signed by agencies. If a talent agency is taking 10% and my company is taking 20%, that means that the talent is only going to get 70% of their earnings. That's a pretty big hit! We like to be fair.
So, why am I writing all of this?
There is a FaceBook group called NE Kids Actors Group. One of the volunteers of this group is a woman named Rosemary. Until recently, their "group attorney" was a woman named Lisa. Unfortunately, (in my opinion) these two women are Dream Stealers. They wrote a diatribe about how Cain Casting & Talent Management is "an illegal operation," even though neither one of them have ever had any interactions with me whatsoever. The group had 682 members at the time. Check out what was posted by another volunteer admin in the group:
This was posted for everyone to see. I tried to speak with the women that were running the group. What she wrote about my company is completely untrue. In that post, she encouraged people NOT to work with me. She was making damaging accusations about Cain Casting & Talent Management. She was dragging my name through the mud. This is called libel. (Definition of Libel: a published false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation; a written defamation.) Since Cain Casting & Talent Management IS NOT a talent agency, it does not need licensure. (Apparently, this woman also thinks I'm stupid enough to not look into a business type before creating a business in the first place...) The sad thing is that she was preaching to parents that didn't know any better. Parents that that I could actually help with their kids' careers in show business.
Again, I had never dealt with Lisa. Ever. She was not a part of my company. She never hired any of the people on my talent roster. I had never even spoken with her. How did she know about Cain Casting & Talent Management? Simple: Several parents registered their children with my company, and they were getting work. These proud parents posted in the FaceBook group how Cain Casting had gotten their children work. That's it. When Lisa found out that I charge a registration fee, she went ballistic and posted the above statement in that group. The thing is, I don't discriminate. Anyone can register with my company to get the same services. I don't have to meet with anyone in order to be their talent consultant. I can take on ANY person and help them succeed. I felt Lisa was attacking me in this forum.
I first went to Rosemary, one of the volunteer admins:
Discussing Cain Casting & Talent Management was causing negativity? Parents were thrilled that their children were getting work, and wanted to share it with other parents. How is that negative? It was baffling, really.
Clearly, I wasn't getting anywhere with her, so I attempted to get in touch with the "group attorney," Lisa:
Lisa refused to talk to be about why she wrote what she did about my company. She insisted on speaking with my attorney. It didn't make sense to me. So, I called my attorney and explained what was going on. He, too, told me that he only need to be contacted if they were bringing some sort of lawsuit against me-- And they would be the ones to contact him, not the opposite. I just wanted questions answered.
My attorney looked at all of the screenshots that you see above. He asked me if I would like to bring charges against Lisa, Rosemary and the other administrators. He said that, based on the number of people in the group, I could sue them for $500,000.
Believe me, it was tempting. Verrrrrry tempting. However, I'm a mom. I have a family. I have a house. I have a conscience. I didn't want to ruin a couple of mothers' lives because they are seemingly jealous of my company and my success. (Dream Stealers.) And, to be honest, when I won the case, how would these moms pay me $500,000? I'm not going to lash out and ruin someone because they lashed out at me first. My mother always taught me that two wrongs don't make a right. I tend to take the advice of people I know and love, not strangers that spout off at the mouth.
So, I tried to reach out to another one of the volunteer administrators, and had Rosemary in the same chat:
As you can see, Rosemary felt the need to add the "group attorney," Lisa to the chat. The other admin never even replied to me. And, as you can see, I found out what law firm Lisa works for and I contacted them. From what I understand, attorneys aren't supposed to throw around free legal advice, especially when the ramifications hurt a legitimate company. The paralegal I spoke with apologized to me, and explained to me that Lisa is not a full attorney with their law firm, but what is called "up counsel." She gave me an email address to send everything above to, which I did. I told them that I would not sue her for libel (which would also look very bad for their law firm) if she would take the posts down.
Within days, the post in the group was removed. All traces of Cain Casting & Talent Management were removed, which was fine with me. I still don't know why I was attacked in the first place. Another thing my mom always says is "The dark attacks the light." (Dream Stealers.)
So, why am I bringing this all to the surface in my blog?
It appears as though Lisa can't stop talking about Cain Casting & Talent Management. Since we have so many people in New England, I decided to create a division of Cain Casting & Talent Management that takes care of those people on my roster in that region. The day that I decided to do this, I posted about it on the Cain Casting Fan Page. Within hours, three of our children were cast in a PSA for the Boston Children's Museum. We made connections with several other agents, casting directors and production companies in Boston. It was a great day for Cain Casting & Talent Management.
The next day, Lisa decided to start posting about me and my company in yet another group. I contacted that group administrator and told him I would appreciate if he would remove her libelous posts from his group. He went right to her. (I don't know if the posts were removed or not.)
While I was on the phone with a friend that is a Casting Associate last night, my office line cut in at 9pm. Since I had a bunch of kids just wrap from the new Spielberg movie, I hung up with my friend and answered the line.
It was Lisa.
She told me that the law firm didn't care whether or not she posted anything on FaceBook, because what she posts is private. (If that were the case, what she posted in the first group wouldn't have mattered.) She told me that I own an agency. (She still has had NO dealings with my company.) She told me that the NYS Department of Labor would agree with her. (Um, they've already given me a LETTER stating the nature of my business, thanks.) The funniest thing she said is that I brag.
I brag.
I brag.
I asked her how I brag. She replied, "You say that you love getting your kids work."
To which I replied, "But, I do love getting my kids work. I also love chocolate. And I love to travel. How is that bragging?"
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| 10 Cain kids hard at work |
Maybe because I get my talent so much work that she thinks I'm bragging about it when I post congratulations to them on the fan page? I do that for the parents, so that THEY can brag about their kids. I mean, I'd brag if my kid was selected to do a one-on-one scene with someone like Jason Sudeikis. (Oh, wait... That really DID happen, and I only posted about it on my personal fan page.) I post the work that the talent on my roster gets so it can be pointed out to their friends and family. Is it wrong to be proud? Is it wrong to want to help?
A few minutes into this call - that I really, really, really wish I recorded - my business partner cut in about something that happened on a set that 17 of my kids were working. (I'm sorry, is a fat bragging? Because SEVENTEEN of Cain Casting's kids were booked on the new Spielberg movie.) I told her I had to go and I hung up on her.
She won't leave me alone. She won't leave my company alone. She can't stop talking about me, and I don't know why. I don't understand the jealousy and smear campaign. I run a strong, honest company. I have helped over 200 people earn a cumulative of over $100,000 in a year. I work hard. My assistants work hard.
I will be contacting the Massachusetts Bar Association about this woman. I'm pretty sure you can't give legal advice, and it goes against some attorney creed. I've got all of the proof I need to show what she did. I've done nothing.
And to those parents that listen to the bad advice given about my company: You need to do your own research. You need to speak with some of the parents that have kids on my roster and listen to their experiences with Cain Casting & Talent Management. If you truly want to get your kids ahead in the entertainment industry, you need a good talent manager and talent consultant on your side. You need someone who knows the business and is an advocate for you and your kids. Whether it's Cain Casting or not doesn't matter-- I'm just telling you the steps that you need to take in order to get ahead. The worst possible thing you can do is listen to people that don't know what they're talking about.
And, whatever you do, never, ever, ever become a Dream Stealer.
And, whatever you do, never, ever, ever become a Dream Stealer.
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