calling all barbizon students!?

Question

does anybody know a good modeling center or agency in st. louis, mo? if so, please tell. i was thinking about going to barbizon, but everyone says it's a scam. i've seen one of their blogs on their website, and everyone thinks its a really great place. I'm so confused!!! please help! if your a barbizon student---please tell me if its worth the money!

Answer 1

I have had two bad experiences with Barbizon personally. My feeling about it is that a training center and agency should be separate entities. I think Barbizon class prices are (from what I remember) very inflated, but you would probably learn some modeling basics like runway walking.

Don't expect to be represented by the agency or to be sent out on jobs simply because you enroll in a class. That is one reason I feel this organization can be misleading and a bit questionable.

If you are seeking a legitimate agency (as opposed to a school), find one that requires no fees or mandatory class enrollment.

Answer 2

I'm not going to say pro and con about Barbizon. I'm not into the whole acting/modeling thing. However, my sister-in-law, who is 21 has completed the classes. I thought the whole thing was rather, I dunno, "suspicious", isn't the right word.... I was leery of it, though. I don't know what kind of agent she has, if any, but she is now doing promotions at Wal-Mart and similar stores. By "promotions", she's basically with a product and telling people how wonderful it's supposed to be. I think she also gets a bit per unit she sells, or even per pamphlet she hands out. I guess she is like the people at the grocery stores on weekends passing out samples, but doesn't pass out samples from what I understand. (The irony is that after she got fired from Wal-Mart a year ago, she declared it evil and would never shop there again. Now she is encouraging others to shop there. I pointed out the irony, and I could see something almost click, but apparently not enough. I guess since she's "modeling". She said she "needs" the money, but since she's living at home room and board free and going to college with her parents paying the tuition, what grants and scholarships don't cover, I don't understand her reasoning.)

Anyway... Last week she went to the International Modeling and Talent Agency "competition" in New York City. I was also Leary of that, not only because she had to pay for it but because it was rather expensive. I can see paying for some things, like the hotel and food, but not to see the agents and do the competitions.

Also, I don't know if it's just my SIL or something that the people in her Barbizon school did, but I got the impression that she thinks that if she does all of this she'll eventually be a model and be famous. I think it's just my SIL.

Anyway, I hope my second hand experience has helped. I've seen her Barbizon guide book, but I've not had a chance to read it.

Answer 3

Legitimate Modeling Agencies do not make the model pay for training, until she makes money form photo shoots, modeling, etc. Models are trained free until they make money.

Answer 4

NOOOOOO!Barbizon is a complete scam!!!I dont have any exprience with it,but my best friend was gonna sign up for it,and they waned $4,000 up front!No dont do it!