Are schools like Barbizon & Page Parkes in Houston for modeling a scam like "John Casablanca's?"?

Question

Are schools like Barbizon & Page Parkes in Houston for modeling a scam like "John Casablanca's?"?

Answer 1

Page Parkes, Casablanca's, Barbizon, JRP and any of the other Modeling schools are just that - a school.

These places have open calls (sometimes they just get your number somehow and call you or send you something in the mail). They'll charge you thousands of dollars for training and photos.

Here's the thing - they're business is training, that's what they do. And when you spend your entire week trying to get model hopefuls to buy classes it doesn't leave alot of time to book work for the models. See where I'm going?

I've been in this business for over 8 years and I have yet to meet a model who did the school thing and felt the overly inflated prices they paid were worth it. And none of them got any work from the school they enrolled in.

If you want to get into modeling and your serious about it then I would encourage you to work with people who are serious about developing your talent - not just interested in your checkbook. I great place to visit would be OneModelPlace.com - it's a huge online community. You can network, find photographers to worth with (many of which will help you build a portfolio for free) and depending on where in the country you are you might even find some work there. Best of all, for models, OMP is free to join. As with anything on the Internet, DO YOUR RESEARCH before working with anyone. Check references and always bring an escort with you to any shoot.

if you have other questions feel free to contact me. Good Luck!

Answer 2

All of them want you to go see there phographer, don't do it. Use your own and get a pro to do the head shots before you go to any of them.

Barbizon & Page have been in Houston for years....20+ years, but that does not mean there not a rip off.

Most want a model to pay $300-400.00 for a portfolio, which I think they just want to make money off the photo business side.

Answer 3

I think Page Parkes is real, but I don't know. If you want a legitimate modeling school, you're going to have to go to somewhere like L.A. or NYC.

Answer 4

most liekly, if you don't get your money's worth, sick wayne delphino on them, he loves to do "stories" on ppl the got ripped off.

Answer 5

Johnny Casablanca was my agent at Elite in Paris back in the 80's. He retired back to Brazil many years ago so I don't know why they are using his name.

Page Parkes takes anyone's money who walks in the door. I have a friend who is 43 and 5'2" and they encouraged her to take their course, of course no work was ever offered her afterwards. I've seen so many people encouraged to take their course and become a model who had none of the criteria needed to ever have a hope of modeling.

The scam in Houston is that any person wanting to model HAS to take a "modeling course" from that agency before they will represent them. I do not know any top models who ever took a "course".

My daughter is with Neil Hamil Agency. She is 16, 5"10 and 120 pounds and turns heads but there is just not enough work here in Houston. The only print work is Gloss,002, and other free, local magazines. Even Paper City & Neiman's take models from NY. There are lots of shows but that's about it here and the pay is a joke.

I guess  the courses are okay if you want to learn some make up tips (this can be done free at most Department stores cosmetics counters) or if you want to have a better walk but that is it. Anyone serious about modeling needs to go to NYC, Paris, London,Milan, Hamburg or Tokyo.

Answer 6

I can only speak for Page Parkes.  Two of my children attended their courses.  They did extremely well and what they did learn has served them long after the modeling phase of their lives passed.  

I was a hands on mother, yes, the one that goes to all of the actual modeling jobs. Uh, no way was I going to let my 14 year old girl off alone in front some buildings converted to lofts in the east part of the downtown warehouse district.  Surprisingly, I was usually the only mom there and although I did not interfere,  they were not happy to see me.  

Although I did not agree with a few of the things they told my children during the teaching sessions, the kids always mentioned what was being taught, we discussed these "suggestions" after their classes and made the necessary corrections.  (i.e., It's alright to do with your body as you desire.  Specifically drugs and s*x.)

The main problem was from the start I saw some kids that, truthfully, did not belong in modeling.  As time progressed, I felt that these kids were being encouraged only for the modeling fee.  Towards the end of the program is when things became very cruel.  They were obvously trying to weed these kids out, but in a very hurtful way.

So I think you have to be realistic about where you want to go and want you want out of these classes.  We have five children and although all five are blessed with physical beauty, only two had that extra something that the camera captures.

Thanks for the heads up on John Casablanca's Agency.