Saturday 22 December 2012

Watch out girls: Form Modeling Platform!

Hey you beautiful girl! Do you have a dream? Do you have a secret wish that one day you will become a famous model, who's pictures can be seen all over the place, in international news papers, women's magazines, street adverts and in public transport just like Carrie in the series Sex and the city? Have you always, always dreamed of fame, beauty, photo shoots, cat walks, high fashion and life in the modeling industry? I bet many of you have, even if you don't admit your passion. There is nothing wrong with a dream like that, vice versa. Each of us have our own passions and secret dreams, which we wish to make come true one day, sooner or later. But even though there is nothing wrong with our innocent dreams, there is something absolutely wrong in the system, where many of us are heading. Do not let yourself be cheated.

                                                      Be aware! Be cautious! Be careful!



To be honest, I am not one of those dreamers. I decided to try modeling just by a spur of a moment. A friend of mine suggested me to try it out as she saw the potential in me. I was astonished and thought: why not? I am young, energetic, tall, skinny and experienced in many areas of performing arts such as theatre and movie making. I though to go for a new challenge, just because we live once and everything is worth trying. So I did. So I stepped in a trap.

The trap was called Form Modeling Platform. Firstly I want to give a short and sharp advice (in case you are too lazy to read further): Do NOT try it out! For the ones, who are eager enough to continue reading, go ahead and follow me...



 Form Modeling Platform is not an agency and they state it very clearly in their webpage. However, they also state a few other, slightly controversial things as well. They claim that they do their best to provide their models with work in the industry and I personally was told: "When you take this package (=when you pay us 1350 pounds), we will guarantee you jobs 100%." The package included a CD with 40 pictures taken at their London Studio and a so called webfolio, where these pictures were put along with my personal information. This was done within 2 weeks after I had visited the studio for a photo shoot and paid the money (yes, I, idiot, paid the money and was brainwashed to believe that it was worth it).

However, they also state this: "The Form Modelling Platform team will provide access to your portfolio for casting companies, fashion magazines, television production companies and model agencies. The ultimate goal is to secure you paid work within the industry. This could include television appearances, magazines shoots, catalogues work, reality shows, Internet promotions, promotional work,
catwalk and so on." --> I copied this statement on 13th of December, which proved to be a right thing to do. Later I visited their webpage and saw that this part had been cancelled, most likely as a result of my inquiries and demanding emails. They had no answer to my question: Why am I the only person, who has an access to my web folio? Why do you claim that the people in the field can access my web folio, if they can't? The web folio was not available in Internet or Form Modeling webpage as promised. I paid for pictures only, even though much more was promised.


This rubbish company provides their "models" with a portfolio and charge an enormous amount of money for it.Later I was told: No one should ever pay more than 200-300 pounds for a portfolio! I am completely new in the industry and so are many others. I a not a blue-eyed person of any kind and I tend to suspect and question EVERYTHING. This time I was badly cheated, what makes me very angry. They are very good at manipulating and brainwashing young women, who dream of the lifetime job in modeling industry. And I did not even dream about it! I just dreamed of a nice, new experience, a little bit extra money to fund my studies and so on! And still: I believed it. I paid and was left alone without any further help. I got answers to my emails and inquiries, but every time I was told this: I am not responsible for this issue. You have to contact this and this and this person in order to get your issue solved. I was thrown to different people all the time and no one answered my most acute questions, which were vital in order to find out how to get jobs.

In addition to this, the company claims that they have professionals in their studio making the portfolios. Rubbish! I talked to the photographer and a make-up "artist" while they were doing my photo shoot. The girls (I emphasize: the GIRLS) told me that they had studied their profession by themselves and not gone to any schools. The customers pay ridiculous amount of money for the portfolio made my amateurs! And naturally this leads to natural consequenses when showing the portfolio to professional people in the field. I walked in to a number of different agencvies in London to show my portfolio and in 80% of them I got a reply: You look very interesting and your look suits to commercial photography, BUT this portfolio is not of the best quality. They could instantly see that it was not done by professionals AND that it had been modified by computer. I was disappointed, again. In the studio I was told that the pictures will not be modified at all but they will keep them natural. That was a lie. A big big lie, just like everything else in the company as well.



As a result of my totally negative experience and a great loss of money, which I was supposed to earn back very easily, very soon and very much beyond the sum I paid for them, I decided to open a blog. This blog is for all women and girls with a dream of a career in modeling and all the others as well. You are free to share your experiences with any Modeling Platforms or Modeling Agencies and as anonymous you can tell all the hidden facts and stories from behind the surface. I am also happy to hear the opinions and experiences of the Form Modeling Platform itself. I started to realise that all the "positive comments" and feedback they have got in Internet, may actually be written by theselves as well as all the praises and texts in their facebook page. I do not believe anything they say anymore. And so shouldn't you.

Let's reveal all the bullshit that the people in the modeling industry try to feed to young people who have dreams! And girls: do not let anyone destroy your dreams! 

Stay alert! Stay clever! Question every single promise and offer!

Do not fall into a trap. Do not become cheated, do not lose your dream and do not believe what you are told unless you can prove they are 100% right. And finally: Do not pay anything in the first place. Asking money in advance is a sign of unreliable business. If they need to charge you in advance, it means they do not have enough money in the end either.

Hugs and kisses.

- An angry woman who wants to raise awareness of shitty businesses

12 comments:

  1. Thank you for this !!!! It is such a brave thing from you to create a blog like this and tell the others about your negative experiences with that platform... i am a girl, who you talked about :D All my life I have wanted to be a model and now I am at the age (17) when my mom also allows me to make a portfolio for myself. I am looking for studios from London and actually I have not even thought of the price... I only want to get it done! :) This text opened my eyes and I will be more careful and think about the price and the place more carefully... And for your information: I will NOT try Form Modeling Platform!!! :) Thankyou! I will write to you about my own experiences when I start to do my portfolio and if there is something interesting to tell about. Can I write a report to you and then you can publish it in your blog ?

    Regards, Claire C.

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  2. Hello Claire and thank you for your message. I am happy to hear that I could save at least one person from wasting money to this rubbish company and being cheated by the heartless people in the false business. Keep sharing this webpage to any people who might be considering making portfolios anywhere in the UK and elsewhere. We need to raise awareness of these things so that this kind of bulls*it will finish one day and so that the bad people in the industry will get what they deserve, one by one and step by step. They deserve collapse of the company and unemployment when it comes to modeling industry. They do not deserve to work in this field.

    I am very curious to hear of your own experiences as well. Please, send your text to me via email and I will put it to my blog.

    Looking forward to hearing your stories. :)

    Best regards,

    Me

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  3. Hi, I just want to say that I have also been scammed by them 2 years ago. I paid £650 for my portfolio with the promise of being the next kate moss. They said how my portfolio was the best they've seen in a log time and how I can go and sign with agencies like Storm, Models1...etc they also told me that they will email my pictures to agencies and help me get signed. They guaranteed that I will be working within 3 weeks! I have emailed them so many times, but they did not reply to any of them. Well done for starting this blog!!! Someone had to speak out about these scammers!! xx

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  4. Thank you so much for your comment. I am sad to hear that they have managed to cheat so many people and mislead young women in such a nasty way. They have the talent to speak, manipulate and convince, -even the most non-blue eyed people- of their potentials in the industry just in order to get their money. They make big promises, but all they can realise is the pictures in a CD. The pictures were also supposed to be in their webpage, but they are not. No one answers to me when I send an inruiqy about this issue. Please, keep sharing information about this scam to other people as well, if you know anyone who intends to make their portfolio with this RUBBISH company.

    All the best to you in the future! :)

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  5. i used uk models which then said form modeling platform is this the same one ??

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    Replies
    1. It might not be the same one but be careful and find out all information about it before making any commitments!

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  6. I have been scammed by them, too. I feel like an idiot! I saw straight away when I walked into their studio that it was not a classy place. The make-up, hair styling and photos were unprofessional and cheap. I was shocked to see my photos and wanted to walk our immediately, but somehow after spending hours there sitting and waiting and with this horrible loud music hammering, at the end I was so tired and exhausted that I couldnt think clearly anymore. Somehow this tricky tough sales girl managed to manipulate me and talk me into it so I ended up signing an agreement to buy 10 photos on a cd for £500, to be paid in 4 installments. I walked out and felt very bad and unhappy. The next day I have emailed them and told them how I feel and that I dont want these ugly photos and this portfolio and have asked to delete everything, to cancel everthing and to refund me the £100 I've paid already. I am now waiting for an answer and I am going to the Citizen Advice Bureau to ask how I can protect myself and claim my rights.

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    Replies
    1. Hello there! I am glad to hear that I am not the only one who has become badly cheated. Please, do go to ask for advice and bring it as far as possible. This company does not deserve to continue their false business no more. Enough people have had to suffer already. I feel exactly the same as you do. I feel so disappointed, sad, frustrated and depressed about the whole case but can do nothing about it. I also brought it to the Civil Advice Bureau, but they started to threaten me from the platform via emails. They are very tricky and clever in manipulation, as we have seen. Be clever, be careful but do not leave the case as it is. Someone has to bring it further!

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  7. hello i am 16 and i have had a call of form platform models and they want me to go to london waterloo is this a scam?

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  8. thanks for your blog... you have saved me a lot of money too!

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  9. My son was also taken in by this and went for it because he was so desperate for a job and an income. Is there any way he can get his money back, does anyone know

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  10. Thanks for sharing it . I must use this site.Tesla and Elon Musk
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    ReplyDelete