Major Casting Platforms "Breakdown Services" and "Casting Networks" Discriminate Against Entrepreneurs.

Becoming a Talent Agent in the entertainment industry can be a rewarding career choice. A main element of becoming a successful Talent Agent is the ability to foster relationships with clients and other industry professionals. Cominded PR Agency LLC, is a full service public relations and talent management company serving the entertainment industry. The company currently has a few clients and is actively seeking to add new talent for both of their business units.

The organizations CEO, Cody Clark has done a fantastic job of expanding his business during a pandemic. Clark mentioned one of his biggest challenges has been gaining acceptance from casting platforms in the industry. "We reached out to both Breakdown Services Ltd and Casting Networks to gain access since those are the two largest platforms used by Casting Directors and both service providers rejected us for being a new company with a smaller list of clients than most. I was offended. I felt discriminated against for being an entrepreneur," said Clark.

Breakdown Services Ltd has a policy that states Talent Agents must have one year of experience working at an established agency in the US and must operate from a commercial address. The latter creates another complication for new Talent Agencies because not every business can or will want to operate from a commercial office especially given the state of the global pandemic. Clark stated, "If I could use the Breakdown Services Ltd platform to increase my network and keep my clients employed, then I could eventually be able to afford a commercial office, but the bigger issue here is that this platform is creating stipulations for how they think agencies should operate and that isn't right. It surely isn't creating a level playing field."

According to Webster's Dictionary, the word established is defined as "having been in existence for a long time and therefore recognized and generally accepted." Webster's Dictionary also has a definition for the word discrimination which states, "the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex."

By definition Clark is absolutely correct in stating that Breakdown Services Ltd is discriminating against entrepreneurs. The platform is disallowing Talent Agents who begin their careers working hard to establish their own company brand to utilize their services for supporting their clients. Casting Networks is taking an identical stance with their policy that says all Talent Agents using their platform must have 15 or more clients and must have 3 Casting Director referrals.

"I was shocked when I ran into a very similar issue with Casting Networks. I sort of rolled my eyes and thought - oh great, there is another platform with absurd rules that is preventing everyone from playing in the metaphorical sandbox together," said Clark. "I could build the connections they're requiring and gain more clients, but the "industry standard platforms" are telling me my business isn't accepted because we're smaller and newer than other agencies. The funny thing is those larger agencies that are considered "established" by industry standards got their start somewhere too. Steve Jobs started Apple in his garage, people forget that," explained Clark.

We could all learn a lesson from Clark because he is right. Every industry has organizations that refuse to give new companies the time of day. The unfortunate fact about the entertainment industry is that Breakdown Services Ltd and Casting Networks are the two most commonly used platforms for Casting Calls, thus it is vital for Talent Agents to use those platforms to submit their clients for opportunities. I would even take venture to say that those platforms are more important for small agencies because they're in startup mode working to build their client portfolio and industry relationships so they can become established. Cominded PR Agency LLC is a company that wants to execute well for its clients, but the industry is shutting them. It will be interesting to see if this organization can bulldoze its way through the roadblocks or take a detour to get around.

For more information about Cominded PR Agency LLC, follow them on social media @comindedagency

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