A Cautionary Tale for Performers
Being a photographer , I get to meet some amazing people and a few months ago I had a great shoot with Petar Zabic and Andrew Gramsh at the Event Cinemas in Robina (thanx Event!)
These lads are definitely on the road to somewhere
We had a great photo shoot and are I was happy to get to know them before they become the next big thing (yes folx that means free tickets to movie premiers when the boys make it huge - which they will).
Unfortunately along with all fame and hoopla, there is also a seedy side to the performance art industry and one of the pitfalls of being open enough to express yourself in public is that the doorway to trust is left wide open and sometimes some less than tasteful characters can slip through.
We often see celebrities who guard their privacy with what seems like extreme overkill but many have tasted the bitter pill of being ripped off, and Petar and Andrew were not immune to this betrayal of their trust.
The boys were exposed to some shady characters who claimed to be mingling with the big guns in the entertainment industry, spewing an array of lies and empty promises which filled the boys with false hope.
These lads were wanting to work in the industry so desperately they didn’t want to believe these people could be shonky and as a result we were cut down, ripped off and drilled to the point that their passion and creativity were diminished by frustration, confusion and anger.
Fortunately through their own resilience and faith in themselves and their ability, they have risen like the mythical phoenix to once again continue their rise to stardom.
I am very grateful that the boys have been so candid in sharing their experience iand by letting me publish their story, have shown a generous willingness to help other hopefuls who may find themselves faced with the same type of charlatans.
‘We met some people who said they were in the industry,’ says Petar. ’They said they were a part of productions that we found out later did not even exist. We wasted a lot of time and effort. They promised auditions that never seem to happen, and they made many excuses to cover their tracks. The were charging us copious amounts of money for acting classes while all along they were lying about their positions in the entertainment industry. They were very manipulative and for people like us who were naive starters, we fell victim to their lies. Everything was sworn to secrecy; we had questions but no straight answers and it was a huge waste of our time, effort and passion.’
I want the stars of the future to be pre-warned that there are some creeps out there and learn from other people’s misfortune.
If you have star quality, with the right management and support you can become a star – but be careful who you put your faith in. Always use a reputable agent or manager and reputable photographers.
Use people your friends have used or companies with solid reputations. Use a search engine to look up anyone you haven’t heard of and don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and ask someone for a recommendation. Never do anything that you are not comfortable doing – put your emotions and wishful thinking aside and trust your instincts!
Most importantly, don't ever be afraid to tell a photographer
'No I don't want you to take this picture' Put your hand in front of your face and simply walk away.
Tree Faerie
