One of the greatest parts of my job is hearing about the achievements of Star Search Casting members. The entertainment industry is often portrayed as an exclusive club of insiders, which leads a lot of people to believe that they'll never get a chance to pursue their Hollywood dreams. But that's simply not true. If you've got the drive and the talent you can accomplish anything - especially with the help of www.StarSearchCastin g.com. But you don't have to take my word for it. There are tons of SSC members that are finding great opportunities on the website and going after them. And their hard work is paying off.

Samiah Carrillo from Arizona joined Star Search Casting and was contacted by several different modeling agencies. After just a month she signed her first contract. The director of Final Curtain, a new horror movie, contacted Brian Wixson from New Jersey. Brian was very excited to share that he was cast and he can't wait to begin production.

Kiri Evans is a Diamond Member on our website. She lives in Florida and she recently booked a spring catalog shoot for Limited Too. In addition to her latest achievement, she's also completed three feature films, 27 commercials and numerous print jobs, including national advertisements. Isn't that great! And with all of her work in the entertainment industry, she's also active in a number of extracurricular activities including the track team at her school.

I hope you're inspired by the experiences of Star Search Casting members just like you. There's no limit to the amount of success you can achieve in this business and we are dedicated to helping you be the best that you can be. Do you need an agent? Would you like to enroll in classes to improve your skills? Are you looking for auditions in your area? All of this and more is available on our website for you to use to launch a successful career.

If you receive an email from the Good Venture Modeling Agency of Canada, beware. Many models have received emails from representatives of this fictitious agency offering $2500 for modeling jobs. Within the email, the scammer offers potential victims an opportunity to bring someone along with them to make them feel more comfortable. This is a clever trick by the scammer to try to win the trust of potential victims. But don't be fooled. These individuals cannot be trusted!

One model admitted to responding to the fake modeling agency. Once she sent them her contact information, she was sent several cashiers checks by mail. The instructions were to cash the check and then send a portion of the money to pay the makeup artist, photographer and stylist who would be participating on the photo shoot. Luckily she learned that it was scam before she had an opportunity to take the checks to the bank. Had she cashed the checks, she would have later discovered that they were fraudulent.

Many other models who received this email did some investigating on their own to find out if the company and the representatives were legitimate. One model called the number that was provided only to learn that the number actually belonged to someone else. Another model noticed that the area code of the phone number and the city in the address provided were approximately 300km away, which was an instant red flag for her. Another model compared the email to other email scams and noticed that they were almost identical. Other models were suspicious because the emails came from Yahoo and Netzero accounts rather than a company email address.

It's important to carefully examine any emails that you get from agencies offering you large sums of money to avoid being victimized. As you become more resourceful and diligent about investigating possible entertainment scams, the scammers will more than likely go to greater lengths to pull the wool over your eyes. But the good news is that you can continue to count on us to post current information on modeling scams plaguing the Internet.

If you'd like to read the entire email sent by the Good Venture Modeling Agency of Canada, visit www.StarSearchCastin g.com and check out our Scam Alert section. You'll also learn about several other recent scams that we've uncovered. Be careful out there!

Have you always dreamed of starring in films with some of the industry's most glamorous stars? Are you dying to have your picture taken on the red carpet at exclusive Hollywood events? Well, if you are, these types of opportunities might be just around the corner for you. We've mentioned before how showcases can be extremely rewarding if you're looking for a way to get the attention of entertainment industry executives. Well here's a real life example of how participating in showcases can help you land the role of a lifetime!

Holly Bonelli is one of many actors whose career was launched when she participated in a showcase. In fact, it was The Best Talent Awards sponsored by Star Search Casting that led to Holly landing representation. When Holly won the cold reading competition during The Best Talent Awards she caught the attention of a Los Angeles commercial agent. She signed with the agency, which then led to signing with a theatrical agent and in no time she was appearing in films and primetime shows like Ugly Betty. Now she's currently filming a movie with Drew Barrymore and Jamie Lee Curtis!

In addition to a great career, Holly has also had the chance to rub elbows with Hollywood stars on the red carpet. Just this year she had the chance to attend some of the industry's most prestigious events including the 17th Annual "Night of 100 Stars" Oscar Gala and the Film Independent's Spirit Awards. Can you imagine!

If this is the kind of success you've always wanted for yourself, then visit www.StarSearchCastin g.com. From the industry's best showcases, to casting calls from major networks and production companies, we've got the inside track to some of the best opportunities out there! If you want a career like Holly's, we've got the resources to help you get it. So stop daydreaming and start auditioning today!

In my experience, I've met a lot of people in the business. Many of their experiences are very inspiring and informative, and I often share their stories with others as valuable lessons about the entertainment industry.

One of my friends has been pursuing a career as an actor for years. He's landed roles in television, film and on stage. And even though he's very talented and has had lots of great opportunities, sometimes he goes for months without booking a role. And that can be pretty hard on his wallet. But he manages to keep his spirits up by continuing to work hard, and explore all of the opportunities that come his way.

Recently while networking at a party, he met some agents from a prominent voiceover agency in Los Angeles. While voice acting wasn't something he'd done before, he was very interested in learning more about it. He managed to get a meeting with the agency, and within a couple of weeks he'd been signed to the agency and auditioned for and booked his first voiceover job - a Sprint commercial!

While my friend's ultimate goal is to be an icon on the silver screen, making millions of dollars per picture, and being featured on the cover of every major magazines, it takes time to amass that type of fame. So until then, he makes a habit of exploring all possible paths to stardom, and taking advantage of any opportunity that comes his way. It's a philosophy that has worked for him, and I'm sure it will work for you too.

We have tons of opportunities listed on our website for you to explore. Visit Star Search Casting ( www.StarSearchCastin g.com ) today and find out what types of opportunities await you. Good luck!

Modeling is a huge industry, therefore there are dozens of sub-categories, and various types of modeling that you can pursue. Runway, editorial, fitness, trade show and hobby modeling are just a handful of the opportunities available to aspiring models.

If you have dreams of becoming a model then you're probably wondering what's the best way to go about breaking into the industry. Hobby modeling, one of the many types of modeling, is how many models get their start.

While you may not have heard the term, you've probably seen an example of hobby modeling. Have you ever seen teens posing in the windows of stores in the mall? That's an example of hobby modeling. Hobby modeling is defined as modeling for experience. It's a great way to start getting exposure, however you're often not paid. Just as a successful business executive usually gets an internship before he or she gets their first real job, hobby modeling is a great opportunity for getting your feet wet in the fashion industry, and gaining the necessary experience to later land a professional modeling job.

Hobby modeling is a wonderful way to discover: 1) if really want to pursue modeling as a career; 2) if you have the patience and temperament required for the job; and 3) what kind of modeling you're suited for.

The great thing about hobby modeling is that it can be done in any region of the country. Talk to people at your local mall or hair salons about upcoming fashion shows and hair shows that you may be able to participate in. Churches or civic organizations often have fashion shows for fundraisers that are also great opportunities to take advantage of.