Hollywood Film & Acting Academy is one of the worst actingschools in Los Angeles. It is a scam.Do stay away from it please.
Read further if you need to know why:
I was a former student and though I completed the program at a cost of over 12.000$ I did not learn a lot.
Money is wasted and your time as well.
Classes are not structured and led by actor's who are not the best teachers. Some come because they need to not because they want to teach, some are great people really but you don't learn a lot from them as actingteachers. In general overpriced un-structured education.
Filmmaking program is a mess, as it is led by the school's owner who has not enough talent and experience as a filmmaker and has no talent at all for teaching. He is also not capable of managing and owning a school.
His name is Josh Sands, and he is really nice before you sign, because it is his living, he makes his money with this "school".
To get new students to sign Josh employs a team of underpaid telemarketeers who work on commision only basis.
Desperate people from the Hollywood streets, even homeless people,
come to him and try to get by in Hollywood by tricking aspiring students to sign, so they get a kickback.
These desperado's work on commission basis and they get money from Josh when they get you to sign.Sadly Josh even betrays a lot of these staff as well as he betrays students and I saw a lot of them leave while I was there.They had to sign a non-disclosure agreement..
Actor's House and background
I lived in the actor's house with convicted criminals, and homeless bum's who were just to eager to get a place to live.Even a woman who was most wanted was allowed in the house, after a fake backgroundcheck.
Josh Sands knew about her past as he did with the other criminals and some mentally unstable people whom he yet, knowingly, allowed in the house.Unsafe!!!
This is no place to send your son or daughter to!!
.Please people, do look into craiglist for housing or go for a cheap hotel even, just to get you started in Hollywood.But don't buy the "free housing"!
HOUSING IS NOT FOR FREE, because at 1500$ a month housing is factored into the costs of the "ultimate acting program".
The teachers are not all good, especially when the school's owner's brother, Larry Sands is your teacher.He does this so he can at least make a buck while staying at his brother;s because he does not get a lot of actingwork.He is not a teacher out of passion or belief or because he like to teach, he does it because he has to but he sucks at it.
Some teachers are allright, but in general you might better contact them directly yourself, because at the school you pay too much as a student and those "teachers", really :actor's who make an extra buck, do not get a lot.The money is for Josh, the owner who wants a profit.
Josh Sands loves money but couldn't care less about your acting career after you sign.
He does not return deposits made.
Josh in general is a killer of actor's dreams which is his biggest crime.
A lot of false promises were made before I signed a fake contract and none of the promises were kept. No movies were shot with students.Some short video's were done but the quality of those vid' is on the level of amateurs.Have a look at YOUTUBE, type the school's name and judge for yourself.omg.
My class was also promised imdb credit's but those home made vid's don't ever qualify, so that also was a false promise.
Good actingclasses in Hollywood vary in price but are always cheaper than what you get here, it is way too expensive for what you get.
Yes Stella Adler, or UCLA or USC cost you more but they have a reputation for quality education.
Hollywood film and acting academy is not even a real academy.
Even the name is there to fool you. You don't even get a diploma when you "graduate". How can you? The place is not even registered as a school!!!
IT IS A SCAM operating as a BUSINESS FOR PROFIT.
Look if you can find any SUCCESFULL graduates of hollywood film and academy online who are satisfied. You will not find any.
When you do, you can be sure they are undertalented wannabees who lost about 10.000$ on average and don't yet realise they are tricked out of their money.Don't become one of them.
When you do sign it is almost impossible to get money back...
Josh Sands has been disrespectful too to many people at the school and has always tried to escape out of the web of lies he spun himself.
I strongly recommend anyone to stay away from this place.
RESEARCH BEFORE YOU ARRIVE IN HOLLYWOOD!!!
Extensive lists of teachers are in the "Working Actor's Guide", "THe Selective Hollywood Acting Coaches and Teachers Directory", and in special issues of BACKSTAGE WEST.Info on good teachers?
[email protected]
Together with all of my former classmates i hope one day Josh will have to close his school and pay for his crimes.God will take care of it.
I wish you all the luck with your future acting career.Bless you
