Exalt Model and Talent Agency

SCAM AGENCY! Please stay away. They are not registered. I worked for them a few times, but have not been paid over a year and half. I had to take the matter to the court and file wage claim. Agent Ellisa Worley would tell you to contact Bret Cota (Owner) for financial concerns. Bret would ignore your emails or texts. They are very hard to get a hold of. Very unprofessional people.

Those pictures of his office are a pipe dream. He hasn’t worked there in years. He works out of his condo. And is he licensed? Well, do a search for yourself. Call them at your own risk.

DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS AGENCY! I’m typing in CAPS because that is how serious I am. I was contacted from a lady named Elisa to do a job through this agency. I signed off for the job and did it but I have not been paid for my work. It has been close to 60 days! When I finally called Bret to ask about my Check, He told me that «They» mailed my check? Who are they? the accounting department I would think. Come to find out that Bret handles ALL the money! It has been two weeks since they’ve received my check, or maybe more, and It still hasn’t been mailed out. I am so glad I didn’t sign a contract with these liars! They try to hold your money I guess because they are so broke or because they want to make sure you sign a contract with them, which I didn’t do, I only signed to work for THAT day for THAT job. I don’t
believe this agency is really making that much money. Their office in Sacramento
seems like a joke! They don’t even have a business phone for that location. The number they do have is Bret’s CELL number. Bret (the owner) has lied continuously about my check. I am glad to be with a more professional and well established agency. This agency is only a few years old so I can understand they are still getting the business side together but. If Bret would have told me the truth I would’ve respected that more but He decided to lie. So, far I am filing a complaint with the BBB and If it comes down to it this agency will get sued If I do not receive my check anytime soon. If you are trying to find a good agency to sign with in SF this agency isn’t one of them! there are a lot of good and decent agencies in San Francisco to sign with.
BTW the only reason why they get 1 star is because I did get a job through them.

All I can say about Exalt Model and Talent is that I want to work with them again ‚… SOON!!!
Ive worked twice on shoots that Exalt has booked me for and I cant say one negative thing about the experiences. Fun and professional shoots that featured great talent, great crews, great pay, and Bret Cota.
Bret fully represents the professionalism and commitment of the Exalt agency. He went out of his way to help us nail down the details for his shoots. I live in Southern California and so this was paramount for me. He even went so far as to pick us up from the airport. Wow. How many of us can say that about other agencies?
Im looking forward to working with them again soon.
Bret, Thanks for everything.
Aloha nui loa…

I was scouted by one of Exault’s recruiters and when I emailed Exault about it, I got in touch with Bret and he asked me to send in photos. It was very hard to get ahold of Bret after that. I would send emails and I would get no replies. I called Bret and he told me that he saw my email and would get back to me the following day, but just like last time, he never did. I stopped waiting for an email back from him and just decided to be presistent and give him a call. When he picked up, he turned me down because I was 17 and apparently there’s more «legal» to go through and he didn’t want to do that.
I waited almost three weeks to get that kind of response from him? Very unprofessional. I told him I was 17 in the very first email I sent to him — why couldn’t he have told me that in the first place instead of not ever calling me back and then giving me excuses on why he couldn’t ever get back to me? Exalt has left me feeling very frustrated.

A bit surprised by the negative reviews. In fact, they made me a bit worried about signing on with these guys in the first place. But I went ahead with it anyways and am thoroughly glad I did. I work mostly with Ellisa out of San Francisco, where they’ve just opened a new shop, and my experience has been entirely positive. I’m new in the modeling game and have a lot of other stuff on my plate, but Ellisa has been fantastic at not only at finding me castings in the area, but also at coaching me through the painfully basic stuff. Always paid on time and in full, always well fed. And I’ve heard the same from other models I’ve met at the agency.

I’ve sent an e-​mail with pictures to this agency, Bret called me for an interview at his office, we talked over conditions of representation by his agency. same day he sent me to the casting for MAC cosmetics, they took couple snapshots and said they will contact me but they didn’t even ask my name. Bret told me he will e-​mail me papers I need to sign, and he never got back to me. I drove 40 miles to his office for an interview, because I live not in Sac but Placerville, and it’s all for nothing. I e-​mailed him again with question whats next, and no respond… Very unprofessional.

Worked with Bret from LA and had a good experience for the most part. He sent the flight info, booked it and was there to pick us up from the airport exactly as he said. The job itself was pretty quick and the atmosphere of the shoot was easy going. Shelly Ray, the stylist/​make up/​wardrobe, made it fun. The one thing that was missing was food. The day started early to catch a 6:30am flight and we left the airport at 5:10pm and we were on our own for food. I am thinking positively, that there was some mix up and that normally, there is food on the set. So minus this setback, I had a good time and met great people on this shoot that Bret produced. That is another great thing, Bret produces as well as represents so hopefully, we’ll get to see him again soon and there will be food and more stars will be added.

i signed with exalt agency and let’s just say they suck! Bret ignores your emails and phone calls. I’ve been with them for months now and I haven’t been booked ONE single job! it’s a joke. Before i signed Bret told me there was so many job openings coming, ya come to find out that was a lie because i haven’t been booked one single JOB or have received any emails from him for castings. I just wasted my money taking shots with a photographer that he recommended for me, whom wasn’t even professional himself. $$ out the drain! Me and my 3 friends who are signed with him are not satisfied at all with his work ethnic. None of us have been booked a single job and he’s also ignoring their emails as well. Look for a better agency to sign with, this place sucks!

Awesome agency! A very personal one-​on-​one experience, much different than with a giant agency. Bret is great, too, always professional and there to answer any questions you may have.