I've parted ways with ACT-1 Entertainment Solutions for the third time now -- and in light of the circumstances of this latest exodus, I need to revise and update my testimonial.
Let me first recount what Anna Browne Robinson told me last July regarding ACT-1's current status, because it has bearing on what followed. Basically, AppleOne acquired ACT-1 in a corporate merger just prior to the pandemic (which, incidentally, retroactively explains some of the problems I documented in my earliest testimonial).
Then COVID happened and, unsurprisingly, everything went to hell. In the interim, ACT-1's basically been gutted and it's operations and accounts have be transferred to AppleOne's Glendale branch. Anna has inherited oversight and rebuilding of that account -- and therein lies the problem.
As an outgoing client, it's my opinion that AppleOne erred here in assigning this particular manager to this particular account. Anna doesn't have an entertainment background and it's clear she's out of her depth and doesn't understand the industry.
Worse, by her own admission, overseeing and rebuilding ACT-1's account is a secondary priority compared to her primary AppleOne work. She's unable and/or unwilling to put the time or energy into it. If anything, the impression I was left with is that Anna resents having this account foisted upon her and is deliberately doing the bare minimum in response.
Anna was also unable to generate literally a single lead in the 6 months I tried working with her. Now, to be fair, the WGA/SAG Strikes last year disrupted the job market and ACT-1 got hammered. I'm NOT blind to that, or to the impossible situation she had to navigate.
That said, I feel Anna could have done more to work around this or help me out. She refused to cross-market my resume for any non-entertainment roles and insisted her current clients only wanted ACT-1 veterans. She even had the temerity to ask if I'd just tried directly applying to entertainment jobs through their company websites (I very nearly hung up on her; in fact, this call was the last straw and precipitated my exit).
Anna's professional behavior throughout all this was also just as frustrating. I stressed from the beginning of our collaboration that good communication and reliability were paramount given my previous experiences with AppleOne's Westwood branch (which I've covered in reviews on that page). Anna agreed...and then promptly did the exact opposite.
I'm NOT exaggerating when I say it takes up to WEEKS to get her to respond to basic queries, voicemails, and messages. On at least one occasion, she stood me up on a conference call (one that took almost 2 weeks to set up) and ignored my emails trying to ascertain what happened or to reschedule -- at least until I made it clear she was forcing me to reevaluate my business relationship. THEN Anna got on the phone.
On these occasions, Anna admitted she was either on vacation (without even bothering to notify clients she'd be out of the office and to make alternate arrangements) or she wasn't even bothering to check the ACT-1 email account on regular basis. And while Anna did ultimately did take responsibility for that conference call incident and admitted there was no excuse...she also never actually answered what had happened.
By this point, it's now February and I've finally had enough. I had serious reservations about working with ACT-1 again after getting previously screwed over by Michelle Rossoff and Wanda Hallmark. But Anna seemed genuinely apologetic about my past experiences (and again the merger retroactively seemed to explain some of the problems last time). I was also desperate because of the Strikes and had to roll the dice.
Well, just as I feared, I rolled snake eyes -- AGAIN. It doesn't matter that 4 years have passed, that the old guard has changed, or that there's been upheaval and reorganization. Literally NOTHING else has changed with ACT-1 Entertainment Solutions; the agency remains completely and utterly incapable of fulfilling the basic services it professes to advertise. It's absolutely INSANE; I genuinely don't understand HOW they're still in business or why AppleOne is tolerating this.
So, in conclusion, I once more cannot recommend working with ACT-1, nor would I advise job seekers to work with Anna Browne Robinson (at least if you're approaching her for entertainment work; to be fair, I can't speak to her non-entertainment work).
To AppleOne Management, here's my closing advice: I think it would be beneficial to all parties -- you, ACT-1, Anna, future clients, etc. -- if custodianship of the ACT-1 account and its rebuilding was to be reassigned to a different manager.
It needs to be overseen by someone who actually HAS an entertainment background and knows the industry. It needs someone who can and will put the time and effort into rebuilding it, and who's going to make your clients feel valued and welcomed and not treat them like unwanted headcounts. read more