this was an article posted to XBIZ June 13:

Alternative Modeling Downsizes, Relocates
Management firm says poor economy cause of slowdown


By Ericka Jensen
Friday, Jun 13, 2008 Text size:

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — Adult talent management firm Alternative Modeling announced today a reorganization within the company and a downsizing of its Florida offices.

The company moved out of its 4,000-square-foot office and webcam studio due to what owner Eli Thomas is calling a restructuring “to accommodate the current industry climate.”

Thomas cited a recent office robbery as contributing to the move as well.

“What’s happening in the industry now is not the usual summer slowdown,” Thomas told XBIZ. “This is the slowest period we’ve had since we started our business seven years ago.”

The firm introduced two new models available for immediate bookings — veteran performer Mason Storm and newcomer Brittany.

“It’s great to have Mason back, she’s a great asset to have on our roster and Brittany is going to do great in the Florida market,” Thomas said.

The company added that despite the recent market downturn businesses would be wise to take advantage of this time to become “lean and mean.”

“We are more focused now on profits and acting more efficiently. We might have to make an extra 20 phone calls a day, but it does make a difference for the company,” Thomas told XBIZ.

Alternative Modeling was founded six years ago by Thomas and works with a number of key decisionmakers in the adult industry’s magazine, website, DVD, cable and hotel/motel pay-per-view genres while working to recruit new talent.

The company will continue to maintain its Studio City, Calif., office.





NOW: to clarify, there is no Studio City office. The "office" which I'm to assume is being spoken of is the kitchen table of someone's home where Eli plugs in his laptop and printer and makes phonecalls from the cell. This house is owned by a 50's, possibly 60-year something man by the name of Richard. He shoots POV in his home, and is a creeper. While the girls are staying at his house to come to California to work, this man stops in every now and again to "get to know the girls" which basically includes watching them get ready, "mistakenly" walking in on them showering, etc. It's not a comfortable situation.

Eli's "office" in California, and further participation in getting girls work in California has been to sell the girls to a new agency, IT Models (ITModels.com)... however, although he's agreed to sell the girls for $500.00 a piece, he still seems to think he can claim a percentage of the money they make while being booked by this new agency. So, although he's not actually booking the work for the girls, he claims he's entitled to a certain percentage of what they're making as if he's done the work to get them the work. A man who owes several of the girls money from past scenes produced who has still yet to be paid should be the last person asking for a percentage of any of their income.

Eli presents a great example of who not to go with for an agent. Bypassing detail, he's a rather unsympathetic man. It's assumed that if a girl gets sick and needs to cancel a shoot that she just doesn't want to be there and is wasting the man's time, when in reality the girls got something that is airborne and she probably shouldn't be in close proximately to anyone(not within breathing distance anyhow, which pretty much rules out sex), or she's having issues with being sore and physically cannot do the scene, in which, girls: if you ever feel uncomfortable doing anything, physically or emotionally, you need to let someone know, because you should never be pushed to do anything you're uncomfortable with.

The one favor Eli has done these girls is to hand them over to a new agency. They could've done without being told that, really, alternative was "teaming up" with these other guys so that the girls could get more work in LA and be better represented. Truth be told, with the exception of trying to pull more money out of people's pockets, all he did was shove the girls aside, to be handled and managed by another agency.

The girls on the website are pretty, and yeah, from what's been put out by a few of them so far, it looks like they've got their shit together, so if any of that came from Eli, thanks for that I suppose. But it could also come from the fact that these girls have seen the shit scenes Eli has booked for them compared to the decent scenes the team over at IT Models have been booking for them, and they've realized that they're better than what Eli has allowed them to be. This girl Juelz on the IT Models sight (ITModels.com) has changed her name THREE times now... first when she started with Alternative, again a few scenes later, and now a third time with the Agency change (previously Layna Laurel). It's probably a good move on her part, or IT's part, whoever made the suggestion, because seeing the difference even in just the agency photos. Alternative didn't do her justice, excited to see how she's progressed from then, but her new photos are amazing and do her justice, as opposed to the shit photos Alternative put out.

Not sure if it's all in the agency switch, but can't wait to see these new IT girls in action