Child Model Agencies

Author
Discussion

Glassman

Original Poster:

23,142 posts

222 months

Monday 2nd March 2009
quotequote all
We've been approached by one... Pushing our four month-old son into any kind of modelling was never a thought, but now that we've been 'approached', missus is excited about it.

Me: not so sure...

Anyone had any experience?

Vee

3,101 posts

241 months

Monday 2nd March 2009
quotequote all
Do it. You're there to protect him and the money can be put aside for him.
Make sure they pay sufficient expenses, etc to make it worth your while.

escargot

17,111 posts

224 months

Monday 2nd March 2009
quotequote all
What's he modelling? A new set of Global Knives? Le Crueset Pans?

Glassman

Original Poster:

23,142 posts

222 months

Monday 2nd March 2009
quotequote all
Vee said:
Do it. You're there to protect him and the money can be put aside for him.
Make sure they pay sufficient expenses, etc to make it worth your while.
Hmmm. Yes... but:

Missus uploaded a few pictures to a site (snapfish or such like) and they emailed her to say that he may be shortlisted for selection if she permitted.
She did and two weeks later, we get a call to say that our boy was selected out of 5,000 entries. The agency rep says he - as well as being "adorable" and "sooo cute" has lots of potential for a variety of modelling.

Follow-up call today and the agency say they will provide insurance, travelling expenses etc., while they 'promote' him. Agency want 120-quid a year for three years.


escargot

17,111 posts

224 months

Monday 2nd March 2009
quotequote all
There was a thread about this recently and I think the general consensus was that if the Agency wanted money off you up front, it was essentially a scam.

Glassman

Original Poster:

23,142 posts

222 months

Monday 2nd March 2009
quotequote all
escargot said:
if the Agency wanted money off you up front, it was essentially a scam.
Shamon brother

escargot

17,111 posts

224 months

Monday 2nd March 2009
quotequote all
It obviously works though, love is blind and all that.

Goochie

5,682 posts

226 months

Monday 2nd March 2009
quotequote all
My grandad used to be a model for Life Buoy soap at a similar age - back in the days when they had to draw the adverts rather than simply taking a photograph!

AlexKP

16,484 posts

251 months

Monday 2nd March 2009
quotequote all
Any modelling agency that asks for money upfront for listing fees, photographic portfolio, promotion work, legal fees etc is a scam.

They prey on peoples vanity and parents natural pride.

Avoid at all costs.

Glassman

Original Poster:

23,142 posts

222 months

Monday 2nd March 2009
quotequote all
cslgirl said:
Thank you. Very useful.

Glassman

Original Poster:

23,142 posts

222 months

Monday 2nd March 2009
quotequote all
escargot said:
What's he modelling? A new set of Global Knives? Le Crueset Pans?
That was whooshing over me... just realised (after mods moved it)

Dunno how it happened. But it did irked

Doh.

K50 DEL

9,357 posts

235 months

Monday 2nd March 2009
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Yep, can't agree enough.

Especially if they want him to model speedos...


too soon????

Nolar Dog

8,786 posts

202 months

Monday 2nd March 2009
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Not true at all. Some. Not all.

Edited by Nolar Dog on Monday 2nd March 23:04

root 666

316 posts

192 months

Monday 2nd March 2009
quotequote all
Unfortunately everybody else also got the "out of 5,000" reply.

If they agree to take the annual fee on top of their commisssion you've nothing to lose.
But they won't.

If you do sign up, the next thing is a "professional portfolio" for the far side of £100.
As he's a baby this will need updating every few months.

They plan on getting £700+ per victim and find it relatively easy by dangling the carrot of big paydays.

If they only "sign-up" 500 that's 700x500 divided by 3 per annum (£117,000).

Not bad for the effort involved.

Scams have become more sophisticated despite the number of unfortunates who eagerly part with several grand to "release" their "Canadian Lottery Winnings" (despite not having bought a bloody ticket) or re-mortgage the house because an "Iraqi Bank" has $52,000,000 it needs to move out of the Country to the account of someone whose name they've found on the list of the astoundingly gullible.

Check the agency at Companies House.
If they haven't posted accounts ignore them.



Bee_Jay

2,599 posts

255 months

Monday 2nd March 2009
quotequote all
No reputable agency reuires money up front - that's all.

If they ask for money up front, it is a scam/sham and a waste of time, walk away.

AlexKP

16,484 posts

251 months

Monday 2nd March 2009
quotequote all
Nolar Dog said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Not true at all. Some. Not all.

Edited by Nolar Dog on Monday 2nd March 23:04
I don't know of any reputable agencies that ask for money up front - and I used to deal with quite a few. IIRC, it has actually been made illegal to charge "listing" fees.

Mobile Chicane

21,261 posts

219 months

Tuesday 3rd March 2009
quotequote all
Beware. Be very ware.

Even if the agency is a reputable one, would you want to put your child through endless trips to London for castings (invariably in Central London in the middle of the day) therefore disrupting the whole day?

There's no guarantee of work, since as much of it is about temperament as anything else. If Junior has an 'off-day', no work. It's a tough life, and unnecessarily hard on children (imho) for uncertain or no reward.

willd58

1,559 posts

215 months

Tuesday 3rd March 2009
quotequote all
escargot said:
if the Agency wanted money off you up front, it was essentially a scam.

pits

6,511 posts

197 months

Tuesday 3rd March 2009
quotequote all
escargot said:
if the Agency wanted money off you up front, it was essentially a scam.
Sorry didnt seem as if enough people had said this.

Only reason I popped in, was just to say, that if you sorta glance at the title, and catch the "arrested" part of the thread below, your eyes actually make it read Child Molesting Angencies, at which point I saw red and was going to come in and register my disgust at such agencies, how wrong was I? laugh