Modeling & Talent Agencies for Kids
Modeling and acting allow kids to earn a bit of extra money and express their creative sides. If they enjoy it enough it can also eventually turn into a lucrative career. To get started you will first need to find a modeling or talent agency that can help your kid to find jobs.
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Agencies
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A modeling agency acts as the intermediary between the client and you. They are responsible for informing you of potential jobs, telling you where the castings are, direct communication with the client, getting the money and paying you for the job. In addition to trying locally run agencies in your area you can also look for national and international agencies that have offices around the country and around the world. A few that you can consider are Wilhelmina International, Atlanta's Young Faces and Emerald City Model and Talent.
The Wilhelmina International is a modeling agency that has its main office in New York City, but has other offices in Los Angeles, Munich and Miami. In addition to kids, Wilhelmina International also represents adult men and women and full-figured models.
Atlanta's Young Faces is an example of a local modeling agency that represents children from 3 and older and adults in the the southeast.
Emerald City Model and Talent Agency is another local agency based in Seattle. It has a good infant and kids division that helps kids to meet casting requirements of projects such as fashion and trade shows, TV and print advertisements, voice-overs and film projects. This agency has been operating for almost 20 years.
What to Look for in an Agency
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Honesty is one of the most important qualities to look for in an agency. The modeling agency gets a percentage of the fee from your child's bookings. The industry standard is between 15 and 20 percent. A legitimate agency will never ask you for money up front. If one does, find another agency. Look for an agency that has been in business for 10 years or longer. This will help ensure that they are a well connected with the local advertising agencies and will be able to get you castings. Talk to the parent's of other child models who have worked with the agency and find out whether they were paid on time. You want to work with an agency that can give you a combination of regular castings and that will also pay you when it says it will.
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Applying to Agencies
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When applying to agencies you should begin by taking several photos of your kids. These should include profile shots, full body shots and close up shots of their faces. They should show your child in a variety of different outfits including casual, sports wear and dressed up. The photos don't have to be professionally done, but the lighting should be good and their faces should be well-illuminated. There should not be an application fee and most agencies allow you to send your photos directly through their website or through email. If they are interested in your child they will contact you. However if you don't hear from them within a week, give them a call. When applying to agencies you should be interviewing them as well. Find out what percentage of the booking fee they are taking and how long it takes to get paid.
Modeling Portfolio
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Once you have chosen an agency and your child is attending castings, you may want to put together a portfolio. Although the casting agency will take photos at the casting it helps if the client can see your child in a variety of looks and see an example of your child's past work. If you are just starting out, a professional photographer should shoot your modeling portfolio. Get pictures of your child in a variety of outfits and poses, including school wear, sports wear, casual and dressed up. After you have 10 or 15 photos in your book you can increase the size of your child's portfolio by getting pictures from the photographer from jobs that your child books.
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References
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