Ok, so all 3 of my children are models. We started when my daughters where 3 and 1, my oldest daughter loves it and Sky was a little stranger danger when we started. I know parents like to say things to me like, "I would never put my kids in modeling, exploiting your children for money is wrong". Ok first off, I don't force my children into modeling, i don't make them do anything that they don't want to do. Both of my daughters love taking pictures. Skylar when she was about 2 went through a little syndrome i like to call "stranger danger syndrome" If your a Mom you know exactly what this is. Anyone but Mom, Dad or someone who she knows really well try and look at or talk to her she would cry, run and hide or scream. So we booked out her calendar for 2 months until she was past that stage and when she was we cleared up her calendar for her to be available for more auditions.
Well when people hear that my children are models i am contacted by Mothers about how to get their children into modeling, so i'm gonna give you my step by step guide, tips and rules i have learned by having my children in modeling.
Well when people hear that my children are models i am contacted by Mothers about how to get their children into modeling, so i'm gonna give you my step by step guide, tips and rules i have learned by having my children in modeling.
How to find a legit agent and what happens after you sign
- FIRST THINGS FIRST: Do you live in an area that has modeling opportunities? The bigger the city the more likely you are to have your child actually book jobs. If you live in a smaller town i suggest you go and look into agencies that are in the bigger cities near you. We live 1 1/2 hours (without traffic i might add, and the only time there isnt traffic would be at 1am) away from San Francisco. So I started looking for agencies in San Francisco. Other cities that are good for modeling opportunities; LA, New York city, Chicago, Miami.
- So when i first decided that i wanted to look into getting my kids into modeling i started googling....Drumroll please...."HOW TO GET MY KID INTO MODELING!!!!" I found links on Wiki how and other blogs about the do's and dont's, and how to spot a agency that is a scam. When i was researching agencies in my area i found that there are often times more scam agencies then real ones.
- Once I started searching for Agencies I went straight to Yelp to check the reviews on all the agencies, i personally looked for a agency that represented Children, specifically more children then adults, I didn't want my kids to fall into the back and kinda be forgotten about because they are mainly worried about booking their adult models.
- Now, how to know the difference between a real agency, and a scam agency that is just out to get your money; Agencies Never charge you money to start up, they are there to represent your child, they want YOU and you should NEVER have to pay them to represent your child. Nor should they force you into getting expensive head-shots done. Agencies may refer you to a photographer that they know,ones they know can take good quality photos for your child's head-shots and portfolio pictures. Or what we prefer to do is just hire someone we know to take pictures, or ,what i do now is just take the pictures myself, now that i have learned enough and have a camera that's nice enough to take quality pictures. What agencies do charge though is a percentage of money from the jobs that they book you on, my children have had two agents and both agents charged us 20% of my child's paycheck.
- Once I found a agent and researched the shit out of them i decided to send off my kids pictures and measurements to them. Most agencies have a link on there website setup so that you can just click "submit my photos" and it will tell you all the info they need and it will send them an email and usually it will say they will respond back in 1-2 weeks.
- About a week later we got an email from the agency saying that they would like to meet my children and the date of the interview. In the email she detailed that they would meet my children, ask them a few questions, take their measurement's and take a few pictures of them (to see how they are in front of the camera). The day of the interview we showed up and there was a line out the door of parents and children, it was a little scary, looking at all those kids and thinking, dang is this all my kids competition? Well the interview went just as she had explained, my kids did great, it took about 10 min and we were done and headed back home. By the time i got home i had received the email saying that she would like to represent my children.
- In the next email was an attachment for Model etiquette and terminology in the modeling world along with a model contract that i had to fill out for my children with info on how to acquire a "entertainment work permit" (ill explain what that is in a second). In the contract they needed our address, for were to send the checks once your child got paid for a job, email address, to send you any info on auditions or questions they might have even though they generally contact you through phone or skybolt depending on the agency, phone number, social security card, for payment reasons, and your child's measurements. Oh and you also had to sign the contract that stated they represent you, they get 20% cut and other legal info.
- Now that your child is going to be modeling you need to get them an Entertainment Work Permit, which is a permit that you show when on set proving that your child is legal to work underage. And most Jobs will write down the job title and what company they work for on the back of the permit. I just googled Entertainment work permit in California and they have an online application i filled out and it took about a week for them to get back to me with a copy of the permit. With the application you will need a copy of the childs birth certificate and school documents if they are in school. Here is a link to California EWP online application https://permits.dir.ca.gov/ewp/
- Next I needed to set up a Skybolt account. Skybolt is a online website for portfolios, its much easier then sending your child's head-shots out in the mail. they take about 1-2 days to reply after you send in your application. They do cost money to be active on the website, it is $9 a month for one child and $4 a month for siblings. There is also a one time start up fee of $20. Here is a link to skybolts website http://www.skybolt.net
- Once all that was completed i had to go to a meeting with other new model parents and the agent explained all the ins and out of auditions and do's and dont's when at a photo shoot.
Things to know about Auditions and photo shoots
When we first got an email on skybolt about an audition, it stated the date and time for each child, the company, the rate for if your child books the job, the address of the audition, the type of audition (print, screen etc) and the specifications like what to wear, what to bring etc....
When you show up to the audition there is usually a desk out front with a person there to check you in and they usually hand you a piece of paper to fill out with all your agency info and info on your child (never give them your personal information always give them the agencies address and phone number if they ask, this is to protect your child, you do not want them knowing were your child lives) You also bring your child's spreadsheet with you which has a head-shot of your child and all your child's measurements age and name of their Agency on it....This is what the skybolt spreadsheet looks like.
When you show up to the audition there is usually a desk out front with a person there to check you in and they usually hand you a piece of paper to fill out with all your agency info and info on your child (never give them your personal information always give them the agencies address and phone number if they ask, this is to protect your child, you do not want them knowing were your child lives) You also bring your child's spreadsheet with you which has a head-shot of your child and all your child's measurements age and name of their Agency on it....This is what the skybolt spreadsheet looks like.
Once you are finished filling out the paperwork, they will eventually call you into a back room and have your child take a few pictures. Sometimes holding up a whiteboard with their name on it and sometimes they have to put on some clothes they supply for them and take a few pictures in those. Then after your child is done with the audition you are sent home and you wait for an email back from your agency to see if your child got the job. They don't generally let you know if your child didn't get the job though, my agent just suggested we know the shoot date and if that day passes with no notice your child didn't get the job.
Now if you do get a email from your agent saying that your child got the job it will have the shoot date, time, location, weather or not your child is Primary or Back-up. Primary means they will be the first child to shoot and if they get the job done that is great, and if they are back up that means that if the primary child doesn't get the shot they want they will call the back up child to shoot. And you never know which picture will make the ad. It will also say how long they think the shoot may take and what your child should or shouldn't wear.
The day of the shoot i highly suggest you leave early enough to make it to the location with 30 min to spare. And pack a bag with snacks, drinks, toys, a change of clothes, sweater and a small blanket and most important for us is an IPad, it can be a huge lifesaver because there can be a lot of down time. They usually have food and drinks for the kids but i still bring my own because not every shoot supplies that kind of stuff. When you arrive on set there is a person set up to help you and your child, almost like a nanny. They will be with your child at all times, like if you are required to step back and look on from a distance. There is also a person called a baby/kid wrangler (yes that is an actual job title) and they are the person who directs the children on what to do, they usually have on a fanny pack or a bag full of bubbles and toys and they are great with children. They instruct the children what to do while shooting, example: hold hands, laugh, chase each other, jump up like your trying to catch a firefly etc....and the kids love them and they DON'T love parents, especially helicopter parents. If they say stand over there, you better stand over there or they will get mad. They do this because they want your child's full attention and if you are hovering the child will be paying attention to you instead. After the shoot is over you have a voucher from your agency (the agency supplies you eith these before the shoot) and you give this to someone on set (they will usually approach you and ask you for the voucher). The voucher is filled out with the company name, agency name, hours worked and type of job it was. This piece of paper is then later sent to your agency and this is how they bill the company and your child gets paid.
So thats it folks, that is a detailed list of how to aquire an agent and what comes along with having your child as a model. Its fun, its hectic, its tiring but it can be oh so fun for your child and even funner for the parent when you find the ad that has your childs face on it! good luck and i hope this helps you. If you have any questions please leave them in the comments
Now if you do get a email from your agent saying that your child got the job it will have the shoot date, time, location, weather or not your child is Primary or Back-up. Primary means they will be the first child to shoot and if they get the job done that is great, and if they are back up that means that if the primary child doesn't get the shot they want they will call the back up child to shoot. And you never know which picture will make the ad. It will also say how long they think the shoot may take and what your child should or shouldn't wear.
The day of the shoot i highly suggest you leave early enough to make it to the location with 30 min to spare. And pack a bag with snacks, drinks, toys, a change of clothes, sweater and a small blanket and most important for us is an IPad, it can be a huge lifesaver because there can be a lot of down time. They usually have food and drinks for the kids but i still bring my own because not every shoot supplies that kind of stuff. When you arrive on set there is a person set up to help you and your child, almost like a nanny. They will be with your child at all times, like if you are required to step back and look on from a distance. There is also a person called a baby/kid wrangler (yes that is an actual job title) and they are the person who directs the children on what to do, they usually have on a fanny pack or a bag full of bubbles and toys and they are great with children. They instruct the children what to do while shooting, example: hold hands, laugh, chase each other, jump up like your trying to catch a firefly etc....and the kids love them and they DON'T love parents, especially helicopter parents. If they say stand over there, you better stand over there or they will get mad. They do this because they want your child's full attention and if you are hovering the child will be paying attention to you instead. After the shoot is over you have a voucher from your agency (the agency supplies you eith these before the shoot) and you give this to someone on set (they will usually approach you and ask you for the voucher). The voucher is filled out with the company name, agency name, hours worked and type of job it was. This piece of paper is then later sent to your agency and this is how they bill the company and your child gets paid.
So thats it folks, that is a detailed list of how to aquire an agent and what comes along with having your child as a model. Its fun, its hectic, its tiring but it can be oh so fun for your child and even funner for the parent when you find the ad that has your childs face on it! good luck and i hope this helps you. If you have any questions please leave them in the comments