Does anyone's kid do modeling (or acting or anything like that?)

[stepmommyof1]

Ok I have been thinking about this for a few days. A department store at our local mall did a "model search" for local kids and basically when we were in there shopping, we saw the ad in the store and all you had to do was go up to the counter and fill out an entry form, and the salesperson used an instant camera to take your picture and assign you a number, then they put it in a file and said they'd be calling kids in for auditions (if they got chosen for an audition based on their photo).

Well 2 weeks later we got a call saying he got an audition. At the audition they had to walk down a little runway and that was it, then we went home. There were like 50 teen girls there but only about 15 teen boys auditioning.

The next day we got a call he'd been chosen. We were told we had to bring him to three rehearsals (two regular and then a dress rehearsal) plus a fitting for the clothes and a photo shoot.

When I took him to the fitting, we found out they had chosen 6 teenage girls for the junior department and 2 teenage boys (him, plus one other boy), and also a few young children (who had not been at the audition, but maybe they auditioned at some other time and date, who knows).

So anyway they all get paid pretty good for this, which is nice (...actually stepson had absolutely NO interest in trying out for this until I mentioned that if you are chosen to do it, you get paid for it, LOL).

I am just wondering if any other parents have any experience doing anything like this and have any advice, especially on how to get more modeling work after he finishes this. I don't think he's all that interested in it really, but the pay motivated him to want to do it.... and I'm all for it if it means he can earn some money that he could save for the future. I think it's a great idea.
So if you have any tips or anything let me know. I think if there's a chance he could be successful in this area then he ought to pursue it, but I don't know enough about it to really help him get going

 

[mjkacmom]

I live in the NYC area, around a few real agencies, and the mall ones are HUGE scams. No legit agency asks for money. No legit agency asks for head-shots, never mind does them themselves. They don't offer classes. They receive a commission for the work the child does, and never ask for money upfront. Most are located in major metropolitan areas.

There are modelling agencies, like Ford, and you just send it a picture with your child's information - height, weight, size, etc. Then there are management companies, that do print work as well, plus some acting work. You send them an email, and if they're interested, your child will audition. Here's a legit local one my dd's voice coach wanted her to go to (her coach's dd gets a lot of print work through them). http://www.shirleygrant.com/ I don't even think they have a phone number - they will contact you if interested.

Just google - these scam agencies will take anyone.

 

[surfergirl602]

I live in the NYC area, around a few real agencies, and the mall ones are HUGE scams. No legit agency asks for money. No legit agency asks for head-shots, never mind does them themselves. They don't offer classes. They receive a commission for the work the child does, and never ask for money upfront. Most are located in major metropolitan areas.

There are modelling agencies, like Ford, and you just send it a picture with your child's information - height, weight, size, etc. Then there are management companies, that do print work as well, plus some acting work. You send them an email, and if they're interested, your child will audition. Here's a legit local one my dd's voice coach wanted her to go to (her coach's dd gets a lot of print work through them). http://www.shirleygrant.com/ I don't even think they have a phone number - they will contact you if interested.

Just google - these scam agencies will take anyone.

Yep, big scam.

 

[mykidsand_i]

Sounds like a scam to me. They do that in a larger town about 45 miles away from us, a person who I use to work with brought her kid to it and they wanted her to pay a fee to get her kids name out in the 'world' and they told her she had to sign up for extra photo shoots (and pay MORE money) so her kid would have a professional, nationally approved for modeling photo book...they would have taken 5 pictures and made a book, gotten her 'registered' and all that- it would have been over $1000. SCAM!

They get you in by telling you it's all free, there's no fees or anything.

 

[stepmommyof1]

Thanks everyone... Im not sure but I think you might have misunderstood me, though.
WE didnt have to pay anything...the model search was run by the actual department store itself (not a model agency).
They said the kids who were chosen would be paid.
Stepsons gotten two paychecks so far (one from the fitting and one from the first rehearsal).
We have not been asked to pay anything.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I understood what you wrote....Not sure how the other's read it wrong.

My dd has a friend that models. She gets money and free clothes. She just does print work for teen "out there" fashion, not sure of the designers but she is dressed up as "Goth" or "Scene".

It really is just a part time job to be honest. However you can make a lot of dollars with less hrs. of work.

 

[merryweather20]

I had a couple of friends who did this pre university. For the most part it was really sporadic. I think all of them could go at least 2 years without hearing from their agents during the time between K-13 (we had an extra year of high school at the time). The money was good for standing around doing nothing, but it was pretty sporadic. If one of the parents took time off that would eat in to the day (It would be rare to for them to work on weekends unless it was a movie). They also didn't get extra compensation for travel costs. We live about 2 hours South of the big city but it wasn't unusual for them to hear anywhere in a six hour radius, even in the states.

While I agree with the above posters about charging for photographs, they did tend to spend money on photographs during the lean years, so that the agent would have an idea what they looked like when they went a while between gigs.

They did the best the last year and a half of high school at age 18-19. They would be working every week-end as movie extras. I sat through a ton of movies that they were "in" supposedly

 

[Robinrs]

Thanks everyone... Im not sure but I think you might have misunderstood me, though.
WE didnt have to pay anything...the model search was run by the actual department store itself (not a model agency).
They said the kids who were chosen would be paid.
Stepsons gotten two paychecks so far (one from the fitting and one from the first rehearsal).
We have not been asked to pay anything.

I was wondering what they were talking about, too...

Yep, the red flag is the "payment" up front. This one sounds great because they never asked for money.

My cousin and godchild modeled for years. Her Mom was a beautician and her uncle is a photographer so they had connections. She made enough to get her thru college but had a child so she quit in her teens.

If its legit enjoy!!

 

[mjkacmom]

I see what you mean now - sounds like a good deal for some extra money. In our malls, there are always kiosks with young women trying to get you to sign up your potential model. They are not associated with the malls.

 

[eeyore65]

My child doesn't model - but my house does! It has an agent - they took all the photos for free and the agent sporadically calls up when the house gets a booking. We make big $$$ and all we need to is clear out for the shoots. and sometimes they just use the outside.

 

[kc10family]

DD1 had an agnet in LA when we lived in CA. So I will tell you what we did etc.
1- they can take a snap shot of your kid and say we will call you back. Why? to ensure they do not have another child that looks like yours on the books already.
2- As far as agancies go, yes you would have to pay for your Comp/Zed cards and your head shots. Why? You have not brought the agancy any money (gotten a job) and they will not put out money "in the event that" you do get a paid job.
3- check out childreninfilm.com they are a fabulous company that will help answer your questions and ensure the safety of your child by teaching you what you need to know for your state laws etc.
--getting a Coogan account
--real angencies in your area
--work permit info per state
-- etc

4- My DD got a paid job with Shutterfly.com http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-sta...iday-card-5x7-flat?storeNode=60777&sortType=1) (and we did not go through KSA (look them up http://www.ksawest.com/) because we lived in N. California and that is out side of the 60 mile zone for KSA to get paid for her work.

Your area could have a good website/ company like http://home.sfcasting.com/ that could help you get paid jobs, but please please please check out children in flim to ensure the saftey of your child.

If I can help with anything else please let me know.

 

[golfgal]

My BIL did this type of modeling for what was Daytons, morphed into Dayton Hudson and a few others and now has been bought out by Macy's chain. I also had a niece that did the same thing for them when she was a preschooler. Like you said, they get paid pretty well for what they did and it wasn't true modeling agency stuff-so you didn't have the pageant parents there. My SIL put the money into my nieces college fund and it has grown quite nicely in the past 10 years or so. If he can get the jobs like he had, go for it. There is a good chance they will call him back if they liked him too.

 

[englishteacha]

There's a young woman on YouTube with her own channel, MeekaKitty. She spent several years as a model and has a few videos on what to look for, what's OK to pay for and what you shouldn't pay for, etc. It was really informative. She's really funny. We stumbled on her modeling videos from watching some of her other stuff.

 

[stepmommyof1]

Thanks everyone (by the way i think that smily is sooo cute)

Like I said he's not too into it, he's only interested in the idea of being PAID lol!!!

But he has gone to each thing they've called him for (the fitting and rehearsal, had another rehearsal tonight) and he's done everything they asked him too and they seem pleased with him. The other boy they cast is acting like a prima donna already, so they like my stepson better than him. lol

I asked him after tonight's rehearsal if it would be okay with him if I look into getting an agent so he can try to get more work like this. He said okay.

Do you need a Coogan account for modeling? I thought that was just child actors. What exactly does a Coogan account do anyway?
Right now I am letting him have some of the money to spend, but putting the rest into a savings account. When they pay us they have not mentioned a coogan accoount...he recently turned 15, does he need one at that age?

 

[Magic Mom]

I understood what you wrote....Not sure how the other's read it wrong.

My dd has a friend that models. She gets money and free clothes. She just does print work for teen "out there" fashion, not sure of the designers but she is dressed up as "Goth" or "Scene".

It really is just a part time job to be honest. However you can make a lot of dollars with less hrs. of work.

I understood you too. You didn't say anything about having to pay. I don't think it sounds like a scam yet, especially since you've already been paid. Just be on the lookout for those scam tactics and you should be fine.

 

[kc10family]

Thanks everyone (by the way i think that smily is sooo cute)

Like I said he's not too into it, he's only interested in the idea of being PAID lol!!!

But he has gone to each thing they've called him for (the fitting and rehearsal, had another rehearsal tonight) and he's done everything they asked him too and they seem pleased with him. The other boy they cast is acting like a prima donna already, so they like my stepson better than him. lol

I asked him after tonight's rehearsal if it would be okay with him if I look into getting an agent so he can try to get more work like this. He said okay.

Do you need a Coogan account for modeling? I thought that was just child actors. What exactly does a Coogan account do anyway?
Right now I am letting him have some of the money to spend, but putting the rest into a savings account. When they pay us they have not mentioned a coogan accoount...he recently turned 15, does he need one at that age?

Here are some more links of great info for you. I do not know what state you are in so I can only give you what I know (CA).

AFTRA / SAG credit union - ref Coogan Account
http://www.aftrasagfcu.org/coogan_accounts/index.cfm

You can get a basic membership with NO MONEY, NO FEE.... (FREE)
http://www.childreninfilm.com/

Screen Actors Guild
http://www.sag.org/

Because I dont know your state I cant give you details, but you can look them up.
Yes Modeling is work for a child and you may need a work permit for him, check the child labor laws in your state. Google child entertainment work permit __ (your state) and it should give you the FYI.