child modelling/talent agencies

[nightowl]

the sort of ones that are supposed to supply kids for catalogue, tv work, etc. anyone got any experience of these and is it normal to be asked for a £150 set up fee?

 

[Space Girl]

it is normal to be asked for photo fees but be very careful of agencies asking for loads of money up front, especailly of an agency called Models direct, there are loads of good agencies but there is a lot of hard work involved and lots of late notice.

have a look at truely scrumptious, we use them quite a bit at work, if you want more info on the agencies we us give me a pm

 

[gabi]

dunno about specialist kids' agencies, but i worked as a model for 2 years - it was known in the industry that if an agency asked for cash up front to do a test shoot/admin costs they were very likely a mickey mouse operation... the big reputable agencies definitely dont ask u to pay for your test...

could be different for kids tho. why you'd want to put your child thru the hell that is the fashion industry tho, i dont know

 

[untethered]

Genuine agencies make money by booking jobs for their talent.

If someone is likely to bring in lucrative work for the agency, they will sign them up at their own expense.

Agencies that charge money to potential talent most probably accept just about everyone and make their profits from the fees they charge rather than by getting work for those on their books, or at the very least, a bit of both.

Avoid.

 

[spanglechick]

a true agency isn't allowed to charge - but they get round this by charging for your inclusion on their website / in their book - which is legal - and not much different to what is done by very repectable adult organisations, like The Spotlight, for example.

I wouldn't rule out paying something for the right agency - IME it's pretty universal in kids agencies - but you need to do some homework. Ask them who else they have on their books and where those kids have worked (and how recently). If they won't, for some reason tell you (most should have a website where you can search the kids' CVs), do an internet search for the agency name, and then search the names of any kids they seem to represent.

Coming at it the other way - find out the names of any child actors doing the sort of work you want and the see who represent them.

I'm sure you're aware, but there're gazillions more kids wanting work than jobs - some agencies exist only to take advantage of this. Be selective.

Btw - kids who are short for their height do better cos they can play younger.

 

[lights.out.london]

^ I'm pretty certain modelling and acting/show biz agencies can charge. I think there is an exemption to the 1973 Employment Agencies Act. Not 100% though.

The Observer or Guardian** ran a feature a week or so ago on modelling agencies and 'rip off' upfront fees.

** or it might have been the Indie. Sorry. I'm a bit hopeless today.

 

[spanglechick]

^ I'm pretty certain modelling and acting/show biz agencies can charge. I think there is an exemption to the 1973 Employment Agencies Act. Not 100% though.

The Observer or Guardian** ran a feature a week or so ago on modelling agencies and 'rip off' upfront fees.

** or it might have been the Indie. Sorry. I'm a bit hopeless today.

No - the law changed since i started in acting - which must be in the last four years.

For adult agencies, charging is and always has been a bad sign - they still charge of course. They get around it by charging for a casting bulletin service (like PCR) or for inclusion on their books / site - or for photos etc.

In the kids sector, as with extras agencies, a fee is and always has been standard, iirc - and isn't necessarily a bad sign in itself.

 

[lights.out.london]

No - the law changed since i started in acting - which must be in the last four years.

For adult agencies, charging is and always has been a bad sign - they still charge of course. They get around it by charging for a casting bulletin service (like PCR) or for inclusion on their books / site - or for photos etc.

In the kids sector, as with extras agencies, a fee is and always has been standard, iirc - and isn't necessarily a bad sign in itself.

Nope. Or I may be misreading it.

This is from the amendment to the 1973 Act

Circumstances in which fees may be charged to work-seekers
26. - (1) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), the restriction on charging fees to work-seekers contained in section 6(1)(a) of the Act[17] shall not apply in respect of a fee charged by an agency for the service provided by it of finding or seeking to find a work-seeker employment in any of the occupations listed in Schedule 3.

(2) Where paragraph (1) applies, subject to paragraph (5), any fee charged by the agency may consist only of a charge or commission payable out of the work-seeker's earnings in any such employment which the agency has found for him.

(3) Paragraphs (1) and (7) shall not apply where the agency, or any person connected with it, charges a fee to the hirer in respect of the service of supplying or introducing that work-seeker to him.

(4) In any case in which the agency is connected with the hirer, paragraphs (1) and (7) only apply if, prior to the provision of the service in respect of which the fee is to be charged, the agency informs the work-seeker of the fact that it is connected with the hirer.

(5) Paragraph (2) shall not apply to any fee charged to a work-seeker by an agency in respect of the inclusion of information about the work-seeker in a publication provided that -



(a) the publication is wholly for one or both of the following purposes, namely the purpose of finding work-seekers employment in, or providing hirers with information about work-seekers in relation to, any of the occupations listed in Schedule 3; and

(b) either -


(i) the only work-finding service provided by the agency or any person connected with it to the work-seeker is the service described in this paragraph; or

(ii) the fee charged to the work-seeker amounts to no more than a reasonable estimate of the cost of production and circulation of the publication attributable to the inclusion of information about that work-seeker in the publication; and


(c) in addition to the requirements in regulations 13, 14 and 16, in so far as they are applicable, the agency has, before it entered into the contract with the work-seeker by reference to which the fee is to be charged, made available to him a copy of a current edition of the publication (or, where the publication exists only in electronic form, given him access to a current edition of the publication) in which it is offering to include information about him.



(6) The restrictions on charging fees to work-seekers contained in section 6(1)(a) of the Act shall not apply to any fee consisting of a charge to a work-seeker in respect of the purchase of or subscription for a publication containing information about employers provided that -



(a) this is the only work-finding service provided by the agency or any person connected with it to the work-seeker; and

(b) the agency has made available to the work-seeker a copy of a current edition of the publication (or, where the publication exists only in electronic form, given him access to a current edition of the publication) in advance of the work-seeker purchasing or subscribing for it.


(7) The restriction on charging fees to work-seekers contained in section 6(1)(a) of the Act shall not apply in respect of a fee charged by an agency for the service provided by it of finding or seeking to find a work-seeker employment where -



(a) the work-seeker in question is a company; and

(b) the employment is in an occupation other than any of those occupations listed in Schedule 3.

and Schedule 3 occupations

SCHEDULE 3
Regulation 26



OCCUPATIONS IN RESPECT OF WHICH EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES MAY CHARGE FEES TO WORK-SEEKERS


Actor, musician, singer, dancer, or other performer;

Composer, writer, artist, director, production manager, lighting cameraman, camera operator, make up artist, film editor, action arranger or co-ordinator, stunt arranger, costume or production designer, recording engineer, property master, film continuity person, sound mixer, photographer, stage manager, producer, choreographer, theatre designer;

Photographic or fashion model;

Professional sports person.

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2003/20033319.htm#26

 

[spanglechick]

<shrug>

i don't understand then. It's been all over the bulletins i subscribe to for years - the DTi have been threatening legal action to Castnet - the bbc keep asking for actors to come forward for investigative programmes.

but your sources are solid, so i'm mightily confused.

 

[lights.out.london]

^ hmm. Interesting. Were the fees being charged onerous? I think there is something in the 2003 amendment about fair and reasonable charges.

There is also provision in the act for dealing with agencies which 'encourage' service users to use other services offered by the agency e.g. if you don't do/buy X (e.g. CV writing services) we won't get you a job.

 

[spanglechick]

might be that then.