Child Modeling
Info about child modeling
Child modeling can be an exciting experience for both children and parents. While it may seem like it’s all fun and glamour, being a child model requires a lot of work and sacrifice by the family. Everyone has heard the horror stories of child models and actors being exploited by greedy agents or parents. Fortunately, this is not the case for most child models and can be avoided with a little bit of foresight by parents.
No Upfront Fees
Never pay a child modeling agency an upfront fee. There are many scam companies out there who make outrageous claims to parents dreaming of easy millions for their child. Most modeling agencies operate on contingencies, not a flat fee schedule. This forces them to keep finding more work for your child in order to get paid. An agency that has been paid ahead of time can easily disappear without doing any work for you.
You Don’t Need a Professional Studio
Similar to the above tip, a professional portfolio is not required to start a career in child modeling. Beware of any company trying to force this expense on you as a job requirement. Child modeling agents understand that most kids do not have an extensive portfolio built up yet. In fact, many of them base their own careers on their ability to discover fresh new talent and would prefer a child that is not familiar to any other agency. A quality modeling agency will prepare their own portfolio of your child’s work as you get more engagements.
Free Exposure
Free exposure may be worth the time. Many parents make the mistake of refusing unpaid work. Of course, you can’t build your child’s entire career on only unpaid work unless you have a substantial reserve of funds, but some free jobs give more than their money’s worth in exposure. When starting a new child modeling career, you want to get your child’s name and face in front of as many people as possible. This is especially important if your child is interested in pursuing other related areas in the future, such as fashion modeling, teen modeling or acting.
Local Exposure
Local exposure may be the easiest place to start a child modeling career. Depending on the size of your town, your child may be able to get several parts in local commercials without facing much competition. Look in your weekly newspaper for print advertisements featuring child models, and pay attention to local companies that advertise on television. Contact their public relations or marketing director to inquire about getting an interview for you and your child.
