If 'they' really want me 'they' will pay for everything I need to get started, right?
One of the biggest myths of all time is that if an agent or manager wants to represent you they will pay for everything you need to get started including photo shoots, portfolios, comp cards, video audition demo reels, etc.
Unfortunately, this particular myth has been repeated so often and for so long that it has held back and completely destroyed the careers of thousands upon thousands of aspiring models an actors that waited for years and years for divine intervention to make them a star.
In reality, most agents and managers simply can't afford to pay for photo shoots, portfolios, comp cards, demo reels, etc. for models and actors they represent as virtually every agent and manager in the world that has advanced money to models and actors once or twice ended up learning the hard way to never do it again.
Here are a few real life examples of what can happen when an agent or manager advances money for photo shoots, portfolios, comp cards, etc:
The actor or model calls up one day and announces that he/she is getting married and his/her significant other does not want him/her modeling.
The actor or model leaves to go with another agency, leaving the first agency stuck with the bills for his/her promo materials.
The actor or model radically changes his/her appearance. (Blue hair and shaved eyebrows are in these days.)
The actor or model decides to cover half of their body in tattoos.
The actor or model has a fight with his/her significant other every time a a casting or an acting or modeling job comes up.
The actor or model decides that 'saving the whales' can't wait another minute.
The actor or model decides that painting houses is a better career choice.
And after one or two experiences like this, the agent or manager must either stop advancing money to models and actors or face the very real prospect of going out of business.
One well known personal manager in Los Angeles used to pin unused non-refundable plane tickets on his wall that he had purchased for actors and models that decided not to get on the plane at the last minute as a constant reminder.
"One girl with huge potential flew in from Seattle for very important photo shoots and agency interviews. The next day she left her hotel at 10 am then showed up back at the hotel around midnight having spent the entire day at Disneyland with her boyfriend. The following day she did the exact same thing - and that was the day I decided to stop fronting start up money to actors and models."
Contrary to popular myth and lots of wishful thinking, only a small handful of agencies will occasionally advance money to older models (not kids) and only to those models that have signed long term exclusive contracts with them - plus the model will be required to sign a loan agreement and the model will be required to pay that money back at some point - plus interest. So in the end all models end up paying for their photo shoots, portfolio photos, comp cards, etc. one way or another.
Sure, you may be wondering who's who, who's for real and who isn't, and rightly so. But industry professionals don't know who you are and they don't know if you're for real either and they have a lot more to lose than you do. It isn't unusual for an agency to get 10,000 inquiries per year or more - and if they were to contribute just $500 to photo shoots, portfolios and comp cards for every actor or model that asked them to do so - the agent or manager's expenditures would exceed $10,000 per day which would add up to over 5 Million Dollars per year. So how in the world is the agency going to come up with 5 Million Dollars a year when their net profit per year is less than $200,000?
So IF you are a very tall teenager and IF you look like the next super model of the world and IF your parents are willing to cosign a long term exclusive contract with the agency and IF you are ready, willing and able to live in New York City on your own - a top agency might give you an advance to be used for photo shoots, portfolios, comp cards etc.
An advance, however, is NOT a gift. The teen model's parents will be required to sign a 'promise to pay' loan contract and they will be have to pay that money back.
So if you are not a teenage girl or guy that looks like the next supermodel of the world and you have been waiting for a mobile dressing room to pull up in front of your house with a production crew that will roll out a red carpet while smiling and waving to you to join them - you are going to be waiting a very long time.
What about kids under the age of 12 or so? The odds of finding an agency or manager that will advance money for photo shoots, comp cards, modeling portfolios, etc. to the parents of young kids are a billion to one.
Let's face it, there are very few ways to go get started in any business without making some sort of investment. At the very least, a few good test shots and some comp cards will be needed for potential employers to look at before they will agree to see them let alone book them.
And no competent photographer, make-up artist, stylist, etc is going to create usable promotional materials for free or agree to be paid at some vague time in the distant future. How could anyone expect a professional make-up artist and a professional photographer to jump up and down at the prospect of taking pictures of unknown and unproven models and talent for free? For reduced rates? Sure, happens all the time. Free? Very unlikely.
Imagine telling your dentist that a $500 teeth whitening procedure should be free or that he/she should be perfectly willing to let you pay him/her back 'some day' because you need whiter teeth in order to maximize your earning potential as an actor or model. Or imagine walking into a car dealership and asking for a free car because you need a car to go to acting or modeling jobs. What sort of reaction would you get?
Want proof positive that having 'Photos by Moda Kids Photography' on your kid's comp cards can make a huge difference in the quantity and quality of their bookings? Talk to a few of the parents of the dozens of top child models we have launched. (Complete documentation available upon request.)
Click HERE to request more info, dates and times
One of the biggest myths of all time is that if an agent or manager wants to represent you they will pay for everything you need to get started including photo shoots, portfolios, comp cards, video audition demo reels, etc.
Unfortunately, this particular myth has been repeated so often and for so long that it has held back and completely destroyed the careers of thousands upon thousands of aspiring models an actors that waited for years and years for divine intervention to make them a star.
In reality, most agents and managers simply can't afford to pay for photo shoots, portfolios, comp cards, demo reels, etc. for models and actors they represent as virtually every agent and manager in the world that has advanced money to models and actors once or twice ended up learning the hard way to never do it again.
Here are a few real life examples of what can happen when an agent or manager advances money for photo shoots, portfolios, comp cards, etc:
The actor or model calls up one day and announces that he/she is getting married and his/her significant other does not want him/her modeling.
The actor or model leaves to go with another agency, leaving the first agency stuck with the bills for his/her promo materials.
The actor or model radically changes his/her appearance. (Blue hair and shaved eyebrows are in these days.)
The actor or model decides to cover half of their body in tattoos.
The actor or model has a fight with his/her significant other every time a a casting or an acting or modeling job comes up.
The actor or model decides that 'saving the whales' can't wait another minute.
The actor or model decides that painting houses is a better career choice.
And after one or two experiences like this, the agent or manager must either stop advancing money to models and actors or face the very real prospect of going out of business.
One well known personal manager in Los Angeles used to pin unused non-refundable plane tickets on his wall that he had purchased for actors and models that decided not to get on the plane at the last minute as a constant reminder.
"One girl with huge potential flew in from Seattle for very important photo shoots and agency interviews. The next day she left her hotel at 10 am then showed up back at the hotel around midnight having spent the entire day at Disneyland with her boyfriend. The following day she did the exact same thing - and that was the day I decided to stop fronting start up money to actors and models."
Contrary to popular myth and lots of wishful thinking, only a small handful of agencies will occasionally advance money to older models (not kids) and only to those models that have signed long term exclusive contracts with them - plus the model will be required to sign a loan agreement and the model will be required to pay that money back at some point - plus interest. So in the end all models end up paying for their photo shoots, portfolio photos, comp cards, etc. one way or another.
Sure, you may be wondering who's who, who's for real and who isn't, and rightly so. But industry professionals don't know who you are and they don't know if you're for real either and they have a lot more to lose than you do. It isn't unusual for an agency to get 10,000 inquiries per year or more - and if they were to contribute just $500 to photo shoots, portfolios and comp cards for every actor or model that asked them to do so - the agent or manager's expenditures would exceed $10,000 per day which would add up to over 5 Million Dollars per year. So how in the world is the agency going to come up with 5 Million Dollars a year when their net profit per year is less than $200,000?
So IF you are a very tall teenager and IF you look like the next super model of the world and IF your parents are willing to cosign a long term exclusive contract with the agency and IF you are ready, willing and able to live in New York City on your own - a top agency might give you an advance to be used for photo shoots, portfolios, comp cards etc.
An advance, however, is NOT a gift. The teen model's parents will be required to sign a 'promise to pay' loan contract and they will be have to pay that money back.
So if you are not a teenage girl or guy that looks like the next supermodel of the world and you have been waiting for a mobile dressing room to pull up in front of your house with a production crew that will roll out a red carpet while smiling and waving to you to join them - you are going to be waiting a very long time.
What about kids under the age of 12 or so? The odds of finding an agency or manager that will advance money for photo shoots, comp cards, modeling portfolios, etc. to the parents of young kids are a billion to one.
Let's face it, there are very few ways to go get started in any business without making some sort of investment. At the very least, a few good test shots and some comp cards will be needed for potential employers to look at before they will agree to see them let alone book them.
And no competent photographer, make-up artist, stylist, etc is going to create usable promotional materials for free or agree to be paid at some vague time in the distant future. How could anyone expect a professional make-up artist and a professional photographer to jump up and down at the prospect of taking pictures of unknown and unproven models and talent for free? For reduced rates? Sure, happens all the time. Free? Very unlikely.
Imagine telling your dentist that a $500 teeth whitening procedure should be free or that he/she should be perfectly willing to let you pay him/her back 'some day' because you need whiter teeth in order to maximize your earning potential as an actor or model. Or imagine walking into a car dealership and asking for a free car because you need a car to go to acting or modeling jobs. What sort of reaction would you get?
Want proof positive that having 'Photos by Moda Kids Photography' on your kid's comp cards can make a huge difference in the quantity and quality of their bookings? Talk to a few of the parents of the dozens of top child models we have launched. (Complete documentation available upon request.)
Click HERE to request more info, dates and times