*baby modelling*

[slk158]

any one with any advice on which agencies are reputable. have been accepted my elisabeth smith and buzzy kids so far hwaiting on few more..... help...!

[Housemum]

Both are reputable, think ES has high fees.

Other good ones are:
Urban Angels
Bruce & Brown
Kids London

there is usually a thread on here somewhere called "child modelling" - I don't often post on there now but I think there are quite a few that do.

Google "Alba model" to find a website telling you who the scammers are, and a bit more info about modelling in general

Good luck!

[lowrib]

Sorry to hijack but do you know which reputable ones you can sign up with for free (if any)?

How does it work?

[vicloumic]

elizabeth smiths are great, my daughter had loads of work when she was with them. hope this helps

[slk158]

thanks so much for advice, es are also saying i need his pictures taken. any advice on where to go that doesnt cost the earth?

lowrib- i think bruce & brown are free

[Housemum]

Lowrib - Bruce and Brown, Urban Angels and I think possibly Kids London are "free". B&B charge £35 admin per year, but they take this out of the child's earnings. They do an annual model book shoot, of new photos to go on their website. It is not compulsory, but it does mean that your child's pics conform with the majority on there. Otherwise you can send in your own photos, but they will ask you to make sure it's against a white background, plain colour top etc, so you may need to have a few attempts to get the right look. Last year's was around £120, you get a CD of the pictures to take away with you and you can make your own copies for personal use.

If cost is an issue, bear in mind that you will need to pay to get to the jobs, usually in London. Castings only pay £14, which may not even cover your train ticket. And if you are going to take the travel costs from your child's account, the child only gets paid when the agency has received money from the client which may be a couple of months after the job. The agencies usually pay quarterly, so it could be nearly 6 months before the money comes through sometimes.

Just worth bearing in mind!

[slk158]

have decided to go with KL...! hope its the right choice. live in london so a stones through away from everything, which is great. thanks housemum, you seem to know lots about this.

[Housemum]

I've seen lots of KL kids at castings & jobs so you're with a good one. Good luck!

[lowrib]

Thanks Housemum and slk158

I'm thinking about doing this because:

• as we live in London I assume it should be easy to do
• DS is a gorgeous, photogenic and very good-natured baby who smiles a lot, loves being around new people and hardly ever cries unless hungry (no really!)
• we don't have a lot of spare cash, and so this would be a good way for DS to get some cool stuff for himself when he's older which we might not be able to easily afford otherwise
• I think it might be fun for him when he's a bit older

Am I barking up the right tree or deluding myself do you think? Is it actually fun? What do the kids get out of it? Why do people do it?

[Housemum]

Well, DD2 has been doing it since she was about 1 and she has a nice little chunk of cash now which I've put in Premium bonds in the hope she wins a million! (She's won £50 so far so I'm still hoping...) She's 6, and she has no idea she gets money for it, she just thinks it's a day out in London. Depending what time of day the job/casting is, and where in London it is, we've gone to lots of free places to make a real day of it - museums, parks etc. I think the main benefit to her has been in confidence, she is quite happy to talk to adults, and confident in new situations. It is easy to do if you're the sort of person that doesn't mind going to stuff at short notice - sometimes you only get 24 hours notice, or even less, but I know exactly what to stick in the bag now, and how to keep it to a minimum, so it's no problem.

Try it and see how it goes! The best bit is when the pics get used and you think, that's my baby! (DD2 is still sneezing over London buses, we saw her pic inside one a couple of weeks ago).

Word of warning - even if you get a job, the pics may never be used as the client decides they'll go with the ones from a different day, or the outfit doesn't come in stock so they don't need the pics etc. DD2's first 2 jobs never saw the light of day (though obviously she was paid for them)

DS sounds like my DD3 - now she's 17 mths she's getting a little more forceful, but she is basically cheerful all the time (unless you take something away from her!).

[slk158]

thats actually like our DS. he is always smiling at everyone we see and only really gets whingy when tired or hungry. is amaized with new faces, so guess were all lucky then! plan to put all earnings in child trust fund. I know that i would have been pleased with a nice amount of cash when i was mature enough to not waist it...!

lowrib- incase you want to no, KL has a £25 fee which they take out of earnings, which i think is really reasonable.

[scrumbum]

avoid bizzykidz!! their communication with clients is nothing short of shabby. as soon as they get your admin/signing up fee, you seem to become nothing more than a number to them.
also, if you forget to send them regular updates or if your doctors note (which they have to have by law to say your child is fit to work) lapses they will just delete you from their books. i didnt even receive any correspondence from them to let me know this had happened!!
hows that for a contractual agreement?!

[clouiseg]

Hello all, thank god for sites like this eh!! Is it just me or does anyone else find this whole process really daunting???

My DD has been accepted by Bizzykidz and Baby Models UK.....however....

I am now totally confused!!! In one thread people are posting and singing the praises of BK, and in others there are completely opposing (although I am sure very valid) opinions on the same agency. Can anyone clear up my nagging doubts please??!!!

Also has ANYONE actually heard of / dealt with Baby Models UK??? I'm reluctant to commit to anything if I'm not 100% sure! (although the spelling mistakes on their website were not so reassuring..""proffessional"" & ""hense""...hmmmmm). I'm honestly not nit picking but its really playing on my mind! Also there seems to be a lack of Client Listings so I have no clue who they actually hire for!!

Sorry to go on...I'm sure there must be someone out there with a great deal of wisdom on this muddle lol. xx