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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To consider signing up baby for modelling?

42 replies

BunnytheFriendlyDragon · 10/10/2021 10:08

Baby boy is 3 months old. Does anyone have experience of their young children modelling or acting?

I fully understand he may not be model material just because I think he's the most gorgeous baby ever Grin and I am likely to be working full time so it would be an occasional thing...

If anyone has any advice or recommendations I would be grateful.

OP posts:
MargaretThursday · 10/10/2021 10:12

I don't think working full time you'll be taken on by anyone. The person I knew who did it, they'd get a call and be going within 24 hours, and almost never at the weekend.

It's also not so much about having a gorgeous baby, so much as their temperament. Being held by different people, changed, perhaps several times, into different clothes, bright lights, long times waiting around... you need a very calm baby for that.

WheelieBinPrincess · 10/10/2021 10:13

Can I ask why you want to?

Waspsarearseholes · 10/10/2021 10:14

What do you imagine your baby will gain from doing this?

SW1amp · 10/10/2021 10:16

There are many, many more gorgeous babies available to do modelling than there are baby modelling jobs
So the pay is rubbish and it’s mostly just sitting around for a very long time

I only know of one person who did it, her son was a model for mothercare car seats
It was a couple of days of photography, with little bursts of photography in between the baby sleeping and feeding

She said that ironically, it didn’t even earn them enough to buy one of the car seats he was pictured in..!

I think once they factored in the travel costs, it was under £100 for the baby plus her as a chaperone

Just not worth it

catzfur · 10/10/2021 10:24

@SW1amp I disagree about the pay, one of my children made over 20k in approx 6 years.

Working full time isn’t an option, the agency would expect you to go to all castings you are called for. If you are going on holiday you need to tell them in advance so your baby/child isn’t put forward for unavailable dates - they wouldn’t tolerate you saying no more than a couple of times.

Original poster
BunnytheFriendlyDragon · 10/10/2021 10:39

Being held by different people, changed, perhaps several times, into different clothes, bright lights, long times waiting around... you need a very calm baby for that.

Yes I think he is that. He is a content baby, loves to be out and around other people...

Can I ask why you want to?

I don't know what the pay is but if worthwhile I thought it could result in some money put away for him and would be nice for him to know he earned it. I plan to put it away for him. Also thought it might be good for him to be around people etc but again don't really know what it involves hence asking on here.

one of my children made over 20k in approx 6 years.

How many jobs a week / month did you do and how onerous was it?

OP posts:
Original poster
BunnytheFriendlyDragon · 10/10/2021 10:40

Also how far would you be expected to travel or can you specify?

OP posts:
SW1amp · 10/10/2021 10:48

@catzfur

But that’s £3k a year, so assuming you get about one job a month, that’s £250
And that’s presumably a full day or two for an adult plus the baby?

So that’s min wage for the adult chaperone and half min wage for the baby once you take out the travel costs? Does the adult also have to pay tax on their chaperone fee?

If you want to bring in that money to put away for the child, wouldn’t it just be easier for the adult to get a min wage job for a few hours a weekend and not have to drag the baby along for the day also?

The economics of it just don’t stack up in my eyes…
Unless you’re going to say it was £3k per year for a few days, which it doesn’t sound like it was

Branleuse · 10/10/2021 10:51

I honestly cant see any benefit to this at all. Im sure your baby is beautiful and lovely, but just like winning a bonniest baby competition, what is the actual point?

Fdksyihfd · 10/10/2021 10:53

I know people who have done this with twins as they’re very much in demand as they can only have babies “working” for short periods of time so interchange then twins means they can do scenes or photos for longer.
What I’ve heard is that there can be a lot of hanging around, you end up sitting in cars trying to keep them warm and you are at the demands of the producers, photographers etc so keeping to your child’s routine is not always easy, on the upside there is money in it

BlanketPiggy · 10/10/2021 10:55

Your much better off joining a market research panel and waiting for them to ask for nappy/baby food testers. It's easier to fit in around work.

BlanketPiggy · 10/10/2021 10:59

Also thought it might be good for him to be around people etc but again don't really know what it involves hence asking on here. baby groups would probably be better for that.

TheNinny · 10/10/2021 10:59

The one person I know who’s done this, and does a have a beautiful DD, has only ever had 1 job. Think they got around £80 and had to drive 2 hours for shoot. Was for online clothes somewhere. Took almost a year for the photos to go up live. After, she said she was glad she did it because you know, as a mum she thinks her DD is cute, but this proves it 🙄

catzfur · 10/10/2021 11:02

The pay was a minimum of £45 per hour for stills after the agency had taken their own cut - often it could be more. One of my children was paid £650 for photos which were used on a leaflet, we were there about 90 mins but most of that was hanging around eating!
You only got chaperone fees (about £60 per day) when filming not when shooting stills.

You got about £15 per casting which for us covered the travel fee.
DD was 4 when she started and really enjoyed it for a few years, when she was fed up we stopped. We saw it as a hobby like ballet or gymnastics but the bonus she got paid and we have some lovely memories of it and fantastic photos.

Vie8126 · 10/10/2021 11:06

I don't know about modelling but my daughter was/is signed to an agency. We're signed into a contact whereby we can only turn down 3 castings a year or you are removed from their books. They won't put you forward if you continually turn down castings for work commitments - it is their reputation with casting directors on the line and it's not professional to not turn up or cancel. Notice has always been less then 24hrs you do not know what jobs your child is submitted to and you just get notified IF they are called in for a face 2 face casting. Castings/meetings are usually less than 30 mins involve a lot of waiting around, cost and travel (we're in the south so involves a lot of trekking across London) I have done this whilst working full time but literally couldn't have without help from grandparents, partner, her dad and his girlfriend all being able to drop work commitments at a moment notice. She's met a lot of interesting people and had wonderful chances at opportunities in USA, for Netflix and with big A list Hollywood stars. Jobs involve long hours on set sitting around and would imagine modelling is much similar. The money is not outstanding when you work out the time and money you put in to jobs and castings they don't get.

She had a modelling job with a national supermarket chain we had to go to various parts of London 4x for castings, wardrobes etc. The pure expense of train travel, making sure she's fed and watered taken out of the final pay check and train travel for the days of the shoot ( because we wasn't London based travel was only paid for once we reached Central London and they sent cars for us so the longest part of the journey was at my cost in peak travel time) she wasnt up a lot.

I also have a 3 month old baby and would not be signing him up for it the juice isn't worth the squeeze in my opinion and its a hugely saturated market.

Katiescrivens · 10/10/2021 11:07

My son just did a photo shoot, you get a couple of hundred for the day and then that again or a bit more if they use your photos. I believe you can get about a grand if they’re used on the telly

It’s definitely worth doing it whilst your on maternity but isn’t really viable if your working full time

There’s a group on Facebook worth joining to make sure you don’t get scammed (there’s a lot of scammers about)

You shouldn’t have to pay much to join an agency most are free but some charge an admin fee around £30

catzfur · 10/10/2021 11:07

@BunnytheFriendlyDragon studio shoots were in London, location shoots could be anywhere and when out of London I was given my travel expenses back. The location we travelled to most frequently was probably Brighton.
DD could do a couple of jobs a week or nothing for 3 months at a time - it was really variable but she generally worked with the same group of children as they definitely have favourites who they know are reliable.

selfishjeanss · 10/10/2021 11:09

There are many scams out there so be wary. However my DD did it from 8-16 with an agency called Bruce and Brown who were phenomenal. She had lots of straight jobs ( without castings ) and as a young adult at uni, now has a very healthy bank account. Castings we’re usually central or east London and usually one days notice. We tended to dash up after school if she had one. Kids London was another top agency.. both of the two I mentioned preferred you to live within m25. There are some good agencies out of London too though - though maybe not so busy. I agree with what others have said though, it’s as much about personality as looks. My DD was the one who asked to model and I was hesitant. We didn’t have any experiences of sitting waiting in a car at all. Shoots were lots of fun too. Don’t pay any ‘agency’ for a portfolio though. Good luck if you decide to go for it..

catzfur · 10/10/2021 11:12

@selfishjeanss my DD is also uni age, we had the same agent too. DD gave up at 11/12 so they probably crossed paths!

selfishjeanss · 10/10/2021 11:20

@catzfur Smile wow yes more than likely then

WallaceinAnderland · 10/10/2021 11:21

There will be a lot of travel and hanging around for hours. Not sure you will be able to fit that in around full time work.

BlameItOnTheBlackStar · 10/10/2021 11:23

Absolutely loads of people told me DD should be a baby model. I looked into it a bit.

Now when I look back, she was essentially a potato with big blue eyes. I can only imagine I was blinded by the love of a new mother Grin

ArsenicNLace · 10/10/2021 12:04

I would suspect that if you work full time it will be untenable. They will literally ring up to tell you to go to a casting the following day. If you can't regularly get days off at short notice then you just won't manage it.

Planningspringflowers · 10/10/2021 12:06

Admit it though, who hasn’t thought their baby should be on the next pampers advert Blush Grin

DressBitch · 10/10/2021 12:07

PFB?

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