*Child Modelling Sept 08*

[MelodyDaisy]

Just thought we should start a September thread

Keeping my fingers crossed for everyone on UAN, hope it's good news and acceptance's all round

Hellfire,did mamas and papas and britains next top model with ak babies,also prima baby.
Yes they get a lot of tv and are good for older kids but she gets the same briefs as the other agents as when i was chatting to her about my older ones she was telling me she had briefs from mothercare,cow & gate and elc and was also searching for a newborn.
Bubblegums owner Heather was a lovely lady,we were with her(eldest dd when age 1-5yrs)dd had loads of work at one point had jobs/castings 3 times a week.We stopped when left london and i was so upset when i found out she had died(tried to rejoin) i really hope they get it back on track as it was once up there at the very top.Blimey,we have been with lots of agents

Hey all ... just found this thread as I'm currently in the same situation as HellFire (I think ), my 20-month-old DD has been accepted by ES and BK (turned down by B&B, but they were the only three agencies I submitted her photos to, so 2 out of 3 isn't bad ), and I have no idea which of the two to go with. I only started this out of curiosity - as with probably all you ladies I guess, my wee lassie has always got comments about how lovely she is, etc etc, and I was just curious to see what the "professionals" thought. Now she's been accepted by two of the agencies, I'm wondering what I've started ... !

HellFire, did you decide on which agency to go with? I know (in my case) that both ES and BK are reputable, but of course the downside to ES is the startup cost, and to BK I've heard they have lots of children on their books so perhaps my DD would get less work there? I just don't know! How does one decide which agency to go with, if both are good? I read here that ES has more work for babies, which is great, but DD is 2 years old at the start of Jan and I'd hate for her to get work up until then and then nothing (if that's what might happen with ES). But then if BK are so very bizzy with lots of kids on their books, perhaps she wouldn't get much work out of them?

Heeeeelllllppppp .... !

Both dc's just been accepted with Eurokids, I am delighted of course.
but,

Does everyone get accepted jut for the fee if you know what I mean.

don't want to burst my bubble but want to be realistis to.

Apply to some more agencies first!!

MOT
Kids London
Urban Angels (books open soon I think)
AK

We live in merseyside, so limited to who we can use really.

Lemonlady - apply to loads that way you find out if there is a real chance of child getting work you can see from teh thread that Kids London, Elisabeth Smith, Bruce and Brown (if they ever respond) are selective. Others can add more to that list.

Melodydaisy - don't think any of the ones that have accepted us are high fashion but don't care! It wouldn't be a deciding factor. Well it might have been given that I can' decide! Would have thought ES as the most established would do high end - maybe a more trendy newer look agency gets the same in its work? Don't think babies would be going abroad would they? Nice thought though!

Arianrhod - nope! Everytime I think I've decided someone changes my mind! I though AK were out of the picture but they are so back in!!

Totallyfloaty - that's interesting - when I emailed Motehrcare recently to ask which agencies they used AK was not one of them!?

Still undecided. ES would appear to be good for babies photgraphic (and I think babies would get more photo than tv work - anyone?) and AK, Bizzykids are more tv? Also Rascals an option but little info to be found on them. Ignoring cost who would be the best?? i.e. get the most offers - evn though I don't want to do loads lol!!!! What's the position if you turn stuff down (hark at me not having actually been offerred anything!)

lemonlady I'm pretty certain MOT takes children from all over the country, and how about Boss in Manchester, wouldn't that be easier?

We have a casting today at 18:30!!

HellFire out of those agencies I'd definitely go with AK as they have decent start up costs, they don't seem to have loads of kids and they definitely have work, dd had a catalogue job the other day and kids were from KL, AK and NC, at one point we almost signed with them. Good luck!

Re AK - someone has just posted that they take a high percentage of the earnings - hidden in the t & c which I haven't seen yet! ES is 25% what is AKs?

Ichef - why didn't you??? KL I suppose?! They certanly are one of the top ones looking on here. Good luck with the casting!

Just got this from another forum! Melody - Totally - just as I was swinging towards AK..!!
From AK's "Terms and Conditions" document, in the "Booking Fee & Agency Fee" section, it says:

The Agency?s fees for Photographic Modelling and TV work abroad are the applicable Model Rates plus a supplement of twenty per cent. Both agency fees and model fees will be invoiced by the agent. Unless otherwise agreed at the time of the booking the model disbursement is included at 62.5% and the agent?s fee at 37.5% of the invoice total. VAT and any agreed expenses will be added where appropriate

If I recall correctly the ratio with ES is 80/20 and with BK it's 75/25 .... so 62.5/37.5 seems very high to me ...

Anyone??! This is more difficult than doing my tax return which I should be doing!

Lemonlady, Boss in Manchester is the northern one that gets most recommendations. There's also Tuesday's Child in Macclesfield.

AK's fees for work in UK are 25% like the majority on London Agents. I should imagine that work abroard(would not occur often, perhap's never at all!) fees would not be too disimilar to other agents.

If I were you I would concentrate on the figures for UK and most will be 25% fees.

You'll find the right agency for you soon

Ichef-Good Luck!! My DS1 has a casting today too! Wonder if it's same one? We are going to near Leicester Square, you?

DS1 has a GREAT casting on Thursday for a tv show, now that would be cool

Melody - back to undecided AGAIN!

Think it's between AK and ES. AK seem to have more kids work than babies though? AK more tv and baby is more photo which ES get moe of? Is that right?

Lots of luck for the casting - what's the show?!

Es have LOADS of babies over 100 of them, AK only have a few in any age group really and would get as much opportunity to put babies, or other ages forward for castings as the next agency really, it's all down to what a client is looking for
Alot of the other agencies are the same with getting the info on these castings too, not just AK.

Melody
Sorry - what's the last line mean?
Does each agency put all the babies forward at every request from a lcient? In which case it makes absoloutely no odds which agency you go with does it?!
Do you know about tv/photo for babies with AK?

HellFireandDamnation - i took my dd to a mcmillan casting in aug and there was lots of babies there from ak. they were matched up as families and ak had quite a few where they had already matched up the families with ak children and parents.

when my dd did her one job with ts - she worked with a two year old from es.

i think most of the agents you have mentioned that you are deciding about i have seen at castings so they do get the work.

good luck to all with castings this week

Oh I don't know!

ES ask for a family shot - I'm not photogenic! Luckily lo only has my eyes! They say they get asked for families sometimes - a good reason NOT to go with them! Lol!

I wish I was going to see you all at castings but when I eventually decide(!) you've all got different ages to mine so probably won't!

HellFireandDamnation as far as I know ES are quite an old fashioned agency and clients go to them when they want more classical looking babies rather than quirkey looking kids. My ds is with B&B and has so far done a few jobs for M&S. All of the babies we have met at the jobs have also been with B&B.

I'm saying that it will unltimately come down to the child being put forward as most of the London Agents will have info on castings to put right kids forward really. Only you can decided

P.S. Ak asked me to do a family shot with kids but I said no way! lol Like yourself, I am not photogenic at all and I aint going nowhere near the camera

goingfor 3
Have you seen the babies on ES website - I wouldn't say all of them are classical and not quirky!

Melody - sorry being thick - the agent chooses which ones to put forward? So therefore you are better off with an agency that has less on their books. Which would be AK. Having a nice email exchange with Kimberley asking lots very helpful - think I might be making my decision...!!

Beautiful children on the AK website.

Who said they had their child in Annabel Karmel's book? Nice one well done.

Hellfire,ring ak and es and ask who their recent clients have been.See who you get on better with.

That was me,baby is in 12-18month section of baby food planner(think thats what its called,i should know by now really as did buy 4 copies )

Totally -currently emailing AK - ES told me to phone (emailed them loooooooong list of questions!) Certainly like emailing Kimberely seems nice.
Will they be honest in their recent client list????

Hi ladies! Am presuming no-one has yet got their UAN contracts through? I got the email from Sarah re the letter headed paper but not about bank account details, did everyone get this?

Also, quite an important question I maybe should have asked earlier, do any of you mums work part or full time and if so do you find this a problem with castings/ jobs etc? Thanks!