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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

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Original poster

14 year old scouted for modeling

46 replies

TheMumOfThree · 26/07/2022 12:50

My 14 year old daughter was scouted by a modeling agency while on a school trip to London. They are due to call me this week to discuss the details. Does anyone have any experience of this please. She is excited and it is obviously a great confidence booster but I am sceptical.

OP posts:

legalseagull · 26/07/2022 12:52

Be careful they don't try to make her pay for a portfolio. Common scam. Which agency is it?

Bigwetdog · 26/07/2022 12:53

What's the agency? Does it look reputable?

MolliciousIntent · 26/07/2022 12:53

99.999999% chance it's a scam. They'll get you to come in for "headshots" and they'll do the shoot for free and then charge you a bunch of cash for any prints you want, plus a big signing fee, and then you'll never hear from them again.

Worst case scenario it's a grooming thing. DO NOT let her go anywhere with any of them without you.

On the very slim chance that it is legit, do your research. Reviews, trustpilot, etc.

Bigwetdog · 26/07/2022 12:54

Ask what jobs they'd expect to get her, how it would fit with school, who would and should accompany her, what percentage they take etc.

Unbored · 26/07/2022 12:55

Which agency? Obviously research it.
Children and adults agencies work different - is it child or adult?

CantaloupeMelon · 26/07/2022 12:56

This has happened to my DD twice. It's not that she is especially beautiful, but she is very tall and slim. To be honest I threw the cards in the bin.

HolidaysAreComingIsh · 26/07/2022 12:58

Theres a Facebook group- parents of child models U.K. it’s brilliant for giving advice about who to avoid, which companies are scams, what to wear, how to take photos for portfolios (if the agency asks you to pay them for photos, its a scam!). Definitely worth having a look on there

AlexandriasWindmill · 26/07/2022 13:13

Have you researched the agency to see if they are legitimate? There are lots of 'scouts' who are a scam. Really they're selling photo sessions so they'll say you need a portfolio and have to pay for it. Then you never hear anything else.

Genuine agencies do also scout on the street (eg Kate Moss was scouted) but that's much rarer than the scam ones.

knittingaddict · 26/07/2022 13:13

Objectively is she tall, slim and have an interesting/attractive face? If the answer to the first and second is a no then I don't think it's genuine unfortunately.

sleepyhoglet · 26/07/2022 13:15

What are her thoughts on it? If you say a downright no is she going to be annoyed with you. Research and tell her what you found out

knittingaddict · 26/07/2022 13:15

My eldest got stopped in our city centre once by someone claiming to be scouting for models. No idea if it was genuine because she was more interested in getting food on her lunch break and told them so. 😀

sunglassesonthetable · 26/07/2022 13:18

If you've got an idea she might be model material ( basically tall and skinny ).

Look up the agency and see what work they do. You can go with her to the agency, meet the bookers and see for yourself if it's reputable. They won't ask you to pay for stuff.

Eleusa · 26/07/2022 13:26

DS was scouted (by a reputable agency)- they made a point of saying they never charge for pictures etc and advised him to avoid any agency which did (or which charged for other things eg admin fees)- money should only flow from the agency to the model not the other way round. If you have any concerns at all, don't go ahead. Look the agency up online and also have a look at their social media, check address details etc.

There are likely to be a number of steps between where you are and getting signed (DS is part way through the process). After talking to you they may want you to send more photos (home snaps are fine, don't use filters), then to come in for a chat and more shots, or they may go straight to coming in. Those pictures are then reviewed. At any of these stages the agency can decide not to proceed so it's a good idea to manage your DD's expectations about the process and be sure she understands that being scouted doesn't automatically mean being taken on. With DS we've been trying to talk about it as something that is positive in itself- if it leads to work that's a bonus, if it doesn't then it's still a nice thing to have happened. Not being signed doesn't mean not being good looking enough- there are countless reasons why someone may not be signed which are more likely to be to do with the agency's commercial direction and needs than anything to do with the potential model.

lunar1 · 26/07/2022 13:27

They approached a child on a school trip? I don't like that on its own.

My children do some modelling and acting work, they are with an agency. I can't imagine a reputable agency just approaching teenagers in the streets.

Sandra1984 · 26/07/2022 13:27

I'm a photographer and have shot models for many years. Scouting girls on the street is very very common, fact is most of the top models thats how they got scouted. I have no idea how your daughter looks and if she's modelling material or not. Like other posters said it's also a pretty common scam: you tell a girl she's the next Kate Moss and get her and mom very excited, then you charge her 1000 pounds for a portfolio in a professional studio and never hear from said "agency" again or maybe you do and it's for two castings a year.

The offer may be legit or not. Find out their webpage, take a look and see the labels they work for, google them and see what people say about them and (most important): make sure they're not going to charge you for a professional portfolio.

takeitandleaveit · 26/07/2022 13:29

Bona-fide agencies are usually so overwhelmed with applications, they rarely ever need to go out looking. So I'd take this with a huge pinch of salt.

I'd also be very concerned at how some random stranger could approach a teenage girl whilst she was on a school trip, and that it would go unnoticed by the school staff.

Eleusa · 26/07/2022 13:31

Bona-fide agencies are usually so overwhelmed with applications, they rarely ever need to go out looking

This isn't true- it's absolutely standard to scout. But it's definitely true that lots of "scouts" are actually scammers of one sort or another.

sashagabadon · 26/07/2022 13:35

it could be genuine if your daughter is tall and slim and "model material"?
Also if she was in a trendy part of London at the time

One of my dd's friends gets approached regularly by scouts when out and about in central London, started from age 14 and still now on occasion. She is very tall and slim and has what I would call an young elfish look. I can see why she is "model material".
She did go with her mum to one agency back when she was first approved about 5 years ago - think it was Models One which is a genuine agency and had photos taken and got a few gigs but then gave it up as school work took over and her mum became fed up acting as her (unpaid!) escort. She did make a few thousand at the time however.

sashagabadon · 26/07/2022 13:40

this friend actually got offered a job in Brandy melville just from someone approaching her on the street. This was also a genuine offer as she worked there for about a year at weekends. She just has the "look"

sunglassesonthetable · 26/07/2022 13:41

Bona-fide agencies are usually so overwhelmed with applications, they rarely ever need to go out looking. So I'd take this with a huge pinch of salt.

This isn't true.

Agencies know what they're looking for. Not usually the hopefuls sending stuff in.

sunglassesonthetable · 26/07/2022 13:42

Scouting is a bona fide way some models are found.

Unfortunately scammers do it too.

sashagabadon · 26/07/2022 13:47

I think you have to be honest with yourself - is your daughter very tall, slim and likely to be a potential clothes / face model - if yes then could be genuine so research etc.
If not then likely scam.

KangFang · 26/07/2022 14:07

takeitandleaveit · 26/07/2022 13:29

Bona-fide agencies are usually so overwhelmed with applications, they rarely ever need to go out looking. So I'd take this with a huge pinch of salt.

I'd also be very concerned at how some random stranger could approach a teenage girl whilst she was on a school trip, and that it would go unnoticed by the school staff.

Totally incorrect.

Agencies scout in public all the time.
A number of top models including Naomi Campbell and Gisele Bunchen were scoured in the street.

KangFang · 26/07/2022 14:08

scouted

Randomthoughts992 · 26/07/2022 14:27

Lots of people get scouted just be aware of the signs of the scam. Often they will invite you to take photos for a portfolio and then after ask you for the money for the photos and makeup etc friend of mine were asked for £500 after the photoshoot. she had wasted money and time getting up to london for this makeup hair and photoshoot and left with no photos.

They said she was paying for them to advertise her portfolio and keep the photos.

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