Modelling frequently asked questions

Q Do I need to pay for professional photographs to send to an agency?
A No certainly not, simple snapshots are all you need to be considered. For a Film & TV Extra Agency simple clear black and white snapshots are all you need to be considered

Q Can I have more than one agent?
A Usually the answer is yes in film extra work, plus modelling and entertainment's, provided that you do not have them in the same area such as two in London, better to have one in say London, Brighton, Manchester, etc. However, if you aim to be in a profession which stipulates exclusivity you must be sure of which one agent/ manager is the best for you and do read any contract properly and know what the contract actually means before you ever sign a thing! top

Q There was an advert in my local paper asking for film and TV extra's and models of all ages to join for a fee of £25 is that acceptable?
A No it is not acceptable. We say it every day Do not answer adverts in local papers or free magazines which ask for fee's up front. Although it is not yet illegal for agencies to ask up front fee's. Alba only recommends agencies which do not ask for any fees up front whatsoever. In fact the Government have got so fed up of agencies which set up and shut down having obtained an income by charging up front fee's that it is about to pass a paper through parliament to make it illegal for any agency to do so by summer 2001

Q What is needed to become a film extra?
A There is a need in the industry for all types of people and characters. You will have to be available to drop everything and take the work when it is offered and be well disciplined enough to get up at very early hours to be on location by 6 am or sometimes earlier! Some acting experience can certainly be an advantage. Note that once the new Agencies Act revisions become Law it will be illegal for any agent to charge a fee up front to workers, even to be placed in the casting directory, so do not pay up front fee's, genuine agencies do not ask for them since there is no promise of work! top

Q There is a model competition; but they are asking for entry fees/ deposits of £15 should I pay this?
A No certainly not. Genuine model competitions run by top agencies such as Storm and Select never ask for an entry fee. Stick to the genuine competitions those who do not ask up front fees and those who do not try to sell you anything such as photographs once you have entered

Q How do I get a portfolio to show to agencies before they take me on?
A The point made in Question 2 and 3 is clear. You only need to show snapshot pictures to be considered by an agency. Never fork out money for photographs since you may not be successful in your attempt to join this very competitive profession. Good agencies will, if they feel you have potential, sort out where you should get pictures taken for little or no cost.

For the TV & Film Extra's Industry you only need to show clear black and white snapshot pictures which show you as you truly are (wrinkles, warts n'all) to be considered by a extra's or entertainment's agency. Never fork out large sums of money for photographs since you may not be successful in your attempt to join this very competitive profession. Good agencies will, if they feel you have potential, sort out where you should get pictures taken for little or no cost. See Portfolio Cons on The Alba web site Classicases page

Q What do I need to get my child into modelling?
A The same as in Question 2 & 3 just some snapshot pictures to send to an agency with details of the child a contact telephone number and a self addressed stamped envelope

Q Does my child need a portfolio once taken onto the books of a child agency?
A We have been told by the top child agencies that portfolios are certainly not required for children. Since they would be out of date within weeks if not months because children are ever changing as they grow into small people

Q Are there any Laws concerning my child in the modelling and entertainment's industry?
A YES - Any agency taking your child or teen under the legal school leaving age onto their books should by Law, make sure that you are aware of the Laws concerning the Licensing of those persons under the legal school leaving age. Any genuine agent will know that work undertaken by an Agent with a person under school leaving age which is not licensed is an infringement of the 1976 Employment Business Act concerning Agencies Code of conduct and is also flouting the Law of 1963 Children & Young Persons Act, such unlicensed work is not legal.
This black market and illegal trade in young persons exploits children and their parents. This Law was put in place to ensure the health and education of the young person does not suffer, as well as ensuring that the assignment is held within a safe environment for the young person to be working within. For some time the Laws concerning young persons has been flouted for some time by some agencies and also by clients. But it has now been made clear that the Child Welfare Authorities will not tolerate illegal acts of this nature any longer and a crack down upon those who flout the Law is in place.
The offending client can in fact face prosecution, which can lead to a prison sentence. The offending agency can face prosecution under the Employment Business Act 1976.
We firmly believe as members of The National Child Employment Network Scheme that Children and young persons must be protected, not exploited

Q Why did I have to pay £20 for 4 test shot pictures at the agency I went to?
A You appear to have gone to one, which is making a lucrative income from charging fee's up front for pictures. A roll of film is usually 36 frames and costs say £3.50 trade, so you have paid £20 and probably so have many others 36 divided by 4 is 9 multiply that by £20 = £180 a good income from 1 roll of film

Q As a small person (5 ft 3 ins) I have been turned down many times by model agencies. Why do model agencies stipulate a minimum height for adult males and females?
A This industry is so very competitive that a number of top agencies do insist that their models must be of a minimum height to ensure that the ladies who are of preferred catwalk height do not tower over the male models

Q Are you saying that at 5 ft 3 ins I cannot become a model?
A No what we are saying is that not many agencies will want to take you on for the reason that agencies do foot the bill for getting their models started i.e. the agency pays for the Internet sites and for model directories and so on, therefore, agents want to be fairly sure that they will be able to recover their costs and in this industry there is a greater demand for tall persons. There are some agencies, which will take on a few "petite" female models, however, the demand is not huge and a regular income from this type of modelling is scarce. So most agents specify models should be a minimum height in order to ensure that the agency can get their models a better chance of regular work thus ensuring the agency recovers the costs they initially paid out to get the model started

Q I have been asked to pay £450 up front towards my own web site page by an agency, is that normal?
A Wow that is a huge fee! No fees should be asked for up front whatsoever and we would suggest that this up front fee is very expensive. You could have your own complete web site name purchased and built for you for less! Up front fees will soon be banned by the Government and will illegal whether it is a small fee or a huge

Q What is a portfolio?
A It is your own book of pictures taken of you, which get built up over a period of time. The book of photographs and tear sheets build up as you gain assignments. For example portfolios click the examples opposite

Q What is a tear sheet?
A This is a picture torn out of publications such as catalogues, magazines, leaflets, showing adverts you have appeared in, or examples of magazine front covers. Otherwise known as your working shots

Q Once I go to an agency for an interview what will happen?
A This will be a little bit like a job interview but less formal. Remember to shake the hand of the person who is interviewing you and smile looking at the interviewer in the eyes. You can ask questions such as the commission rate charged by the agency. Any paperwork handed to you should not be signed at that stage, you must take it away, make sure that you read and understand it before you commit yourself to signing any forms or any contract. Genuine agencies will not try to get you to sign forms until you have taken them away first to read them before signing. NB. Parents of young persons under the legal school leaving age, your agency must by Law inform you of the Law concerning licenses. Any work undertaken when the young person is not licensed is not legal and therefore the agency can face prosecution under the 1976 Employment Business Act. The Client will also face prosecution under 1963 Children & Young Persons Act and can receive a prison sentence. This illegal trade in young people will no longer be tolerated by The Child Welfare Authorities and a crack down on agencies and clients which do not adhere to the Law is now in place

Q I paid a fee up front to sign a contract with an agency by post, I am not happy with this agency can I get my money back?
A I expect that there is not a way for you to get your money back, that is why we say do not pay any in the first place. However, if the Agency has not complied with the terms of the contract you may be entitled to a refund

Q What is a Model Index Card?
A This can also be called a Z card or composition (Comp) Card, These are A5 size cards, which have any number of pictures printed upon the card of you. It is like a large business card and upon it is printed your name, agency details and your statistics.

Q What is involved at a casting or audition?
A All the agencies are informed of the times of the auditions or castings for that day. They will have been told what the assignment is going to be. When you telephone into your agency your booker will give you the details of the auditions and castings that you are expected to attend. More often than not the casting/ audition will be held between certain times such as from 10 am to 1pm or 12 noon to 3pm you will probably have to wait in a queue amongst the hundreds of other models who have turned up in the hope of successfully obtaining that assignment. There may be hundreds attending for just one job!

You will be asked to show your portfolio to the person or number of people at the casting/ audition, you may be asked to walk and turn or pose in front of a camera for test shots. You must leave your Model / Comp Card at these things so that the people deciding can remember who they have seen. You will not be told at the casting if you are successful or not. You just have to carry on to the next one and hope for the best. Your agency will be notified if you get the job or if you are optioned

Q What is being optioned?
A This means that the client likes your look but has to decide for sure, so the client asks the agency that you remain available for the assignment just in case. Now this is where a good agency/booker comes in, because if more than one client wants to option you for the same day, your booker will try to ensure you get both jobs by ensuring the dates or times are juggled to fit you if they can be, otherwise the booker will try to secure you at least one of the assignments by letting the client know another client is interested in booking you

Q What is a booker?
A This is the person at the agency who is allocated to look after you and that person (male or female) will do their best to get you as many assignments as they can plus the best fee that they can. So when you telephone or call into the agency you will speak with your booker about anything regarding work, pictures, and especially if you want to book yourself out for a day off, note that you must do this in advance. There is nothing worse than a booker trying to contact a model who has not told the agency that he/ she will not be available for a few days or has gone away on holiday. You will not be in anyone's good books when you get back if you have left a booker and the agency looking a fool to a client

Q Who decides which model or film extra gets the assignment?
A That is usually the client, or someone called the casting director who attends auditions for the client, or in the case of go sees it would be perhaps the assistant fashion editor or fashion editor at a magazine or newspaper. It is never the decision of the agency. In the case of film extra agencies the agent is usually entrusted by the client to decide which extras will be suitable for the assignment

Q How competitive is this industry?
A Very competitive indeed so do not believe that if you are one of the few taken on by an agency you will find instant success, fame and fortune. The outlay to get to and from castings, auditions, go sees can mount up and you still may not have got one assignment so some finances behind you or an evening job are a must at the start. You may even find that the rejection and competitiveness of this industry is not for you ... So do not forfeit education and exams for the sake of this very short-term career

Q I wanted to do some modelling but my real aim is towards the entertainment industry, where do I go for advice?
A Well a lot of the advice for modelling is relevant in the entertainment industry - also check out BECTU's web site

Q I did a Karaoke competition and won I would like to be a professional singer, what do I do next?
A The next step is to find out the full range, strengths and weaknesses of your voice. Proper voice training is essential so that you can learn to utilise this natural instrument without damaging it. Even though the popstars artists now known as "Hearsay" can all sing, they did have specific training to ensure the further development and enrichment of their voices and ensure that they do cause damage

Q I want to do Glamour modelling are their any height restrictions?
A No - make sure that you take on board all the information on this site it is relevant to the Glamour industry also. Do not try to go it alone in this side of the modelling industry, get a good agency there are a lot of rogues out there. So be e

Q When do I get paid?
A Only once you have completed assignments and then it can take some time for the client to pay the agency. In most cases agencies do adhere to the Law, which states that the agency must pay the worker within 10 days of receipt of payment from the client, provided the worker has not agreed to other payment terms in writing. In other words you should get paid 10 days after the client pays the agency, however, if you have signed a contract which states you will not get paid for 3 months, then you will have to wait for the time you have agreed with your agency. SO be very careful and make sure that you read every part of any contract you are asked to sign especially concerning payment! We have heard from parents of children who signed a contract with an agent, which allowed that agency to hold onto workers money for 6 months, none of the parents had read the contract properly before signi

Q What is a release form?
A This is a legally binding document which states particular and specific terms which when signed by the worker can permit the holder to use information or photographic pictures, video or film footage provided by the worker in a shoot or assignment or even a Television interview. Do not ever sign one without reading it first and understanding how this release of your pictures will affect you or even your child! We have heard of terrible cases where parents singed a model release form, not knowing what they are signing at a photo shoot; then the photographer used the pictures with the signed permission by way of the release form upon undesirable sites abroad. So do please make sure that you read what you are asked to sign be it for yourself or for a child!! top

Q I joined an agency one month ago and I have not had any work, is that normal?
A Yes it is because this is not an ordinary 9 to 5 m job, it is also highly competitive, and it can take some time before work comes in. There are no promises that because an agency takes you on that you will succeed, which is why there should not be any up front fee's to pay to agencies in order to be represented by them. NO work, NO fee ensures that agencies will only take on those that they believe the agency can find work for, whereas if a fee is paid up front no -one will be turned down since the agency charging fee's to anyone and everyone will create an income from that alone, which leaves no incentive to find their workers any assignments

Q My agency wants me to go "on loan" to another agency abroad, what does that mean?
A Your agency has been asked by another agency for you to go and work with them and it will be agreed between these agencies that they share the commission gained from finding you assignments through the agency you are loaned to. It can be a great opportunity to travel abroad and see other countrie

Q How do I class myself for the Inland Revenue Tax purposes?
A You are classed as self employed so for that reason you will need to ensure that you are aware of the tax laws for self certification. A good agency will help you with this and you can help yourself by looking at the Internet site www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk or by calling your local Inland Revenue Office or their evening and weekend help line service on: 0845-9000-444

Q How do I get into drama school?
A First you have to apply, The National Council for Drama Training, Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SS. Make sure that you supply a self addressed and stamped envelope with your letter of enquiry! top

Q Is drama school the only way I can get into acting?
A No, you can go to a University and study for a degree in Drama or Theatre Studies. But although some of these may include some practical work these courses are mainly academic so once completed you may have to consider a vocational course. Otherwise you may decide to undertake a University degree in some other subject such as a degree in English or other subjects such as Law or History and then after that, take a postgraduate course at drama school. You can certainly ask you careers advisor

Q I have heard that Butlin's Holiday Parks run a training academy is that true?
A Yes and you can apply although there will be a lot of competition. Those who are successful and complete the course go on to work exclusively for the Butlin's Holiday Parks, many of Butlin's entertainment managers and executives originally started from the entertainment stage floor, so there is scope to rise to an executive level within this field

Q I have been asked to pay £450 up front towards my own web site page by an agency, is that normal?
A Wow that is a huge fee! No fees should be asked for up front and we would suggest that fee it is very expensive. You could have your own web site name purchased and build your own site for less! Up front fees will soon be banned by the Government and will illegal

Q What is involved at a casting or audition?
A All the agencies are informed of the times of the auditions or castings for that day. They will have been told what the assignment is going to be. When you telephone into your agency you will give you the details of the auditions and castings that you are expected to attend. More often than not the casting/ audition will be held between certain times such as from 10 am to 1pm or 12 noon to 3pm you will probably have to wait in a queue amongst the hundreds of others who have turned up in the hope of successfully obtaining that assignment. There may be hundreds attending for just one job!
You will not always be told at the audition or casting if you are successful or not. You just have to carry on to the next one and hope for the best. If you are not told at the audition, your agency will only be notified if you do get the job

Q What should I take with me for my audition?
A This will depend on the type of audition; your agency should have given you an idea of what you are auditioning for and whether certain types of look as a character or songs would be more suitable, always make sure that you have shoes which you can utilise for dance just in case you are asked to perform. Always take a good book to read a newspaper or a personal CD to listen to, as you may have to wait some time before you are seen

Q I have been doing dancing and singing since I was small but my real aim is towards the Modelling industry, where do I go for advice?
A Well a lot of the advice for modelling is relevant in the entertainment industry do check out the rest of our Alba Model Information web site.

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