State Licensed Agent says on 2004-04-21 20:57:49 about Big Boys and Little Boys
I've been an Agent in my part of the country for over 14 years. My city is a small to mid-sized market, nieghboring a city that has most of the "Big Boy" agencies.

My biggest frustration as a "Little Boy" agent, is that everyone assumes that if a potential model isn't "Big Boy" material, they can't work as a professional i.e. "PAID" model. Which is totally untrue.

There are thousands of working models all across this country, making a moderate living, or at least a healthy secondary income in small local markets everyday.

The Big Boy agents ARE NOT the do all and end all of this industry. They are actually a very small part of it, albeit, a very publicly visual small part.

In the past I have taken some of my talent to the Big Boys, and listened to their banter on why she can't work, only to take her across town, the same day and have her cast in a paid television commercial.

There is this presumption that unless you have a $100,000.00 contract you aren't a serious model. Which is totally wrong. The Big Boy agents have their niche, which probably accounts for about 10% of the modeling work in the United States.

The fact is a MODEL is an advertising tool, NOT a NAME. As an agent I could care less about the supermodels like Cindy Crarwford. They do their thing but it doesn't effect my clients. My clients, mostly small local ad agencies and commercial photographers, have stated to me that their clients, mostly mom and pop business people, can't afford to pay the models from the Big Boys in the neighboring city. My clients welcome the variety of looks I offer them. Of course there are those models that get more calls than others, but my clients are happy with my offerings of different shapes, looks, and sizes.

Another thing that is frustrating, is the myth that a legit agent pays for the models pictures, book and comp. Again propagated by the Big Boys, in their million dollar offices with their nose so far up their butts they have no clue what goes on in the rest of the country. Sure, if a model is making $10,000 or more per ramp show, I think that agency can afford to pay for the models pix. What really stinks about that deal, is that the Big Boy agent is only fronting the money, i.e a LOAN, to the model, which the model ultimately pays back out of her earnings. With all the bucks these Big Guys have you would think they'd just give the model her pix. Afterall they're going to make a bundle off the girl.

NOW, back to reality, small town America. There is no way as an agent I can afford to front money for photos to every person who walks through my door. My models are making $50 to $100 an hour, at 10% that's $5 to $10 an hour for me, sure you ad in the client's side and I am making about the same as the model, however I can't support paying for 200 plus models photos at that rate.

The bottom line is, if a model wants to try for a TOPS agency, she take a 2 hour ride to the neighboring city and get her pix paid for, if shes what the TOPS consider "Model Material". But what if they turn her down, which they probably will. Should she come home with her tail between her legs and give up.

That same girl could walk in my door, but, she'll have to pay for her photos...yes PAY. The TFP (time for prints) thing just doesn't fly for modeling photos. I DO need consistency in the photos my models use for their book and comp.

I send them to reputable commercial photographers. These guys want to be paid, they are not in business to go broke trying to get new models into business. Sometimes they will TEST with a girl, that is, TFT (time for time) the model gives the photographer their time, the photographer gives the model his time. I can't understand why a nobody model thinks that she should be PAID in PRINTS for her time, and the photographer gets nothing but the PRIVLEDGE of taking her picture. That whole TFP thing is unbalanced. Think about it, these photographers have studios filled with 10s of thousands of dollars worth of equipment and props. They pay rent or mortgages on their studios or buildings, plus all the other expenses of being in business, and under the TFP premise these wannabe models are expecting not only the photographers time, and studio, but prints for the wannabes book.

The TFP is a myth, I know there are photographers that willingly do it, (and the model usually ends up naked), but, as a business person, regulated by the state, I as an agent have to deal with reputable photographers. So the newbie model has to pay for her own photography. And, unfortunately it isn't cheap. Usually around $2000.00 by the time book and comp are ready to be circulated to my clients so I can TRY and get the model booked. There are never any guarentees of work. All I can do is keep pushing their look on my clients and hope they hit. Another thing is that the book is never done, they have to be updating the book constantly, meaning new photos all the time.

So, you don't have to be Big Boy material, to be a professional (paid, non nude) model. There are legit agencies that will work with a variety of looks. And, book models for advertising and catalog work. But, you will have to burden your own expenses for your tools of the trade (book and comp).

I just wish the Big Boys and their 10% marketshare prophecies, would shut up and realize that 90% of the country is outside of New York, Miami, Chicago, and LA.

Lisa says on 2004-04-21 02:25:10 about
""Young people, especially females, are driven by a common dream to become famous, successful and rich.""--I don't agreee.
Y is this on the front page? Is it about materialism? Fishing for controversy by publishing half finished articles?
Did I miss some of this articel somewhere? I looked back through it two more times and can't find who Shares is or what TFP is. I think you unwittingly portrayed women very dully here. If Shares is a former model or something, say so, because that is the angle this story is missing.