If there’s one question I get asked a million times it’s definitely “how can I get my child into modeling?”. As a mom that’s had their children dabble in the industry over the years, I’m finally ready to write down my tips and experiences so that I have a guide readily available to help other parents when this question comes up.
Headshot option to submit to agencies
The Do’s & Don’ts
There’s a lot of misinformation on the internet about how to get into child modeling and acting. For those of us that have kids in the industry we can all agree that paying to participate is not how it’s done. If a company or agency requires you to pay a fee for their services I would run far far away. The agency(‘s) your child ultimately signs to, gets paid once you book a job through them – NOT BEFORE. Most agencies will take 10-20% of your earnings as their fee for being your talent scout. They find all of the potential opportunities, you go out and audition, and if everything goes well and you book the gig – you get PAID. Not a bad deal at all right?
Here’s another DON’T you want to avoid when you’re first starting out. Please don’t go out and spend a load of money on professional photos. I get that you want to present your best foot forward but the agencies can see if your child is a good fit or not with a regular, no frills, kind of photo. There will be plenty of time once you get signed to an agency to get professional photo’s. In the beginning, feel free to use your smart phone’s camera. Make sure you take the photos in the daytime for optimal lighting and have a clear and clean background.
Avoid photo’s with multiple people in them, each child should have their own photo. Make sure your child’s face is clearly visible, no hats or sunglasses. Avoid bathing suit and nude photo’s no matter how cute you think your child looks. A plain shirt and bottoms will do and be sure the child’s hair is neatly combed. Take three clear photo’s – head shot, full length and a personality photo and you should be all set to submit your child online.
Out with the old way, In with the new
Times have changed and so has the industry. No longer do you have to mail in photo’s or wait until a face to face meeting or interview with talent agencies to get on their radar. Simply log onto their website and submit your child’s photo online!
Here are TEN reputable FLORIDA agencies I know and trust:
Alexa Model & Talent Management (www.alexamodels.com)
Benz Models & Talent Agency (www.benzmodels.com)
Level Talent Group (www.leveltalentgroup.com)
Bailey’s Entertainment Group (baileyseg.com)
Premier Talent Agency (premier-talent.org)
Briana Michel Agency (www.brianamichel.com)
Azuree Model & Talent (www.azureetalent.com)
Heinz Castings & Productions (www.heatherheinz.com)
Seven Model & Talent (www.sevenmodel.com)
The Diamond Agency (www.thediamondagency.com)
Is it worth your time?
It’s worth noting that most of the Florida opportunities will be in Orlando, Tampa Bay and the Miami area. So if you don’t live close to these areas please consider your time and effort it would take for you to make it to an audition. If you have a flexible schedule, your kids are homeschooled, you work from home or are a SAHM then you may have the time to take on the casting industry. Just know that the notifications on opportunities are usually short and primarily during the week during school hours. Also, be prepared for the downside of going to auditions and not booking the deal. Keep it positive to ensure a healthy self-esteem balance to help them feel good about themselves so they can be ready for the next opportunity.
You’ve been signed to an agency, Now what?
It’s time to get those professional photo’s done. Having great photo’s let’s the agency know you’re taking the job seriously and helps the clients in the selection process. Here’s five reputable photographer’s I highly recommend:
Thank you so much for reading my blog post. Let me know in the comments if this post was helpful. Don’t forget to share with a friend!
Love this Kiva, you are amazing at what you do. I grew up modeling as a child all the way up until I got married on Virginia this is totally on point.