[cologne_rocks]

On their homepage it says they're scouting models to walk fashion shows in New York this season.... says it all... really painful to read.

[saturnine]

can anyone recommend a reputable (the best) commercial model agent in london/the uk?

I did a Google search and only came up with Sandra Reynolds; anyone know anything about them?

thanks

[myown]

does anyone know a page about castings in germany?

[cologne_rocks]

^ www.goSee.de

^^ Union London, IMG London..... I don't think London has a top commercial agency a la Metropolitan Paris.

[Fontenrose]

NY Time article "Poor Models. Seriously."
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/15/op...tyle&seid=auto

Quote:

The truth is, modeling epitomizes the kind of precarious job that, since the 1990s, has been spreading from the informal labor market into traditionally more secure workplaces, like the retail and service industries...

...

Quote:

Sara Ziff, a model working with Fordham University’s Fashion Law Institute, has formed a nonprofit group called the Model Alliance that hopes to give models a platform to organize for workplace protections. At a minimum, it would be a space for them to share information about how much jobs pay and agencies charge. Models are so disorganized as a work force that, when a class-action lawsuit brought by models against their agencies was settled at $22 million in 2005, the court couldn’t find enough models to claim the damages.

[Fontenrose]

"A Model Life" ABC documentary showing three prospective models with their mother agent (also Karlie Kloss's mother agent) but only one is ready to go to NY fashion week. One segment warns of promoters, who get paid to round up models (even underage) to get free dinners and drinks in nightclubs. Another segment warns about a famous photographer and his requests for sexual favours. Other interesting points: agencies charge models for lots of things, and the model is left owing them money and getting only $120 per week advance, the model is put on a skin prescription (sounds like accutane from the side effects), and of course the body measurements issue.

Part one: http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/vide...tline-14524006

Part two: http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/vide...tline-14524031

Part three: http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/vide...tline-14524065

Part four: http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/vide...tline-14524141

Part five: http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/vide...tline-14524193

Also, the mother agency "Mother Model Management" was horrified by how the show just portrayed the dark side of the industry, so they had a rebuttal on their web site:
http://www.mothermodelmanagement.com...tory-back.html

[bothsidesnow]

^ What really upsets me is that the happy smiley "caring" Mary and Geoff Clark will take 10% of the gross earnings from every job these girls get - model expenses won't matter to them. (in fact you could argue that the higher they are the better it is for them as it forces the girls to work more to pay off their debt).

Indebted servitude are 2 words that every model (in particular high fashion model) entering New York really needs to understand.

Thank you Fontenrose for those links.

[wednesdays child]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bothsidesnow ^ What really upsets me is that the happy smiley "caring" Mary and Geoff Clark will take 10% of the gross earnings from every job these girls get - model expenses won't matter to them. (in fact you could argue that the higher they are the better it is for them as it forces the girls to work more to pay off their debt). Indebted servitude are 2 words that every model (in particular high fashion model) entering New York really needs to understand. Thank you Fontenrose for those links.

A bit of a double standard.. You expect model agents to work for free? .. Now that would be indentued servitude..

[bothsidesnow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wednesdays child A bit of a double standard.. You expect model agents to work for free? .. Now that would be indentued servitude..

^ No, I didn't say that, but regarding scouts... Call me an idealist but I think a system where they receive a percentage of her net income (after all her expenses have been taken) would be more appropriate. This way the scout benefits only when the model does, and this would force the scout to be very selective as to which agency they send their girl to - hopefully not one that makes money out of inflating her expenses...

What do you think?

[fritmayo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bothsidesnow ^ No, I didn't say that, but regarding scouts... Call me an idealist but I think a system where they receive a percentage of her net income (after all her expenses have been taken) would be more appropriate.

well...it is easy, if scout ou mother comission would be paid on net money earned by model...there would just be NO scout and No mother agent, as it just could not be viable.

everyone know that in modeling the percentage of model actualy earning anything is very very small, so let's say a mother agent has 20 girls workings, maybe 4 earns something net, you really think the 4 would be enough to make live a scout or a mother agency structur?

[cologne_rocks]

^I completely agree.

[bothsidesnow]

^^ do you think there aren't agencies in NYC that run-up their models' expenses, overcharge them for basic things like accommodation, and generate a substantial additional income out of it?

If mother agents / scouts only received a percentage of a model's net income, of course there would be some structural changes! There'd be fewer scouts, fewer agents, fewer models for a start - everybody would be more selective - is that necessarily a bad thing??

Quote:

Originally Posted by fritmayo everyone know that in modeling the percentage of model actualy earning anything is very very small, so let's say a mother agent has 20 girls workings, maybe 4 earns something net, you really think the 4 would be enough to make live a scout or a mother agency structur?

there lies the crux of the problem - everyone's worried about their cut, no-one really gives a sh!t about the models! (just as long as they appear to be making money to the fans and everyone else)

[fritmayo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bothsidesnow If mother agents / scouts only received a percentage of a model's net income, of course there would be some structural changes! There'd be fewer scouts, fewer agents, fewer models for a start - everybody would be more selective - is that necessarily a bad thing?? there lies the crux of the problem - everyone's worried about their cut, no-one really gives a sh!t about the models! (just as long as they appear to be making money to the fans and everyone else)

I think you have a deep missunderstading of how things works.
A LOT of girls who dont earn anything are just...happy like that. Happy to be abroad, to travel, to have the parties...

for the ones who are not happy, well, they can just quit modeling, and some do, no big deal, really.

[MyFavorite]

^Exactly!As the Mother Model Management said: "THE 1990'S CALLED & THEY WANT THEIR MODEL NEWS STORY BACK"

[Fontenrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fritmayo everyone know that in modeling the percentage of model actualy earning anything is very very small, so let's say a mother agent has 20 girls workings, maybe 4 earns something net, you really think the 4 would be enough to make live a scout or a mother agency structur?

I somehow doubt the young girls realize, as apparently 'everyone' does, that there is not much money in modeling (at least for them).

So, girls, unless your family is rich or famous (rich and famous is best), and you can regard modeling as a high-status pretend job, forget it.