Model Agency Agreements: Things You Should Know
When working as a model it is often asked to "sign" with an agency; which basically means you agree to be represented by that company, often exclusively for that state or region. As a Florida based licensed Agent and past talent I want to provide an outlook from an agency's view to better educate upcoming or established talent.
Business is about providing a service and/or product while establishing
and maintaining viable working relationships. My first advice for a model is to
find out what type of clientele an agency works with before seeking
representation. Not every model or talent is appropriate for every agency. The
concept of a model especially in fashion is one of beauty and almost being
unobtainable. As a model, your commodity is your look as well as your talent
(runway, etc).
Let us for a moment switch roles if you will. If you were a
client, looking to hire a model to represent your company or product, and
researched several agencies in the area. One model you feel best represents
your vision and happen to come across their photos on multiple agency websites.
Wouldn't you as a business person then try to shop for the best price or
negotiate the most cost effective price? In a down economy and highly
competitive field with assignments hard to secure, doesn't this as a model seem
counter productive? An agency needs the leverage to properly negotiate the
terms and rates for that assignment. If a client decides to merely work with
another agency for the same model at a lesser rate, it is detrimental not only
to the model but the market as a whole.
When it comes to casting, there are several different ways
an agent will submit talent for a project. When a Casting Director or client
receives multiple submissions from different agencies but showcase the same
model, this opens the door for conflict. As an agency owner, why would I want
to put all my efforts into a talent that is either never available to take
bookings through me or that is potentially hurting my business.
Some markets require an exclusive agreement in order to be
represented. Talent may have one agent per market and book assignments on a
national or international level. In Florida, a talent is an independent
contractor in a right to work state. Although the talent is allowed to seek
assignments, an agency may not wish to represent that individual. An agent's
objective is to develop, introduce, and manage a talent's efforts. An agency
provides protection, proper negotiation, and navigating the talent to their
goals. The bottom line is that modeling is still a business with the intent to
make money. An agent makes a commission from when a talent secures an
assignment, so it would behoove an agency to work with talent that they feel
would best fit their clientele. The product (the models) should reflect the
agencies vision and provide an aura of specialty and uniqueness. What is unique
about a talent that can be found on every port available?
A talent will combat that they will get more opportunity to
be with several agencies, I know, I was one. However, my thought process was I
would rather work smart and land assignments that are going to be more
lucrative and beneficial to my career instead of working lesser assignments and
burning bridges along the way. My advice is to determine where you
realistically fit into the industry and who will provide the path for you. Work
smart, work honest, and communication will help you decide what best fits your
needs. Visit https://fabussemodels.com/
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