A Quick Look at Actual Modeling & Talent Agency Contracts

I've talked a lot about modeling contracts and I know that this almighty document is one that many of you aspiring models may be wondering about. Lucky for you, I was able to find some actual contracts that you can read. I will state, however, that each agency has its own modeling contract drawn up and not all of them contain the same things. The only way you can get a real modeling contract in your hands is to either work at an agency or be a model who is about to sign one. Other than that, the majority of agencies keep their contracts confidential, and with good reason--not only do they want to keep the terms of their working relationship with their models safe, they also don't want the competition to see it. Lots of legal stuff involved there.

I have a copy of a modeling contract, which is a SAMPLE--that means it isn't a contract from an existing agency--it's more so a template of what a typical contract will look like and a great way for you to get familiar with just what agencies expect of you. I have also included a contract from a talent agency, which is an actual contract from an existing agency--Cast Images, which is a talent agency in Northern California. Remember, talent agencies represent both models and actors and if you are interested in both, I highly recommended finding representation through a TALENT agency and not having an agent for each type of field. It's much more convenient and you'll only have to pay commission to one agency, not two.

The original link to this modeling agency contract can be found HERE:


SAMPLE MODELING CONTRACT

The original talent agency contract can be found HERE:

TALENT AGENCY CONTRACT

 

Depending on the agency, some contracts can be as short as 1 page, while others can be many pages (my Ford contract was more than 10 pages!). When it's your turn to hold an actual contract in your hands, be sure to go over every single page and fully understand the content. Don't be afraid to ask questions, either. Make sure you know what you're signing! Just because you've looked at these contracts in this blog post, that doesn't necessarily mean you'll know exactly what the contract you'll be offered will contain.

Answering a Reader Question #57

Anonymous Wrote: 

I would like to know what a standard exclusive modeling contract with Victoria's Secret looks like. Google is being entirely useless and hopefully this isn't proprietary information.

 

Hi, Anonymous, and thank you for your question--especially since it isn't about how to become a Victoria's Secret model! Lol. 

Unfortunately, you will not find any type of contract regarding Victoria's Secret online or anywhere except if you end up modeling for them. Exclusive contracts are confidential between the parties involved and publishing such documents is going to get the person responsible in a lot of legal trouble. 

Modeling contracts in general state the following information:

- Duties of the model to the client

- Duties/responsibilities of the client to the model

- Duration of the working relationship

- Exit Clause

In the case of becoming a Victoria's Secret model there will more than likely be a non-compete clause, which states that you as a VS model are not allowed to do work for any other competitor in the industry. So you would not be allowed to model for any other lingerie/undergarment company such as Fredrick's of Hollywood for as long as you are under contract with VS.

Comment About My Victoria's Secret Post

One of the posts on this blog that gets the most comments is the "Want to Be a Victoria's Secret Model?" post. What amazes me is that almost all of the comments are from people asking what it takes to be a VS model. The whole post is about how to be a VS model so I'm not quite sure why readers are posting comments asking this. I don't know--do they just not read the post and just comment? I'm curious because as far as I know I made the post fairly easy to read and understand.

Another thing I've noticed about some of the comments is that there are questions from aspiring models listing their height and stats and it clearly does not meet the requirements I list in the VS post.

As a writer I guess I'm a little frustrated that I continue to get comments with questions that are clearly answered in the post itself. If you are one of the readers who have left a question asking how to be a VS model, I'll simply tell you to read the post. I even updated the content to include a checklist of what you need to have in order to be seriously considered as one. If you don't meet those requirements then I'm sad to say you cannot be a VS model.

So please, please, PLEASE read the whole post through before asking questions that are already answered in the post. One of the requirements of becoming a model is knowing how to follow directions and if you can't get your answers from the post that is addressing the very topic you're inquiring about, well, I don't know what else I can say.

And because I know even with THIS post I'm still going to get people asking the same questions, here is a part of the post that I wrote that specifically states what it takes to be a VS model:

To make things more clear about the requirements you have to meet in order to put you in the VS category, you must:

- Be between 5'8"-6'0"
- Have a killer body with curves (not waif thin like most runway models but not exactly plus size, either)
- Be signed to a top modeling agency (preferably Ford or Elite in New York) or another top modeling agency

My Casting Call Experience: BMG Models

I recently took a road trip down to Los Angeles to interview with a designer about being a potential model for her upcoming line and I figured since I was going to be in the area, I may as well see if I could kill two birds with one stone by attending any open casting calls what were available during the dates that I would be there. The one that ended up making the cut was BMG Models. Known for representing both fashion and print models, I made sure to have all my stuff ready: portfolio, headshot and resume.

After taking care of my interview, which went really well, I stayed overnight at a friend's and prepared for the open casting call the next day. BMG holds their open calls every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 4:00pm - 5:00pm. I went on a Wednesday with one of my friends in tow for support. I wore form-fitting, dark jeans, my taupe 4-inch heels and a form fitting, dark green tank top. After stepping off the elevator we searched for the right suite and opened the door. There was no one in the lobby so that was good. I wasn't sure if I was going to have to deal with a long line. There was one other guy behind us but it turned out that he was a music artist and had an appointment for an interview (BMG also represents music artists). There was no receptionist or secretary and it took a minute for someone to walk out and see that we were there.

A man came out and asked us if we had an appointment or were there for the open call. After telling him, he asked to take my portfolio and I made sure to also give him my headshot and resume. He asked us to take a seat in the lobby and that he would take my portfolio and information to their office to look over. I thought it was odd that I wasn't invited to go in and meet with them and was a bit nervous about the fact that they would be reviewing my portfolio without me there but hey, there was nothing else I could do so I sat with my friend and made small talk.

After about 10 minutes, a woman came into the lobby and asked me to sign in. The sheet asked for my name, age, height, phone number and email address. I quickly glanced at the other people who signed in before me and by far I was the shortest. Their lifestyle/print division's minimum height requirement was 5'6" so I already knew there may be an issue with the one inch I was lacking. I put my 5'5" height and crossed my fingers. Once again I was left in the lobby and put the clipboard with the sign-in sheet aside. 5 minutes later the same woman came back with my portfolio and handed it back to me. She was nice and asked if I was interested in commercial acting as well. I told her I was and she said that they would keep my headshot and resume to look over later on that day and if they felt I would a good fit they would be in touch. She didn't say when though. And that was it. It was definitely one of the more out of the ordinary casting calls I'd been to since they didn't ask to see me themselves but I tried not to think too much about it. If it's meant to be they'll give me a call. And if I don't hear back from them, it's all good, I'll just keep pounding the pavement until I find the right agency for me.

The Concept of "New Faces"

The term "new faces" is one that is constantly popping up on modeling agency websites. While not all agency sites have them, a good majority do. As the name implies, new faces means male and female models who have just been discovered by that particular agency.

In general, a model listed under an agency's new faces division has little to no experience. In some instances it could include a model with prior experience but overall it is more closely associated with a newbie. Each agency deals with their new faces division in its own way so there are no hard and fast rules as to what I can tell you that will cover every modeling agency out there.

If you are a potential model who gains interest from an agency, they may start you off in their new faces division. At the office you'll have Polaroids taken of you, which the agency will post up on their website. Even though those photos are not professionally taken, they will be temporary until you have managed to get a test shoot done to begin your portfolio. Once you get that done, your agent will update your online profile with the latest pictures. Many times an agency will keep both the Polaroids and the professional images, since some clients want to see what a model looks like without all the hair, makeup and Photoshop. Sometimes a newly signed model will still be categorized under new faces even after he/she has done a portfolio shoot. This decision is entirely up to the agency.

Other modeling agencies won't put you right away onto their website if you are a new face and may do what is known as a "test" period, where they will submit your snapshots to current castings to see if any clients are interested in you. If a client wants to see you for a casting or go-see, the agency will send you to it and if you book that job, that is a huge plus and a great indicator that the agency should sign you. Agencies tend to do testing sessions for new models as a way for them to see how marketable they are before making a contractual commitment. It also allows the agency to gauge what their working relationship with the model will be. Needless to say, this arrangement--while up in the air and nerve wracking for some models--is an easy way for them to see if the model would work for the agency as an officially signed model. If they happen to have an issue or if the model shows signs that he/she is not a good fit or match, then the agency can simply let the model know they are no longer interested. Because the model was being "tested" the agency doesn't have to worry about terminating contracts or taking down photos from the website.

Becoming a part of the new faces division doesn't always mean you are a signed model and may not come with a contract. Think of it as a probation period: this is a period of time where you have no official ties with the agency so you are not yet a represented model. This isn't a bad thing--to even be considered a new face is a huge step over the competition. The decision as to whether an agency will stop testing you and offer you a contract will vary on a number of factors including, but not limited to: how well your snapshots are, if potential clients like your look and express an interest in hiring you or inviting you to a casting and how well you get along with the agency. You may be asked to submit more photos over time, which the agency will collect and use to shop your look around to clients.

If you are chosen to be a part of an agency's new faces division, that's great but you are also free to continue searching for another modeling agency. While going through the test/new faces period may be exciting and a step in the right direction, if you get an actual offer with a modeling contract from another agency, that is a better opportunity--especially if the agency offering to sign you is reputable and eager to start submitting you for work. If you find yourself in this situation, notify the agency you are testing with as soon as possible. Be professional and keep your conversation to the point. Simply tell them that you have found representation with another agency (no need to say what agency) and cannot continue with their testing/new faces process. It is a common part of the business so don't worry about hurting anyone's feelings. Agencies prefer if you let them know ahead of time so do it as a courtesy.

The situations and arrangements I've described in this post are not absolute. I wanted to cover some of the most basic new faces topics so I'm well aware that there may be some information I've either forgotten or aren't aware of. This is just general knowledge I felt would be useful to those aspiring models out there that are into their agency search and may find themselves in this situation. Ultimately, any and all questions or concerns should be directed to the modeling agency in particualr that you are dealing with. They'll be more than happy to answer your questions, especially if they have already expressed an interest in working with you.