RE : Talent Scouted by MOdelling Agent...but was Punked

[Virgomom]

Were being duped too....my son was approached by a model scout frm an agency at Park Mall. Went there mid Dec'06 - was interviewed - Paid $380.00 for a portfolio package and thought that was an ideal way of giving him an advance 14th birthday present.


Got a date, he went for the photo-shoot and after 2 weeks, he was only given a cd rom with 26 pics. It's quite sad though. Till now...no calls of any assignments.

Anybody there....who can help???? My boy is 1.78m and is turning 14 this feb.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Were being duped too....my son was approached by a model scout frm an agency at Park Mall. Went there mid Dec'06 - was interviewed - Paid $380.00 for a portfolio package and thought that was an ideal way of giving him an advance 14th birthday present.


Got a date, he went for the photo-shoot and after 2 weeks, he was only given a cd rom with 26 pics. It's quite sad though. Till now...no calls of any assignments.

Anybody there....who can help???? My boy is 1.78m and is turning 14 this feb.

Couple of things. Approached by a model scout? Did the scout "Guarantee" in writing that you son would get assignments? A scout or agency for that matter, can only put your son's portfolio up for projected photoshoots. It's the client who will ultimately decide on who will be selected to try out for the shoot, or runway, or promotion whatever.

2 weeks is not a lot of time. Not sad at all. Maybe your son is not suitably photogenic (in a client's eyes - not yours). Maybe the agency doesn't have a very large client database.

Or, as is very likely, the agency is into duping suckers for photo portfolio's from a participating photographer. There is a lot of it going around among the less reputable agencies here. Unfortunately, unless you have written guarantee's of how much work in what time frame, there is little you can do about it except don't be quite so gullible the next time. Do you think that everybody who stands in front of a camera will get work? Do you believe everybody who says your pride and joy is handsome/beautiful?
Or could they be giving you a sales pitch or giving you face?

Not trying to be nasty here, but seriously, you cannot believe everything everybody tells you. Especially when they are selling something. Making money is their job and they'll say anything to make a sale.

If it only cost you $380, consider it a cheap lesson. They could have asked him to also go for deportment classes (like how to walk on a runway, or speak with a certain diction).

[Bafana]

I have seen and heard of this scam a few time over the years I have been here - Best to go to a listed company or from referal of a friend or a work mate.

[Virgomom]

Thanks to those who replied....IT was indeed an expensive lesson as I'm a single parent and Nope there was no written guarantee that my teenage boy will be given assignments.


Well....it could be wishful thinking on my part...my intention was to let him have some modelling exposure........despite his pan asian looks, I've still have not heard of any latest news

[ksl]

Thanks to those who replied....IT was indeed an expensive lesson as I'm a single parent and Nope there was no written guarantee that my teenage boy will be given assignments.


Well....it could be wishful thinking on my part...my intention was to let him have some modelling exposure........despite his pan asian looks, I've still have not heard of any latest news

It's not the end of the world, and the expense is soon recooped, if you have a very good portfolio, you can at least now, take copies, to all modelling agencies, get him on the books, thats what matters.

It is after all the clients that decide on the model! My daughters first assignment, I allowed free, it was in Taiwan, and it wasn't planned, We bumped into the number one band at the time called FIR doing a recording in the park, they spotted my daughter, and begged us to be on their new promotional music video. she was only 3 years old at the time.

The video was played on MTV every night more than once for more than a month, after that, more work came, in which my daughter was paid.

The difference is we didn't really want to get involved too much with modeling, becuase it was effecting my daughter, all the strangers saying how beautiful all the time and isn't she cute, is not pyschological good, for my daugher to hear, I could see that she started to dislike the modeling so i stopped, she is 6 years old now, and is not really interested, we let her decide.

But has i say, you haven't lost anything, get out there and promote your son to agencies, now you have a portfolio, although don't pay more money out!

You don't have to pay anything, if an agency really is interested, they won't let you go, they will go well out of there way, to keep you interested,
But believe me, there is work available for all types of people, looks don't have to be good, they have to compliment the product the advert is about, the theme, ambiance and the message that is being sent. Could be TV, newspaper, poster, radio, or any other media.

Your son will fit some where in the advertising industry, but you need to get that portfolio out to the agents, see if you can persuade, them to pay for copies, or send out the portfolio on CD, which they should have done one copy for you, if not, you may wish to go back and ask why they didn't make a CD also. explain to them that agencies have requested the CD version of the portfolio.

Look at all the potenial actors, that wait years for a role, time is on your side, just wait.

Good Luck!

[Virgomom]

Thanks to those who replied....IT was indeed an expensive lesson as I'm a single parent and Nope there was no written guarantee that my teenage boy will be given assignments.


Well....it could be wishful thinking on my part...my intention was to let him have some modelling exposure........despite his pan asian looks, I've still have not heard of any latest news

It's not the end of the world, and the expense is soon recooped, if you have a very good portfolio, you can at least now, take copies, to all modelling agencies, get him on the books, thats what matters.

It is after all the clients that decide on the model! My daughters first assignment, I allowed free, it was in Taiwan, and it wasn't planned, We bumped into the number one band at the time called FIR doing a recording in the park, they spotted my daughter, and begged us to be on their new promotional music video. she was only 3 years old at the time.

The video was played on MTV every night more than once for more than a month, after that, more work came, in which my daughter was paid.

The difference is we didn't really want to get involved too much with modeling, becuase it was effecting my daughter, all the strangers saying how beautiful all the time and isn't she cute, is not pyschological good, for my daugher to hear, I could see that she started to dislike the modeling so i stopped, she is 6 years old now, and is not really interested, we let her decide.

But has i say, you haven't lost anything, get out there and promote your son to agencies, now you have a portfolio, although don't pay more money out!

You don't have to pay anything, if an agency really is interested, they won't let you go, they will go well out of there way, to keep you interested,
But believe me, there is work available for all types of people, looks don't have to be good, they have to compliment the product the advert is about, the theme, ambiance and the message that is being sent. Could be TV, newspaper, poster, radio, or any other media.

Your son will fit some where in the advertising industry, but you need to get that portfolio out to the agents, see if you can persuade, them to pay for copies, or send out the portfolio on CD, which they should have done one copy for you, if not, you may wish to go back and ask why they didn't make a CD also. explain to them that agencies have requested the CD version of the portfolio.

Look at all the potenial actors, that wait years for a role, time is on your side, just wait.

Good Luck!

KSL, many thanks for the advice. ...really appreciate that!

[ksl]

Asian film industry is also very good, and need extra's more than models, if they are including westerners, in there films, I did some work in China, while at Uni!

I also met Gong Li and her girlfriends, before she became famous, she was in her mid 20's back in 93, I was 43 at the time and single, making up for the lost years.

It's a matter of doing a little research networking and dropping off the portfolio,

[Doutzen]

If your son really wants to be a model, you should just send your son's portfolio to the modelling agencies and make appointments etc etc... , if they are interested, they'll contact you. You don't have to agree to pay money or make portfolio first, ask them questions to clear your doubts. A good modelling agency would not make you pay alot for a portfolio, besides, a good agency would give your son a better shot at getting jobs or casting calls. Just say NO if they ask for money or if the agency seems like a fraud.

Here are some good modelling agencies in Singapore,

http://www.mannequin.com.sg/
www.elite-singapore.com
www.quest-models.com
www.upfrontmodels.com