Anybody ever been a model?

I was photographed by Officials from the F.I.M. at the 2001 round of the World Superbike Championship at P.I. Being the first round of the season and such....they had me waving every combination of flags and number boards, etc....so now I'm gracing the walls of the FIM headquarters in France.

Needless to say, Officials never get paid...

I was a model once making huge amounts of money.....but then I woke up.....

My fiance has modeled in the past... the only expense to you should be your portfolio... ( pictures of you in a large variety of poses ) You can create your portfolio with any photographer that you like but most agencies try to get you to go with them or redo your photos with them. Other then that your management will take a percentage from the jobs you do. Don't expect big pay days from runway work and unfortunately modelling can be very time consuming.

Be careful Phillip. There are many scams out there. One that comes to mind - Tell a person they have the makings, charge for a useless set of portfolio photographs and see you later alligator. Check the agency concerned very closely. But I think your intelligent enough to see through the mist.

only for things not to do

When they want to pay you and want nothing from you but a pose.Then you might Want to model.

I modeled some... since I was not in it for a career, but only at request, I didn't have a portfolio made up. It was good money though...

Yes, be careful. There are huge scams out there. You should be able to make money without a lot (if any) expense.

I don't think it is a scam but it sounds so scam like. They put allot of pressure on you to spend 1000. I do not know if anyone heard of this company but it is called TCT. I did some research on them and everything they say is true (From Justin Timberlake to Britney Spears).

It just seems strange though to pull people off the street that you think have "the look" and expect them to put down 1 Grand for something that they wasn't even thinking about doing 3 days ago.

They also have a system (database) where the images or portfolio would be on-line and agencies can look at you (TCT is a scouting service, not a agency; as they point out all the time ) So it is in allot of ways like a search website (agencies have to be licensed and a good track record, then they get a password). I would think that they would have the agencies pay to get on the website and not the talent (models, musicians, actors). I can understand wanting someone who is serious and in many ways having your portfolio up on-line is something you should pay for, like 20 or 30 a month... but 50 to 60??! AND all at once???

I would think if they are so good at getting people jobs that they would figure out a way for the "talent" to pay in increments or have a contract stating (much like any gym of which you make a commitment to pay whether you go or not) payment that can come out of your first or second job.


It sounds good and is well developed. It is a great option for people who are models or want to be more exposed. But not for someone who just came off the street. THAT is where this becomes a scheme.

It would seem when the economy gets bad the amount of schemes arise out of the wood works to try to take money from people who can not offered to have money taken from them.

I give TCT a 6 out of 10 for coming up with a good idea, but not executing it properly.

Oh and anyone wanting to find out about businesses and if they are good or not go to www.bbb.org

that's

http://www.bbb.org

Joe...it's a scam.
Modelling preys on vanity....no different from the 'call me now' chat lines preying on the lonely.

If your 'look' is so good they would be paying YOU, not the other way round.

I see 100 people and tell them they have 'the look'.
80 say 'bullshit'
20 fork out $1000
Maybe one goes somewhere 'almost' famous.
19 go nowhere.
I am 19000 bucks richer though, so I say it is a scam....

You never know what any offer may lead to.
Someone asking for money is a sure red flag that should be investigated in detail.

However, You have to spend money in order to make money.

Is this an investment you want to pursue. Only you can answer that.

I would go to another agency and ask them for a second opinion on wheather the look is there or not.

Hey Joe, I know nothing of your experience and you didnt provide enough information to determine if it's a "scam".

You mention $1000 but you dont say if the person ASKED for that money or was OFFERING that money. either way, more info is needed, but if they asked for the money it is most likely a scam - but ONLY if they offered you something other than photos in return.

You also didnt say who or what the person was. An agent or scout for an agency? A photographer? What is it to THEM that you become a model?

To an agent/agency scout, your success as a model benefits them. This is the obvious person you want to be scouted by as it benefits YOU the most. The next is a photographer, but it only benefits him in that he can make some money doing test and portfolio shoots for you. Occasionally there is a "finder's fee" for him/her, but rare. ANYONE ELSE is only looking to scam you. The only person that can directly help your career is the agency rep. If they ask for money up front, they are a scam.

The photographer can help but much less so. He can do test shoots and do "book" shoots for you, but if you are to look for an agent, they would MUCH rather see 2-3 good polroids of you than a book. If you are starting out, the agency will want to "mold" you into what THEY think your image should be. A portfolio will not definitely HURT you, but it doesnt always help. If the photographer asks for money, that is only obvious. He has a business to run and a livelyhood to support. If he make ANY PROMISES about your future or earnings, he is most likely trying to scam you out of something. Maybe more money.

Anyone other than these two types of people have no bearing in your situation and they are after something else. YOU decide what that is. (Money, sex, who knows.)

Also, what area do you live in? If it isnt a major market, the potential for scaming goes up. How many people are there in TOLEDO that can help you become a successful model?

BTW, I am a photographer and I shoot fashion (both editorial and commercial) and glamour. Feel free to email me if you have any more questions. gagefxATyahooDOTcom

-GageFX

I was a 'model' patient in hospital recently (NOT!)
Dated a few 'models' when I needed a suitable accessory (Chauvinist? Moi? Yes!)at the Duntroon Winter Ball ....
Discovered that the term 'model' is a very broad one indeed!
For every 'Elle' (Jafo knows which Elle!) there are 999 'Airheads' who are ripped off, used, disappointed and sad young women. (Or men ... sorry!)
Which 'look' do you have Joe, and more to the point, how do 'look' in a thong??????

I'm with Jafo on this one, from everything you've said it strikes me as being a scam, period...

I am a major model of a modern Major General....

(Not too many would recognize this G & S lyric. )

motion, I recognize it

/me models the newest in natural furs nightly

My girlfriend is a model it costed her $1500 for modeling school... and that doesn't even guarantee anything... and top of that she spent a couple hundred on those cards with her picture...

Oh, Joe, I hadn't read the whole thread when I replied before. I got a couple hours sleep and read the rest of the thread and saw your other post. It's a scam. Wish I had read your other post sooner - would've saved me alot of typing.

-GageFX

@ Jafo - That's excatly what I will be sending to the NY attorney generals office. It is totally not fair that they are scheming teenagers and college folk who should be spending money on thier education (no one can tak that away)

@ Citizen GageFX - Me making it means nothing to them. As long as they get thier 1000 for me putting model shots of me on thier data base where I can be noticed by Modeling Agencies. Thier scheme is to tell people "why pay 2000-5000 a year on prints and reprints of pictures and compoisites when you can put your images on a database that has a powerful search engine?"

The problem with them is that they seem to be directing their service to poeple who aren't professional models in the first place. So they were never spending 2000 - 5000 a year to begin with. So 1000 dollars to a company that has no personal envolvment once you pay your 1000 other than to upkeep the database. No promise of getting a job, no insurance of refunds, and the funny part is that if you do not get a job withing that year they will let you stay on the program (what program? all they do is allow you to upload images!!) for another 2 years. Keep in mind that the database will already be there so it really isn't a penalty to them if you stay on the database another 2 years.


They say it is a scouting agency and they are not reponcible for getting jobs for you. So why am I using you? I can go somewhere else and they will get me a job because they want their 20% of the deal. TCT already has thier money.

I find it to interesting that they are asking the talent to pay them and not asking the agencies who search thier databases for the talent or want to put thier models on it.


Oh and I am in NYC. TCT is a major company. They work with MYV, VH1! and other modeling agenccies. I am not sure why they are conducting themsevles this way. Why not ask for 40 dollars a month? Why not have a contract for payment? If they are so good it should not be a problem.


I do not understand why they are doing thier business like that but I will let the Attorney General office figure that out.

That is MTV...

MYT = MTV

The extent of how *hard* and time consuming modeling is as a job depends on what you want, need, or demand of it and what you let it demand of you. It *is* a not something to do as a whim unless that is all you want from it, exactly what you put into it in turn.

Anyway, do be careful because there are more than a few scams revolving around *the look*. You end up paying for portfolio shots, ect...

good luck with it if you make the choice to take it up, and no matter what well wishes for school and life!

In most of the legit offers, the agency/scout will pay for the photos and other expenses.

It's just the "model mills" who make you pay, because so few of the people they look at get placed that it's not profitable from that end.

A couple things that I've read in this thread:

Scouts wont pay for anything. They usually work for the agency and will just refer you to them. If the agency wants thinks you will work they will send you on test shoots. They often dont pay for anything as many times they use up and coming photogs (enter moi) to do the shoots. Photog gets new hot model for the book he is building, agency/model get prints for the book they are building. You'll then need Zeds and the agency will pick up the tab until you start producing.

As far as these places being "scams", there are as far as you are concerned, but they aren't as far as businesses are concerned. As long as they dont promise you work, they are okay intaking your money for photos, classes, or whatever. They are providing a service and you are paying for it. You just have to understand what service they are providing. They are providing over priced photos and useless classes and "promotion" that will get you nowhere. Or maybe 1 in a million will get somewhere. You never know. BUt the thing is, you have to decide if you want to spend the money. All sorts of people pay way too much for all sorts of things everyday. It isnt illegal unless the terms aren't met. If you pay a $1000 for the PROMISE of becoming a Supermodel and you dont, you can sue. If you spend $1000 HOPING to become a model, that's your business. They are just there to take your money.

I have girls cming to me all the time to get photos taken to start a modeling career. I explain the way the business actually works and that it is not necessary to have professional shots done before you get signed. Many want the photos anyway and hey, that's what I do. I shoot photos. I need the shots for my book, I need the money for my rent, and they are going to spend it anyway whether to me or someone else. They just want to. I dont solicit this kind of work and I am always up front about it. There are also alot of girls that just want to feel like models. The girls that go ahead with the shoot,after I explain that they shouldn't, are always the ones that would never make it anyway. The ones that dohave a chance know when they should listen.

What JOE should do: Forget about this whole deal you've been offered. It's an interesting experience if nothing else. NOW, look in the mirror and decide if you really have what it takes. If you do, have a friend take some well lit snap shots - Headshot straight on, headshot profile, and full body straight on - and take them to agencies on their "open call" days.

That's the whole process how it is legitimately done. Not $1000 or more, just $10 in film and processing, leg work and face time.

-GageFX