“Freelance modeling is fantastic to gain exposure. But before
you gain exposure as a model, the number one important thing
as a model you need to gain is experience.”
M
odels ask me all of the time if it is better
to be a freelance model or to be signed with an
agency. The answer is simple but do not take my
advice, see for yourself. It is my hope that after
reading this article you can make an educated
decision about what st ep to take in your modeling career.
The nice thing about having an agency is they
will find the jobs for you. They scout out paid
opportunities. The nice thing about freelance
modeling is you are your own boss and can find
countless opportunities to gain experience and
exposure. But the downside to freelance modeling is these opportunities are not necessarily
paid jobs.
There are countless pros and cons to both
worlds. Freelance modeling is fantastic to gain
exposure. But before you gain exposure as a
model, the number one important thing as a
model you need to gain is experience. Why? Let
me tell you why. Lets say you walk into an agency and they sign you on the spot even though
you lack experience. They became your exclusive
agent which means you are not allowed to work
with other agencies or freelance.
You are all excited because this is a big name
agency, the best around. Then they send you
out to castings and you are not getting booked.
An entire year passes and since you are signed
exclusive you are not allowed to work with other
agents or to gain experience outside of your
agency as a freelance model.
68/F-STYLE CHICAGO
A year is wasted. You are not improving. They offer
you coaching classes, yet you can’t afford them because
they are priced high since they are offered by the best.
Therefore, you have now boxed yourself in and sit on
the bench with all the other non-working newbies.
Why? Because you jumped the gun too fast and were
eager to get signed without experience.
Truth is, you need to walk into a room like a boss, full
of confidence, yet humble with a warm approach to the
clients. You need to have the best walk, in fact you
need to have several walks under your belt.
Reality is, being signed with an agency is NOT the
place for practice, it’s the place where prepared winners
come to win more. But most models go in as newbies
and never see a job, never get booked, and are not allowed to seek other opportunities because they signed
exclusive with the agency.
Never, ever sign exclusive with an agency that does not
have a big name. You must make sure if you are signing
exclusive with an agency that not only are you ready as
a model but more importantly that the agency is actually reputable and gets girls/guys paid jobs.
How do you know if an agency is reputable? First off,
they should only take 20% of your earnings as a model.
Secondly, they should not be charging you to join or
charge astronomical fees to be part of their agency.
Furthermore, study the contract before you sign with a
lawyer and/or trusted family members.
If the agency will not let you review the contract, run,
because it’s a scam. You need to know what you are
signing before you sign the actual contract because
that agency can own you for a very long time. Which
leads us into non-exclusive vs exclusive.