mcal@ihuxb.UUCP (Mike Clifford) (05/09/85)
Hello! My wife and I just had our first baby (Lauren) in Dec. She is 5 months old now. About one month ago we were contacted by Talent Resource Company (TRC) Northbrook, IL. Parents that think their child has potential in "the business" can hire a pro photographer and have 100+ 8x10's printed of their child and go to modeling agencies and try to get the agency to accept their child. This can run into alot of $$ and time. TRC offers to do this work for the parents. They charge $325 for a 3-year contract, plus $10 every year for sitting fee (the child's file must be updated every year). TRC works with one modeling agency, and if the child is accepted by TRC and by the modeling agency, then the child has a possibility of working in "the business" as TRC refers to advertising. (Aside: we did not contact TRC and had never heard of them nor ever considered Lauren working in the business until TRC called us. Seems that someone we know contacted them re: Lauren). I feel this is getting a little drawn out but I wanted to share some of the background. What I would like to know is the following: Is there anyone out there who has had an experience with their child working in the business? Is there some things that TRC didn't tell us that we will find out about (to our dismay) later? TRC admits that less then 5% of the children accepted by a modeling agency ever work. Those are mighty slim odds. Lauren has a terrific personality and warms up to strangers quickly (this can be a problem, I know). I'm just concerned that we might be taken for a ride. I would appreciate hearing from all of you out there that have some ideas and/or comments and/or personal experiences to share. Thanks in advance. Mike Clifford AT&T Information Systems
wetcw@pyuxa.UUCP (T C Wheeler) (05/10/85)
Mike, run, do not walk, as far away from any company of this type that you come across. I have NEVER heard of any child EVER getting a modeling job through one of these companys. The main purpose of the company is to get you to buy things from them. Their supposed contacts with model agencies is tenuous at best, and non existent per normal. Why should anyone need a go-between to contact another go-between? In our local area (NY, NJ, Conn) there are lots of kids in the modeling business. However, 99.99% of them have connections. That is, they are related to someone in the business, they live next door to someone in the business, or their folks are in the business. The number of kids who get into modeling through one of these so-called talent search companies is almost nil. Your best bet is to do it yourself. And, it is cheaper. Do your own research on who to contact, do your own agency-to-agency door knocking. It is not an easy task as the competiotion is staggering. What I am trying to say is, even though your little one is most likely the most beautiful child in 40 states, going through one of these blood suckers will not land that modeling job. Keep your money and your sanity. Do it yourself, if you really believe your child can make the grade. Remember, these companie (that's companies) all get their mailing lists out of the newspapers and from birth announcements. Every new parent gets the same come-on. We have three kids and we got three come-ons. The kid who posed for the Ivory Soap box 15 years ago still lives in the area. Her mother worked for the Power's agency (connections). There are at least four other kids in our local school who have modeled. They all had connections. So you see, the best and easiest way to get in is connections. Those few who make it otherwise have parents who are persistent. The $395 dollars is just the tip of the iceberg. There are also other hidden costs such as an album for the photos, processing fees, and on and on. If a child is selected to be a model, the agency pays you, not the other way around. Sorry to deflate the elation I'm sure you feel at having been selected, but I just hate to see people taken by these jokers who prey on families at a time of great joy. T. C. Wheeler