Modeling or Acting for My 13 Month Old

You need to put a portfolio together with headshots. Not sure if you need this before you meet with a casting agency, but I think you send headshots around to agencies to see who will be your agent. Call an agency to see their procedures. Go to a website on Chicago Production companies...there is one in particular that works with children; but they all shoot kids if the spot calls for it. There is also a thing called "The Production Bible" which lists agencies and productions companies too.

It's not any easy thing to get into, mind you. It's pretty competitive. And if you do get selected, it's not that glamorous. Long hours. They made my friend manipulate her son's sleep schedule the night before so that he would sleep during the shoot.

I used to work on film sets. It's not that fun, believe me.

From a photographers viewpoint...and I've been doing this for 20 years -
First I agree 10000000% with the person who talked about being on call - one of my dearest friends had a son who was the oscar meyer weiner kid about a million years ago and it was a total pain - YOU have to buy all the clothes when they tell you what to bring to a set - and your little one needs to be "on" on demand - he was a very good natured kid - but he was about 4.5 - 5 ish and this was probably in the mid 90's (my memory is gone after having my child!!!)

As a photographer - an expert in "on demand" I can tell you VERY few kids are like that when I need them to be on demand - and I work on my customers schedule. I can tell you that they are kids - and making them work is really for the very dedicated and VERY naturally happy go lucky very relaxed very even keeled and tempered child. I see/seen thousands of kids and while I know I'm super talented - this kind of child is rare...

Ford (Ford Modeling) has a children's division here in Chicago - you can keep you eyes peeled for an open call - but again - he/she has to be lit up and photo ready when they tell you - not when your little angel is - ready - always - in all kinds of situations - and you have to be ready for a call to be on set within a moments notice - drop everything - have the clothing READY pressed and fitted for the shoot - period.

There is a trick that all the stage parents quickly find out about - it's tucking tags - so - for example - if you do catalog work in Chicago - (or print work) you have to buy all those clothes and may never get paid for the shoot if they don't end up using the work - so you go to "x" store - and never take the tags off - it's a pain in the butt - because if Junior does anything to the clothes (fill in the blank here) you can't return it - and that $50 sweater for NEXT season you have to keep - that - btw - is another struggle - you have to mainly have clothing that is in season for the next season - most catalogs are doing Xmas in april may - (or sooner) and you have to have new fresh pressed clothing (that doesn't look like any chain (i.e. gap usually is a good choice) pre season - in his/her size - at the drop of a hat - and then the next call might be local ads for (for example) a bathing suit...it's really allot of work

I don't know about you - but I don't even have time to buy the clothes I DO want for my 2 year old - (yes i had a baby very late in life - many of my friends kids are in college)

On the photography front - since I am a professional children's photographer - from birth to about 12-13 months old most children I find to be a delight to photograph. They are bubbly and happy and engage with their parents and with me the photographer. AFTER about 13 months to about 2.5 to about 3.5 (depending on the child's exposure to strangers and external stimuli) they are more difficult. I say this as the photographer - AND as the Mommy of a 2.5 year old - people are constantly asking me where are all the portraits of my child - and I have to tell you - I share them - but she's not nearly as fun on the set as she was when she was under 13 months - and she gets portraits ALL THE TIME - on demand - when she's in a good mood - and she is in charge - as you will soon find out -

GOOD LUCK....

You might be able to find assignments to try out his composite sheet with photographers either on their blog (that's where I post my model shoots) or on modelmayhem - a) you should never have to pay for anything if you do a model shoot with a local photographer - if they charge anything it's not legit (but if you want to, for example, buy everything he or she shot then yes - you will have to pay for the portraits) most photographers do a trade for prints (so you get a few prints in exchange for signing a waiver to use the portraits and that is the business relationship) b) if you do decide to go for it - you will have to get a professional composite - a kind of collage of how he looks in different outfits - that you pass out to either agencies - or work with when you show for shoots - this is a hefty investment - and if your child is 13 months old you will be updating it quarterly - as he will change frequently - an agency who says you don't need comp cards (in my opinion) scares me - older models like teens don't change all that much - so they get that kind of work annually - AND - the photographers you work with on set will not give you a copy of your childs work - they are getting paid by whoever commissioned the shoot - so you might be able to put some things in his catalog - but don't count on saving money on the composites - c) runway is a easy simple way most people get into modeling - and while it's prestigious on a VERY local level (think MALL) - the chances of making it big or "hollywood" are 1 in a trillion -

I get those cards from local talent scouts all the time - and they get filed in the garbage - don't get tricked by the marketing or media out there...

Good luck - and if you have questions I'm at ____@____.com

D. - I have a friend who had both her girls in modeling for years. I asked her your question...here's her answer:

Here's some info to pass on. If she needs more, get her e-mail address and I'll e-mail her.

She should call the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) office in Chicago and ask for a list of reputable talent agencies. Then she needs to call the agencies she chooses and ask how many pix she should send. No fancy portraits - just every day snapshots (no food, no naked) - close-up face pix and full-body pix with all the baby's stats (name, eye and hair color, height, weight, clothing and shoe size, baby's age range and date of picture) written on the back. Send with cover letter stating that she will call in 10 days to check status. Then she needs to just wait and see if someone picks her up. Tell her to stay far, far away from any letters she gets in the mail saying that her child has been 'discovered' and for $500 can set up an awesome portfolio. She should be able to start her child in modeling for the cost of the snapshots and postage to send them. Make sure she is aware that print work in Chicago is practically non-existent, however commercial work is pretty good as long as she has a baby who is super outgoing and can follow direction and has no separation anxiety issues. Also extremely important - baby cannot be on a strict nap schedule and mom cannot be working full-time. Her baby has to be flexible enough to take naps on the fly and she must be available at the agency's whim. She also must be prepared to have an entire wardrobe of clothing that has zip stains - basic color, no logos, no large prints and spotless shoes - this means clothes that are NEVER worn for any other reason. Boys are easier than girls since their wardrobes are pretty limited. But she'll need to keep a wardrobe bag ready to go with everythng clean and pressed.

I would be very careful with this type of interest for my child, I would take pictures at home with my children with my own camera, and let this be something at home for him and the family to enjoy,

Really? He loves to take pictures and posing? He is only 13 months he has no idea what he is really doing. Are you sure it is not you? Your dream seeking.... I have a friend who did put their daughter through this alot of pain and anguish but she was one of the very few to get lucky too. But it was a huge emotional expense that was paid as well. Not worth it

Be very leery if you have received a postcard in the mail or something of this nature. These companies are typically scams (just google some and you'll see). My husband got a postcard in the mail and thought... what the heck, might pay for college but I did more research. Basically, you keep pouring money into them and you may or may not get any sort of appointments. Plus, with any agency, you are at the beckon call of the agency and need to be ready at a moments notice. Good luck!

Hi D.,
Most agencies only want to see snapshots before they sign anyone. Please do your homework and make sure that the agency has a good reputation, and NEVER pay anyone to get your child into modeling. Agencies get their pay when your child makes money. You might have to pay for professional photographs AFTER your child has a contract.
Here's some info, each agency has info posted on their website for auditions etc.
http://www.geocities.com/____@____.com/agencies.html
Good luck, and please feel free to e-mail me with any questions.
H.
www.angeleyesphotography.com

My daughter used to model when she was younger (12 months - 5 years).  It was fun to see her pictures in ads, but it could be somewhat of a pain and you have to be very committed to it.  First of all, if your child is picked to model, you might get called at the last minute, and have to have the clothes they want him to wear (not all modeling shoots have clothes for the kids).  They may tell you blue jeans and white tennis shoes and a yellow shirt.  Second, even though a child model is only supposed to work 2 hours, they don't count wait time and you could be waiting for a job for 2-3 hours before the shoot even starts.  Your child is not paid for wait time, and is also not paid if they don't end up using him. I found that when we had these long waits, that my daughter was less than happy to cooperate.  Also, there is not much money in it -- it takes months before you get a check from a shoot.  We put our daughter's checks in her college fund.  Anyway, whatever you do, do not pay any money to have pictures taken of your child.  Arlene Wilson Chicago is a very reputable agency.  Just send them about 20 different snapshots of your child (full frontal view and face view), label them with your child's name, birth date, weight, height, shoe size, pant size, dress size, phone number and address.  Hope this helpS!

Hi D.,

My son has been a baby model for the past 7 months. If you're just getting started, pick a few reputable agencies and email them his picture. They recommend that you do not spend the money on professional photos as the little ones change monthly. If they want to sign him, they should let you know the rules (are they exclusive, what % do they take on print and commercial..) Ive learned a lot from listening to the other moms talk at shoots and from asking my agent questions.

My (now) toddlers have both done it (boy & girl). It was fun for awhile (when we lived in the city and they didn't have other activities). Realize that it's a lot of running around and work on your end, with very little "reward." I mean, my kids always had fun b/c it was like a playdate and they LOVED being in front of the camera. However, you only get on average $100 per job, and it's a lot of sitting around and driving. (Jobs pay by the hour, except tv commercials, etc.). My kids have appeared in catalogs and toy packages, etc. So, that is fun, but the "thrill" wears off. Now we live in Geneva, and despite the fact we don't keep our stuff current with the agencies, they still call . . . but it takes a lot to get us to drive into the city now. To start, you have to send your child's pics to the agencies and have them "accepted." After that, you need to get them work permits, etc. Then you have to send them about 20 copies of the same photo or comp card. (And you have to update it frequently). Child modeling can be a full-time job -- for you. Just know what you are getting into. It's fun for awhile . . . then it is truly just a job, and going to the park or to a friend's house is MUCH more fun!!!

D.,

E-mail Chantelle Casey <____@____.com>; or check out their website. I don't know if they do babies, but they are LOVELY people and do GREAT work!

D. B.

I would never put my child in that position. you should watch some of the modeleing shows prior to making your decsion. You need to think of how it may psycologically it may affect him and read some accounts on effects on children

My son started modeling at age 5. I was not the one who initiated. He was at his Karate demonstration in a park and a photographer approached my husband and handed him a business card. My husband was curious and we later found out this photographer was linked to many professional vendors such as Hasbro and JC Penney. Well, we paid over $2000.00 for professional shots including his composits which were better than any snapshot I could take. Which is the montage photo you send in with there statistics. Then you have to send extra head shots. Don't let anyone tell you different the composits are what sells to the agencies and the vendors. So you will have to dish out some money. Its good to have a photographer that can give you names of agencies, but do not go to an agency and use their photographer. Or go to a photographer who works only for an agency. They don't guarantee anything but pictures. Not even a contract. Barbizon in Chicago is well known for trying to recruit naive people. When you get your composits you have to send them out to every agency in your area. If they are interested they will send you a letter with a work permit enclosed. That does not mean they officially have a job. It just means you are contracted with them to go on any jobs they refer you too. Then they usually get 10-15% of your cut. They will either call you to go on a casting call, which means you show up and they take a quick head shot and say "thank you, don't call us we'll call you". Or they give you a job where you show up with a few other possible children the vendor showed interest in, and take a photo session. Then the vendor determines if they want to use your child for their commercial ads. The pay is not very structured. You get anything from $50.00 to $1400.00. You take what you can, because the more exposure the more jobs he has on his resume. You don't usually turn down jobs no matter how far or inconvenient or if they called a day before a job, because it means you are difficult to work with, and agents and vendors don't like that. Taking commercial photographs is grueling for a child because it lasts for several hours. So you have to make sure this is what you want for your 13 month old. Not all agents sign on children because they are photogenic. They will sign them on because they have a look that is in demand. It's very lucrative so you can't be offended easily.

I took my son out of it for now because it was too much to take him out of school constantly. As a parent it was fun for bragging rights, but for him he didn't gain anything from it. So make sure it's worth the time and the money for you.

There is a place on the north side called Artistic Enterprises. It is an agency. They are great.

Goodness...my advice? Let your baby be a baby! Let him pose for your home pictures and movies and keep him out of the craziness that is the entertainment industry.

If you recieved one of those letters stating that "We have been contacted about your child..."blah blah blah....BE CAREFUL! It is a scam and just about everyone on the pampers mailing list gets the same letter. They will require you to put a lot of money into "training and a portfolio" etc... and you will probably never see a return. You can't "train" a baby to take pictures. You can manipulate them, however classes for them are "BS".
The only way to go about getting your child into modeling or acting reputably is to get headshots done first, get a copy of the "Robb Report Chicago" and send each agency a headshot with Resume on back. The resume for a child would really only read as a business card, with Name, birthdate, contact information, Stats: height,weight,eyecolor,haircolor, and interests and hobbies. Unless your child has already done print or commercials, then that information would also be listed. A portfolio would only be done after getting an agent. Headshots are expensive, but you need them for an agency to even look at you, Unless you "know someone" or "get discovered" by a legitimate agency, which in this business is hard, rare, but still the cheapest and easiest way to go about it. If you are trying to break in, it's a lot harder, and far more competitive. Watch your child however, because it can be grueling and you should only continue if it's fun for your child. If however you have been personally(by this I mean "In Person" not by mail) by a legitimate casting director or Agent and "Discovered", than the process is much easier. They WILL take care of the cost and set up for headshots as well as creat the resume and setting up of any and all jobs. You will be paying a 20% fee to the agent (at least 20%, It was industry standard when last I worked, though it's been a couple of years), however it is the best way to work within the constraints of the industry.
I am a SAG member, with years of experience in Denver, New York, and Chicago both as a child and as an adult. OH and careful with taxes too. I have to file in every state which I have worked due to continued royalty payments. Pain in the butt come January, and I have had to file with an accountant because of this. This can be a rewarding and fun path, but also very tough and tiring. You hear no a lot, as well as loads of criticism, however as long as you don't take that part too seriously it can be a lot of fun.