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Thursday,
October 19, 2006
Accountability.
Our friends over at Independent Modeling have had a saying for a few years
now. The saying goes that accountability is credibility. Time has proven
their words to be true. Accountability for what you do and say really
is professional credibility!
A Tampa Bay model and talent agency owner said in an interview that companies
would not take models who tried to book work on their own without an agency
seriously, because there was no one to hold them accountable if they were
unprofessional. While she had a point, I would like to point out that
regardless of agency participation or not that it is up to the model to
be professional. What can an agency do to a model who flakes out? It is
true that they can drop them from representation, but the facts are that
such models will simply walk over to the next agency and do whatever it
is they do all over again. The argument that agencies make models accountable
for their action is an empty one. An agency can not enforce what a model
does, especially when the agency works for the model. Most agencies compromise
with models and will tolerate most of their unprofessional behavior as
long as the model continues to make them money.
Will an agency GUARANTEE that a model will be professional and that there
is no risk in booking them? Will they reimburse you for any lost costs
and business caused by a model? I didn’t think so. Their argument
is largely baseless. Life, business, and careers never have any guarantees,
and if that is what you really want perhaps you should contact your insurance
company.
If an agency is not in the position to make a model accountable for what
they do, then who is? The answer is everyone in the industry, and this
sets the stage for some points that I wish to make.
While some models can be unprofessional, most are not. Anyone worried
about the professionalism of a model before they book them only needs
to spend a few minutes evaluating the risks, and this is true regardless
of if the model is agency represented or not. What is the track record
of the model? How is their attitude? Do they have any references? Have
they exhibited any behavior during their go-see interview that raised
red flags and made a reference check a priority? What is your gut feeling?
It is basically a common sense thing. Why is a model a model? Well, to
make money modeling! Don’t you think that a serious professional
model who see’s modeling as a career is going to have a major incentive
to do well so they can, at the very least, use you as a reference? Most
models want to work with a booking more than once and get referred to
more bookings, and the smart ones will be on their best behavior simply
because they are in their career to make money by booking work and there
is a lot of competition in this industry.
POINT: 99% of all models who have a solid work resume and who have obviously
invested in a professional modeling portfolio and career tools such as
composite cards are no more of a risk than any agency represented model.
After all that hard work, it is in their best interest to do as well as
they can. Consider the law of human nature; people will do what they believe
to be in their best interest.
Sure, there are flaky models out there who have no business being in the
industry or trying to book work. They don’t take a genius to spot,
however. What are the red flags? Let’s see...... A portfolio full
of amateur snap shots from TFP photographers is one (and this is one of
many reasons why a model should NEVER attempt to build a portfolio with
Time For Print-type free shoots, as most TFP photographers offering freebies
are amateurs), and there are others. How about composite cards of poor
pictures printed on a home printer? Another would be a model without a
portfolio and maybe some web cam snapshots. If a model has not invested
in their career, wouldn’t you think that they are misrepresenting
themselves and that it would be a risk to book them?
If no career investment is made, the model has nothing to lose. Models
who have nothing to lose are a higher risk than those who can demonstrate
an investment into their career. This goes for photographers, too. If
they haven't made a career investment and don't have a professional portfolio
put together, they are a higher risk because they have nothing to lose.
The attitude that most agencies have that they are the only ones qualified
to evaluate model risks is a false economy and it is unprofessional. As
an art director or casting professional, how do you feel about agencies
implying or outright stating that you are not able to figure out if a
model is professional or not? If you were not qualified, you might as
well allow the agency to decide who books the job or not. Just as agencies
work for the models, agencies are also supposed to work for the businesses
who need models. Why agencies have the “employer” attitude
does not make sense, yet it is there. This is because to most in the modeling
industry, the agency way is the only way to have a professional modeling
career. If you want to be a professional model, then you MUST have agency
representation and do what they tell you to do, even though they are supposed
to be working for you. This is simply not true! Many professional models
do well by booking work without an agency, and more models are discovering
this every day. My opinion? Book work on your own AND accept representation
by several agencies. Keep them in their place. A model and talent agency
should be a source of modeling jobs and, while they may voice their opinions,
they have no business managing the career of a model or telling you what
to do. An agency is like a salesman. They are a source of leads, and they
work for you. As a professional, would you allow someone working for you
telling you what to do and acting like your employer? Would you compromise
and accept the disrespect just to get a bone thrown to you every once
in a while? What if those salespeople also worked for your competition?
Wouldn’t you consider that to be a conflict of interest? What, do
you think that agencies only represent one model? Look around. Don’t
trust the advice of anyone who doesn’t have your interests in mind.
The agency way worked in the day where contacts were hard to come by and
communication was hampered by a lack of technology. Today, we have the
Internet, and you can easily compete with any agency in booking your own
work. While I do not think that agencies are extinct and they probably
will never go away, one thing is clear. The agency way is no longer the
only way, and in the future agency represented models will be a minority
in the industry.
Accountability covers other areas, too. How many photographers, models,
and make up artists lie, cheat, steal, and take short cuts in their career?
Don’t you think that they should be held accountable for what they
do?
We have been in meetings the past few weeks with Independent Modeling
and other allies in our efforts to bring integrity to the modeling industry,
and accountability was brought up a lot. Both Tampa Bay Modeling and Independent
Modeling will be publishing free tools that will not only assist models
in making others accountable for what they do, but additional tools for
photographers and businesses who want to make each other accountable.
These tools should be available before the end of the year.
I can’t wait.
~ Danielle
Cooper, Editor
Tampa
Bay Modeling
Clearwater
Beach, Florida
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