As of December 21, 2011, Tampa Bay Modeling will no longer list any modeling and talent agencies, or our opinions of specific agencies (we will, however, continue to list DBPR data on licensed Tampa Bay talent agencies). We cannot, in good faith, recommend any agency, as their credibility is gone, as far as we are concerned. There are too many instances of unethical and unprofessional business practices associated with modeling and talent agencies, especially with the slander of professionals who do not play the game in the way that they want them to play it, and this is why it is so important for models to put the agencies in their place and only allow them to be one of many sources of modeling jobs, and nothing more. An open market is less corrupt. Agency models no longer have a choice- change will be forced upon them as they have to adapt to what independent models will be doing in order to continue to have a career. Adapt, and change, or lose jobs to independent models. Remain dependent upon modeling agencies to have a modeling career, and your career may just go out of business, and you will deserve it for your ignorance and laziness.
Independent modeling is truly smart, and it is business common-sense. Also, consider why Florida talent agencies have to be regulated. Why is that? Do you think that the specifics written into the laws by lawmakers were just made up? They had to come from somewhere, such as the unethical and unprofessional things that agencies have done! In our opinion, talent agencies HAVE to be regulated because any market, where the agency way is the only way, is corrupt. It’s common-sense. These self-glorified middlemen, in our opinion, have no business managing models or telling them what to do. Consider all of the modeling and talent agencies in Florida which have scammed new models and talent, as well as professional models and talent. Why is it that agency representation is used as bait by so many modeling scams? Think about it. We certainly are not going to be spineless followers and regurgitate the same mindless old industry “agency only” propaganda that everyone else does; if anyone tells you that the agency way is the only way, we have to question their professional credibility, as well as their integrity. Can you trust anyone who is involved in shady politics, which most of the pro agency people, in our opinion, are? We have principles and integrity. Do the people pushing agencies have principles and integrity, or are they just a part of a mindless, outdated industry of control and corruption? For reference, please study, and be familiar, with Florida talent agency laws. Even if the State of Florida one day foolishly decides that they no longer have the resources to regulate talent agencies, and they deregulate talent agencies, these laws should remain useful to guide models as to why, in our opinion, that talent agencies should not be trusted completely. We do not trust them, as they have never given us a reason to. We also did not start this conflict with some agencies. They did.
Although we do not have to deal with agencies, as we see no point to it (as long as the State of Florida continues to regulate talent agencies, we are happy), our opinion is that models should use several agencies in their area as a source of jobs, but still find and book jobs on their own. In our opinion, any model who allows themselves to be managed and controlled by an agency, or who limits themselves by being dependent upon an agency, is a fool. Keep in mind that, while the agencies do work for the model, that they also work for the competition of model, that competition being other models who are also represented by the agency. Agency models are dinosaurs which will soon be extinct in their careers in the face of a new, superior market. Agency models will deserve it when jobs are taken from them by independent models; those jobs taken before the agencies can even refer their models to the job.
When a dominant genome is introduced to an established ecosystem, the balance of that ecosystem is disrupted. The ecosystem in this example is the modeling industry. The flawed, inferior elements in that industry are displaced, and they soon go extinct because they cannot adapt and compete. It’s natural selection, and in this case, the accelerated evolution, if not revolution, of an industry which has been flawed, and backwards, since its inception.
In the past few years, we have addressed modeling scams, which took a while and succeeded, and have addressed unethical photographers, which was easy in comparison, but we have one main agenda for 2012. That agenda is putting modeling and talent agencies in their place, as we help flood the market with independent models who will not only take modeling jobs away from ignorant models who choose to be dependent upon agencies to get their jobs, but the agencies themselves. We can now reveal that we have been working on a clandestine project since 2006, where we have been in talks with the clients of agencies (We have worked hard behind the scenes, and have allowed agencies to believe that our agenda had failed). The secret is out: Many companies are sick and tired of the agencies, too. With our Independent Modeling site relaunching in days, and the modeling job board and other career tools coming online in short order, we can only imagine what the agencies will be saying when they realize that they really are losing money because models are going around them, but also because their phones rings less because their clients jump ship and book independent models. The agencies brought it upon themselves, and they can consider this backlash against them to be the result of the games that they have played throughout the history of the backwards, old modeling industry. The agency way is no longer the only way to have a career as a professional model, and this will be proven to even the most ignorant models out there. If you allow yourselves to be dependent and limited, you will lose work to smarter, independent models.
This policy of not covering agencies, and of not giving them any more credibility than they deserve, will also be adopted by Florida Modeling Career, Independent Modeling, Advanced Model, Tampa Bay Talent, Tampa Bay Acting, and Independent Acting (we do have an Independent Talent site in the works, but it has not been officially branded, yet, as someone bought the obvious domain name for that soon after we launched our other Independent sites ten years ago). In addition, we will launch, and expand, our industry information sites Tampa Modeling Agency, Tampa Talent Agency, and Tampa Talent Scams.
Our diplomatic ties, and any official professional relationship with Tampa Bay talent agencies, has ended, as we will no longer recognize them as authorities in the Tampa Bay modeling market.
It is now among our goals to diminish the influence of agencies in the modeling industry, and if some agencies end up going out of business because of independent models and talent undermining their market, we won’t shed any tears over it.

We are NOT a modeling agency, nor do we claim to be a Tampa modeling agency. We are a modeling resource site. We offer services, but you are not obligated to buy anything from us to use this site, or to find Tampa modeling job leads here. All information on Tampa Bay Modeling is a professional, educated opinion, and should not be taken as advice of any kind. Use at your own risk; anyone doing anything described on this site assumes complete liability. Please read our terms of use and our disclaimer.

PUBLISHED 12/21/11

UPDATED 12/21/11

 

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