WHAT WORK WE DO AND DON'T DO.

Our aim, within the modelling industry, is to do what we do very well, leave alone the things that we would fail at and to be able to know the difference.

Catwalk

Acclaimed Model Management does not handle 'Catwalk' or 'Runway' work because we realise that we would not be able to do so professionally enough. We leave that area of modelling to those agencies that we recognise do a far better job than we would do. After all, learning to walk-the-walk is an art in itself as is the work required to represent these models in a very demanding genre.

Glamour

Glamour modelling may be an area which some people may want to do. Whilst we recognise that some people do work within this line of work (and which we realise is perfectly legal) we have formed the view that, if we were to do so, it would do damage to the reputation of both ourselves and in general to the standing of the models that we successfully represent.

Promotional work

This type of work can have a very wide remit, but is generally defined as promotion of a company, service or product. Some examples of promotional work might include:

• Meet-and-greet work where the model may be handing out free drinks or gifts at a 'Corporate Event' or 'Trade Show'.
• Handing out leaflets about a new restaurant or other business.
• Getting 'Leeds' for prospective clients for a product or service such as a window company or an energy supplier.
• Survey of the general public by way of filling out a questionnaire for various purposes, usually for sales validation but which might equally include a political pole.
• Standing on a company's stand show in order to generate sales leads.
• At a supermarket to get people to try tasting some new product.
• To demonstrate a new 'Wonder' product at the 'Ideal Homes exhibition'.

These are only intended to give some examples of the promotional work that a model may have the opportunity to do.  Although, this work may not appear to be very exiting, there is the opportunity for more regular work. Companies often use the same models time after time where the model proves suitable for their needs. Indeed, many models make a comfortable living doing nothing else.

Rates of pay for promotional work vary from £65 - £150 per day.

TV Extra/Back-ground/Walk-on.

This type of work is carried out by people who are there for one purpose only;  to make a scene in a film or TV production look true to life. It requires no formal training and you don't have to be an actor in order to be able to carry out the assignment. You would be given instruction by the director as to what would be required of you in any one scene. It often involves people being required to just walk past the camera, or to appear to be in conversation with another extra in the back-ground of a shot. Although, not very exciting in itself, it can lead to other opportunities, even taking on smaller acting roles. For this type of work, it is possible and often preferable for the people involved to look like normal people that you might meet in every-day life. Should you be required to speak, even just a simple sentence as part of your role, then the rates of pay go up accordingly. If your part becomes within the remit of an actor then it would be normal to receive royalties each time the production is re-shown.

Rates of pay (Non-speaking) vary from £65 - £250 per day. Speaking parts from at least £300 per day.

TV Commercials.

To describe this work would be a major literary work as the roles could be so wide and varied. The work of TV advertising can be very lucrative, especially for the lucky few who become the 'Face' that comes to represent the product. But one-off appearances can earn the model good money. An example might explain better the potential earnings from a single TV advert: We represent an 11 year old boy who took part in a television furniture advert. His role was to walk onto the set with a man who looked like he could have been his father, look at a table and chairs, then turn to walk off the set. The boy was required to repeat this for nearly 2 hours until the director considered the sequence to be right. After commission he received £960 for the work.

Rates of pay are individually negotiated and may attract a retainer fee of many hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Photographic work (General)

This work is even more varied than TV advertising. Indeed, just look around you in your every-day life and you will see many hundreds of pictures, not just within the advertising fields, but all over, and for many different purposes. If you take the well known phrase, 'A picture paints a thousand words' then you will start to understand to roles of models. The picture may well be there to make raise your interest in a particular product, holiday or even a new life-style. It may, equally, be to get you to read a section in a newspaper or magazine, or it may be the picture on the front of a book which wets your appetite and makes you want to read the book. The picture could be part of a political statement or as simple as someone enjoying a well known ice cream. Now that you can look at these images, that we are all bombarded with on a daily basis, you can start to understand where the model's role may be within the industry.

It would be impossible, within the scope of this document to define where photographic becomes fashion, where fashion becomes high fashion or, indeed, what any given client would be looking for in their choice of a model. The choice is invariably made by, or influenced by, the Art Director or Client and would depend entirely upon the message that they are trying to get across. This brings us to an important point that any photographic model should understand. As with an artist painting a picture, the final image will start in the mind of the Art Director who will then choose, not only the model, but props, location, lighting, computer techniques to name a few, with the intention of bringing what is in their mind into the final image. Because of this way of working; providing you can understand what you are being asked to do and then carry out that instruction you should never fail as photographic model. You have already succeeded in providing the 'Look' they are after, so relax, be professional at all times and just enjoy the work.

Rates of pay individually negotiated Minimum rate £65 per hour.

Majority of work charged at £85 to £200 per hour

High profile fashion work may be many thousands of pounds per day.

Catalogue photographic.

Probably being the most common aspiration of would-be-models it remains one of the hardest disciplines within the model industry to break into. If you look at any of the major catalogues you will notice the same three models in that section, being shown over and over again, often even from year to year. They are always the perfect size, height and shape, a point often over-looked by those outside the industry. Then consider that there are not many catalogues within the main stream of the industry. That is why it remains difficult for a new model to break into this line of work. For those that do manage to get the work the money is, generally, very good. We have heard of one such catalogue that carried out their fashion shoot in Madeira. They took top London photographers and models, paying the photographers £1,500-£2,000 and the models £25,000 each per day. When people are paying these amounts of money they can afford to be choosy, so don't set your sights too high.

Rates of pay from £65 per hour to many thousands of pounds per day.

Our commission

Acclaimed Model Management take 25% commission on the work that we get for the models on any given assignment.  This is the only charge that we make to all models in an on-going basis.  Remember, if we are not getting you work then we don't earn any money.

Where do you go from here?

As we started by saying, you have found yourself at the door of a very genuine agency with a good reputation. You may never need another agency. Our advice, however, is to get your face out there as much as possible. Locate as many agencies as you can find, make contact with them and try to get yourself onto their books as well. Please remember, genuine agencies either do not charge joining fees or may only charge a modest fee to cover time spent on administration. When presenting your-self to a new agency there are some golden rules:  Remember, you only get one chance to create that first impression.  Go with a professional and friendly attitude.  Attend in smart clothing but do not dress over the top.  If you present them with your portfolio make sure that it is up-to-date, has a great variety of looks (both dressed up and dressed down) and in particular, shots that can make you look like a model (not just portraits).  Pay great attention to what is being said to you, remember, they have probably been in this business for a long time.