Advice Forum 2
Modelingadvice.co.uk has been receiving more and more of your emails about modeling scams over the last few months. We’re as worried as you about this startling new trend so have been doing our own research into what the scams are, who’s running them and who the good guys really are. Here’s our advice on what to watch for and more importantly, who to trust, when starting your modelling career.
The biggest area of complaint has been the self-proclaimed ‘agents’ out there that come in many different forms; media recruitment sites, supposedly reputable agencies and internet modeling sites and the problem you guys have is that you can’t always tell the real deal form the bogus characters.
Firstly, know the difference between the companies out there. Modeling agencies are there to find you work. You get a contract and they pay you, minus their cut, for any work they get you. The good modeling agencies are notoriously difficult to get signed to and unfortunately very few people are spotted on the street so you have to market yourself properly from the very beginning, first impressions are all that counts in this business.
This is where the portfolio agencies, forums and recruitment sites come in, and this is where you enter dangerous territory. We all want to give ourselves the best opportunities out there and these avenues provide us with great ways to get a leg up into the industry, but they are also badly mistreated by certain businesses who know how desperate we can get to further our careers at any cost.
And that’s it, cost. You should NEVER have to pay to join any legitimate agency and nor is it worth paying to join online forums as there are plenty of great, free ones out there. A good example of this is diesel models London, whose site is free to join and includes links, the chance to check out other aspiring models in the community pages and an advice section, complete with information on the scams out there …and this is all available to you by a portfolio company, ah yes, the plot thickens!
Diesel models London are based in the heart of London’s fashion centre along with the great fashion studio’s they work with, Pure Space and The Blue Rooms. These studios boast an impressive team of stylists, photographer’s and make-up artists who have worked with some of the biggest names in fashion and celebrity culture.
If you decide that modeling is for you and contact them through their website, their aim is to help you create the best possible portfolio in order for you to then start marketing yourself, truly believing that the more experience and confidence you have as witnessed by your professional portfolio, the more chance you have of getting signed by a modeling agency and finding professional work. They do not, at any point, make out that they find you work themselves, which is a rare novelty in our research.
Diesel do not try to be anything they are not and with a long and distinguished history in the industry you can understand why. They have also run an anti-scam initiative for the last few years, after being subjected to their good name being ‘piggy-backed’ on by illegitimate companies and bad press created by the growing mistrust in this regularly abused industry.
Diesel, however, are here to stay and with their upfront attitude we can strongly recommend them to any aspiring model wishing to create a portfolio and enter this industry. If you decide to go further with your career and opt for a portfolio, then you should know that their work is top class and so not cheap, but is far from the most expensive portfolio agency out there and with over 200 contacts in legitimate modeling agencies up and down the country they know exactly how to help you progress your career.
Other agencies you might want to check out are Alba Models who you can find at www.albamodel.info and Zebra Connection are also worth a look, especially for anyone interested in more of a diverse range of work, such as television extras and promotion work.
You can find Diesel Models at www.dieselmodels.co.uk .