Modeling agencies – From the mother agency to the model agent and boutique agency
Model agency is not the same as a model agency. In Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and worldwide, there are very different forms, from individual model agent to big agency with over one hundred employees. What are modeling agencies? Agencies are always made up of one or more owners who build targeted teams to constantly improve the agency, their reach and customers. As an agency, you take care of the job placement and can also take on additional management through sufficient staff, such as travel planning, ticket or hotel bookings. A modeling agency also provides you with contacts to photographers for image material. Modeling agencies are the usual and familiar way through the holistic approach.
Model Files – Internet agencies for thousands of models
Within the agency world, there are still special alignments. While model charts almost indiscriminately take models and present thousands of models on a website, mother agencies are extremely concerned about you and try to position you as a model internationally. They are more to you than just Modelbooker, they are real contacts for you who are very concerned about your career. In big megacities you will find boutique agencies and widely scattered and barely known, you will find individual fashion agents who only represent a few models but fully serve them as managers (like a mother agency). To get a glimpse into the differences, let’s take a closer look at all agency types:
Model maps are usually online platforms. Models can register here, for free or for a fee. The promise of these platforms: “With our platform you can find customers without an agency! Just get in. “A beautiful simple world. Does not work. The attempt is there again and again. However, model maps do not offer a structure, no advice, no recommendation, no network. They often only earn their money with the advertisements on the web portals. In the pool are thousands of models or that someone checks the quality. As a model, you should refrain from all these platforms.
Mother Agency – Your all-round management as a model
Mother agencies are the absolute opposite. These agencies focus on the placement of models in international, sometimes large agencies. There are mother agencies that only mediate in other agencies and do not serve customers themselves. Such are mainly outside the major destination countries such as the United States or Germany. Modeling agencies are often both in the larger countries. They mediate models in the national market but are also active as a mother agency and coordinate your international placement in agencies. They keep their partners up to date with footage and organize your options and appointments. The billing is then quite simple, the mother agency gets, like a management, ten percent of all revenue. For this you get access to the network and full service of your agency. An extremely good deal. As a high fashion model that can work both for advertising and for international fashion designers, a mother agency should be your goal.
However, parent agencies expect exclusivity for this. Therefore, when choosing a mother agency you should be very careful about who represents you and which models he currently manages. Since you rely on an agency entirely, it should be able to offer you what you need for your career. International contacts to clients and casting agencies, contacts to photographers and magazines, a strong model board that suits your look.
Boutique agencies – right in the big cities
Boutique agencies can be found in the megacities worldwide. Their special charm is that they usually work only for customers in the respective city. Such agencies can be found for example in New York City. You can still have good contacts and are also working as a mother agency.
Booker – Individual fashion agents with good contacts
You can not find individual bookers on the internet. They work alone, without a website and without social networks. They are managers and mediators with their own network. Mostly they worked in big agencies. In the course of time, of course, you will gain valuable contacts and experience in modeling. They now use it as a booker. After many years in a large agency, they explicitly want to work alone. Often they do not even have their own offices. They represent only very selected models, five, ten or fifteen. Not more. These bookers will scout you on the street, just in the cafe or in the gym. Some work at home, others fly around the world with their models. They are also active as a mother agency and bring their models to major agencies worldwide.
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