Talent and Model Agency Fees

There are many opinions floating around online about what talent agency fees are for and whether or not they are legal to charge. Here we will try to explain the facts and make sense of the confusing legislation that affects our industry.

Talent agencies in the UK are entitled to charge a fee for ‘work finding services’ to people interested in being represented for work in commercials, film, advertising etc.

Many agencies and photographic studios also charge large fees for portfolios and photo-shoots.

Be wary of these costs. While in some studios you can get fantastic results and great value for money, many are overpriced - with average results.

Furthermore, while photographs are a great way to capture and represent your current look, they quickly become out of date. This is especially true for children and teenagers - and photographs of babies and toddlers become inaccurate almost immediately after they are taken. With this in mind, we would advise that you carefully consider what the purpose of having your own photo-shoot would be. Are you hoping for a keepsake of what you look like right now, or to gain some experience?

It’s nice to have a portfolio to promote yourself and your talent with but such an item is in no way essential for you to be selected for work. For this reason we would suggest that you avoid any agency or studio that demands you have photos taken with them. It is likely that they’re simply using it as a method to get fees for photos. We represent many people with snapshots and home-shot pictures, and you can see in our Talent Management Review section, that many are selected for work with these photos.

We supply people like you to the film, TV, advertising, photographic and fashion industries - actively matching our models and talent to daily enquiries from businesses that wish to employ people for paid work.

When choosing what is right for you, remember to consider exactly what you are looking for – just advice, photographs or an appearance on a showcase, or representation from an employment agency who can put you forward for work?

If you’re still not sure what is right for you why not come and meet us at our UK Head Office. You can complete a ‘New Model’ registration today. Or, if you’d like to have a chat, call 0844 334 0000 and talk to one of our experienced coordinators.