My family has been modeling for over five years now and I’m often asked by other moms how to get their child’s modeling career started. Although we don’t do this full-time, we have been lucky enough to book some pretty sweet gigs. Recently, one of our jobs landed us five days and four nights aboard the Disney Dream cruising to the Bahamas. It’s the second time to the Bahamas for work-related travel. Pretty awesome.
I’ve written before on how to get your child started in modeling. But for this post, I will focus on the personality traits that will help you determine whether modeling is a good fit for your child or your family.
Before we focus on the child, let’s talk about the personality needed from parents of kids that model. Your child may photograph beautifully but modeling is not for all children or families. It requires a lot of flexibility in your schedule plus an easy going personality from parents and the child. Even after a job has been booked, things can change quickly, will change often, and at the very last minute. This can drive detail oriented and organized people nuts. If you’re okay with going with the flow and your work schedule permits it, keep reading.
A really outgoing child, or not: Parents of really outgoing, energetic children that love the spotlight may be surprised to learn that this type of personality doesn’t necessarily mean modeling is a good fit for your child. Although most of our work has been print work, we have also done some fun video. Since print work is more about how you photograph as opposed to your personality, a less outgoing person can do just fine.
Easy Going Attitude: I mentioned it before but it’s worth saying again. You both must be flexible. You may have to report super early in the morning or very late at night. We’ve had call times as early as 4 am and as late as 11 pm. Most kids or adults will not be happy about either. And it’s more than just the scheduling you have to be flexible about. Your child may find himself doing something he hates most – like eating fishing in the hot sun or riding a boat. For shoots like this, I remind my kids to fake it until they make it. The sooner the director gets the shot, the faster they can be done. We’ve also had scenes we were excited about cut from the schedule for whatever reason. If your child likes a structured schedule then modeling may not be for them.
Age: My kids all started modeling at the age of four. This was the minimum age for the agency and casting agencies we worked with. I realized though, that this is also a good age where most parents can reason or, in desperate moments, bribe a child to keep working. Four is also an age where most kids are not scared of strangers. When you step aside so that your child can shoot with their fake mommy or daddy, she will be fine. Another good yardstick, if your child can sit through a movie without getting bored or restless, they should be able to do a few takes without any problems.
Patience: Modeling isn’t just smiling for the camera. It’s a lot of pretending. Pretending to walk into a restaurant, to eat a slice of cake, to board a ride at a theme park, to run/skip/jump/walk towards your real or fake daddy. Sometimes the same action can take up to an hour to get the perfect shot. At first, most kids are excited about pretending until they have to pretend over and over again up to ten or 12 hour days (with plenty of breaks, of course). If your child is not the patient type, then perhaps he or she will not enjoy modeling.
Patience is also required in between takes when another scene is being filmed or shot. Your child may have to wait quietly in the background while the director works with another family or child. This can get boring fast requiring you, the parent, to find a way to keep your child happy, entertained, still or quiet.
For tips on finding the right agency to book your child, check out this book, The Model’s Bible & Global Modeling Agency Contact List – An Insider’s Guide on How to Break into the Fashion Modeling Industry.
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