I.M.M. KIDS Model and Talent Agency

How do I get my child into the business?

Being apart of an agency takes a huge commitment from both the child and parent.  Parents must have the flexibility to take their child to appointments with as little as 24 hours notice.  Of course we understand that parents cannot accept every assignment, but missing more than a few is unacceptable. 

 

You can expect that your child will miss some school.  Some auditions are scheduled in the early evening and on Saturday's, but most of the photo shoots and filming take place during the day.  In addition, most of the work is based out of Toronto and Mississauga so you will need to be comfortable and flexible with travelling to these cities. 

 

If you meet the above requirements, you may submit your child’s photo to I.M.M. Kids for consideration.  Professional photos are not necessary – a clear snap shot is preferred.  Please refer to to complete this process.  If your child fits our needs, I.M.M. Kids will than set-up an appointment to meet with you and your child before making any final decisions about representing him/her.

 

How much will it cost to get started?

I.M.M. Kids charges an annual administration fee of $150 to cover the costs of couriers, website, resumes, long distance charges and vouchers.  This is quite standard throughout the industry.  Children under the age of 3 are charged $100.  We do not require professional photo's to be taken.  School pictures, portraits, and snap-shots are all acceptable.  Pictures can be sent through e-mail at a high resolution.  I will notify you if I need more to choose from.  A clear head-shot position is required.

 

If you have any questions in regards to the start-up costs, please feel free to research other reputable agencies to compare.  We are not an agency that forces you to have Professional photo's done or pay for acting/modelling classes.  Any classes or workshops that we hold for our clients are free of charge.  We encourage our clients to do their research.  We have included a "Resources" page on our site that lists websites containing some very good information about the industry to help you with your research.

 

Each child will be required to carry a model bag containing certain shoes and accessories to complement a fashion related booking.  The model bag should also contain a variety of hair bands and clips, brush, wipes, Kleenex, toothbrush and toothpaste.

 

How do I know if my child is right for the business?

An attractive child is obviously an asset for modeling assignments however there are many larger campaigns and television that are looking for a vast variety of different looks.  The important thing is that your child must be outgoing and personable and be able to perform without having you around.  They must have the ability to work with strangers without being shy and timid.  The most important thing is that they must have the desire to do it.

  

Catalogue modeling assignments are looking for specific sizes – usually 18 months, 3, 6 and 12.  When completing the application, include any school plays your child has performed in and any hobbies that your child participates in such as sports or music.

 

How much will my child make?

There is no guarantee that your child will make a lot of money.  It is important to realize that despite the amount of money that they make, this is an opportunity to build their self-confidence and have fun.  Parents should initially consider modeling as a “paid extra-curricular activity” until the child begins to make a significant amount from bookings and commercials.  Catalogue shoots pay up to $50 per hour while larger print jobs pay up to $100 per hour.  Television commercials can pay anywhere from $1000 - $20,000.

 

Your child gets paid through the agency.  I.M.M. Kids will invoice the client after the shoot.  Once we receive payment, a cheque will be sent to you minus commission.

 

How often will my child be called?

We cannot guarantee how often your child will be sent out.  The agency receives breakdowns of what is out there and we submit our clients based on the Casting needs.  Like any other business, it has it's slow times.  Back-to-School and Christmas are busy times but again, it is all based on what the needs of the industry are.  You can be assured that your child will be submitted to all Casting Calls that fit the description of your child.

 

What does "Booking Out" mean?

"Booking Out" is a term we use when you the model/talent calls the agency to inform us that you will be unavailable from X date to X date. Please be sure to tell us in advance of when you will be unavailable.  Do not contact us the night before as we may have already submitted you for a possible job. This is a business and our role is to submit and promote the appropriate people to casting directors and clients to get you that audition /go see.  If you can't make that audition/go see you have taken away that spot from someone else.  We then have to call the casting director or client with a regret. B y doing this, it can potentially give the agency a bad name among casting directors and can therefore affect the entire roster.

How does it work?

The Agency subscribes to breakdown services - a service that provides us with all the casting calls that are out there.  A breakdown details all of the Casting Directors requirements for each role.  All clients are listed in the database.  If your child meets the specific requirements of any roles that come in, the Agency submits your child for that role.  It is than up to the Casting Agent to decide whether they want to see your child in person.

If the Casting Agent requests that your child attend an audition, you will be notified immediately of the time, place and wardrobe required for the audition.  When you arrive at the audition, you will fill out a form and hand it in.  Your child will be called into the room and will be required to do what the Casting Agent asks them to. 

If the Casting Agent liked your child, they may request a Call-Back (second audition).  You again will be notified of the specifics for this and it will be a similar process like the first audition.  If your child is chosen for the final role, you will be notified immediately with all of the necessary information that you need, i.e., wardrobe date, shooting date and location, etc.

Some Casting Agents will choose from picture submissions only, however this is quite rare.  They normally hold an audition.  In addition, 3 - 4 babies are always chosen for one shoot.  They will however only use one baby for the final shoot.  Your baby will receive the rate for the shoot but only receives the buy-out if they are the final.

 

We hope these answers help in some way so that you may understand a little about the modeling business prior to making an appointment with our agents. Many more questions will be answered if you choose to meet with us personally. We do not get into lengthy questions and answers on the telephone because it takes us away from our main goal, promoting our models. Thank you for taking the time to read these pages and we look forward to meeting “New Faces” in the future.

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