Expert: Kitty Kavey - 4/28/2008

Question
I have 8 month old fraternal twin boys, and I can't get through a store or any public place without somebody (usually several somebodies) stopping me to tell me how beautiful they are. I'm interested in having them model or appear in commercials. I currently live near Orlando, Florida and may relocate in the near future to the San Francisco/Sacramento, California area.  How can I find a reputable agent for them, or should I try to find them auditions myself?  Could you suggest some agencies or casting directors I could talk to?

Answer
I suggest only using a reputable talent/model agency, rather than freelancing on your own.  For Florida, I have heard good things about World of Kids Inc.,
1460 Ocean Drive, Suite 205,
Miami Beach, 33139
(305) 672-5437   
License Number: TA 0000420
http://www.worldofkidsagency.com
They specialize in representing babies and children for acting and modeling.

There's also several other agencies in Florida who represent young talent of your twin's age that can be found here:
http://www.florida-models.com/agencies.htm
under SAG Commercial Modeling Agencies.  The Screen Actor's Guild agency list contains some of the better agencies around the US, as they not only have to adhere to state/local laws, but also have to abide by the guild's rules and regulations as well.

You can also use the SAG agency list once you move to the San Francisco area to locate other reputable agencies in that area.  Their list is located on: www.sag.org, under Member Services, Find an Agent.  The list is organized by location in the US, and usually has the notation (FS) or full service if they represent models in addition to actors.  

You will still need to use your favorite search engine with the SAG.org list to locate agency websites - most of which contain the agency's criteria and submission instructions for new faces.  Or you can telephone agencies you are interested in from that list to inquire if they have a children's or baby division.

You may also want to look into one of the books published about child modeling/acting - as some of those also contain an agency list, and in that case it would be for agencies who are specifically for children or have a children's division, and I trust would have been checked out by the book author for proper licensing and such.

Good luck to you three!
~Kitty