Expert: Kitty Kavey - 3/29/2010

Question
I encouraged my brother to do some modeling because he has the features and is quite young.There are lots of scamming managers in my country, so i suggested to manage him. i need some tips on how to negotiate deals with prospective agents or advertising companies. and how to package him well

Answer
I suggest you look in another country for better work opportunities for your brother.  If he fits the height and size requirements for fashion, then look in places like Paris, Milan, and New York City for agents that would be good for him.

You can use one of the modeling agency directories to find agents worldwide.  A good one for NYC is: http://models.com/agencies/top-men/

Nearly all the agencies listed there have websites (just use your favorite search engine to find them) which detail what they want to see from new faces and agency criteria.  Some agencies will accept photos/info online, most take mailed-in information and/or have open calls.  The usual rate they charge is 10 to 20% off of the money a model earns through them.

There's not a lot to negotiate with an agent at the beginning of your brother's career.  The percentage they take is quite standard.  If your brother becomes well-known, then you could negotiate for a lower percentage.  If you manage more than one model, then you could possibly make a different deal with an agency - perhaps that they represent all your models when normally they would take one from the group.

You could try expanding your brother's talents into other areas.  Perhaps he'd be interested in acting as well.  Modeling requires no training, nor do most types of models use a resume.  Your brother will need at least a couple snapshots to submit to agents, but professional photos are not required.  There are areas where one can freelance as a model, although that's not usually for fashion modeling, and nearly all the well-paying jobs and/or reputable companies work through agents, not with freelance models.

If you decide that you want to represent your brother as his agent, then you will need to find out what regulations/laws there are in your area concerning that.  In some parts of the US, for example, you would need to have an agency license and insurance before you could negotiate for work on behalf of a model.  In the US, a model is considered an independent contractor or self-employed, so they are responsible for their own taxes, and there are specialists who deal with tax issues for models, actors and other talent.

There's really not much to package him with - as at the moment, you've only mentioned modeling.  He's either photogenic, or not.  There's not much you can do to teach someone to be more photogenic.  You could work with him if he's nervous or doesn't walk well, but generally that doesn't take too much to "fix."  If he has other skills to work on or with, that might make him a more marketable package.  Models and actors are often represented by the same agency, some singers and musicians also do modeling and/or acting.  Voiceover is something that might also be represented by agencies you are interested in.  

If you're moving your brother into areas other than modeling, being bilingual will be helpful, and if he decides to go into acting or voiceover, then there's all kinds of training that he can do.  For now, though, for fashion modeling he can use a couple snapshots and will be able to submit to agencies worldwide.  Although it's not on the list of the current top ten NYC agencies, Boss Models has offices in various places and is well-known for it's roster of male models - http://www.bossmodels.com
You can submit online or attend an open call.

Good luck to you both.
~Kitty