Dynasty Models and Talent
To Whom It May Concern:
I am a Mom looking to promote her seven-month-old baby.
I took her to an open call at the Dynasty Agency, Inc.
(www.dynastymodels.com) in Boston.
They said that "accepted models" need to pay
$150 to be included in the Agency Book.
While the paperwork stresses that this fee is optional,
models who choose not to pay the so-called marketing
fee will be kept on file for 30 days, at the end of which
the model will be dropped from the file.
This sounds like a scam to me. Any advice?
Thank you very much,
K.A. in New Hampshire
K.,
The Glam Scam, half of which is a legal reference manual
for modeling and talent agencies, gives the following
information for the state of Massachusetts:
- Massachusetts has laws which specifically apply to
theatrical agents, booking agents, personal agents, modeling
agencies, and actor's managers.
-
- Any person who is a theatrical agent must obtain
a license from the Public Safety Commission.
-
- Agencies which employ models must obtain a license
from the Department of Labor.
-
- Agents must provide talent with detailed and specific
employment contracts.
-
- An agent's commission cannot result in talent receiving
less than state or Federal minimum wage.
-
- Agents cannot require talent to buy subscriptions
or contribute to advertising.
-
- Agencies cannot charge advance registration fees.
So it looks as if Dynasty knows the law that you cannot require models
pay for advertising (the purpose of the Agency Book),
so they make it optional, but, as you already noticed,
the way they set it up, it amounts to the same thing.
Even if what they do is not illegal, you will have to
decide if what they do is unethical.
Did you call any other agencies which have baby models?
Did they also want upfront fees?
It is always good to shop around in this industry until
you find the price is right or there is no conflict of
interest or you feel comfortable.
Good luck!
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