What Clients Look for

What Clients Look For

If you are with a children's agency, the client who chooses which models to use will be looking for certain qualities in the model. You can be 15 and be with a children's agency, but you must be short and young - looking for your age otherwise you are better off in an adults agency. The clue is in the name really - if you are with a children's agency you must look like a child!

Whenever a client searches for a model, whether they are looking for a blonde haired 6 year old, or a ginger haired 12 year old, there is one thing they are not looking for - makeup. This is why your agency will take natural photos of you in a studio, to put on their website (your profile). When applying for an agency you will probably be asked to send in some snapshots of yourself. Again it is very important that these are natural and actually look like you - it's also best to avoid logos and busy prints. The pictures must be recent and your face must be clearly visible. Imagine you are having a passport photo...but smile!! 

Clients do look for really different things depending on what product/brand they are casting for. Good agents should know what your look is, and will submit you for appropriate castings. You can be really successful and not necessarily classically beautiful. For example, companies like cereal manufacturers want real looking kids with bags of character, whereas a high fashion company such as vogue probably want a look that's slightly more edgy. I have modelled for quite a few magazines and clothes companies whereas my sister (who looks very cheeky) is cast a lot for T.V. commercials. We are with the same agency but have really different looks so get put forward for different things.

Another thing that some clients look for is experience. If you have just started out this can be quite frustrating as someone's got to give you this experience before you can have it! Because of this, it can often take a while for models to get their first job, however once you are able to add more pictures of work you have done, quite often clients will book you more regularly. 

Of course this is just the beginning, once a client sees you amongst loads of others at a casting, there are lots of other things to consider -  but I will post this another time! :)