Ok, let’s start with the basics.
What is a modeling contract?
It is an agreement that both parties, the model and the agency must agree upon before the model is commercialized. There are many terms and conditions included in the agreement, such as:
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How the model’s revenue will be divided between the model and the agency.
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Duration of the contract (automatic renewal or not)
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Exclusivity of the contract
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Model behavior and etiquette
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Occasionally taxes, model expenses.
Mainly, there are 4 different types of contract that are offered to models by almost any agency and that includes:
- Exclusive contract
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Your agency will exclusively manage it and you will not be granted the freedom to work with any other agency for the duration of your contract. Therefore, it is crucial that models clarify each contract information before signing on the dotted line and make sure that it is a legitimate agency that you are signing to.
- Non-exclusive contract
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With this contract, you can search for your own jobs without the need to go through your agency and all the profits obtained are exclusively for you. In addition, you can also sign non-exclusive contracts with other agencies, as long as you inform their agencies. This is the contract that we highly recommend to models as it gives models freedom to pursue their own jobs and also a great opportunity for them to get involved and build relationships with many, expanding their connections.
- One-time contract
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This contract is highly recommended for those models who cannot commit to long-term contracts or be managed by agencies due to busy schedules or heavy responsibilities. This contract is only signed for a single job. Once the model has completed its work and fulfills all contract responsibilities, the model will be paid. If you don’t receive a paycheck after completing a job, you can file a lawsuit against the company for breach of contract.
- Mother agency contract
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This contract allows a person’s parent agency to earn commissions from the model, even if he or she is signed with consecutive agencies. A mother modeling agency is the first agency you started with as a model. The mother agencies function as your shield, they promote you to the international market. Therefore, any agreements on the model’s career with international agencies will be made between both parties, her mother agency and the subsequent agency. Your parent agency will deduct a small percentage of your earnings for your efforts. Although you will not earn as much as certain models, you can be sure that you are well protected by your agency, while at the same time gaining a lot of exposure in the industry.
To close this, it is important to know every detail of the contracts that are offered to you, as you do not want to simply jeopardize your career in the wrong hands. All the best!