As much as we know commercial modelling is as an enjoyable activity that gives many people opportunities to work with some of the biggest brands around (which it is), it is a business first and foremost.
There is no room for naivety. Money is involved in all the factors that contribute to success modelling shoots. We’re not cutthroat nor insensitive; it’s just a fact of…well, a fact of the business.
When we break down the financial side of modelling, we can see the following two steps to our business:
A model’s initial one-off fee
Models pay a small, one-off fee to us. This covers models appearing on our systems for work seeking, so we can give their details to our clients who are actively looking for models of all ages and looks.
Obtaining payment from our client – BEFORE models arrive in set!
When a model’s look is called for, we provide our clients with a shortlist of the best suited models. The clients (brand manager, advertising manager etc) then pick the models they’d like to be involved in their modelling shoots.
This is the crucial part of our business that all our models should know: we collect the fees from our clients before our models appear on set. Why do we do this if we trust our clients (as they are validated and background checked?)
We collect clients’ payments prior to our models starting any jobs as an insurance, thus we can pay all our models within 5 working days from the date of their job completion. There are no delays or “at the end of the month” promises. We pay our models quickly, and we like to ask them to send photos of them with their Models Direct payments – not really as proof of payment, but we like to see tangible evidence that our models have enjoyed a great experience with all sorts of top-rated brands.
So, in effect, we pay our models from the client’s fees that gone into our account. Simple as that!
But how much do we pay our models?
That depends entirely on the clients, as they are all different sizes and have different budgets put aside for marketing. It’s not uncommon for models to earn £120 – £250 for a typical days’ modelling. Some pets and other animals can accrue more for a days’ work, sometimes in the region of £400 – £600. And – more good news for models – modelling families earn more than an individual model – usually several hundred pounds.
We make the modelling processes as simple as we can, from the initial registration to providing feedback at the end of shoots and receiving payment.
If we were to explain the business of modelling at Models Direct, we would highlight:
- After the initial fee, we actively look for work for all our models.
- When a model is chosen by clients, they can accept or decline the job – the choice is theirs.
- We collect payment from the client in the first instance.
- Upon completion of assignments, we pay our models within 5 working days.
- …then models should keep their portfolios updated and look forward to more work.
