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April 6th, 2010

YOU OUGHTA BE IN PICTURES

The real deal in child modeling

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Lindsay Stewart knows a thing or two about kids and their modeling careers. She’s worked in the business for years, recently launched Zuri Model and Talent on the West Coast and her “kids” appear in every ad you would want yours in; Gap, Ralph Lauren, Guess, Roxy and the list goes on. We sat down with an honest and frank Lindsay to find out really what goes on in this industry.

You must get approached from parents every day wanting their kids to be the next big thing:
I do, but the truth is, it takes the right kind of kid to model. It takes a certain kind of personality. I’d say 60% of it is their personality. And, it is so important for me as an agent to know they are having fun throughout the whole process. It isn’t for everyone. There is a lot of rejection and why would you subject your kids to something if they are not into it. Parents need to know, you can’t expect a 2 or 3 year old to become a famous movie star.

Ok, so for the parent that constantly hears, your child is gorgeous, he/she should really model, where do they start?
The first thing to do is to look up agencies in your local area. They are going to usually book the kids that live close to the shoot and are committed to being in their local city. We are on the West Coast, but in New York I like Generation Model, Product Model Management, Funny Face and Ford. Once you find an agency, contact them to find out their submission process, each agency varies a bit.

Let’s talk about rejection, we’re sure there’s a lot of that?
There is, and even for me, that is the hardest part. The kids don’t really understand that part until they are about 7 years old. So it is important, that if you think modeling is right for your kids, to keep it all in check. Make sure every single part about it is fun and try not to emphasize the end result or the money. Being chosen for a campaign has nothing to do with the kid doing good or bad or even how well they perform. They get chosen for a million different reasons. Parents play such a pivotal role in this and kids can easily pick up on it. It always needs to be positive.

Ok, be honest, can a child modeling career really pay for college?
Yes and no. A national commercial aired on a prime time network can pay around $25,000 – $30,000. That being said, a little less than 5% of the kids score them. Most kids with very busy modeling careers can make anywhere from $5,000-$15,000 a year.

Are there any red flags a parent should look for?
Yes, first of all, you need to know as a parent, if this is right for your child. If they are not enjoying it, it is not for them. Second, if an agency suggests using their photographer for a ton of money, that is usually a huge red flag for me. We are not into shelling out a lot of money for test shots.

Do you find modeling disruptive for kids?
A lot of people have negative views on the whole thing. This is very different from those child beauty pageants where the kids get all dolled up. If it is disruptive for a certain kid, it isn’t for them. Each state has different labor laws but they really look out for the kids. For instance, in the State of California there has to be a teacher on site and most of the shoots are done after school.

So, if modeling your kids is not for you, at the very least we say, check out the homepage of her website for the cutest video shot by Lindsay’s go-to and uber-talented photographer, Dani Brubaker.

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