Modeling Scams


Model Scout


To Whom It May Concern:

I have recently become a scout for OTG. After scouting a few people, I have heard some negative stuff about the company.

This sparked my curiosity, and so I went online to check out what was out there, only to discover more negative stuff.

Is there any model scouting company out there that is not a scam? Can you please tell me who they are?

T.T.


T.,

I will assume you are looking for a job as a model scout at a reputable company.

If you want to become a model scout, first work as a model booker. Model bookers make the best model scouts. When you are a model booker, you know what models the clients want. If you aren't, how could you?

Bill Ford of Ford Models in New York said the following about one scouting company: "They walk up and down the streets with [scouts] who've never been in the business before. Why would they know what to look for?"

Model scouting firms are a fairly new idea. Their track record is bad. Their performance is poor. Are their scouts even qualified to scout? The scouts do not have up-to-the-minute understanding of what clients want. So they present their finds to agents, but 90% of the time the agents tell them they bombed, because the agencies choose only about 10% of the models they scouted.

A few of the scouts in model scouting firms may have background as agents or bookers, but the fashion industry, etc., changes. To be an effective scout, you need current understanding of the latest trends, that is, the latest demands of clients. This is why successful and growing agencies would want scouts who are, first and foremost, bookers.

Model scouting companies are apparently or evidently not under contract with top agencies. The agencies have their own scouts —who have industry experience and current insight —so they are qualified to scout models.

Some of the top agencies not only have their own scouts but they also have their own model searches. Ford has Super Model of The World; I think Next may have their own search; and Elite has their Look of The Year contest.

So to answer your question, no, I don't know of a model scouting company which is not a scam. I am not saying all scouting companies are scams; I am saying I don't know any which aren't. There isn't one I would dare to recommend.

If the scouting firms are ever under contract with a top agency, or when they require top agents to screen aspiring models before they pay to attend conventions, or charge aspiring models only after they are discovered, I'll take another look.


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