AGENTURE
The agency is the core of your professional modeling job. It is contact person, organizer and career planner in one. Our primary task as an agency is to promote the models and, as far as possible, to present them to the customer base and thus to arrange many jobs. In addition, the agency is responsible for invoicing, setting fees and tracking possible buyouts.
BOOK
The book is a collection of the best publications and photos of your jobs or tests, which will be presented to customers (Castings / Go & Sees) for presentation. This allows the client to see what you’ve already done and how versatile you are.
BOOKER
Booker work for model agencies or magazines. In the model agency, the booker is the contact person who establishes the connection between the model and the customer. The bookers of an agency are always anxious to establish a personal contact to their models and to let the communication always run smoothly.
BUYOUT
The buyout is an additional fee to the agreed daily fee. Buyout is due whenever your pictures, TV spots etc. are to be used longer than usual or published in additional countries. The buyout fee is usually fixed with the order. Should the customer claim the rights again after this time, the agency must be informed so that a new buyout offer can be submitted. You can get an overview of the buyout fees from the VELMA buyout list.
CASTING
The casting is a date at which different models for a job introduce themselves to the customer (editorships, advertising agencies, photographers). For many castings, certain types with certain attributes are directly requested. The agency’s task is to make the pre-selection for the client. It is important to appear well-groomed for the casting and in any case to bring along your book and a sedcard, so that the customer knows from which agency the respective model comes.
CATWALK
In the model scene, catwalk is an expression for the catwalk. See also Runway.
CELEBRITIES
This is how celebrities are called, the stars in the model scene such as Heidi Klum, Franziska Knuppe, Gisele Bündchen, Eva Padberg or formerly Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Cambell, Kate Moss, Cindy Crawford, Christie Turlington or Linda Evangelista.
CLASSIC WOMAN
In the industry the term for models who are over 30 years old.
CLOSE-UP
Hereby the scene designates a face photo, in which the character of the photographed model is very well represented.
COMMISSION
Fee for the parent agency of a model who places this model with a partner agency abroad or in another city.
COMPOSITE
Is another term for the sedcard. This term is mainly used in the American/English area.
CONTEST
Young talent competitions for boys and girls who would like to become models.
COVER
Model job for the cover of a magazine. Good for the book. Good for the image, less rewarding for the wallet.
CUTTINGS
Collected and archived material of the agencies about their models and their publications.
DIRECT BOOKING
Direct Booking means that the customer books the model without prior casting or fitting. The only basis for such a booking is the Sedcard and the Book. The more meaningful the book, the higher the probability of a direct booking.
EDITORIAL
An editorial (editorial recordings for journals) is generally not so well remunerated. However, the market value of a model can be enormously increased by editorials. Typical editorials are, for example, fashion and beauty sections in fashion magazines such as Vogue, ELLE, etc.
EXCLUSIVE CONTRACT
Larger companies often conclude an exclusive contract with one or more models for their advertising campaigns. The advantage for the company: the customer identifies the brand with a famous personality. This gives the customer a high recognition effect and uses the positive image of the model. The advantage for the model: the exclusivity is usually very well paid.
FITTING
Fitting before fashion shows or photo shoots to check the actual fit of the outfits. In the rarest cases, they are paid additionally and if so, then only with half a day’s fee.
GO & SEE
GoSee appointments are made so that you can send the model to the customer to introduce her, even if you are not directly inquiring about a job. The customer can then directly check whether the model is suitable for future projects and take snapshots himself, which he can store in his archive to use for later direct bookings.
HALBAKT / AKT
Whether you want to have a semi-nude or nude photograph taken is always discussed extensively with the agency during the interview. It is important for the agency to work seriously under all circumstances and to discuss topics like this with you. If semi-nude shots are made, there is a 50% surcharge and for full-nude shots a 100% surcharge on the normal daily fee.
HONORAR
The fee is the payment for a job. It depends on the respective experience and the degree of recognition of the model. New Faces (beginners) therefore receive a much lower fee than the professionals. It is therefore important that the book is filled with good photos and is well received by the customer. Customers often only have a certain budget. In this case it is up to the agency to suggest suitable models.
INTERNET-AGENTUREN
At present there are more and more so-called Internet model agencies. These agencies are primarily concerned with getting paid for the publication of photos on the Internet. However, these Internet companies cannot be compared with classical model agencies — as they are organised in VELMA. Most large clients still turn to classic agencies, because they ensure tailor-made support.
CONFECTION Sizes
The clothing size is your dress size. The usual model sizes for female models are between 34 and 38, for male models between 50 and 98. It is important to inform the agency immediately if something has changed in your clothing size. Discipline is of course the basis of modeling, so we advise the models to keep fit and healthy, so that there are no big fluctuations in terms of the clothing size.
CARDING
The file contains all models of the agency. It contains all the data necessary to create a complete model profile. Today, customers can also find all models on an agency’s website.
CATALOGue-JOBS
Short term for classic model jobs with one use, e.g. for Otto, BAUR or other advertising customers. Catalogue jobs are in high demand, because these productions often take several days and thus bring good money.
RUNSTEG
The bridge on which the models move to demonstrate their fashion. The catwalk is usually built directly into the rows of spectators.
LOCATION
Term for the designation of the place where the photo or film production takes place.
LOOK-BOOK
This is a small catalogue, flyer, in which a fashion manufacturer presents virtual catwalk scenes with his fashion.
MASSE
The measurements are important data, which are noted on the Sedcard: Body size, circumference of chest, waist, shoe size, eye and hair colour. Even small changes must always be communicated to the agency so that there are no nasty surprises for the customer during the job.
NEW FACES
New Faces is the name given to beginners in the model business, i.e. models that are at the beginning of their career.
PLUS SIZE
The industry uses this term to describe models that have a clothing size over 40.
PORTFOLIO
Another name for the book.
PROVISION
The agencies receive a statutory commission, which is charged to the model for each job arranged. This consists of an agency commission and a service commission. The nationwide commission rate is 25%. Should you exceptionally want to have your fee earlier than the customer has paid, there is a surcharge of 5% on the commission, thus 30% as pre-financing.
RUNWAY
Other designation for catwalk or catwalk.
SCOUT
Scouts search everywhere and at any time for new models and often approach them on behalf of an agency. Model scouts also visit foreign model agencies. No way is too far for them to discover new models.
SEDCARD
The Sedcard is the business card of the model. On this Sedcard all measurements, a selection of the most beautiful pictures and the data of the agency must be contained. In the past there were only printed cards, today Sedcards are also sent electronically. The Sedcard was invented by Sebastian Sed, a former owner of a British model agency.
SHOWROOM
The showroom is the place where models show the new collection of designers, who are not shown on a catwalk, but to the retailer or buyer in the non-public area.
TESTSHOOTINGS
These are photographic works without an order. Test shootings are important for New Faces to take their first steps into the model business. Without professional photo material models will hardly get any orders. Therefore the tests are inevitable at the beginning. Serious agencies try to organize them free of charge. Models can also gain their first experience in this way. But if a test should cost something, it can be agreed to charge it with the first real job. However, an agency will only do this if it firmly believes in the model’s success. With these free works photographer, hair&make up, as well as model work free of charge and complement each other with their work, in order to be able to use in the final effect in each case the developed pictorial material for the own Book/Portfolio.
VELMA
VELMA represents the interests of model agencies and the models they represent. All large and important agencies are organised in this association. Young girls and boys looking for an agency should make sure that their agency is a member of VELMA.