Specific requirements will depend entirely on the agency that you use. When you put yourself forward for a casting or audition however, you may find that the organisation offering the work may have a specific look or idea in their mind of the type of teenage model that they want to represent their product or service. The agency will ensure that you fit into any specified criteria for any jobs that they send you to.
There are several reasons for this more relaxed approach to a teenager's look; firstly of course, nobody can expect a child of say 13 to be 5' 8" tall. Also, the range of work available for teenage models varies hugely - you may be working on a catalogue shoot, modelling clothes and accessories, or you may be used as a teenage model for a commercial selling certain products, and if you're really lucky and very successful as a teenage model, you may even end up being signed to a high end agency where you could work on huge marketing campaigns for well-known brands. Another common type of work that is available to teenage models is being used for teen magazines, where they are looking for everyday-looking teenagers that represent their market audience.
Laws and Parental Support for Teenage Models
To work in the teen modelling industry, an aspiring teenager will need the support of their parents or legal guardian. While the emotional support a parent can offer is vital, perhaps even more essentially, they will need to invest a lot of their own personal time to take you to castings and auditions for teen modelling work. There are also legal requirements you need to be aware of - under the Child Licensing Law, any person under 16 years of age (or who is still in full time education) has to have a current license to work - there are also restrictions on the number of hours that under 16's are allowed to work for.
Freelance or Model Agency?
If you're sure that this career is definitely for you, then you will also need to think about whether you would prefer to go it alone as a freelance model, or have the support of a professional modelling agency. Freelance modelling is much tougher in many respects, as you will need to organise your own portfolio, auditions and castings and be responsible for every aspect of your career.
If you decide you will have a better chance of success as a teenage model by being affiliated with a modelling agency, take the time to check that the model agency you are considering is a reputable one. You also need to be aware that if you decide to work through a modelling agency, instead of keeping all of your hard earned money from your teen modelling jobs yourself, you will be expected to pay a commission of all earnings to your modelling agency. Even if you work with a modelling agency, you are still classed as self employed. This means that you will be responsible for keeping your own accounts and submitting any necessary paperwork or tax returns to HMRC. This is clearly another reason why a teenage model needs the support and help of their parents!
La Mode Model Advice
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