​​Terminology

Know what each term means! The more you know about the industry the less likely you are to experience scams and un-needed appointments. If someone wants you to set up an appointment that is not an agency or casting, more than likely they are trying to pitch or sell you something. Never purchase anything unless it is professional pictures for older children or adults. Younger children don't need professional pictures but can get them if you so choose.
 

1. AUDITION – An audition is when your child is competing for something in the talent world (i.e. a commercial, TV show, musical, etc.). It is much like a casting, but usually needs a lot more preparation such as learning scripts or dance moves.

2. BOOKER – Booker” is a fancy word for “agent,” either talent or model agent.

3. BOOKING – This is what every parent wants to hear – “You child is booked!” A “booking” is just another word for “job,” and it can range from not getting paid at all to making thousands of dollars for a few hours of work. If an agent tells you that your child is “booked” on a certain day or days, it means he/she is going to be working. First comes the “option to save the date,” then hopefully the booking confirmation. When you go on vacation or your child is sick or you have some other personal reason why you can’t work or go on castings a certain day or days, then you will have to “book out” those particular times, which means you are not available.

4. CALLBACK – This is when a client calls your child back to see him or her again for a specific job. Usually callbacks happen more with acting auditions then with modeling castings. It’s exciting to have a “callback” because it means your child is that much closer to getting the job!

5. CASTING – A casting call is when a client calls an agency and requests specific needs by narrowing down age, clothing size, height, etc. They can be as specific as they want, or just request models in general for a certain job. It’s the same process when attending a casting or go-see with a client for you and your child – he or she will see the client in person and drop off a composite card for reference.

6. COMPOSITE – Composites are lightweight cards measuring approximately five inches by eight inches – every agency varies – with a few of your child’s best photos on it, along with his/her name and stats. It’s like a business card for a model, and when you go on a casting or go-see you will give one to the client each time. The agency will also use these to market your child, either by hard copy or digitally.

7. GO-SEE – A “go-see” means exactly what it says – it’s when you are sent to “go and see” a client by your agency or manager. A go-see is different from a casting, because you are actually going to meet and greet the client for general purposes. A casting is for a specific job, when the client narrows down specifically what they need. For example, you can have an appointment to “go and see” Macy’s because they are always casting year-round, but if you go on a “casting” for Macy’s there will be a specific reason why, like if your child is brunette or a certain clothing size or age.

8. OPEN CALL – Open calls are more general, with (most likely) a lot of people attending. These take place when model/talent agencies are looking for new faces, or when a client needs a model, but doesn’t specifically know what they are looking for quite yet.

9. OPTION – An option is when a client wants to hold time on your child. In other words, they would like to save a day or more on your child’s schedule for a particular job, but cannot confirm just yet. You will get more options then bookings, as clients like to hold several people for one job, then confirm or cancel at the last minute.

10. REQUEST – When a client specifically requests for your child to be at a casting, then that is a “request.” It could be a request from seeing your child’s composite or meeting him or her from a previous meeting.

11. SCOUT – If someone approaches you in a public place about your child and calls themselves a “scout” tread carefully. Ask for a business card, do not give your personal information out and write down what agencies he or she works with. A scout has to work with at least one agency, because all they do is place kids with agencies. Usually scouts for kids’ agencies are the agents themselves working at a specific agency, but if not, they should be affiliated with one. CALL THE AGENCY THEY SAY THAT THEY WORK WITH AND GET A REFERENCE FROM THEM to make sure he or she is legitimate. If they are legitimate, they will not hesitate when you want to check things out.

12. VOUCHERS – If you join and/or sign with an agency, they will give you vouchers to bring with you on your jobs. This is both for you and the agency to keep track of your child’s work and what he/she made. A voucher is an informal agreement between you and the clients that your child works for. It is similar to an “IOU.” When you are finished with the job you will need to ask the client to sign a voucher for you, so you can send it into the agency for accounting/billing purposes. The agency will then take a payment for the job, deduct a percentage, then pay you.

13. AGENCY VS. MANAGER – The difference between “agent” and “manager” is that managers are not licensed to book work directly for you, unless you are working with a “model management” agency. Usually an agency is enough to get your child started in the modeling/acting industries, but the advantage to having a manager is that they can market your child more accurately with several different agencies and markets. Managers will take an extra percentage though, on top of what an agency takes, so consider this carefully if you are interviewing one to represent your child.

14. EXCLUSIVE VS. NON-EXCLUSIVE – Some of the contracts and/or agreements are exclusive, and some are nonexclusive. Smaller markets will often have non-exclusive agreements for you to sign, so when an agency gets paid, they are allowed to take their commission, but you are still allowed to get work from other agencies in that same local area. Most children are offered nonexclusive agreements, which is advantageous to you as a parent so you can feel free to explore other agencies. But don’t sign with too many agencies, because then you will start getting the same castings from all of them and that is a turn-off to agents because you will have to say “no” to someone constantly. If your child is offered an exclusive agency contract, then you must consider his/her career, and if the agency or manager is good enough to develop their career to the full extent. TRY TO HAVE A LAWYER LOOK OVER ANY CONTRACT OR AGREEMENT BEFORE YOU SIGN.

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