What type of work should the babies with BabyShak expect?
Roughly 60% of our Baby model work is Commercial / Television, with the remainder being Photographic Modelling. We receive an average of 15 queries per day through our offices from clients and subsequently submit a minimum of 40 babies for auditions daily. We have Baby modelling contracts with clients and also have long standing working relationships with Film / Television Production Companies, Advertising Agencies, Casting Directors and Photographers from all over the UK.
How can I apply to join BabyShak Baby Model Agency?
When you apply to join BabyShak, we request that you send us a couple of snapshots of your baby. The shots taken should not be meant as portrait or fashion pictures, as commercial (TV) clients like to see a baby naturally, but should ideally display the face shape, frame size and confidence of a baby. They need not be professional. Upon receipt, they are firstly viewed by our application department, together with their completed application form for preliminary consideration. Their recommendations are then sent to our Head Booker where a final decision will be made. We ensure that there is a demand for your child's particulars and that we do not already hold a baby on our database of similar appearance. We also take into consideration your location as part of this assessment. This process is aimed at increasing a baby's chances of obtaining placements with our clients. In comparison with all other baby modelling agencies, we hold a very low, however, select number of babies on our records. It is for this reason that we must adhere to this acceptance procedure. This policy further adds to your baby's chance of success once they have been accepted. You will receive confirmation of our having received your application and we will then contact you within 7 working days.
What happens if my baby is accepted?
Once our production team has completed any necessary amendments to your shots, we use these pictures as a reference for ourselves and for our clients. We also distribute them to these clients upon request. We will then include the baby in our On-Line Casting Directory. This directory is viewed mainly by our commercial clients, however, we do also receive a large percentage of photographic queries via our website. In line with the Department of Trade & Industry's rulings, it should be stressed that no modelling agency can guarantee work for a baby or child on their books. Our policy, however, is to only accept those that we feel would be excellent candidates for our clients and would only be an asset to our agency. We do not charge for registration, further ensuring that we only accept those that we strongly feel we would obtain work from, as their working activity would then be our only source of income. We also do not charge to interview children, due to this being totally pointless when they are changing all of the time. Should a child be successful, only then would they be required to pay a very small 'one-off' fee of £90 for their web page to be added to the online directory, with no other fees being applicable throughout the whole time the child is with the agency (up until their 4th birthday). Please note that BabyShak do not charge any annual joining fee to be with the agency. The fee is payable to the web company we use, who adds the websites, maintains them over the years that the child is with us and they also print and distribute model cards/header sheets for the child and distribute them to our clients, introducing them as a new addition to the agency. There is no fee charged to simply apply to the agency. This applies to all ages. BabyShak will also arrange a performers license for your child, via our clients. This is a legal requirement for any child accepted with a child agency and again is totally free of charge to the parent.
As our on-line casting directory is aimed and used mostly by our commercial clients, as with all other reputable agencies, we also produce a Model Book for the photographic side of the industry. There is no charge to be included in our Model Book and a child on our books does not have to be entered into it. However, unlike the On-line Directory, we will need to use professional shots and not snapshots of the babies, as with ALL other agencies. A letter is sent to all parents regarding this, shortly after joining, explaining the procedure for submitting photographs for entry. Model Book entry is entirely optional, as your child does not have to be included. You will be given the option to provide your own professional shots, or attend our arranged shoot at half that studios normal price charged to the public. We use a studio, not related to BabyShak, that is familiar with our agency and client requirements and has many years of experience photographing children of all ages, which is a great, especially if it is your child's first experience. Again, this is totally optional and you do not have to be included in the Model Book if you would rather not. If you opt to send in your own professional photographs, our production dept will be able to provide the photographer with full details of our requirements.
BabyShak DOES NOT CHARGE FOR ANY PHOTOGRAPHY OR MODEL BOOKS ENTRIES
.....And if they are not accepted?
All decisions that we reach concerning a child's acceptance or non-acceptance with our agency are made jointly between ourselves and our production team in London. Our aim is to provide our clients with only the highest quality children and to ensure that they are all different in appearance. If we feel for any reason that the current working climate, or indeed the industry itself would not be suitable for any baby who applied, then it would be in nobody's interest to offer them a placement. We will forward all parents a written explanation as to why we have reached our decision, however, those children that are declined are sometimes offered the opportunity to remain on our files to be re-assessed at a later date should the working climate change. In this instance, there would be no web-site inclusion.
All decisions made by our panel are final.
Fees
BabyShak do not charge a joining fee, or an annual fee to be with the agency, we also do not charge to "interview" any baby, as they change to quickly. There is a small 'one-off' fee payable of £90, upon acceptance, to a web design company, who, for this fee, design web pages, make any future amendments to those pages free of charge, print and distribute model cards to clients of the agency BabyShak, and instigate a licence for the baby. BabyShak choose not to contract children with the agency, thus not creating a sole agency agreement with the parent.
BabyShak agency are fully computerised and equipped to present our children by way of both model cards/brochures and also by way of our web-site and in our Model Book. This way your child's details can be updated as and when necessary throughout the year, so keeping the client informed of their progress and thus avoiding any unnecessary commercial castings for children that have changed somewhat since the catalogue first went to print. Due to technology, clients are increasingly using the Internet for up-to-date measurement details when searching for babies. We anticipate that this will eventually lead to the phasing out of the current large and extremely heavy out of date model books for all agencies. This technology enables us to access a far greater volume of client for your baby, both nationally and internationally. Please note that we exercise the strictest of security measures when taking bookings for children through our web-site and that generally the site is used as an up-to-date reference for our already established clients. We also do not display any details other than age, height, hair colour etc. Should you have any concerns about this facility please speak to one of our staff. Babies aged 0-3 years are only accessible on our website with the use of a pincode. Pincodes are only ever issued to established clients of the agency. Parents will be emailed a copy of their webpage upon its completion.
Web design payments are not refundable once the work has been completed by the web company.
Below shows a list of the minimum rates currently paid to babies for basic photographic and commercial assignments. All fees are negotiable and we will always try to obtain the highest rates possible for our babies.
Photographic modelling
newborn - 3 years £50 per hour £250 per day
Commercial (TV work)
newborn - 3 years £160 per day shoot fee plus buyout and/or repeat fees
(min £845 UK usage)
REMEMBER TO USE THE ABOVE AS A GUIDE. NEGOTIATION IS AT THE AGENCIES DISCRETION
The agency will deduct 20% commission on all monies invoiced by us; this is our agency fee. We only issue payment upon receipt of client's payments. We must inform you that some clients take up to 3 months to settle their accounts, however invoices from BabyShak ask for a 30 day payment. Our business operation is very simple...We receive a request from the client for a specific assignment, together with audition and studio details. We submit a baby, or selection of babies that meet the criteria. Upon confirmation from the client, we then call that baby's parent or guardian with this information and confirm their availability. We will tell you of any particular dress code that has been stipulated, which company the casting is for and the exact times and dates for when you will be required for the shoot should your child be successful. You need do nothing else, but call/email the office at the beginning of each month with any changes to the measurements of your baby for our computer system. Parents of younger babies should also send in up-dated shots as and when necessary for their web-site Directory. A full list of update requirements for each age will be sent to parents if they are accepted. The selection for any part is not made by BabyShak; it is always made by the Casting Director/client. Our duty as an agency is to provide suitable babies who fit the specifications given to us by the client.
PLEASE ADHERE TO THESE SIMPLE RULES!
1. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you arrive at jobs and castings ON TIME.
2. Always try to limit the number of companions that you take with you to a shoot. It is acceptable for other members of the family to attend, however, please remember studios only have a limited amount of space and too many extra people get in the way.
3. If your baby is ill and cannot make it to a casting or job you MUST let us know immediately. Our answering machine is on all the time the office is unattended and there is an emergency telephone number for your convenience should it be necessary to speak to us in person.
4. Please make sure babies arrive looking good with clean hair and clothes.
5. Always inform us of the following: Holiday dates New sizes/heights New shoe sizes New hair cuts Information regarding babies development / or anything you may feel is relevant to us.
6. Call us after every job with times worked as most bookings are open-ended (excluding Castings of course) and ensure that you always complete the release form / time sheet that will be issued to you that day.
7. Take snacks/drinks/food along for your baby. Do not rely on clients to feed you on jobs although most of them do if you are booked all day. Clients cannot be expected to supply food for babies or chaperones with special dietary needs.
8. Please take along books/games etc. to keep your child occupied. There may be long gaps between shots and they could become bored.
9. Please remember it is each parent's responsibility to look after his or her child at a shoot. It is also their responsibility to ensure that they behave themselves properly as poor conduct could result in the loss of future contracts for our company.
10. BabyShak reserves the right to remove any CV from the Site. BabyShak are renowned in the industry for displaying highly accurate details of all of their children. It is the parents responsibility to ensure that the agency are provided with up-to-date details, including photographs of their child, in order that we are not in breach of this policy to our clients. An administration fee will be applicable for those wishing to be replaced after having been removed for this reason.
