Most parents become interested in baby modeling with the best of intentions. Friends and family members constantly tell them that their child is beautiful. “Of course he is,” they think. Then, the cuteness compliments keep coming. Complete strangers at the grocery store begin to suggest that the baby is modeling material.
The parents are flattered at first. Then, after a while they begin to wonder about the possibilities. Wouldn’t it be nice to have big chunk of money setting around eighteen years down the road when the baby goes to college? Baby modeling sounds like such a simple, fun way to do that. However, the reality of this industry isn’t quite what most parents expect.
Competition
Maybe one or two percent of the babies whose pictures are sent to agencies actually end up working as a baby model. Parents are relegated to dragging their baby around to various casting calls and typically getting rejected the vast majority of the time. After all, that’s the whole point of a casting call-choosing one or a few out of a large number of potential babies. Of course, young babies aren’t old enough to care, but rejection can hurt parents too. Agencies and casting judges see cute babies all day. They’re not interested in how cute grandma thinks she is. Getting hopes up without understanding the reality of the industry then having their baby constantly rejected can be very hard on parents.
Dollar amounts vary, but a typical baby photo shoot might pay $70 per hour. Wow, that’s at least a couple hundred dollars for a few hours of fun, right? Not quite. First, the modeling agency gets 10 to 15% commission. All of the time and energy spent to get that one job has to be taken into consideration. How many casting calls were attended before actually getting a job? How much time was spent traveling and sitting around waiting and how much money on gas? It all adds up. If one is very lucky, the gig will lead to future work-but don’t count on it. There are very high-paying baby modeling jobs out there, but in reality, the chances of landing one aren’t much different than an adult getting a Hollywood film role.
Does schlepping a baby all over the place to casting calls in order to be told to go home sound like fun? Parents often have to sit in a waiting room with their baby and dozens of other people, waiting their turn for hours. Just because babies are involved doesn’t mean this isn’t a professional industry. If a job is actually landed, the baby is basically handed over to the crew for the duration of the shoot. It is of utmost importance to be on time everywhere. Nobody cares if the baby threw up all over her carseat on the way there or mom overslept because she didn’t get any sleep last night-lateness is never acceptable. Parents are expected to be available whenever an agent calls, but other people might change their plans at the last minute. In reality, no one cares much about the efforts or opinions of the parents.
Location, Location, Location
Just like adult modeling and acting, the big jobs in the United States baby modeling industry are primarily in New York City and Los Angeles. There is work for smaller jobs throughout the country, including things like catalogs and local advertisement, but a baby isn’t going to become a nationally-recognized star in Kansas or South Carolina. If this is the dream, perhaps it’s time to forget about baby modeling and focus energy on other areas of life.
Scams
Scams are big business in the baby modeling industry. Parents who think their child is the most gorgeous, precious human being to ever walk the planet are easy prey. Anyone who asks for money upfront is operating a scam. They might charge anywhere from $500 to $2000 or more to take photos and send them to agencies. What the unsuspecting parents don’t realize is that professional photos aren’t needed for baby modeling. Agents realize how fast appearances change at a young age. Also, sending regular photos to agencies is something parents can easily do themselves. Real baby modeling agencies don’t get paid upfront-they earn a commission when the baby is hired for a job.
