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Industry changes are happening, albeit very slowly, to improve the working conditions and standards of modeling and on-set life, and now actions are being taken by industry powerhouses to address the issues of payment and non-payment of models.
It is common for models to be nearly always in debt to their agencies, or in a holding pattern to be paid for work they have done. Agencies charge for expenses that are often not accounted for with receipts for the model and withhold pay for ninety days or longer after a job, oftentimes putting the model in a vulnerable financial position which removes all power she has over her career and relationship with the agency. It can be much worse for foreign models who are away from home and family, and who have a language barrier.
To be clear, agents send invoices to clients the day a job is completed, and demand payment within one week if not sooner. They then use that money to cover the agency overhead such as salaries and operating expenses. When the model requests her fee she is told that the client hasn’t paid, and the agency will delay for three or more months before making any payment to the model. After they take their percentage and the model’s owed expenses such as for rent, comp cards, and travel, the model may receive a payment. Sometimes models are told that they have so much debt with the agency that they will not be paid at all. Models are often made to feel like they have no right to ask for their earnings, and that they should not expect receipts for billed expenses. The agency has complete control over the model’s financial situation which in turn means where she lives, where she travels for work, and her budget for food, and transportation.
The industry has gone unchecked or monitored for decades and these sort of payment practices are not acceptable today. The industry is dated in its treatment of its workers, and the time has come for regulation. Freelance does not mean free. Agents do not work for free, and neither do models.
Please seek advice through www.modelalliance.org to know your rights, to be informed, and to ask for legal help for any modeling industry issues you are experiencing.
XOXO Shelley
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