By Noor-Jehan Yoro Badat
Youngsters are increasingly in demand to appear in TV commercials, clothing catalogues and adverts. Two moms with photogenic offspring relate their experiences to Noor-Jehan Yoro Badat.
Suraya Liang
When Suraya's son Moongong was a toddler, her family and friends often told her that he was so adorable that he should be on TV.
Then, one day, while she and Moongong were walking in a shopping mall, a stranger stopped her, told her that she was from a modelling agency and said that her son should be a model.
It gave Suraya food for thought. After discussing it with her husband Peter, who was hesitant, she decided to sign her son up with a child modelling agency.
"I thought: 'Why not?' What mother wouldn't be excited or want their child to be on TV or on a billboard?" asks Suraya, a businesswoman.
She didn't regret it. Six years later, Moongong, 9, has been in TV commercials, in catalogues and adverts for local and overseas companies such as Ackermans, Lewis, Pep, Woolworths and Marks & Spencer. He was among the Top 10 earners for his agency last season.
The rest of her brood, sons Moonchang, 7, and Moonbin, 6, and daughter Moonjing, 3, have followed suit.
But Suraya says it's hard work when your children are in constant demand for modelling assignments. You have to shuttle them between castings and shoots, there is a lot of tedious waiting and sometimes dealing with crabby children.
"Once my son and other kids had to shoot in thick winter clothes in the heart of summer. That was difficult because they were moaning about the heat. The crew had to shoot quickly," says Suraya.
However, she says, every crew she's dealt with has been friendly and accommodating, and if it's a TV advert, a child handler has been on hand to keep the kids busy.
"We've never had a bad experience. The kids have always had fun. They've messed with flour, baked and played. And when there's a break, especially if the shoot is on the beach, I use that time to play and spend time with my child," she adds.
She's careful to put her children's needs first. It's about what they want and what makes them happy, she says.
"I always ask Moongong if he wants to do a job. He knows that if he no longer enjoys this, we can stop. But most times he likes it."
It's up to parents, not the modelling agencies, to balance children's lives, says Suraya.
"And all the money my children make goes straight into their bank accounts. They know they've worked for it and when they are older, it's theirs."
Jennifer Scriven
Jennifer is not only the mother of child models, she also works as an administrator at a child model agency in Cape Town called Kidz 2000.
Her daughter Savannah, 14, and son Jared, 11, are successful child models. They have been in numerous adverts for local and overseas firms and in TV commercials. Jared was also an extra in a Starship Troopers movie.
Savannah has been a child model for seven years, says Jennifer. "She has shone from this experience. At school she was asked to talk about a life-changing experience and she spoke about modelling, which surprised me.
"She says it has given her confidence, she's learnt about different languages and how to deal with different people," Jennifer says. "I've told her that if she wants to do this as a career and it makes her happy, she can do it."
But Savannah understands that as she gets older, the industry gets more competitive and she will be chosen - and rejected - for jobs based purely on her looks.
Babies and toddlers, on the other hand, have it easy in the modelling industry, says Jennifer. "It's not just the cute factor that will clinch the job. It all depends on the brief from the production company."
Jennifer believes there's a shoot for everybody. "A shoot last year was looking for oversize kids."
Her agency doesn't turn anyone away, she says.
"Many parents want to see their kids on store posters and on TV. And there's no denying that serious money can be made.
"We have two siblings who recently earned R98 000 each for one shoot. The agency takes 20% commission, which is standard."
There's a boom in child modelling, says Jennifer "We had a bumper season last year. There wasn't a day when work wasn't coming in."
- Note that Verve cannot make recommendations on agencies.
Parents, you need to know ...
- Baby and child models need to be sociable and easy-going. On jobs, they will be surrounded and handled by strangers, and subject to direction, delays and much waiting around. If your child is shy or sulky, it's not for them.
- Children need not be conventionally good-looking (advertisers need all types, even quirky-looking ones), but they need to be photogenic, have outgoing personalities, smiling, happy faces and have clear skin and bright eyes.
- Parents need flexible jobs, or perhaps not work, as they will need to drive their kids to casting calls (a type of audition) and shoots, and hang around for hours. Even though staff may be present to "wrangle" or look after the kids, it is vital that a parent is always with the child.
- How to get started? Do research to ensure you are dealing with a reputable agency. If you can't get a personal recommendation, look up model and casting agencies in the telephone directory and call them to find out if they handle children. Make sure that they have been around for several years and that they have proper offices. Arrange to see them with your child or e-mail a snapshot. Most agencies, even for children, operate in Cape Town, but there are some in Gauteng. Beware Internet solicitations or small adverts in magazines or newspapers - agencies don't operate that way.
- As with adult modelling, you will find scam artists operating every now and then. They may promise that your child will work "immediately" or "all the time" once you pay for an expensive portfolio of photographs, a modelling or training course or a registration fee. No agency can promise continual work: they will inform you about casting calls and distribute your child's photos and details to clients - it's the clients who decide who to use. Also, if your child is signed by an agency, there is no registration fee. They earn when they find job for your child, usually taking a 20% commission.
- Don't waste money on a portfolio. If an agency signs your child, it will arrange for pictures to be taken for their "Z-cards", which give details of height, hair and eye colour. You will bear the cost of these cards, about R150. As your child works, the new photographs will form part of their portfolio. - Staff Reporter