Answering a Reader Question #24

Anonymous Wrote:

Hi i understand everything you said about the contracts but what if you signed the contracted and they asked me to pay 250 dollars a year for three years for the website crap, plus an additional 20% which i know is normal when i ever get a job!. I've already signed the contract like a dummy and its almost a year and i've only been to one audition! How can i get out of this!

sign, Help I've been fooled!


Uh-oh! That sounds fishy to me. The 20% is fine but what's with the $250 a year stuff?! I know that many agencies (not all but some) now have additional fees due to website and gallery features that have their models on it, which is totally legit, but that price is pretty steep. I pay $9.00 a month to have myself listed online for one of my agencies (I have two, one for acting and one for modeling) and even then it isn't as much as $250 a year.

The fact that you've only received one audition does not justify the amount of money you are putting into it. If you haven't spoken to your agent about the lack of work, you should. Before severing ties or getting out of your contract you should do everything you can to communicate what you want your agency to do and how they can meet your needs. However, if you've been there and done that, it sounds like it's time for you to move on.

In order to get out of your contract, which all models are allowed to do by law, you'll need to refer to your actual contract. It should have a clause that explains what steps you need to take in order to opt out or terminate your contract. Usually you have to give a written notice but it varies from agency to agency. So take a look at your contract and see what it says. If you can't find your contract or it doesn't state such a clause then write a letter stating that you would like to terminate your contract effective immediately. You don't need to go into detail and you don't even need to explain why. Keep it brief and note the date you wrote the letter and snail mail it to the agency. Do not send it via email because it is easy to delete and you would never know if they received it or not.

I hope that helps and feel free to send me a personal email if you need help with this matter further. Good luck!