Kidz 2000 - The Agency
What does the agency do? We have a register of children for TV commercials, films and drama series and photographic work. It is the agency's job to promote and arrange details of assignments, invoice clients and once payment has been received, pay fees. For this the agency deducts a commission on all monies earned.
What qualities does the agency look for in children? Everyone registered on our books should be well behaved, confident, have a good temperament and above all they must enjoy doing it! What is involved in castings? Should your child be selected for an audition, please bear in mind the following: there could be hundreds of other keen, talented children auditioning for the same part. Decisions are very rarely made on the day of the audition and can take several days before selections are made. It is sometimes necessary to go back for further auditions/castings. You will always be notified by us as soon as possible if your child has to go for a second or third audition/casting. The selection for any part is not made by us it is always made by the casting director/client. Our job as an agency is to provide suitable people who fit the specifications given to us by the casting director.
Can we go to casting at any time: All models must stick to the casting times that they are given. Rearranging times are both inconvenient and time consuming and puts everyone out.
What should my child wear to castings? If you know more or less about the character your child will be auditioning for, let them wear something that gives the illusion of the character, DON'T go overboard, and make them feel uncomfortable - you can easily achieve different looks through styling your child's hair.
Children must never go to castings barefoot. Will you go for a job interview barefoot? They arrive with dirty feet trying on clothes!!!!
What happens when your child is chosen for an assignment/shoot? A great deal of work is for commercials, extras in films, TV, drama series and photographic work. For this type of work there can often be very little notice given to us. It is essential, therefore, that we have a daytime contact number where we can reach you at any time. We always give you as much notice as possible but stress that this can be VERY SHORT notice. We will give you full details of the time, location and any special instructions as soon as we have been given them. If you fail to turn up for a booking which you have agreed to undertake, we reserve the right to remove you from our books. We will NOT tolerate a reputation for having unreliable models. The length of time you may be required on set can vary enormously, but will never be longer than eight hours, filming is never completed until the director says, "it's a wrap!". After filming, please make sure that you always complete the release form/time sheet that will be issued to you by the production house that day.
What is a weather call? If a model is booked with a weather call (i.e.. there is a weather check before the model is called to set) and the weather is bad the client has the right to postpone the shoot at no charge. Weather calls are given one to two hours before needed on location to the production manager to inform them that you are on your way and to make sure that you know where the location is and if anything else is needed from you.
Weather calls are very important and is given even if the sun is shining or it is an indoors shoot. Production teams' work with a lot of different agencies and misunderstandings can slip in, by phoning them and making sure that the location hasn't changed in the mean time you can save yourself and them a lot of hassle and time.
Does the Agency guarantee work? No! It is impossible to guarantee that the casting director will select you. The only guarantee that we make is that your child's face will be seen by the right people in the industry i.e. "thewholebangshoot". How long does the registration last?
Your registration will be renewed every year.
How do you get paid for a job you have done?
After the completion of filming, we invoice the relevant company. Following receipt of payment, we deduct our commission according to NAMA rules and make an electronic payment to you or preferably your child's account. Always remember to keep us informed of any change to your address or telephone number. How much does the Agency charge? The agency does not charge a registration fee. You only pay for the print of your z-cards/portfolios.
How much do you get paid? The current rate of pay, after commission has been deducted, can vary depending on the age and job description. Pay will also vary depending on whether the work is advertising, a photographic shoot, as a lead, an extra or as a featured extra. Pay As You Earn will be deducted from each child. The parents are responsible for registering the child for a Tax Number and Tax Directive .
THERE IS NO FEE PAID FOR CASTINGS!!
Payments are made upon receipt of payment from the client. It is usually between 90 - 120 days of invoice.
What if I cannot do the assignment offered? We do give you the option to accept or refuse an assignment BEFORE going to the casting. What we will not accept is your acceptance of an assignment by going to the casting and then not turning up. The agency will not tolerate unreliable parents and models as this brings discredit upon you and your agency. Also it is very unprofessional and it ends up costing everyone a lot of money. If in doubt then don't go to the casting.
How do I get to a location? We do not arrange transport. You must make your own arrangements. Please invest in a good up to date map book of Cape Town. How long is a booking? Full day is 8 hours (give or take first ½ hour)
Half day is 4 hours (give or take first ½ hour)
If you child works for more that 4 hours on set it is up to the parent to inform the agency within 15 hours of the hours worked.Time is calculated from time on set to last shot.
When clients select a location out of town i.e.. more than 40 km's out of Cape Town (not Bellville) petrol will be paid.
What if we are going away for holidays/weekends?
Please do so well in advance and check that all is clear with the agency. If you have not booked out you must honor whatever commitments you might have with the agency. The agency is open between 09h00 - 17h30 Monday to Friday in season. (i.e. September to April). The agency requests that you call for appointments between 09h00 - 13h00. |
