~*Isabel Aurora*~ wrote:
::::thinking::::

more information please?

Exactly.

If you are going over there under the sponsorship of a good local agency, and have an excellent fashion/catalog style book with several excellent tearssheets, you get one answer.

If you are going over on your own you get another.

Marksora wrote:
I posted this elsewhere but I guess it can go here also.

I have some of the info. I promise nothing with this info. You must check all things out on your own. Agencies change, lose men's divisions, change numbers, change personalities, etc.

I am a Photographer that has shot in Japan, but I speak very little Japanese so I usually deal with inbetween casting agents or other production companies. Only one of these I remember meeting and going to the office.

But this info comes from good people that deal with these agencies all the time or with middle-man companies that deal with these agencies. So I do trust this info but it is not from my hands directly.

the first group SHOULD be safe--


DONNA
1-7-9 Jinnan
107 -Minato-ku -Tokyo, Japan
Phone: (women): (3) 3402 8445 -fax (3) 3770 8266
note- (men) : (3) 3402 7591
---

ELITE FOLIO
1-10-10 Azabujuban
106 -Minato-ku--Tokyo
Phone: (3)3586 6481--fax (3) 3505 2980
Men : (3)3587 9201--fax (3) 3587 0166
--

FRIDAY--Men's
1-10-3 Shibuya
150-Shibuyu-ku, Tokyo
phone: (3) 3406 1487--fax: (3) 3406 1456
--

GUNN'S
Villa Hata 204 6-33-11 Jingumae
150 Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
phone: (3) 5485 9229 fax: (3) 5485 8767
---

IMAGE
Shin-Nogizaka Bldg 1-15-14 Minami Aoyama
107 Minato-ku, Tokyo
phone: (3) 3403 4110 fax: (3) 3403 4662
----
SATORU
Belaire Gardens 5a 4-2-11 Jingumae
150 Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
phone: (3) 3475 0555 fax (3) 3408 7211
---
A full list can be found at.
http://www.e-model.net/Agencies/Japan.html

there you can find the rest of the agencies and more that I have heard something about.

The ones listed above I would be confident are true agencies and not scams but things do change. I would say that Donna is one of the top agencies right now.

Here is one Hong Kong agency that I did deal with directly and they were great.


MODELS INTERNATIONAL LTD,
1401 Beverly House
930107 Lockhart Road
Wanchai, Hong Kong
phone: 852-2529-6183 : fax: 852-2865 2381
web site-
www.modelshk.com

I promise nothing with the ones I list people,  and businesses change.   You must decide and investigate yourself but it is a good start.

More.

Modeling Overseas
https://www.modelmayhem.com/posts.php?thread_id=42223

Living/working overseas....
https://www.modelmayhem.com/posts.php?thread_id=37266

Overseas...
https://www.modelmayhem.com/posts.php?thread_id=33979

modeling overseas
https://www.modelmayhem.com/posts.php?thread_id=2963

Alan from Aavian Prod wrote:
Just beware though, some of the contracts sound attractive, but they can be money losers.

The basics of that is the model is given a certain amount of money that looks big.
But things are often very expensive oversees, especially in Japan.
Rent is much higher as is food and then the agency handling you overseas adds fees then ends up making you owe them money after months of hard work.

Someone can expand on this.
We could use a thread explaining it all.
( I will make sure it is not lost.)

Alan from Aavian Prod wrote:
Just beware though, some of the contracts sound attractive, but they can be money losers.

Mhana wrote:
The basics of that is the model is given a certain amount of money that looks big.
But things are often very expensive oversees, especially in Japan.
Rent is much higher as is food and then the agency handling you overseas adds fees then ends up making you owe them money after months of hard work.

Bingo, but I didn't want to embellish at the time but I will.

Typically, when you get one of these contracts, they guarantee you a minimum gross for taking the trip.  Say, for example, they promise that you'll earn at least $5,000 for two months.  It sounds attractive.  You get to go to Taiwan or Japan or whatever and model and still make a few dollars.

Where it breaks down is that is gross, not net.   From that $5,000, the mother agency in the U.S. will take their percentage.  Then the local agency in Asia will take their percentage as well.  Often you will stay in housing they provide, or alternatively, they will put you in an apartment with other models.  Of course, you will pay your share of rent, utilities, insurance, etc.  Then there is food and transportation in Asia.  Let's not forget that you need a plane ticket to get there.

In many cases, the agency will advance some or all of these things, but their accounting will be perfect.  They will dutifully deduct them all from your earnings as they come in.  More importantly, if you don't make enough to cover all the expenses (which is often the case), they will expect you to make up the difference.

So that is the rub.  It is quite possible to get what sounds like an attractive deal, go over for a couple of months, work your toushee off and end up owing the agency money.  Some contracts even allow them to cut you after a certain number of days if you don't make your minimums, to which you still owe any shortfall.

These agreements need to be read very carefully and the numbers worked out or you can easily get burned.  And by the way, while you are getting the short end of the stick, everyone else is making money since they get their percentages and reimbursement.  The best agreements guarantee that you will make at least your expenses, but those contracts are harder to get.

Alan from Aavian Prod wrote:
And by the way, while you are getting the short end of the stick, everyone else is making money since they get their percentages and reimbursement.

The US "mother agency" generally has to enter into the contract as a guarantor, and is liable for those same shortfalls.  They don't usually get their commission until all the expenses have been paid off, and can end up having to reimburse the Asian agency for the shortfall, and then perhaps trying to recover it from the model.

For that reason, good mother agencies are quite cautious about who they send over to Asia, and to whom they send them.

TXPhotog wrote:
The US "mother agency" generally has to enter into the contract as a guarantor, and is liable for those same shortfalls.  They don't usually get their commission until all the expenses have been paid off, and can end up having to reimburse the Asian agency for the shortfall, and then perhaps trying to recover it from the model.

I agree, but I think we are saying the same thing.  I just may not have articulated it well.  The mother agency guarantees the foreign agency they will be paid for the expenses.  If there is a shortfall, they will normally come to the model and ask her to pay, and if she doesn't they will have to pay the foreign agency.

At that point though, I have seen them go after the model.  I know of one, in particular, who ended up in small claims court and ultimately reimbursed the U.S. Mother agency.  The judgement included not only the expenses but the agency was awarded all of their unpaid percentages as well.

So I think your point, and it is well taken, is that the U.S. agency bears some of the risk, but ultimately I think in most cases they will go after the model if there is a shortfall.  So you are correct, they need to be pretty confident before they offer an agreement.  They will want to at least feel that the expenses will be covered before booking someone.

Masha B wrote:
Thank you all so much for your help!

I will definitely do more research, but for those who were curious in the nutshell: I am a professional model of Russian origin, I was approached by one of the biggest agencies in Taiwan and Hong Kong, but since I'm freelance I wanted to do my homework really well before getting into this.

Thank you all again and Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Masha
www.funinteriors.com/banar.htm

Yap, Chinese love Russians. Best of luck. Hit me up if you're in HKG. Ciao.

LHC Photography wrote:
Yap, Chinese love Russians. Best of luck. Hit me up if you're in HKG. Ciao.

They do?  I thought there just more Russians female model than any other cultures?

Chan Studio wrote:

They do?  I thought there just more Russians female model than any other cultures?

Maybe you're right. I dated one (who happens to be a model, Tatiana in my port) and am in contact with quite a few that have better potantial than 90% of the models in MM.
Happy Turkey Day to you, Mike.

Ashley Barrett Photo wrote:
The only advice I can give is that they love the girls to be extremely thin and very pale (so, don't go with a tan).

have fun...

it is not that we like girls who are extremely thin. it just happens that most girls in china are so thin that in order to fit in the outfits there, you have to be extremely thin (by american standard).

as for being pale white, yeah, definitely helps. pale white, light brown or blonde hair. . .