eclipse model management, has anyone had experience with them.

Big fat nope.

Many of these outfits work as 'model development agencies'

Which is a fancy way of saying "we'll find you some work, but only if you pay us to make you a shiny new portfolio"

Are Model Platform Companies Scams? | Eclipse - Model Management (eclipsemodelmanagement.co.uk)

I have come across a few and this looks like a scam. In any case, if you dont want to call it that, they are to my mind pulling a fast one. It/are is/are not necessary and they take  money...so don't bother with them.

More red flags than China has on a parade.

PicMix said

Are Model Platform Companies Scams? | Eclipse - Model Management (eclipsemodelmanagement.co.uk)

I have come across a few and this looks like a scam. In any case, if you dont want to call it that, they are to my mind pulling a fast one. It/are is/are not necessary and they take  money...so don't bother with them.

Holy shit this is some doubling down:

"Model Platforms do not deserve to be disparaged for your own failings and inability to read small print or listen to what is being said to you. Quite often, some models are all too eager to be a model that they only see what they want to see, hear what they want to hear but then proceed to blame the model platform when they wake up out of their slumber. That is to say, realise that their shiny new model portfolio is not bearing them the promised fruit [they expected] after all."

This is just the bad-cop version of the standard high pressure sales pitch: playing the "loud-mouth no-nonsense industry professional", right?

The website has the usual stuff: random magazine covers and logos with no connection to booked models.

Fuck these people.

New name though.

I wonder if we're about to see another influx of portfolios in the south east with the same setups -- the tatty paper, like the red background era, the grubby lilac background era, that black leather sofa with the white panelled backdrop, the street outside the studio etc.

Edited by Unfocussed Mike

PicMix said

Are Model Platform Companies Scams? | Eclipse - Model Management (eclipsemodelmanagement.co.uk)

I have come across a few and this looks like a scam. In any case, if you dont want to call it that, they are to my mind pulling a fast one. It/are is/are not necessary and they take  money...so don't bother with them.

And while I am sure it is obvious to people here, the reason they have this particular page is to head off the inevitable google searches for "scam".

They appear to have absolutely stuffed tiktok and trustpilot. Though there are some really interesting well-written comments in the trustpilot reviews that hopefully at least some would-be applicants will read.

Edited by Unfocussed Mike

"Model Agency" is a protected term and is a regulated activity.

This has the appearance of a group of people giving the impression they are a model agency when they are not, and having a business model depending on it.

They may have carefully avoided any criminal act in this.

I suspect the number of people involved is quite small, that they have worked in association in other groups under other, perhaps similar, names doing similar business.  Their names would be worth documenting, as would their past and concurrent activities.

The social media involved derive, possibly quite small, income from their activities, and whatever scrutiny they have applied has not been followed by removing them of their category of business. They are remiss in this, but social media companies work fof themselves, not for us and often against us.

You might remark to your MP that model management company, agency, platform etc deserve to be added to the list of protected terms as synonyms.

IANAL

Edited by MidgePhoto

MidgePhoto said

They may have carefully avoided any criminal act in this.

I suspect the number of people involved is quite small, that they have worked in association in other groups under other, perhaps similar, names doing similar business.  Their names would be worth documenting, as would their past and concurrent activities.

Yes -- the people who run this appear to have been "YUMM" model management at least.

The people who run this surely know they are operating within the law.

Unfocussed Mike said

MidgePhoto said

They may have carefully avoided any criminal act in this.

I suspect the number of people involved is quite small, that they have worked in association in other groups under other, perhaps similar, names doing similar business.  Their names would be worth documenting, as would their past and concurrent activities.

Yes -- the people who run this appear to have been "YUMM" model management at least.

The people who run this surely know they are operating within the law.

I would not for a moment express a doubt that the people who run this are operating this within the law.

I have of course no knowledge whatsoever of their other activities, or of their observance of law in activities around this business, so I would not care to declare that, for instance, they park legally.

MidgePhoto said

Unfocussed Mike said

MidgePhoto said

They may have carefully avoided any criminal act in this.

I suspect the number of people involved is quite small, that they have worked in association in other groups under other, perhaps similar, names doing similar business.  Their names would be worth documenting, as would their past and concurrent activities.

Yes -- the people who run this appear to have been "YUMM" model management at least.

The people who run this surely know they are operating within the law.

I would not for a moment express a doubt that the people who run this are operating this within the law.

The main problem I suspect is that they have found a niche that the laws protecting novice models specifically will not expand to prohibit.

It is after all on the surface somewhat equivalent to you or me being paid by a model or actor to produce some headshots, which is legitimate commerce (actors routinely expect to pay).

So it's much more Trading Standards turf, and there the claims are more nebulous and more complex. 

Personally I can't help but wonder if the situation wouldn't generally be improved by photographers charging small sums for competent portfolios and nothing else. It's almost as if the rules prohibiting people pretending to be model agencies actually provide the background on which this "we're not a model agency, we're a training and development agency and platform" scam actually functions.

Edited by Unfocussed Mike

Unfocussed Mike said

...

The main problem I suspect is that they have found a niche that the laws protecting novice models specifically will not expand to prohibit.

It is after all on the surface somewhat equivalent to you or me being paid by a model or actor to produce some headshots, which is legitimate commerce (actors routinely expect to pay).

So it's much more Trading Standards turf, and there the claims are more nebulous and more complex. 

Actor and model agencies, combined, are also regulated, and fees are allowed. I suspect that those who act and model are less entry-level, although Miss Worthington's ambitions might be.

Long ago, and far away, my father had business making actor head shots, portraits, cards. He seems to have been good at that.  I enjoy doing that sort of shoot, but I can't prove the ability is heritable ;(

That, for money, is general photographic business, without promises, I think, and the general expectation would be that someone coming along for a shoot has actually acted in something without becoming a salad*. 

Trading Standards, yes.  Geography is a problem for them, I think they still trail behind the Internet. Their landlords, web hosts, web designer, and photographers are no doubt behaving perfectly lawfully, but I think the modern fashion for taking no position on customers' nature and activity may have swung too far. 

* a Ham salad, perhaps

I wonder if their "interview" is similar to those old timeshare events - "we won't let you go until you've bought something"?

Never ever pay an agency ANYTHING. they work for YOU. it is THEIR JOB to get YOU work so that THEY EARN THEIR COMMISSION.

Otherwise, any one can "have you on the books" charge you a fortune and have the line "oh it's quiet at the moment" and do nothing proactive to promote their client. That's the scam.

I've worked as an agent and a casting director for theatre. Never ever ever pay up front for an agency. If they truly have successes With clients, they will gladly take their fee from commissions rather than a "sign up" fee.

Ditto for a "sign up portfolio"

Avoid places like that.

Eclipse Model Management Reviews | Read Customer Service Reviews of eclipsemodelmanagement.co.uk (trustpilot.com)

StubbsPhotography all the five star reviews are written by the same person. Same poor use of English language

Tabitha Boydell said

StubbsPhotography all the five star reviews are written by the same person. Same poor use of English language

They are also designed to keyword-stuff the word "refund".