3 min readfrom Modeling

I received a contract of exclusivity from a small agency

Hi everyone, I am new to modeling and still in college 21F and received a contract of exclusivity from a small agency in the NY area they currently have 10 models and one is exclusive already. I just put the contract into Claude and ChatGPT just to get more clarification on some of the clauses. I’ve been given like 5 days to sign it and just wanted to make sure I am getting a fair contract. Here are some of the clauses the AI chats highlighted: —————————-Here's a review of this modeling agency agreement:
Overall Assessment
This is a fairly standard modeling agency contract, but it has several provisions that favor the agency significantly and a few areas with legal ambiguities worth flagging.
Notable Concerns
For the Model:
Exclusivity with vague scope — Section 4b prohibits accepting work that "conflicts with Agency bookings," but "conflicts" isn't defined. This could be interpreted very broadly to block outside work even when the agency has nothing lined up for you.

Agency owns your materials — Section 5 gives the agency ownership of digitals, videos, and tear sheets from clients and photographers. This is unusual; typically the photographer or client holds rights, not the agency.

No guaranteed work — The contract is exclusive but places no obligation on the agency to actually book you for anything. You're locked in; they're not.

Non-disparagement with legal threat — Section 6(b) is mutual on paper, but the threat of "legal actions" for negative social media posts is a red flag worth discussing with an attorney, especially given how broadly "negative or derogatory" can be interpreted.

TFP shoots every 3 months — "Test for Print" shoots are unpaid work. Being contractually required to do unpaid work periodically, combined with independent contractor status, is worth scrutinizing.

20% commission — This is within the industry norm (typically 15–20%), so this is reasonable.

Missing Provisions
These are standard clauses that are absent here:
No minimum earnings guarantee or booking commitment from the agency
No defined contract term (start and end date — the effective date is blank)
No dispute resolution process (mediation/arbitration) before litigation
No process for resolving commission disputes
Practical Recommendations
Before signing, consider asking for: a defined contract duration (1 year is typical), clarification on what "conflicts" means in Section 4b, and removal or narrowing of the agency's ownership claim in Section 5.
I'm not a lawyer, and this isn't legal advice — for a contract that could significantly affect your income and career, having an entertainment or contract attorney review it before signing is genuinely worth the cost.
Also if anyone could help me walk through it I would appreciate it. Feel free to DM.

submitted by /u/Simple_Sky
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