We are a talent agency. We act as agents/managers of children aspiring to work in the entertainment industry. We audition hopeful children who want to have an agent and join our agency, we accept or decline them our services based on their auditions, then promote and guide the children we accept.
Please visit our audition page for detailed instructions.
If accepted your child will be officially ‘on our books’ for a minimum of 12 months.
During this time, we will submit them for every suitable opportunity we encounter. Mostly expressions of interest for talent come via casting agents (whose job it is to find talent for the particular tv show/film/commercial they are working on) and they send us a brief (an explanation of what they are looking for) and we in turn send them photos and information on who we have that fit the brief.
The casting agent then decides if they would like to see that child for an audition, or may want to book them straight from their photo. Jobs can also come about from casting directors just surfing our website gallery for talent, and from our verbal recommendations.
MP Talent submits suitable talent for tv commercials, tv drama series, films, musical theatre/ theatre, live performance, corporate work and print/stills work. It’s important to remember we are a talent agency, not a modelling agency.
We are truly passionate about our kids. We care about them as individuals as well as performers. Our management style is personal and tailored to suit the goals and dreams of our kids.
If your child is accepted into mp talent our fee of $280 (plus gst) includes……
If your child does get work we earn our commission by negotiating their rates and contractual particulars, we protect their interest, act as liaison between production companies/casting consultants/ and your child, we handle all the agency administration, organise the auditions, the bookings, and all the agency- based paperwork, while educating both you and your child about industry etiquette and providing your child with professional career advice and guidance.
A one- off administration fee of $40 (plus gst) is payable for all successful applicants.
Teen loading- if you are turning 16 (or already 16) during the membership term, a loading of $80 (plus gst) applies.
Membership runs on a calendar year January through December.
We work very hard to source opportunities for our kids, however no agency can ever guarantee work. Please remember we are not the ones who decide which children get offered castings or if they get booked for the job and we have no control over the volume of work produced and available in the industry as a whole.
We can do our very best to promote our talent every which way possible, have our finger on the pulse and conduct our business in a professional, positive and efficient manner.
This is the part that is not easily measured and our ‘behind the scenes’ work can often be left undervalued. It is very difficult to predict with full accuracy which children will find work over the course of a single year as there are so many variables at play.
The kind of projects in production at the time can dictate a lot… do they have roles for kids? Are there roles in your child’s age bracket, with your child’s look/skill set in mind? Is the casting consultant willing to audition your child? Are they suited to the role and are they capable of the performance? The industry itself has busy times and quiet times and is very unpredictable.
The important thing is that every major casting consultant will have access to your child’s photo and details in not one but three online promotional mediums (the mp talent website, the showcast website, and casting networks). They can access these sites at any time day or night at the click of a button, so just being a part of MP Talent means your child is continually promoted, regardless of any of the factors above.
Not usually. Work is typically during the day, and often during school times. However, there can be early starts and late finishes.
Under the legislation child employment act 2003, all children under 15 who are working in the entertainment industry need to have a child employment permit for every job. It is the responsibility of the client/employer to have the permit in place and the parent to supply the employer with the necessary information and signatures. Further information is provided to the parent upon acceptance of their child in the agency and is available at http://www.business.vic.gov.au/operating-a-business/employing-and-managing-people/employing-children/children-in-the-entertainment-industry.
No. Our representation is exclusive.
Most, if not all, auditions and work is based in Melbourne and surrounding suburbs. We ask parents to carefully consider whether you are happy to travel to Melbourne for castings, fittings, screen tests, wardrobe tests, photo shoots and television work mostly during school/ business hours before you register your child to audition for MP Talent. Your flexibility, commitment and support are paramount.
Rates vary from job to job considerably and are dependent on many factors including.. How much the child is featured, what mediums the footage is used in and for how long/often, if the child has dialogue, what the product is etc.
Kids generally get paid between 50-75% of adult rates. The media & entertainment arts alliance (meaa) website lists all our industry awards, along with minimum award fee structures , however agents have the right to negotiate beyond their rates and contracts on behalf of the child.
Work is commissioned at 20% (+gst) in all genres of performance, however once a single job or a single contract reaches over $3,000 gross (the mpt commission threshold) the rest of the single job fee over and above is capped at only 10%- for the life of the contract.
Any and all rollover, repeats and residuals will also be capped at only 10%.
We are not considered the employer of your child, we act as the agent/representative only. It is the obligation of the employer to deduct payg installments accordingly. MP Talent encourages all their talent to apply to the ATO for a TFN if they don’t already have one. Taxation issues are the responsibility of the parent and if in any doubt parent should speak to their taxation adviser or visit the ATO website www.ato.gov.au.
No.
MP Talent does have a code of conduct outlining agency regulations and conditions of representation which ensures the parent understands how the agency operates and will follow these regulations should their child be offered a place with MP Talent.