Since she began modeling and acting two years ago, Courtney Jacquin’s career has taken off. The red-haired, blue-eyed Lake in the Hills resident has appeared in a McDonald’s TV commercial with Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen. This spring, she was nominated for Hollywood’s Young Artist Award, sponsored by Young Artist Awards Inc., a not-for-profit group that honors young actors in wholesome film, theater or commercial projects, for her 1996 role as Janie on the CBS-TV drama “EZ Streets.”
“She makes $75 per hour for some (photography) jobs, and she made a little over $10,000 for the (McDonald’s commercial). For 6 years old, that’s not hard to take,” said Courtney’s mother, Kathy Jacquin.
Courtney is just one of many northwest suburban children and adults who have discovered that modeling and acting can be lucrative part-time careers.
George Papadakis has photographed thousands of people, including Courtney, in 10 years at his Barrington home studio, Papadakis Photography. At his urging, several have pursued modeling opportunities.
“Chicago is really great for commercial (modeling) work — print and acting,” Papadakis said. “There’s a tremendous amount of `real people’ work — models who look like they could be your neighbor or co-worker.”
When passersby admire a baby in a stroller, most proud parents simply smile. Kathy Jacquin decided to act on the compliments. “People would stop me while shopping and say, `She looks just like the Gerber (baby food) baby. You should get her into modeling.’ I finally thought `What do I have to lose?’ ” Jacquin said.
Jacquin had heard about Papadakis’ work and had him photograph Courtney to create a composite, a card containing a model’s name and photos.
Papadakis said that before the initial photo session, “we go over hair, accessories, shoes, anything that pertains to the shoot. The important thing is the subject’s personality — finding out subject’s personality — finding out what they have inside of them.”
Papadakis prints 500 composites for about $1.50 each, which includes the photography, location travel, hair styling and printing. “We want to make the person look great and be as sellable as possible. Everything goes on a piece of paper that sells their image,” Papadakis said.
The fee for photography and printing of the composites varies among photographers in the area. A photo session to take the composite card photos runs from $150 to $200 on average and higher. Printing the composites can run $1.50 to $2 per card — with as many as four photos on the card — and some agencies ask for 25 copies.
Models send their composite card and a letter to talent agencies. If the models are accepted, the agencies then refer them to auditions called look-sees.
“We always keep our eyes open for any opportunities, but we try to keep things normal at home,” Kathy Jacquin said. “It hasn’t changed Courtney. And the discipline in reading the (TV) scripts has helped her read at an advanced level.”
Kathy McLaughlin’s daughters — Allie, 4 1/2, Morgan, 3, and Emma, 2 — all model. “We had many people say your kids might do well modeling, so I met with George (Papadakis) to see if he thought they’d have an opportunity to work,” said McLaughlin, an Elgin resident.
Allie was 3 years old when Papadakis photographed her and encouraged McLaughlin to send the photos to five Chicago agencies; they ended up working with three: Arlene Wilson Management, Stewart Talent Agency and Harrise Davidson & Associates, Inc.
Allie’s photos have appeared in Sears’ and Spiegel’s catalogs, on toy packaging and on children’s furniture advertisements.
Morgan’s photos for Lands’ End, K-mart, Sears, Montgomery Ward and Disney have appeared in several magazines. “They usually get paid $65 an hour, even if it’s only 15 minutes,” said Kathy McLaughlin. The fees for assignments vary depending on the medium, print versus television, and the client.
The competition is tough, and auditions can be tiring. Getting a job, however, makes the traveling and waiting worthwhile. Morgan was selected from among 200 children for the Disney ad, which “took about 20 minutes and she made $2,000,” her mother said.
Emma was photographed for a Sunbeam electric blanket ad, and she made $500. “We have a nice college fund going for them,” McLaughlin said.
Papadakis tells would-be adult models that the key to success is to have a thick skin. “You have to be able to handle rejection,” he said. “Nobody is going to get every job that they’d like to get.”
Laura Alexander, head of the children’s division for Arlene Wilson Management in Chicago, receives about 100 submissions and inquiries from parents each day. Alexander recommends that parents simply submit snapshots with the child’s vital statistics (date of birth, height, weight, clothing size, hair and eye color) before they have professional photos and composite cards made.
“When they’ve decided it’s something they want to do, and after the child has had a few callbacks, that’s the time to get the composites taken,” she said.
“If your child shows interest or potential, explore it by sending snapshots to agencies. Contact SAG (Screen Actors Guild) agencies. We work only off commission. Be wary of fees up front. Don’t pay any fees to list a child with an agency,” Alexander said.
Alexander said that she looks for children who are natural and uninhibited. “Kids with imagination and lots of energy, curious and creative — they’re going to give a lot more to the photographer or director,” she said. “If a child is ambivalent (about modeling), you let them go on a few assignments. After three, they either like it or hate it.”
Nichole D’Aprile, 27, of Burr Ridge has modeled for 11 years. Her mother, Joyce Niemann, is the owner of Fashions with Flair, an Oak Brook firm that produces bridal and ready-to-wear fashion shows in the Chicago area. In 1993, D’Aprile formed her own company, Chicago Model Productions in Oak Brook, to train and represent potential models.
“We represent talent from young to full-figured to classic (over 50), and Fashions with Flair uses our talent in their shows,” D’Aprile said. “We have all types of models that look like real people. It’s not like Paris where they’re all 6 feet tall and 100 pounds.”
Runway models can make from $75 to $300 per show. Models at trade shows and other events can make even more.
Theresa Marie Patras of Buffalo Grove has modeled full time for 15 years. Now in her 30s, Patras began modeling part time at age 17 when she did her first back-to-school fashion show at a mall in Joliet.
Ten years ago, Patras joined Fashions with Flair. She had her composites made and has worked on a variety of advertisements for Glad Bags, Carsons and Lands’ End. In December, she appeared in a Nike TV commercial where she was among those cheering for Michael Jordan.
“When you’re young, all (teenage girls) want to be a model,” Patras said. “After a few years, you realize it’s a business and what you do for a living.”
She earns about $110 for a runway show. “Print jobs are usually $150 per hour, with the agency fee taking 15 to 20 percent,” she said.
Patras urges young models to keep their education going and to use modeling earnings to pay for college costs. She also suggests that would-be models stay with reputable agencies. “I never follow up on ads in the paper that say, `Models needed for . . .’ You never know who those people are,” Patras said. “If someone’s looking for a model, they’d go through a professional agency, not through an ad in the paper.”
Patras has seen her bookings change as she moved into her 30s. “When you start out in your 20s, that’s really for fashion looks,” she said. “As you get into your 30s, you go into commercial print work. It’s not so much being in fashion anymore.”
Diane Geiger of Inverness is a fashion coordinator for Fashions with Flair. Geiger modeled when she was in her 20s, but she went on to do fashion coordinating. At a recent ready-to-wear fashion show at the Biltmore Country Club in Barrington, Geiger was behind the scenes armed with a portable headset as she sent six women and one man onstage to show off the garments.
Although it looks simple and fun, Geiger said, “Runway modeling is not an easy thing. They have to be able to be briefed quickly before the show. We’ll put two or three models up there at once and there’s choreography. If their gait is different, they have to be able to pick up the speed and step the same.”
Twirling long-trained wedding dresses while stepping to lively music takes experience. “You have to know how to control a train and make it land just right on the runway and be comfortable doing it,” said Gina Wolf, 27, of Gurnee, who has been a runway model for five years and was one of D’Aprile’s first clients.
Training and experience keep models from getting harried during a fast-paced fashion show. “The time is short between runs,” Wolf said. “Your hair is messed up, they’re calling your name. You’re running backstage, flipping off your clothes, getting your next outfit on and making sure everything’s perfect.”
The event is so exhilarating for Wolf and other models that they don’t mind the hectic pace. “It gets you so pumped up — it’s really exciting,” Wolf said. “It’s a great way to be in the spotlight. It’s like being in a fantasy and getting paid.”
