First Step Modelling Reviews 31

not even a star, this is a fake agency, do not fall for it.
the person who works there david cole keeps ringing me saying im a drunk slurring my words on a week day.
i had a stroke 3 months ago. hes started sending me info and signing me up to addiction classes being a horrible little man,
DAVID COLE IS A DISCUSTING EXCUSE FOR A HUMAN BEING. WHO HAS TIME TO RING AND ABUSE PEOPLE. CALLING ME A DRUNK FOR SLURRING WHEN I DONT DRINK, ITS BECAUSE I HAD A STROKE JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
THIS SITE IS FAKE DO NOT FALL FOR IT

This is a scam. I used them years ago, maybe around 2016. They tell you that they will take your photos to create a portfolio and send them to potential jobs/ booking agents etc... So that you can find work. However, they never do this. And they charge hundreds for the portfolio.

Scam! Will convince you to pay hundreds for a portfolio by showing you work they have lined up for you, After you pay for the portfolio they never get back to you ever again. AVOID!!

I'm pretty sure the positive reviews here are a scam.
It was 2017 when I first saw an advert somewhere about this agency looking for models. I got in touch with them and they said they were really interested in my look and they wanted to see me personally at their office situated in Central London.
I went and the woman (maybe the manager?) told me that for me in order to be eligible for some jobs I had to take a photo shooting with a professional photographer. She said that with a professional portfolio they'd found some job opportunities for me in the next few months.
I spent £200 for that 15mins shooting to get the ugliest photos I have ever seen. Myself taking a selfie would have been much better.
Also, just after the photo shooting, the agency disappeared and they never got in touch with me with any job offer. Just took the money and BYE.
AVOID AT ALL COST.

SCAM
They persuade you to pay for photos for the portfolio was about £250 and they promise you at least one job every two months, depending on your popularity. Its a scam, after I took the photos I never heard from them again and they said they would email me with every job opportunity that arrived. The expensive photos were terrible, there was so much excessive photoshop that I looked like a alien or like I've just spent a fortune of plastic surgery. I wish there was a way to get my money back. Please leave any suggestions if that would even be possible. Thanks

I want to be model from my childhood and for it I attend many shoots and training seasons from different model agencies. And frankly speaking I paid lots of money in it. But here in this First Step Modelling I get free advice about my modelling career. First I do not believe if there is any modelling platform which provides free service but after visiting this agency I get wrong. I get free advice here and get lots of help from staffs. I just came back from modelling casting and it is possible just because of First Step Modelling. Thanks for everything.

Had a training day. Very friendly and extremely helpful, prices are good and everything is marked.

Summary:
1) I highly do not recommend First Step Modelling. Please read my experience below to understand why and decide for yourself.

2) I discovered FSM through a gumtree ad that was advertising for models for many modelling jobs, with an open casting invitation. When I met the FSM rep, she waved a paid modelling opportunity in front of me with a short deadline and said that I need to have "professionally done" photos of me in order to win the opportunity, and that would cost me £290. She also said that half of the fee is the rights to use the images, and that she quoted a commission charge of 50% of the job fees. She said I need to decide immediately as it is urgent. I felt really pressured by this sales tactic, and caved in because of the "urgency". If anyone tries to pressure you, this is a red flag so please do not make the mistake I did.

3) After doing the photoshoot, I met another person who then told me that they cannot use my photos unless it is retouched and I will have to fork out another £350. She also said the commission charge is not 50% but 20% (which is different from what the first person told me, and confused me) - however for this job, there will not be any commission charge because it is more than 10 models. She said she is 100% sure I will get the modelling job and she will take care of me, and this is absolutely urgent, and I needed to make a decision there and then. As I have said before, if someone tries to pressure you, this is a red flag.

In addition, they told me that, e.g. (a) the studio has many clothes and shoes that I can use but when I got there, I found that the options were very limited and the changing room was also very dirty, and (b) they will give me access to their modelling job database and and it has been more than two months and no word.

Personally I deeply regret going here and would never come back nor recommend this place to anyone.

I did further research on First Step Modelling and found out that:
a) Southwest Studios (where FSM said would be a professional studio for doing a retouching) and Hyde Park Studios (where FSM said would be the professional photoshoot studio) seemed like it was connected to the FSM operation because the owner of both domains is the same person who owned the First Step Modelling domain.

b) FSM is not registered with Companies House. Using Companies House web site, I learned that the organisation registered at the same address is actually VenusLondon. I then learned that there were many so called modelling agencies/support organisations, e.g. Dio Models, Nexus Models, Fashion Mode London, and now Distinctive Modelling Advice, which had their address at the same residence or VenusLondon's previous address.

This all feels very suspicious to me, and I wish I had known this before, as I would not have gone to FSM if I did.

This company charges you for a portfolio which they're not meant to do! Please avoid. They took £80 from me; luckily, my bank refunded it to me. I'm certain that all of the positive reviews on this website are fake.

Thank you for the advise I had such an awesome time with the help of First Step Modelling. I felt really relaxed around everyone and the staff were really nice to talk to and I would like to say a big thank you to them for their effort toward their valuable times. :)

“I am the parent of Leona and would first like to say a big thank you to Jess for picking her photo and would also like to say thank you to Anton from studio for his lovely hospitality and kind words.The experience was so nice the hair and make up stylist’s were amazing also Leona was happy she had a so much fun and the photographer Made Leona feel so comfortable he is really good at what he does overall experience was 10/10 so again from me and Leona thank you.”

I highly recommend First step modeling.
The staff was grate ,friendly , all the time smiling.I went with my child for the photoshoot.
My child really enjoyed the photo shooting. Photographer was amazing,really grate with children.
Thank you to all staff at First step modeling
Keep up the good work.

First Step Modelling is host to fantastic and friendly staff, a grate location and very knowledgeable and funny staff. I am not really that comfortable in front of the camera but the First Step Modelling staff really know how to put you at ease. I was guided through all steps of the entire process and my result was amazing. I looked so good that i hardly recognized myself in pictures. I hope the modeling agencies like my portfolio as love the pictures!

Overall very good experience. Have only had 1 issue arise and that was the last casting I had. They have since taken care of it. They are very legit and I feel very comfortable to working with them. I would gladly recommend them.

Biggest con ! Please do not pay any money up front to this dodgy lying company. Firstly they take £10 from you for 1 single very unprofessional photo then demand £400 to be paid up front (a big extra cost they never mentioned to me before !) when I wasn't stupid enough to give into anymore brainwashing I was refused the £10 back. Also as I was walking in a young women walked out crying which was another big alarm bell.

"First Step Modelling has always been one of my favourite company. The reason why: they are incredible at bringing a brief to life and finding the right talent for every script. From comedy to drama, they made my life easy, made my director's look good, and made my client's happy
with the final product. What more could I ask for."

Producer Powell

This is the real deal. My daughter went for three seasons. Then First Step Modelling had a showcase. I was really impressed with the photos, hair and make-up of my daughter and the staff, And real agents came out, and my daughter got signed to an agency the next week! A few months later, my daughter is already getting work doing commercials, and totally having a great time. And she is properly trained and knows exactly how to behave in professional situations. So worth it. And I'm still in awe and Thank you guys for everything.

I came to London few months ago and In just a few short months so many wonderful things have happened and I have met amazing people at First Step Modelling. Today I done my first paid work.

I contacted the company in August last year, then they called me back for a shooting test in September. I did the shooting (three outfits), after that I had a chat with them and I was told that the photos were good and I could work as a fashion model. Then they told me that to become a professional model I would have to have a professional portfolio, so they asked me if I wanted to keep the pictures we made that day. They also convinced me to buy the entire shooting (10 edited pictures + all the other 100 unedited) for 400£. I (stupidly) paid that money because they told me that they would send me castings and I would easily earn again the money I spent. BUT I was inserted in their "system" only in November and since then I received only 4 castings not inherent with my characteristics AND like 5 times their "Modeling guide". I wrote them an email complaining their service and even didn't get a response! This is my experience with them and what I can advice is please, AVOID THEM!

Great experience, friendly stuff and very good training given. I feel much more confident and well prepared to work as a model. I finally understood how to pose and move to get more jobs in modelling world. Many thanks guys!!
Mocca