Release form - Model or model agency?

[henry_b]

hi everyone, im going to do a photo shoot on thursday and friday and i want to use some of that photos for my portfolio and for my advertising, i'm shooting 15 models for a model agency, so here is the million dollar question...... who do i ask to sign the release form? the model or the agency?

thanks in advance

[coreypolis]

well it depends on the contract you already signed. if you are hired to work for the agency, the images belong to them, not you. If you are freelancing and selling the images to the agency, then you need the models permission

[staereo]

I'm with corey. If you're shooting models for the agency that represents them, you'll need a release from the agency to use the likenesses.

Depending on how you've worked out your agreement with the agency over rights to the images, you may even need to request usage rights from the agency to use them as well. If you hold rights to the images, and sold THEM usage rights, then it would probably depend if you worded it as exclusive or non-exclusive. If it was exclusive, then you're definately going to need permission to use them. If you wrote it as non exclusive, then your release to use the likeness *should* be fine.

That release can be signed by the model or the agency representing the model at the time. Agencies vary as to who signs the model release. Though.... I just as soon have a line for the both the model AND the agency.

I tend to go a little overkill on my documents when I can.

Bruce

[henry_b]

thanks for the comments! i have the model and the agency to sign the release, no problem at all!!

thanks again! =)