Link to NYS Labor laws regarding the employment of models, actors , musicians and others engaged in the performing arts in the State of New York: https://labor.ny.gov/ui/dande/title2.shtm#511
Excerpt:
Sec. 511. Employment.
- General definition. “Employment” means (a) any service under any contract of employment for hire, express or implied, written, or oral and (b) any service by a person for an employer
(1) …….. or (1-a) as a professional musician or a person otherwise engaged in the performing arts, and performing services as such for a television or radio station or network, a film production, a theatre, hotel, restaurant, night club or similar establishment unless, by written contract, such musician or person is stipulated to be an employee of another employer covered by this chapter. “Engaged in the performing arts” shall mean performing services in connection with the production of or performance in any artistic endeavor which requires artistic or technical skill or expertise; or
(1-b) ……… (3) as a professional model, where:
(i) the professional model performs modeling services for; or (ii) consents in writing to the transfer of his or her exclusive legal right to the use of his or her name, portrait, picture or image, for advertising purposes or for the purposes of trade, directly to a retail store, a manufacturer, an advertising agency, a photographer, a publishing company or any other such person or entity, which dictates such professional model`s assignments, hours of work or performance locations and which compensates such professional model in return for a waiver of his or her privacy rights enumerated above, unless such services are performed pursuant to a written contract wherein it is stated that the professional model is the employee of another employer covered by this chapter. For purposes of this subparagraph, the term “professional model” means a person who, in the course of his or her trade, occupation or profession, performs modeling services.