Modeling & Acting 101 - A Model/Actor's Diary

(I actually can't remember if I've already done a post about this topic and didn't find anything when I did a search on my blog. But if for some reason this is the second time you're reading this, you can disregard it and chalk it up to me getting old and forgetful hahahahah) Okay, so I'm pretty sure you're thinking, "Dania, you have a 'natural' tan, why on Earth would you need one sprayed on?!" LOL. In the beginning I never even gave spray tanning a thought since I was already pleasantly brown but a few months ago I decided to give it a try. For those of you that don't already know, I have eczema--the genetic kind so it's not like it's just going to go away, unfortunately--and I have always had to deal with large areas of discoloration. For the past few years the hyperpigmentation has made itself right at home on my stomach/midsection area. It's been a nuisance to say the least and my one dream has been to have a unifor...

I've already done a post about what it takes to become a Victoria's Secret Model but recently came across some additional pieces of information that I thought I would pass along to you VS hopefuls: If you want to know who has the ultimate say-so of who gets to be a Victoria's Secret Angel, his name is: Edward Razek. This man is the Senior Creative & Chief Marketing Officer for Limited Brands, which is the company that owns VS. Razek is responsible for personally selecting the models to represent the world famous lingerie company--namely who gets to be on the runway in the VS fashion shows. He has helped to launch the VS careers of dozens of models whose names we would know anywhere: Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum and Gisele, among many others. For those of you that are not already aware of it, VS does have a Fashion Show Competition to find the next VS Angel. The most recent one was held in October of 2009 and consisted of castings in New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Ch...

I know I have two more days left on the poll that I put up but I wanted to post this before I forget. Again, I want to say thank you to everyone that answered. It is amazing to have readers from virtually every part of the globe! Originally, the poll was created to help me get a better idea of where my reader "hot spots" were. Because I plan to travel more and set up meet and greets, knowing where my readers were would help me decide what places to visit. After the poll has expired I will record the results and delete it. If you haven't had a chance to cast your vote it's okay...it was more for research so don't worry. I've got a pretty good idea of where everyone is so more than likely your area has been represented. BTW: If you want to set up a meet and greet with me, shoot me an email: daniadenise@gmail.com . The meet and greet would basically consist of me sitting down and getting to know you, my readers (in a public place during the day of course). I...

Lately I've been getting more and more whispers in my ear that I should write a book based off of my blog. From readers to people in the publishing industry that happen to come across Modeling 101, it seems that my next step should be to compile these posts into an actual book that people can buy and read. I must admit it is a tempting idea, especially since I am a writer and love what I do, however I'm not quite sure if I want to undertake such a project. For one thing, there are many books on the market about the modeling industry and how to get into it. There are physical books that can be found on bookstore shelves and in ebook form--some sites even allow readers to download free PDFs with such information. So my train of thought is: what would make my book stand out from the competition? And why should they pay for it? Would they pay for it? I do believe that the view I present of the modeling industry isn't quite like anyone else that's in the field so that i...

(This post is more targeted towards freelance models and not those with agency representation, although it may apply to those that have an agent but continue to find their own work.) A part of being a successful model is making money from the jobs that you book. However, being a freelance model comes with many challenges--figuring out what you should charge is one of them. I will say upfront that there are no established black and white rules when it comes to pay rates. Each modeling job is different, each client is different and budgets vary. Ultimately the factors that should influence what you charge should be the amount of experience you have, the strength of the images in your portfolio and the client's budget/needs. Not every client is going to pay what you want to charge. There may be times when you will be skipped over for charging too much or taken advantage of for charging too little. It's going to happen so be prepared for it and do not take it personally. It...

I happened to be watching one of the Dateline programs, which wasn't (for once) about "To Catch a Predator" and the topic was about a reality television show that was actually a scam, unbeknownest to the contestants. Well, this particular show was a modeling reality show so that got my attention. I watched in amazement and disgust as the "host" of the show, which never got a TV deal and never aired, used the naivete of the contestants to take advantage of them, sexually molest/harrass them and basically falsely lead them to believe they were going to be the next "it" model. Needless to say, I just HAD to write a post about the topic. When it comes to reality television and modeling, there are tons of shows that millions of male and female aspiring models hope to make it onto. If you're planning on pursuing this avenue in an attempt to get your foot in the door, please, please, PLEASE take note of the following suggestions to keep yourself saf...

Anonymous Wrote: Hello, I've been with an agency for 2.5 years and my contract is for 3 years. I want out! NOW! they have done nothing for me. I wrote them saying I wanted out ( in a nice way) but wanted to keep it short because I didn't know what to say. If I can get out of my contract I have so many other chances for modeling already. I can't tell the agency that because then they will know they could make money off me. How do I get out? Last time I spoke to them they said "ok you can be released in 6 months" but I can't wait. My whole life is in Europe! my boyfriend and all my friends. HELP HELP HELP.  Hi, Anonymous...ouch, what a terrible situation to be in! I'm really sorry you have to go through that. Have you gone through your modeling contract to see what you are supposed to do if you want to terminate your contract? In general, sending written correspondence stating that you are terminating your contract early because you are seeking better...

No, I'm not saying "Hmm" in my post title (lol). HMM is short for Halvorson Model Management, which is one of the more successful boutique modeling agencies in the Bay Area. Located about 30-45 minutes South of San Francisco, I'd been eyeing this agency for a while now--I just never had the time to attend their open casting call, which is every Monday. I've run into many girls on gigs that were represented by HMM and had nothing but good things to say. Luckily, I was finally able to coordinate my schedule to attend their casting call. I arrived early and took a seat in the waiting room. According to the written instructions displayed on the table I filled out a short form with my basic information (stats, contact info, experience, etc) and waited. After a few minutes I was called into the office and sat down with the owner of the agency, Traci Halvorson. We chatted easily while she looked through my book (portfolio) and reviewed my resume. She was very imp...

As I've been browsing through various modeling sites online I've come across many people asking questions about who is the best modeling agency, who is the best casting agency for actors, etc, etc. I don't particularly care for these types of questions, mainly because they call for an opinion--of course there are agencies that we all considered to be the "best" but whether that agency is a good fit for you is a whole different story. There is more to finding an agency than just signing with the best. Take it from me, being with one of the top agencies isn't always all it's cracked up to be. Another reason I don't like these questions is because they are too broad for an accurate answer to be given. So let me say this: if you are interested in pursuing modeling and/or acting and are wondering who is the best of the best, the only way to find out is to do research and begin at the local level. Let me explain what I mean by this... When it comes...

In your search for a modeling agency you may be required to write a cover letter, which they also call a "Letter of Introduction." For those that are underage, you probably have never had the opportunity to write a cover letter and may be wondering how you should do it. Just as if you were applying for an actual position/job within a company, the cover letter is a part of the critical "package" you send to agencies and should be done properly. It isn't rocket science and with practice you'll be able to write a decent cover letter that would impress any modeling agency. Here are some simple tips you can follow: - Keep it short and sweet. Cover letters aren't meant to be lengthy. Your cover letter should be one page. Period. If the cover letter you write is longer than one page start doing some serious editing. The good thing is that cover letters for modeling agencies don't have to be so detailed and precise. Use 1.5 or double spacing and cho...

One type of modeling that is becoming very popular again is pinup modeling. As the name implies pinup images are photos, drawings or other illustrations of beautiful women that were literally put up on people's walls for display purposes. This concept has been around since as early as the 1910s-1920s. Actresses (Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Brooke Shields, Pamela Anderson), models (Cindy Crawford, Anna Nicole Smith, Tyra Banks) and other female celebrities (Dita Von Teese, Katy Perry) have been used in pinup form for decades. Betty Page is one of the most famous pinup models of all time. Playboy Magazine even dubbed her the "Queen of all pinups." Although she also dabbled in fetish/bondage themes, her pinup career is well known around the world and she has a legion of fans even today. However, you no longer have to be an A-list celeb in order to do pinup. The art of pinup photography and modeling are quickly finding their niche in the industry. It isn't fair...

Mackenzie Wrote: Hi! My name is Kenzie and I love modeling and have since kindergraden!! I have also walked a few runways but, I am only 15. I indeed LOVE VS and PINK (as do so many other people.)Do you know anything about modeling for PINK? Even if its just catalog or website?  Hi, Kenzie! Thank you so much for posting a question that isn't actually already answered in the post! LOL. Okay, on to answering your question. The bad news is that even though the PINK line for Victoria's Secret doesn't involve lingerie, you still need to be 18 years of age or older and the modeling requirements (measurements, height, etc) are exactly the same as that of a regular Victoria's Secret model. It's not fair but that's the truth.

So you want to put together a modeling website. Great, I’ve done it and I can help point you in the right direction! There is more than one way to go about this process but since I can only speak for myself, this post is going to deal with information that I found to be useful in starting my website ( www.daniadenise.com ). The following are basic steps that need to be taken in order for your website to go live on the Web: Step 1: Get a Domain Name Your domain name is the actual name of your website/URL. Make sure you have a domain name that is easy to remember and isn’t too long. There are many web hosting and domain name services that will show you how to do this. Go for the best price and make sure your domain name is available. If it is taken you’ll have to find a different variation. Make sure you go with a .com extension instead of a .org or other type. Don’t worry about buying a domain name with different extensions either. All you need is a .com. You can pay for y...

Whether you have agency representation or not or are a freelance model, it never hurts to have a website. It's so easy to network with someone and simply say, "You should check out my website. It's..." What better way to get attention and show people that you're serious? And these days just about everyone is online at one point or another so having a website gives you additional exposure and can lead to your own online fanbase. So what should go on your site? Well, that all depends on you, the model. If you do runway and fashion, you're going to want to showcase that on your site. Your website's images and content should reflect the work you do, as well as show your diversity. The essential components for a web page include, but are not limited to: Welcome Page, Home Page, Bio, Resume, Gallery and Contact Page. When it comes to your bio, you can talk about anything but it should be related to your modeling career. What do you want the public to ...

I've talked a lot about modeling contracts and I know that this almighty document is one that many of you aspiring models may be wondering about. Lucky for you, I was able to find some actual contracts that you can read. I will state, however, that each agency has its own modeling contract drawn up and not all of them contain the same things. The only way you can get a real modeling contract in your hands is to either work at an agency or be a model who is about to sign one. Other than that, the majority of agencies keep their contracts confidential, and with good reason--not only do they want to keep the terms of their working relationship with their models safe, they also don't want the competition to see it. Lots of legal stuff involved there. I have a copy of a modeling contract, which is a SAMPLE--that means it isn't a contract from an existing agency--it's more so a template of what a typical contract will look like and a great way for you to get familiar wi...

Anonymous Wrote:  I would like to know what a standard exclusive modeling contract with Victoria's Secret looks like. Google is being entirely useless and hopefully this isn't proprietary information.   Hi, Anonymous, and thank you for your question--especially since it isn't about how to become a Victoria's Secret model! Lol.  Unfortunately, you will not find any type of contract regarding Victoria's Secret online or anywhere except if you end up modeling for them. Exclusive contracts are confidential between the parties involved and publishing such documents is going to get the person responsible in a lot of legal trouble.  Modeling contracts in general state the following information: - Duties of the model to the client - Duties/responsibilities of the client to the model - Duration of the working relationship - Exit Clause In the case of becoming a Victoria's Secret model there will more than likely be a non-compete clause, which states th...

One of the posts on this blog that gets the most comments is the "Want to Be a Victoria's Secret Model?" post. What amazes me is that almost all of the comments are from people asking what it takes to be a VS model. The whole post is about how to be a VS model so I'm not quite sure why readers are posting comments asking this. I don't know--do they just not read the post and just comment? I'm curious because as far as I know I made the post fairly easy to read and understand. Another thing I've noticed about some of the comments is that there are questions from aspiring models listing their height and stats and it clearly does not meet the requirements I list in the VS post. As a writer I guess I'm a little frustrated that I continue to get comments with questions that are clearly answered in the post itself. If you are one of the readers who have left a question asking how to be a VS model, I'll simply tell you to read the post. I even up...

I recently took a road trip down to Los Angeles to interview with a designer about being a potential model for her upcoming line and I figured since I was going to be in the area, I may as well see if I could kill two birds with one stone by attending any open casting calls what were available during the dates that I would be there. The one that ended up making the cut was BMG Models. Known for representing both fashion and print models, I made sure to have all my stuff ready: portfolio, headshot and resume. After taking care of my interview, which went really well, I stayed overnight at a friend's and prepared for the open casting call the next day. BMG holds their open calls every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 4:00pm - 5:00pm. I went on a Wednesday with one of my friends in tow for support. I wore form-fitting, dark jeans, my taupe 4-inch heels and a form fitting, dark green tank top. After stepping off the elevator we searched for the right suite and opened the door. T...

The term "new faces" is one that is constantly popping up on modeling agency websites. While not all agency sites have them, a good majority do. As the name implies, new faces means male and female models who have just been discovered by that particular agency. In general, a model listed under an agency's new faces division has little to no experience. In some instances it could include a model with prior experience but overall it is more closely associated with a newbie. Each agency deals with their new faces division in its own way so there are no hard and fast rules as to what I can tell you that will cover every modeling agency out there. If you are a potential model who gains interest from an agency, they may start you off in their new faces division. At the office you'll have Polaroids taken of you, which the agency will post up on their website. Even though those photos are not professionally taken, they will be temporary until you have managed to get a ...

Hello, readers! I'm so pleased with the poll results and want to say THANK YOU to all who have taken it so far (Remember, the poll is good for the rest of the year since I hope to do more traveling so there is no expiration date to take the poll)! Even though there are higher numbers of readers in other areas outside of Northern California I would like to start locally--that way by the time I make it out to other parts of the country, I'll have a greater idea of how I'd like the meet & greet event to go. So that being said, I'm reaching out in this post to my Modeling 101 blog readers from Northern California...Dania Denise wants to meet you!!! Because I know my readers are all from different parts of Norther Cali and are from various backgrounds/walks of life, in order to make the 1st ever Dania Denise Meet & Greet successful, I'm going to need your help and participation! If you live in Northern California and are interested in meeting me, please, plea...

For those of you that are all about skin care products and taking care of your complexion, I thought it would be fun to update you on what products I'm currently using to keep my skin in top shape. Please note that I have eczema with a combination skin type (dry cheeks, oily T-zone) so shop according to your particular skin type when looking for new items to try out. CLEANSER(S) I use this for most mornings when I'm on the go: I use this to take off my makeup...even though it's not really a makeup remover, it works for me. I also use it on days when my skin is more sensitive than usual: TONER Toner is awesome for taking care of my oily T-zone. But in the Fall and Winter my complexion tends to dry out more than usual so I skip out on the toner: COTTON PADS To apply my toner I use generic-brand, 100% cotton pads (the rounded kind). You can buy them from any drugstore for really cheap and they come in a good size quantity that'll last you a while (80-...

Do you hate waiting? Are you one of the most impatient people on the planet? Does it irk you to have to wait around for other people to get things done? When waiting around do you have the tendency to fidget or get irritated? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you will have a difficult time succeeding in the modeling industry. "Hurry up and wait" is a popular saying not only in the modeling industry, but the entertainment world as a whole. Model or actor, the nature of the work entails being in a rush to...wait. You may even be hassled in the makeup chair to hurry up and get done, then report on set and...wait around for 15-30 minutes. It can be a confusing concept to grasp if you're not used to it. I think it is important to touch on this matter briefly because until you're in the situation, it can be hard to imagine what it's like to be on set for a photoshoot and why certain things take so long to get done. First off, if the shoot ...