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

I've already written three posts in this series: "The Anatomy of a Modeling Website Pt I: Welcome Page" "The Anatomy of a Modeling Website Pt II: Photo Gallery" “The Anatomy of a Modeling Website Pt III: About Me” If you haven't had a chance to check it them out yet, those links will take you right to it and get you up to speed on this mini-series of blog posts. All right, let's get to the fourth installment in this series: The Resume Page! WHY NEED A RESUME? ISN'T THAT WHAT THE PORTFOLIO IS FOR? It's true that models are known for having their portfolios (both online and hard copy "books") as proof of their career and accomplishments. However, there is also a need to have documentation of those jobs. Not all photos in a portfolio give clients the information they need to know about the scope of your work and experience. Having a resume with a list of the modeling jobs you've done, the role you played and the clien...

I've already written about the importance of having a modeling website ( "The Benefits of Having an Official Modeling Website" ) but I know how hard it can be for freelance models to get the ball rolling so I've decided to do another mini-series of blog posts, with each post focusing individually on the most common meat and potatoes of a modeling website. I've already written two posts in this series, "The Anatomy of a Modeling Website Pt I: Welcome Page,"  and "The Anatomy of a Modeling Website Pt II: Photo Gallery," so if you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, those links will take you right to it. So I hope you’re not disappointed but being that I’ve already written a post about how to tailor your “About Me” section for a modeling website in another blog post, I didn’t see the need to try and write a completely different article because basically there wouldn’t be anything I would write differently. That being s...

I've already written about the importance of having a modeling website ( " The Benefits of Having an Official Modeling Website " ) but I know how hard it can be for freelance models to get the ball rolling so I've decided to do another mini series of blog posts, with each post focusing individually on the most common meat and potatoes of a modeling website. I've already written one post in this series, "The Anatomy of a Modeling Website Pt I: Welcome Page,"  so if you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, that link will take you right to it. Hopefully with this detailed info, all potential freelance models will be able to transform their careers in a way that meets or exceeds their goals. These are all suggestions based on my personal and professional experience in dealing with websites so the info in this post (and the posts to follow), are not 100% the law and can be modified to suit your freelance modeling preferences or specif...

Contrary to popular belief, not all models seek agency representation. Freelance modeling, while it has its own set of pros and cons, is a much more flexible approach to a modeling career. Both female and male models can benefit from effectively marketing themselves online, especially when it comes to social media. I've already written about the importance of having a modeling website (" The Benefits of Having an Official Modeling Website ") but I know how hard it can be for freelance models to get the ball rolling so I've decided to do another mini series of blog posts, with each post focusing individually on the most common meat and potatoes of a modeling website. Hopefully with this detailed info, all potential freelance models will be able to transform their careers in a way that meets or exceeds their goals. These are all suggestions based on my personal and professional experience in dealing with websites so the info in this post (and the posts ...

Dear Tall Girls, I use the word “girls” very loosely because, truth be told, the majority of young ladies I work with are under the age of 18, although this post can certainly apply to women of all ages. But I think once you read this letter, you’ll see why I’ve chosen that particular word… You can’t be in the modeling industry for 16+ years and expect to not have some things from the work world spill over into daily life. I playfully think of myself as an unofficial model scout. When I’m out and about, I can’t help but look at men and women and notice bone structure, height, size, smile and all the other things that tend to fall under the “model-ish” category. Of course, I’m not a scout and I don’t pick models for agencies so usually I keep these observations to myself but one thing that stood out to me is the constant trend of tall girls hunched over with bad posture. The constant sight of this type of body language motivated me to write this letter in the hopes that i...

After writing my mini-series of blog posts about the importance of putting together a solid “About Me” section, it made me want to write about why an official modeling website in particular is such a vital tool for all models, especially freelancers. Social media has made it easy for models to market themselves and gain some measure of exposure. But too many models rely on just their social media sites and treat them as websites, which they are not.  Having a Facebook page is not the same as having a website. Having an Instagram and/or Twitter account is not the same as having a website. Even a profile on a social networking site like Model Mayhem is not the same as having a website. Just as helpful as social media profiles are, an actual website is still golden as an effective marketing tool. Below are a few key reasons why: It’s Steadfast & Constant Remember that thing called Myspace? What about Friendster? Sure, Facebook is still going strong but i...

***This post is ideal for freelance models, especially those utilizing social media to attract potential clients and enhance their visibility online.*** Haven't had a chance to check out Part I and II in this blog series? Catch up on this topic (and why I decided to make a mini series of posts about it) by clicking on these links: http://amodelsdiary.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-about-me-section-your-modeling.html http://amodelsdiary.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-about-me-section-your-modeling.html The world of social media has certainly made things a lot easier for models, especially freelancers, to get noticed and attract business. But, as with just about everything in life, technology has a way of making us content and--dare I say it--lazy. When it comes to online matters, many models are okay with maintaining social media profiles and ignoring the option of having a professional website. I won't spend this post talking about how important it still is to have an actual webs...

***This post is ideal for freelance models, especially those utilizing social media to attract potential clients and enhance their visibility online.*** Haven't had a chance to check out Part I in this blog series? Catch up on this topic (and why I decided to make a mini series of posts about it) by clicking on this link: http://amodelsdiary.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-about-me-section-your-modeling.html Love it or hate it, social media in particular has helped models of all experience levels and backgrounds build their brand and gain followers in a way that is unprecedented. But what makes the difference between successfully using social media to your advantage and just being another profile taking up space is by paying attention to details, such as helping people understand who you are, what you're about and--as it applies to your modeling career--why they should hire you for their projects. The most effective way to get these points across is by properly filling out...

***This post is ideal for freelance models, especially those utilizing social media to attract potential clients and enhance their visibility online.*** Love it or hate it, social media in particular has helped models of all experience levels and backgrounds build their brand and gain followers in a way that is unprecedented. However, just as eagerly as people are jumping onto the Internet and using social media for their modeling endeavors, the "About Me" section is one specific area where I see a lot of female and male models making mistakes, usually by not filling out this area properly. Am I an expert at writing About Me sections? I feel pretty confident saying, "Yes," not just because I'm a trained writer/journalist but because I've written about myself and my modeling career so many times it isn't even funny. I've experienced firsthand what works and what doesn't when it comes to this subject. I do understand that not everyone is ...

Submitting quality snapshots is just as crucial for aspiring male models as their female counterparts. While there isn't as much for male models to worry about, that doesn't mean the snapshots they submit to modeling agencies should be a free-for-all. Some of the dos and don'ts listed below are the same as listed in my blog post for female models , however, it is still important to mention it separately here as well. DO: Follow Any & All Instructions Agency websites contain all the info new models need to know, including what kinds of snapshots to send. Many even post reference images to copy. If you come across an agency site that has all this laid out, follow the instructions to a tee. DON'T: Take Random Snapshots It's great when there's a site with full guidelines but even if you come across an agency with a website where there isn't much info or none at all about what types of snapshots to send, you can follow the bare minimum requireme...