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

Is it really December already? My, my, my! However you choose to celebrate the holiday season (or not), I hope this latest blog post finds all of you well and ready for 2025. My greatest hope for all of you actor and model hopefuls (and those currently working in the industry) is to equip yourselves to be well informed business people.  Whether you've got an agent/manager, are freelance, or have the best of both worlds, knowing basic business savvy will take you a long way in your career. Not to mention, decrease your odds of being taken advantage of. This blog post is for both models and actors as it relates to the concept of usage terms. In a nutshell, usage terms are the very important piece of information about a gig that explains how, where, and for how long your image/likeness (print and/or video) is going to be used for.  Being unfamiliar with this term and how it operates can set you up for an unpleasant surprise down the line, so it only felt right to tackle this subj...

Before diving into this post, make sure to read the original article I wrote to get caught up: MODELING INVOICES . Happy November! Wondering why I'm writing about a topic that's already been covered on my blog?  Well, that original post was penned back in 2008 and a lot has changed since then so I figured it couldn't hurt to add a few extra updates where they apply, especially since that particular post was mostly aimed at freelance models. GETTING PAID AS AN AGENCY REPRESENTED MODEL Similar to actors with representation getting paid, models with an agency behind them have the convenience of payment being taken care of by their agent. This could involve the agent billing the client directly after the work has been completed or you might be required to have a blank voucher signed by the client as proof of the work done and time put in. Once the client has been billed, it's time to wait for the payroll process to kick in and your agent will send you your cut by check or d...

Acting is fun, no doubt about it, but it's even better when you're being paid for your craft!  Whether you're new to the industry or consider yourself a veteran, I decided to do a general post to cover the topic of getting paid as an actor, the popular/common methods used today, and things to keep in mind as a freelance actor, agency-repped or both! Models, don't worry, my next blog post will be tailored just for you. FYI: I purposely write about the industry in a generalized/standardized manner. There are always exceptions to the rule but I feel tackling what tends to affect the majority is more beneficial from an informational/educational standpoint. GETTING PAID AS AN AGENCY REPRESENTED ACTOR Direct Billing. When you're booked for an acting job (commercial, short film, feature, etc.), some talent agencies automatically invoice the client through direct billing once you've officially wrapped. This is a popular and super convenient arrangement because you as t...

One of the many things both actors and models have in common is they require professional headshots for use as proper marketing tools. Whether freelance or agency represented, this is your biggest calling card. To get caught up on why these types of photos are so essential for pursuing the industry seriously, check out my previous post: "The Importance of Actor Headshots & Model Headshots." So let's dive into what makes an acting headshot different from a modeling headshot (the "why" is answered in the blog post link above btw). MOOD/THEME Acting and modeling headshots all have a particular theme or mood they're trying to capture.  Model Headshots: Fashion, Runway, Editorial Headshots for models often are very dramatic/moody in nature. No big toothy smiles or fun facial expressions. This is especially true for high fashion, runway, and editorial models. Although black and white headshots (for acting) are seen as "old school" these days, in the ...

It doesn't matter whether you want to be a model and/or an actor, one of the most important materials you'll need for marketing/promotion is a professional headshot. As I've mentioned before, there are many similarities between pursuing a modeling career and an acting career but it's essential to understand the nuances.  One of the first to take note of is that the road to getting a professional headshot comes at different times for a model than it does an actor. MODELING HEADSHOTS When first submitting to agencies, aspiring models with no experience aren't expected to have professional headshots yet.  In fact, a majority of agency websites state their preference for non-professional, digital snapshots, with female and male models wearing no makeup. In addition to other digital snapshots (profile, full body, etc.), those types of images are enough for an agency to determine your modeling potential. If you already have professional headshots to submit, a modeling age...

Happy July, my dear readers! I don't know about you but I've gotta say that this new schedule of posting once a month has been a delight for me.  While followers/readers of this blog since 2007 were spoiled with much more frequent posts, this slower pace helps me feel a whole lot more confident in bringing you quality, thoughtfully written, and insightful content.  Either way, thank you to my old and new followers/readers for being along with me on the next chapter of this blog. Let's get to it, shall we? Interested in both acting AND modeling? For more details about the training required to be a model, check out my previous post: "What Kind of Training Does It Takes to Be a Model?" Without further ado, let's get to the topic at hand: what kind of training must one do in order to become an actor? Let's first ask the most obvious question: DO ACTORS NEED FORMAL TRAINING? Yes! As much as we can be confident in our natural talent, these days that's just n...

The worlds of acting and modeling both fall under the entertainment industry but they don't always share a lot of the same factors.  Whether you want to become a model or an actor or if you want to do both, it can be helpful to understand exactly what kind of training/background one should have to pursue these paths properly. There's always an opportunity for misinformation to arise or people identifying a chance to make a quick buck with engaging content encouraging model and actor hopefuls to pay X amount of money to fast track them towards success. While the industry has evolved and adapted to keep up with the latest happenings online and in the real world, not all of it has completely changed. Many of the same things that were true for getting into the industry back in the day still holds true today. In this post, I'll focus on modeling specifically. DO MODELS NEED FORMAL TRAINING TO SIGN WITH AN AGENCY? The short answer is, "No." Why? Because modeling is the ...

Of the many hats I wear, being a coach is one of my favorites. I've seen way too many aspiring models and actors make needless mistakes and the opportunity to prevent people from that kind of stress and heartache always fills my cup. Whether I'm coaching an actor, a model, or a pageant contestant, the concept of the "Elevator Pitch" is part of my spiel. And for good reason. WHAT IS AN ELEVATOR PITCH? The idea for the elevator pitch comes from the business world and basically describes a brief way to introduce yourself in order to get your message/points across in a way the other person can easily understand. And when I say "brief" I mean brief ...30 seconds ideally. Picture yourself in an elevator with someone of importance. This person can make all your dreams come true but you've only got seconds before they reach their floor and step out of the elevator. You may never get this opportunity again. So you decide to briefly introduce yourself and what you...

Hello, Readers and Happy April ( I know, I missed my monthly post for March, my bad )! I thought about doing an update post for the results of the poll I posted in the beginning of the year but I wanted to get straight to work giving you guys updated content and since this post is talking about acting classes, I'm sure you can guess that the poll leaned in favor of including content related to pursuing acting as well as modeling . Ask and ye shall receive! That being said, I will equally weight topics so nothing is going away when it comes to modeling but it is realistic for me to set y'all up for the expectation that in today's entertainment industry, modeling and acting go hand-in-hand. More posts related to the details on that to come. So without further adieu, let's talk about why it can be highly beneficial for models of all experience levels -- including you newbies! -- to consider taking an acting class (or two). MODELS AREN'T WALKING MANNEQUINS ANYMORE Reme...