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

Ever since COVID 19 decided to make itself at home, every industry and business known to man has had to make changes.  I already did a post about modeling during this difficult time but it's also important to highlight some useful information for aspiring models on the search for agency representation. Unfortunately, this isn't such a hot time right now for agencies when it comes to finding new faces. Not all agencies operate the same way and each market has its own guidelines for how to pursue "business as usual," so your experience submitting to agencies will vary widely depending on where you live, what market the agencies are located in, the type of modeling you want to pursue, etc. To help curb any anxiety or confusion, below are a few things to keep in mind to prepare you for what to expect: NO OPEN CALLS A majority of modeling agencies have suspended all open calls until further notice. This announcement is a common one splashed on the homepages of many agency ...

There are many success stories when it comes to modeling. There are just as many--if not more--horror stories or at least stories that might make some hesitant to get into the modeling world. When it comes to establishing what you will and won't do as a model, you'd be surprised just how easy setting this up is. The concept of a new, fresh-faced female or male model eager to make it in the "Biz," only to find out they have to compromise their values to reach those goals is a tale as old as time. However, that doesn't mean it's one you have to follow. In life overall you should never compromise yourself in order to "make it." So let's put that out in the forefront right now. Models signed to an agency do not have to feel pressured to do things they don't want to do. What's cool is that when you first sign with an agent, they have you fill out paperwork. In addition to signing the contract, there are things they want to know about...

A big part of a model's life is attending castings and go-sees. For both freelance models and agency represented models, getting in front of clients is the best way to showcase the personality that goes with the photos they've seen and hopefully lead to a booking. However, there is an additional way of snagging work and that's through what's known as a "direct booking." This term is commonplace in the acting world but does apply to modeling projects, too. Direct bookings basically mean a client has seen your work (i.e. portfolio, comp/zed card, published work) and wants to hire you without the need for a casting or go-see. In case you're wondering if such an arrangement is too good to be true, I can assure you it isn't but there are some very important precautions to consider whenever you get a direct booking offer from a potential client. AGENCY REPRESENTED MODELS Agency websites host photo galleries of their models to make it easy for pot...

(Shout out to one of my readers, Tom, for inspiring me to write this blog post based on his questions about agency boards!) Visiting modeling agency websites is a great way to get familiar with how these companies present themselves, the divisions they specialize in and view photos of the models currently on roster, not to mention learning how to submit yourself for representation. One thing you might have noticed on these same websites-- namely fashion agency sites --are terms like Main , New Faces ,  Development , Images ,  Direct , etc. What does this mean and does it apply to you? MODELING AGENCY BOARDS Similar to the concept of Pinterest, the use of boards by agencies is a way they organize and classify which models belong where, according to experience and where they are at in their modeling career. It also serves as a convenient way to communicate to clients visiting the site as to which models they may be interested in, based on project needs. When a m...

To this day, many newbies don't take into account that the payment aspect of modeling isn't immediate. In fact, even with an agency it can take time to receive the money owed to you from paid bookings. Why is that? Ultimately, it's the efficiency of the client's payroll department that plays a huge role in determining how long it will take to get paid, especially if the form of compensation is by check. FYI: cash is NEVER the form of payment from a gig booked through your agent...this is more commonplace with freelance modeling gigs. Let's take a closer look at the way payment is handled and broken down in the modeling industry for both agency represented and freelance models. GETTING PAID AS AN AGENCY REPPED MODEL Having an agent means securing the best paying gigs and dealing with reputable clients and brands. But agencies and the companies they work with are businesses and that means following protocol when it comes to payment terms. In agency c...

There is a lot of misinformation when it comes to the subject of getting into modeling and the cost factor when it comes to being agency represented. It's difficult to say exactly what the price tag of modeling could be due to the variety of factors, not to mention that no two people's journeys are exactly the same. There are a few basic ways to break down certain expenses as a starting point. Keep in mind any price ranges mentioned here are not set in stone. Also consider the fact that the actual expenses/costs incurred will be different from market to market. Small markets have very different costs for operation compared to a medium or large sized market. To get the gist of this type of scale: New York, Los Angeles and Miami are considered examples of "large markets" in the US. SUBMITTING TO AN AGENCY The cost of submitting your snapshots and information to an agency or attending an open call costs zero. Period. There should be no application or proc...

I've talked about the concept of "booking out" before when it comes to working with a modeling agency but because this is such an important part of keeping on your agent's good side, I felt it was worth following up with a post to help navigate how to do this action properly. To refresh your memory: "booking out" simply means letting your agent know when there are days you are not available for either castings or gigs. Nothing is worse than having an agent submit a model, only to find out after the fact that the model wasn't even available to attend the casting or gig in the first place. This is why booking out plays a vital part in communicating with your agent. While no two agencies operate exactly the same, there are a few common ways to handle booking out. Usually, models newly signed are given this information as part of their "Welcome Packet." When in doubt, ask your agent what their preference is.  EMAIL At the bare ...

Open calls are often the direct path towards speeding up a model's search for agency representation. However, as with many things in life, they aren't perfect and there are pros and cons to attending one of these events. Let's dive right in and see exactly what open calls are all about and whether it would be in your best interest to add one (or a few!) to your calendar. WHAT IS AN OPEN CALL? I did a post about this quite some time ago explaining all the details about an agency open call  (click here to check it out) but in a nutshell, an "open call" is specific to modeling and talent agencies. It is a designated day and time frame where anyone is allowed to come into the agency's office to be evaluated. Open calls are free of charge and no appointment is required. PRO Open calls get you in front of an agency in-person. Nothing is worse than submitting an online application or email with your photos and stats to agencies and waiting weeks to hear...

Just when you thought you had agencies figured out, right? :-) I've often received emails from confused models freshly signed to an agency, with questions as to why they are being sent to auditions for commercials and other acting projects. Models are just supposed to model, right? Well, not really. At least, not these days. There are a LOT of models out there. Actors for sure, too, but when it comes to modeling in particular, it goes without saying that there are way more female and male models than there are gigs. This creates an imbalance and for agencies to maximize their ability to make money and give their talent a fighting chance, that means requiring some cross over action. In the industry today, it is now standard for talent agencies to send models on their roster to auditions for acting jobs. If you have an interest in acting and have expressed that to your agent, then this won't be a surprise but there are many instances where a model who just wants to mode...

Not all agencies are created equal. The word "agency" gets thrown around a lot and within the entertainment industry it's easy to get confused. To avoid any mishaps and ensure that you're on the right track, I felt it would be good to do a post to break down the important differences between casting agencies and talent/modeling agencies. Since I've written at length about talent and modeling agencies, the points listed below will be in direct reference to how casting agencies operate. To sum up casting agencies in a nutshell: this type of business contains a database of actors, models and other types of talent and essentially acts as a matchmaker between the talent registered on the casting agency's site and those casting for various projects. Whenever someone is looking for models or actors, they typically post their project on the casting agency's site and the talent that matches the requirements are notified and given a chance to submit them...

If you thought entering the modeling world was challenging, entering it as the parent of an aspiring child model is even more harrowing simply because you're dealing with the safety and welfare of a minor. While much of the info listed below is going to be the same as the previous blog post I did about how to Choose the Right Modeling Agency for You , there are a few differences and additional things I want to point out to parents specifically, which is why I decided to do a post on this subject by itself instead of lumping it together with the other one. And if I didn't include something on here that is on the other post, it's not because it doesn't apply--it's mostly because I didn't want this post to be longer than it already is, haha. So let's jump into it! MAKE SURE THE AGENCY REPRESENTS KIDS Not all agencies are created equal so it's important to check the website to first determine whether an agency even works with kids. For the ones...

For those hoping to lead a successful modeling career, getting agency representation is the first step into the industry. It makes sense because agencies are the experts, they have the connections, established working relationships with clients large and small, as well as the know-how to market models and negotiate the best pay rates for gigs. I have written many blog posts related to the topic of modeling agencies but figured it would be helpful to do an updated post of sorts that provides a basic breakdown of just how to choose an agency that would be a good fit for you. Of course I can't speak for everyone so consider the information below as a more generalized version of tips and things to keep in mind during your agency search. LOCATION IS KEY A general rule of thumb is to submit to agencies that are no farther than a 2 hour's drive from where you live. Being further makes agencies hesitant because they need models to be available on short notice. Despite how...