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

Here we are: December 2025. This month's post will count for both November and December since work had me away and distracted for most of November. This particular post is going to be geared towards my actors, especially those getting the momentum to start putting together materials to search for agency representation.  The holiday season always tends to be slow for obvious reasons -- any projects currently casting are pretty specific to the holidays/seasonal trends, meaning there's not as much work to go around. This year was a very slow one for many in the entertainment industry, which is always a tough pill to swallow. But if you're wondering what you could be or should be doing while you've got this downtime, my biggest piece of advice is to work on yourself and get all of those materials together and prepped now! IF YOU'RE SEEKING AGENCY REPRESENTATION Talent agencies no longer have the luxury of prepping/developing a new actor on roster from scratch. More and ...

It's October! As we fight this weird weather over here on the west coast (80-90 degrees, really???) and gear up for the ghouls and goblins Halloween brings with it, I wanted to continue sharing the info from last month's post in regards to the modeling and acting scam I highlighted. Below are screenshots of the email correspondence between myself and "Larry Nelson," as well as the actual documents sent to me from the scammers.  FIRST EMAIL FROM THE SCAMMERS MY RESPONSE TO THE SCAMMERS (CALLING OUT SOME INCONSISTENCES) THEIR RESPONSE (COMPLETELY IGNORING MY QUESTIONS) THE FAKE USAGE FORM THEY ATTACHED THE FAKE CONTRACT THEY ATTACHED I never responded after the email with the documents was sent to me and they never reached back out to check, either. Like I mentioned in my previous video post, scammers like this know it's a numbers game. The more people they reach out to, the better the odds that at least one person might fall for it. They're not going to spend t...

We're in September! This month's post is going to be a bit different than the others so far.  I recently posted a video highlighting the details of a scam that came across my radar. It's already been posted to my social accounts and when I sat down to think about what to write for this month's blog, I realized why not just post the video here for those of you who don't follow me on social media? So without further adieu, here is the video I shared that details the scam, what to look out for, and how I handled the situation when some foolish scammer thought they could trick me:  

Not gonna lie: I was tempted to play hooky and let August's blog post slide. But as busy as I am, I just couldn't sleep at night knowing I couldn't find a few minutes to write ONE blog post a month.  So I'm patting myself on the back for my progress in the accountability department. Anyway, enough about me...August is almost over and I thought I'd share some quick life hacks for you actors and models out there when it comes to staying prepared for shoots no matter the size, scope or budget. Some of this stuff might be common sense but we all know the saying so enjoy this month's post. If it helps even one of you, then mission accomplished! While we all strive for those big budget projects where everything is provided for us, the reality is that the majority of the time, that's not going to be the case. Even well budgeted gigs have instances where the talent is responsible for providing certain items. Instead of huffing and puffing about it, do yourself a fav...

I can't even comprehend that 2025 is a little more than halfway over but here we are in mid-July! This month I wanted to touch on the topic of being a "local hire" and "working as a local."  Newbies are probably wondering what this concept means, while those with a bit more experience are already in the know, but might be struggling with how to tackle this when it comes to submitting to acting and modeling gigs.  So let's get to it. WHAT DOES "LOCAL/LOCAL HIRE" MEAN? When you see this term/phrase in a casting breakdown, it means they're looking for talent (actors/models) who live within the city limits. There isn't necessarily a specific distance you have to live from said location where the project is taking place, but a decent rule of thumb I like to use is within 1-2 hour's drive. Honestly, 30 minutes to 1 hour is more ideal for clients. Can you be slightly outside that? Sure, BUT clients want the reliability of someone who doesn...

Full disclosure: I technically wrote this post in May but got so busy that I forgot to post it! Haha. So I'm gonna have this be for both May and June because it's my blog and I can do what I want.😁  Alrighty, on to the info! I've been seeing a number of casting sites posting away for various projects and I have a feeling with summer around the corner, the amount of gigs for actors and models is going to increase even further.  For May, I'm keeping this month's blog post pretty light but still touching on topics that can help inform the moves you make with your own acting and modeling careers moving forward. Because of social media, the concept of using hashtags in captions is nothing new. However, there are still many out there who either don't use this nifty symbol or don't quite realize their importance when it comes to posting and sharing content.  BENEFITS OF USING HASHTAGS Helps You Appear in Searches Did you know that a lot of people use hashtags to s...

Happy April, readers! I know most of us are not thrilled that tax season is upon us once again so hopefully this month's blog post can be a bit of a distraction for you. Speaking of money, I wanted to do a bit of a shorter post that's still very much relevant to one of the big perks of pursuing acting and modeling professionally: getting paid.  I wrote at length back in October's post  about how actors and models get compensated for their services, but I want to focus on the importance of understanding invoicing -- specifically as it relates to common payment terms like Net-30 arrangements. This post will be mainly beneficial for freelancers without agency representation. Some castings state that payment will be made to actors/models using a Net-30 arrangement. If you've seen this term before but aren't quite sure what it means or if you've never heard of it at all, let's break it down. The main part you want to pay attention to is the number after the word ...

March is here and it's time for another blog post to enlighten all you actor and model hopefuls! Building a website, setting up social media accounts, and establishing an online presence is much more accessible to the every day person than it used to be.  We've all seen the disastrous effects misinformation has done when it comes to news/media outlets and social media platforms, which begs the question: how does anyone stand a chance at knowing what's real and what's not anymore? While there is never a 100% foolproof way to safeguard yourself, it is entirely within everyone's power to take note of important red flags and to spend a little extra time doing your due diligence to try and suss out whether a talent/modeling agency is legitimate or not. Let's review a few that can help make the process of seeking representation a little less stressful. ***This post is directed towards those who have randomly been reached out to by someone claiming to be from a model/t...

It's already mid-February, you guys! I realized I needed to get this post up before I blink and we're suddenly in March.  Social media has evolved and forever changed the way we connect with each other. It's no longer far fetched to imagine being in communication with your favorite celebrities and brands.  But we all know shady people are always looking for ways to misuse and abuse these platforms. Sadly, the entertainment industry isn't immune. The ease of access to people from all over the world can make it that much more challenging to tell whether an opportunity like an offer for representation from a talent/modeling agency is legitimate or not. BEWARE OF "AGENCIES" SLIDING INTO YOUR DMs Sure, direct messaging is the fastest way to reach out on social media, but your first instinct should be one of caution if you happen to get a DM from an "agency." The age old saying, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," still applies to...

Happy New Year, guys! I had to make sure to knock out this January post sooner than later because before you know it, we'll be in February. Anyhow, I hope you're all finding 2025 to be promising so far, although I would be remiss to not mention that my continued prayers go out to all those affected by the LA fires.  Being part of the entertainment industry, it's just heartbreaking to watch from afar and see so much devastation happening to both industry folks and LA residents alike. ***************************** I teased back in December that I would be starting off with a post about the subject of perpetuity and the caution that surrounds this concept so let's get to it. WHAT DOES PERPETUITY MEAN IN ACTING/MODELING? Essentially, it means forever. Participating in an acting or modeling project that requires the use of your image/likeness in video and still form "in perpetuity" means forever. And in many cases, you won't be paid further compensation as a re...

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...