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

I'm pretty excited because I recently updated my makeup arsenal from MAC. And I learned some great application techniques that allowed me to do my makeup myself for my test shoot with Joy O Designs. I thought it'd be fun to let you know how I did my makeup and what products I used. You know, a little insider stuff...what female model doesn't want to know about makeup? LOL. Mind you, I don't wear makeup on a daily basis and only for when I have shoots and castings but the girl in me can't help but be interested in makeup for what it's worth! My skin type is combination (dry cheeks and oily T-zone--forehead, nose, and chin) and I have eczema so my complexion is naturally slightly discolored. I got lucky and had the manager of the MAC store advising me that day so she totally filled me in on what I would need and showed me how to apply everything. This is a picture of me the day of my test shoot (ah, the perks of having a photographer for a boyfriend!). The ...

I had the great opportunity to come across a model casting for a jewelry designer who was in need of a new face for her jewelry company. After checking out the website and seeing that not only was it legit but popular on the red carpet, I knew I had to submit. So I sent along my photos and information and got a reply. The jewelry designer's name is Joy of Joy O Designs and she was very interested in meeting with me so we set up a date and time for a test shoot at her boutique in San Francisco. I made sure to get there early with plenty of time to find parking. She told me to bring simple, plain black tops, wear my hair in a ponytail and wear makeup that was more natural. Joy was such a sweetheart and we clicked immediately. We were joking and getting to know one another the whole time. It was nice to talk to a client who was genuinely interested in what I was doing and the feeling was definitely mutual. If you're ever in the San Francisco area, I highly suggest visiting her ...

Ah, so many things can happen in life. But I believe in blessings in disguise. It's time to catch up on what Dania Denise has been up to! =) So for those of you that don't know, in addition to modeling I also hold down a full-time office job. Needless to say things got hectic from time to time with juggling castings, shoots, and my work schedule. My company doesn't know that I model (I learned the hard way from past experience to keep such knowledge to myself) so at times I ran myself ragged with making excuses and taking time off. If you're wondering why I don't do modeling full time, refer to my past post on the subject . Of course over time things change and boy have they ever! My boss is a beast...totally disrespectful, doesn't particularly think much of women and we've butted heads since day one. But I bit my tongue and hung in as long as I could (one year to be exact). Well, I finally had enough verbal harassment and decided that it was time to get out...

Anonymous Wrote: Hi i understand everything you said about the contracts but what if you signed the contracted and they asked me to pay 250 dollars a year for three years for the website crap, plus an additional 20% which i know is normal when i ever get a job!. I've already signed the contract like a dummy and its almost a year and i've only been to one audition! How can i get out of this! sign, Help I've been fooled! Uh-oh! That sounds fishy to me. The 20% is fine but what's with the $250 a year stuff?! I know that many agencies (not all but some) now have additional fees due to website and gallery features that have their models on it, which is totally legit, but that price is pretty steep. I pay $9.00 a month to have myself listed online for one of my agencies (I have two, one for acting and one for modeling) and even then it isn't as much as $250 a year. The fact that you've only received one audition does not justify the amount of money you are putting i...

In this day and age just about everything is available on the Internet, most notably through websites. From the large corporations to your friends, just about everyone has their own website. So what do you do when a modeling agency you come across online does not have its own website to showcase? Just a decade ago, many businesses weren't visible on the Internet via websites. Many dealt with business as usual. Modeling agencies also followed this path. Back in those days, you either had to call the agency, attend open calls, or simply snail mail your photos and hope for the best. Not all modeling agencies had snazzy websites that offered all the information you needed for submitting pictures or attending open casting calls. Of course this is no longer the case. Everyone knows that if you want to make an impact and a good first impression, you'll need a website. It goes without saying that the large agencies (Elite, Willie, Ford, etc.) have the best looking websites chock...

As a model, comp/zed cards are a part of the industry. These serve as your calling card or business card, which lists your stats, contact info and your photos. Agencies use this as an easy way for clients to see who you are and what projects you'd be ideal for. However, for freelance models and agency represented models who also find their own work, you may want to look into having a regular business card for your modeling endeavors. While comp cards are perfect for the industry, they are usually pretty large in size (much larger than a business card). Most agency represented models don't deal with the comp cards unless they bring them to a casting or go-see, and the agencies tend to keep them at the office. So what are you to do when you're on your own and see a great potential for networking or come across a client you really want to work with? Handing them a comp card is one solution but like I mentioned...

I did a post a while back talking about playing music during a photoshoot to help get you into the right mood and help with posing. Did you know that Giselle listens to classical music during her shoots? It's true. It doesn't matter what your musical tastes are, as long as it gets you in the right frame of mind to pull off amazing images, it helps to put together your own song list just for modeling. I have a few CDs that I use for modeling. I tend to update them from time to time, especially when certain songs get played out for me. I thought it would be fun to share my latest song list of my "Model Mix" CD that I currently use. This particular batch of songs have great beats that make my body move and totally make me feel sexy. Of course I don't use it for all my shoots and sometimes I'll choose more mellow music depending on the theme of my shoot. It helps to ask the photographer you're working with ahead of time if it's okay to bring music....