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

Even though this blog has been around for a while I still come into contact with new aspiring models that tend to ask questions I've pretty much memorized the answers to. To make things easier on myself and those looking for answers, I decided to do a basic FAQ post. I may add questions from time to time so this post will be updated as needed: Q: Can I model? A: I don't know, can you? Much more information is needed, such as your age, height, weight and measurements (bust, waist, hips for the girls/women and suit, shirt, waist and pants for men). Q: Where do I start? A: Do your homework. Find out what type of modeling you qualify for--your height is a quick way to find this out. Ladies: 5'5"-5'7" means commercial/print, 5'8"-6'0" means fashion/runway/editorial/plus size. Men: 5'9"-6'2" means fashion/runway/editorial. Commercial/print height requirements for men vary but in general they prefer them to be taller than 5...

I can't keep track of the countless times I've heard aspiring models talk about how excited they are to send pictures to modeling agencies but have no clue what to send. Getting into the modeling industry is a process, which means there are steps that need to be taken. Jumping blindly into things is a surefire way to put yourself out of the running. Submitting your stuff to modeling agencies should be the LAST step in the process. Before you can send photos you have to figure out which agencies to send them to, right? If you have no idea where agencies are in your area, then it's time to do research and find them. Are they not local? Then you'll also have to consider how seriously you want to pursue modeling. For aspiring models with no legit agencies within a 2 hour's drive, you'll have to make a judgment call as to whether moving/relocating to a larger modeling market is going to be a realistic possibility for you. I'll do a post on that very topic i...

Anonymous Wrote: I understand commercial/print models need to have their own wardrobe for shoots, but do fashion/editorial models ever need to bring an outfit, shoes, or other clothing articles to gigs? Thank you for all your advice! :)  Hey, Anonymous! Thanks for the question and kind words--very much appreciated! When it comes to fashion/editorial models, there may be times when models are required to bring one or two items of their own for the shoot. However, most times the nature of these kinds of shoots have all those items covered (big budgets, top clients, large crew, etc.) so chances are the need to supply a shoot with your own stuff for editorial and fashion work will be minimal. It definitely varies from situation to situation--it's always best to be prepared for anything! I do want to add that not all commercial/print models have to bring their own wardrobe/items to their shoots all the time. Regardless of the type of modeling one does, the decision as to wheth...

Anonymous Wrote:  with which agency are you?  I used to be with Ford's commercial/print division in San Francisco but I am now with Models, Inc., which has an office in San Francisco also but has its main office in Walnut Creek. It's a boutique agency.

Mahri Wrote: Hi Dania! My name is Mahri and I am 14. I was just signed with Ford models and I am 5' 7. Does this mean that I am strictly going to be doing print/ commercial work? I really wanted to go to a higher level, such as high fashion, I know that is a long way off though :) and advice would be appreciated!  Hi, Mahri! First off, congrats on getting signed, that's so awesome! Given your height you are ideal for commercial/print, which is where your agent will more than likely market you. However, if your look is one that their high fashion clients also like, then they will submit you for that type of work as well. Since you are still young, you still have time to grow and should you get lucky enough to reach 5'8" or taller then they will definitely cross you over into high fashion. If you want to know for sure how you will marketed, simply ask them. Make sure to mention your interest in high fashion and see what their feedback is. Your agent is your ...

Wow, it's so nice to finally have some time to write an actual post on here! When it rains it pours and I have been super busy with a little bit of everything: painting murals, drawing comics, doing photoshoots, working on short films, editing manuscripts, etc. With everything that's been going on I haven't had the chance to really sit down and write my modeling posts and I don't believe in rushing a post just for the sake of posting, you know? I have been answering reader questions and addressing reader comments but don't worry, I do have informational posts related to various modeling topics coming up very soon. Soon as I get enough time to focus, I'll also bring you all up to date on my recent shoots and other projects that have been keeping me busy. Talk soon! Feel free to continue sending questions my way...I love answering them!

Anonymous Wrote: Way to rip this from eHow.com...you could've at least given credit/cited it, or not copy and pasted word-for-word. It's a great tutorial and you have an awesome example of your own, but you should give credit where it's due.   I'm sorry but I had to chuckle when I read your comment. If you looked at the eHow.com article in question a bit closer ( How to Create Your Own Modeling Comp Cards ), you would have seen that I am the author of it. I've been writing for eHow.com for a while now and the majority of my articles on there are related to modeling. I wrote this blog post first and then reused it for eHow.com. So I guess I've got to give credit to myself! LOL...but thank you for being on your toes and pointing that out to me. I've had other readers alert me of when my content shows up somewhere unaccredited. ***I'm updating this post to let my readers know that eHow has completely changed and no longer has its Writers Progr...