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

***This post was scheduled to be published several weeks in advance and not meant to be applied in real time among what's happening with the coronavirus pandemic. Everyone should be taking all precautions to be safe, including practicing social distancing and staying indoors. This post is not meant to encourage people to move forward with shoots, fashion shows, booked gigs, etc. Keep yourself and those around you safe!*** (This post will be especially beneficial for freelance models.) It can be a pain but to ensure each shoot goes according to plan but it helps to go the extra step of learning how to implement confirmation and check-in emails with the people you choose to work with. This isn't rocket science--just common sense. Life gets busy and oftentimes things come up at the last minute that could cause the cancellation of a scheduled shoot, meeting or related appointment. Sometimes the other person will actually forget they had a scheduled obligation. Oops. ...

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...

***Disclaimer: This post is for informative purposes only. I am not trying to start--nor am I interested in starting--a debate, argue points, deal with addressing counter arguments/viewpoints or try to otherwise explain every single nook and cranny of the topic I'm writing about. I am referring to things in a very broad manner on purpose. The focus is on maintaining your brand and modeling career. If you look into it any more than that, I can't help ya.*** I have opinions. I'm a news junkie. I can talk politics and other world events without hesitation. I enjoy healthy debates every now and then. I believe in knowing what's going on in the world and developing a voice to express my thoughts. However, if you've seen my posts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn, you'll be hard pressed to find any content where I'm on my soapbox, taking sides on hot button issues and terrorizing those who don't agree with me. Why? Because that's not what ...