Posted: 08.04.2007 at 13.45
Some thoughts of mine from my experience as a model and working with agencies.
Some of this I have already posted on one of my Myspaces. Hope it is of some interest and use:)
Happy Easter!
Modelling Advice
You maybe be walking down the street tomorrow and be approached by a scout and within 3 months be on a runway in Milan. yes, trust me it does happen.
It is though rare and the following is some insight and information that I hope may help people thinking about modelling.
Types of Modelling
There are many different forms of modelling, runway, glamour, head shots, promo, on site eye candy and studio shots. All have very different requirements eg:
High fashion- have to meet stringent height and body requirements
Headshots/studio- height does not matter
General photographic- just have to be pretty and or/have a good body
Promo live work, sex appeal lol
Glamour- well need a fuller figure and be prepared to strip!
etc etc all different.
Agencies will hire on what they work they think they can get for you and hence money for them. If you have an amazing face for cover work and also a great body and walk for runway then all the better. If someone only has potential in one area, eg facial, then obviously the chances of getting on someone's general books are limited. A middle ground agency will try and hire a wide spread of models types so they can cover many different client requirements but if they spot someone that can transform themselves into quite a few different looks and take on many different types of work then it's a win win situation for both model and agency. The top agencies however are focussed on only high fashion/ad campaigns as that it where the big money is and generally will only hire tall lean models. Other agencies will hire for other markets and may even have children and pets:)
I am going to skip "glamour" in the sense on large boobed topless low end work and all of the rest of this document will be about fashion, advertising and promo work generally with also some thoughts on work which is really about photography of the female form for its own sake such as high end nude work and calendars etc.
Remember it is mostly about money and commerce. Most modelling is about selling. The basic business scenario is that the Client wishes to promote his product and wants to use the model to firstly show off his product/image and second to make ppl look by using the beauty/sex appeal of the female form. The Client pays the Agency and the Agency pays the model. To get work you have to be wanted. You have to have the qualities that will make people look and remember and buy, whether is be for the product or just for the image that you and the photographer have jointly created.
To be a good model is so much more than having just "looks".
Body Requirements
I have put some specific guidelines in some of my other blogs about measurements but it basically comes down to:
For good runway work you just have to be tall with 5ft 9/10 being the normal minimum. Other aspects are bust no larger than 36 and same for hips. A standard dimension for a runway model is around 34 24 34. Waists can vary from 20 to 27ish but 24 is good. Slim thighs are very important with 20in circumference being good with an inside leg length 34-36. Tummy should be reasonably flat and well toned and the circumference profile around just below the navel, should not be circular but quite oval. Posture is important with a upwards pelvic tilt looking better, not rounded shoulders, collar bones towards the horizontal. Body proportions should be not abnormal, slim rear, crotch gap present, slim knees and calves, clear consistent skin and no large cellulite. Breast shape should be normal and breasts separated with two or three cross chest bones just visible and not in two collalescing mounds. Helps if the waist tapers slowly out to a max hip circumference which is at crotch level as this gives a very appealing smooth line. The line down from the waist to the hips should be free from bulges.
In general...
⢠Need to look reasonably long and lean
⢠Low body fat- bulges just ruin the look of clothes and turn ppl away rather than make them stare. Any excess fat will show when good tight fitting clothes are put on to model. Whether one agrees with it nor not, ppl stare at slim non-bulged females, not flabby ones. You will get no work if you are chubby.
⢠Equally it is no good being all bones. It is a fine line between being slim and looking fantastic, to being too slim and looking bad.
⢠Need to be reasonably well proportioned and have good posture
⢠No piercing or tattoos!
⢠Body needs to be free from marks and tan lines. When naked, the body should look smooth and homogeneous.
⢠Helps to have square shoulders and good collar bones
⢠Long slim legs are a great asset. The main factor is thigh size. Thinner than average thighs are a real plus point.
⢠Face needs to be reasonably attractive or quirky
⢠Body needs to look and be fit and healthy and strong. Modelling can be very punishing on the body and one needs to be physically pretty fit with good stamina and muscle strength. Visually it helps it the body looks toned.
⢠Flexible. It helps if the body is flexible to get into and hold some awkward poses.
⢠Need to keep hair/stubble free in terms of arms etc and between the legs or if you don't like being totally bare down there, just a really tiny vertical line, no more. Any sign of hair peaking out is a real no no.
⢠Diet- needs to be sensible and balanced.
⢠Need to be able to walk properly. The head and shoulders should not sway. The walk need to flow and the hips should move properly. Get your walk checked out by someone who knows- this is vital.
⢠Skin needs to be really good, free from any problems. Pay great attention to looking after your skin
⢠Hair needs to be in really good condition.
Mental Attributes-also very important!
⢠Confidence. Confidence in oneself as a person. Also there has to be a lot of confidence about the body. No one body is perfect but you have to feel good about what you have. You have to wear your body with pride. You have to be very comfortable with stripping in front of other models, crews and anyone! You cannot afford to be shy or prissy. Your body is part of what people are paying you for. In general modelling you should expect to be seen and shot virtually naked with just the tiniest of covering between your legs. All else is fair game. For some specialist work you may be required to be completely naked. Make sure you are not only mentally comfortable with this but you have actually done it in front of some friendly ppl before trying it in front of professionals.
⢠Intelligence. You need to be aware of what is going on around you and why and be able to figure it all out!
⢠Articulate. You need to be reasonably well spoken and to be able to speak clearly and pleasantly in order to get on with ppl
⢠Ability to get on with ppl and not let others demean or weaken one's confidence. It is very important that you can get along with many different types of people of all ages and sexes. You will meet so many types and you have to not let ppl get to your lose your cool with any. Reputations are very important. You need to be known as someone that ppl love to work with, someone that is not only professional but a delight to work with. Also you need to have a massively thick skin and not let any criticism knock you to the ground or any snide bitchyness reduce you to a wreck. You need keep that inner core of confidence no mater what is thrown at you.
⢠Ability to deal with competition from others and rejection. Even if you are super hot, there will be castings where you are rejected as you don't fit what that particular client is looking for. There can be lots of rejection and you have to deal with it.
⢠Massive amounts of resilience. Modelling can be very hard and wearing physically and mentally. You need to be very resilient. To be able to work in cold and rain after no sleep for days, to have to travel and work and stand in strange positions for hours, to be pushed to the limits of your physical and mental strengths with out breaking down and winging, crying getting angry. Ability to go without sleep and not get sloppy, annoyed, unprofessional
⢠Ability to keep to time and find ones way around the world and cities. It is vital that models can get themselves around and on time
⢠Ability to ward off guys and to hold drink. As a model you will be the target of many guys, some in positions of power some not. Need to be able to handle all with class and aplomb. Need to be able to hold drink; there is nothing worse that a professional model being drunk and sick and ppl taking pics of it!
⢠Sense of mind to avoid the drugs that are everywhere. Drugs are all over the place. Anyone trying them is doomed
⢠Financially and contractually aware. You need to be able to understand finance and be able to read and understand contracts or you are wasting your time.
⢠Ability to keep a sense of proportion about it all and to lead a balanced life
⢠Ability to take and understand direction when on a set. Ability to move slightly all of the time and work around a shot, give the photographer that something new every 10seconds. Ability to give life in your eyes and body. No one wants to work with a wax dummy.
⢠Ability to act.
⢠Ability to cope mentally with very strange locations and shoots
⢠Ability to cope with having your hair messed with!
⢠Ability to cope being stared at half naked by many strangers.
Modelling is not just having a pretty face and a good body. It is so much more!
Getting Started
Be realistic!
⢠Have a really good objective look at your naked body. Get some good advice on what needs to be attended to in terms of shape/weight and posture. Measure yourself properly. Measure accurately your height, bust, waist, hips and note down together with your natural hair colour, eye colour and shoe size. If you want to really characterise your body, some of us use a set of about 25 measurements. Mail me if you are interested. If you are under 5ft 9/10 forget the top fashion agencies. It just wont happen. If you are going for top agency work where they want lean models, you either have it in your genes or you donât. DONT slim right down from where your natural body needs to be just to get the work. It can literally kill you trying to then stay down at that abnormal weight for your body. You just have to be born with the right genes- sorry but it is true.
⢠Start getting your body into shape and also making it strong and toned. You need to think about 3 types of exercise, aerobic, core strength and flexibility (Pilates is excellent) and specific toning such as tummy and arms and legs.
⢠Start looking after your skin and hair
⢠Read up and learn about the fashion industry, the key agencies, shows and designers. Buy the mags, watch FTV if you have it.
⢠Start walking and behaving like a professional model-take pride in your appearance, test your look by videoing yourself. Then when more confident ask someone to video you do a runway walk. Then change in front of him/her/them into a tiny bikini and do it again- have you got the confidence. Get used to wearing light fabrics without a bra. It's not often that you would wear a bra on a shoot.
⢠Take many many many shots of your self and your face. Learn how to work in front of a camera, to move your body and face into many different looks lighting, and poses. This is so important Learn how you look, what works for you. Models need to be able to transform into many different looks/emotions.
⢠Think about the clothes you wear. Be smart and stylish
⢠Once you have got these basics done and your face and body and looking great, you have body confidence and you know how to work the shot with cameras, start thinking about getting some really high quality shots taken. (More on this later)
First Steps
There are numerous ways to make the first steps:
⢠Entering competitions. Keep eyes and ears open in papers/TV and on the net. Someone we know who had never considered modelling entered just for a laugh a recent Yahoo UK model competition and to his great surprise won! He now has a contract with Storm!
⢠Sending in just a few pics on line to agencies. There quite a few really good agencies that will take pics on line see Storm's site for example. These dont have to be professional shots, just follow the guidelines on their sites
⢠Go to open call sessions. Look neat and wear simple but effective clothes to show off your figure- white T and jeans is fine. Donât plaster on makeup. make sure you can walk!
⢠Get some good shots done for a mini portfolio/comp card. There are ppl on Myspace and around that will offer to shoot a portfolio for you and use their contacts to get you seen by agencies. Beware, some are just out to photograph young girls, some are out to get material that they will then sell without you getting anything and some will charge you a lot of money and walk off with it! There MAY be some reputable ones out there but go by word of mouth. The key thing is not to get ripped off, exploited or get into any dangerous situations. Never reply to dodgy requests for "models"! Be VERY careful. You can get some good shots by doing TFP work with a photographer. PLEASE make sure you know the person before you agree to a shoot and donât let him tell you that you need to take you top off ...see later.....
⢠Networking. Join all of the Myspace groups and we forums. Make contacts. Meet people, let them see you, network it! Make any Myspace or other website you have look slick and clean and only have your best shots on there!
⢠Do some TFP work
⢠Go to castings. Look for adverts, calls for castings. Search the web and Myspace for opportunities for castings, shows, photographers wanting models BUT use your head. Research each one very carefully. A lot will be a rip off or a clothes off job.
⢠Place yourself at the front row of concerts or TV shows or events- get noticed!!!!
⢠When out and about in major cities or at events, look and act good. There are model scouts out there some actually there to do that and others just on their way home but may see you. It DOES happen! I know of someone very close to me who has been seriously spotted and offered contracts twice.
The Portfolio
It helps to have some kind of portfolio/media about yourself. At the very minimum it is a face and simple body pic and your name, contact details, age, height, bust, waist, hips, eye and hair colour. At best is would contain high quality shots of you in many different clothes and poses and makeup and any previous published work and references. It is also a nice idea to have small contact cards you can leave with people with a pic of yourself and contact details- DON'T make this your home address or telephone number but an e-mail address. There are stalkers and pervs out there. Get someone with professional lighting and who knows about photography to so some really classy shots, You don't need to spend a fortune on this and if you know someone who has the skills and a simple dig camera, that's fine. Or do it via TFP work. Make sure you have some idea of poses, clothes before hand. I would suggest 2 or 3 face shots (properly lit), some classy clothes ones, some normal and some edgy and some swimwear. It should look phowahhhh! Each picture should be a stunner. Don't just put in any old pic of yourself looking bored. Donât do topless or so called sexy or cheeky, in the shots- you are aiming for class!
Work
When starting out, there is a temptation to take on any work, bits here and there and to some extent any experience is good BUT, don't work with anyone that seems un professional, is in some dingy back room and don't start you career by doing semi-nude or naked work. It is far better to start off and get a good reputation for being a professional high class model, than start off doing low end tacky shots. Semi-nudity has a large part to play in modelling and fashion but one has to approach it very carefully. It should be the exception rather than the rule for anyone starting out, when required for a particular shoot and for a good reason. If it's a good professional shoot and it is an important one then go for it. If it is a low life on a budget shoot just trying to see your chest- don't lol Once you are semi-established, the kudos of being semi-naked and the money goes up.
For ad hoc work read contracts carefully in terms of who owns copyright, on what basis will you be paid, do they have full freedom to do what they want with pics of you, like alter them? Etc etc Be very familiar with model release forms, the law in your country etc.
Agencies
A TOP agency will NOT, I repeat NOT ask for a joining fee, nor any monies of any kind at all. Some middle agencies will and you have to use your judgement and research how mush of a rip off it might be. At the low end their are many so called agencies that will take your money and do nothing for you BEWARE. Some agencies will insist you take their modelling course; again this is a bit of a cheek and a rip off but it may be worth your while. Donât be fooled by the names of some agencies, like the so called BossModels in Aus that is not BossModels etc.
If an agency says they want to sign you, research them well, get a copy of their proposed contract and see what type it is, exclusive or not etc and what the small print is. I cannot stress how important this is.
THE INTERVIEW
If you have been sending in pictures and suddenly an Agency actually gets back to you and calls you in for a meet, then here are some things that come to my head to consider: (in no particular order!)
⢠Make sure the Agency that has called you back is legit and a good one. Never go to an interview with an outfit that no one has heard of or is at some seedy address.
⢠Start preparing as soon as you can..
⢠If you are not in top shape then start working on it if time permits but DONT go on huge fasts or over exercise as you will faint or injure yourself They will be looking for someone that looks healthy
⢠Make sure you know how to get there and if possible go to the building the day before.
⢠DO be on time, walking in with lame excuses of the traffic or alarms clocks will go down badly. As a potential model you need to show you are clued up and reliable
⢠Donât over do on make up. They will want to see you reasonably naturally
⢠Although you are there to sell yourself, donât over do it. Attempts at doing special model walks or faces will just be painful for them to have to watch.. Be natural. You either have it or you donât and they will be able to spot this a mile off.
⢠Donât wear tight bras or knickers 24 hours before and not on the day- they leave horrible marks on the skin.
⢠Wear smart simply stylish clothes on the day and ones that show off your strengths and hide your weaknesses
⢠Get some good sleep in the week before, donât collapse into the interview with bags under your eyes
⢠Check your body regularly before the meet and the night before to make sure it is looking as good as possible, get rid of hair where it should not be completely. Make sure manicure/pedicure all ok. Make sure your hair on the day looks really healthy. You need to look clean and glowing on the day
⢠First impressions matter and when you first meet, smile, look happy and alert and follow their cues to shake hands, kiss, sit down etc. Donât barge in with a grumpy face and plonk yourself down.
⢠Stay looking really alert, look at people when they talk to you. If you havenât ever, then itâs a good idea to have yourself videoed for a mock interview some weeks before hand and to then make sure you have no strange off putting mannerisms.
⢠Listen well, make sure you know what they are asking and reply intelligently but equally donât go on and on with a monologue.
⢠Know your measurements and weight and donât lie as they will measure you at some point.
⢠Have answers ready for set questions like and why do you want to be a model Why this agency, what do you know about them. Where do you want to be in 5yrs time, 15yrs time. What are you good and bad points etc etc
⢠Show in your answers that you know something about the fashion industry and also the modelling industry, how it operates and who is who. Show in particular that you know something about the agency that is interviewing you!
⢠Donât lie about previous work experience, if they check and find you to be false it will concern them
⢠If during the session you feel they are criticising you, take it constructively and DONT ever argue with them saying you disagree about your looks or your butt.
⢠Know what you are or could be. Know the various types of modelling and think how you fit.
⢠Ask them some questions, show you are really interested. Ask for how the fee arrangements work, exclusivity, period of contract, expenses for castings etc etc
⢠If they ask you to change into a swimsuit or strip to next to nothing, do it quietly and professionally showing that you have confidence in your body. Donât be coy, awkward or giggly about showing any of your body.
⢠If they ask you to walk, hopefully you will have nailed a good walk before going in there- stick to it. If you havenât had your walk checked before then you have left it too late once you are in there. Hold you head up and shoulders back
⢠Confidence is important, radiate quiet confidence in all that you say and do.
⢠It really helps if you have a good and it must be good, portfolio to show them (see above on portfolios). As a newcomer they will not expect you to have a thick lush portfolio but if you want to give them an insight into what range you have and to assist in selling yourself, a portfolio helps.
⢠Have either a professional looking COMP card or at least a contact card to leave with them so that they have your details readily available.
⢠Be interesting to them, be good with them, they want to employ models that they and photographers and clients can get along with and are not going to be a pain.
⢠As you leave, ask when you might here and what the follow up is. Say that no matter what you would really appreciate feedback- they may give it to you then and there lol
⢠Stay reachable so that if they call you, you pick it up!
⢠If they donât call, call them back politely and ask how you did
⢠Take any criticism and note it down and see whether a pattern develops.
Take any rejection as just part, a very large part, of this business, get over it and start again!
Overall it's not a fast easy way to make large money unless you hit lucky. If you do it can be just amazing.
Think carefully what you want from any modelling foray! Possible reasons are, ego, money, possible future part time/full time, excitement, curiosity etc etc.. Is it going to be a hippy or living. Do you want to do just a certain style, like goth or old time, or nude, or fashion etc work. Think it all through.
Above all- it is best to get signed up with a good reputable agencies and or work with well know photographers and never work with any strange person off the net etc. Not only is it dangerous, it is useless usually
Watch all of the episodes of Australia's next top model, the one with Eboni in, very carefully. I don't like America's NTM but this is quite different. Forget special vids on "how to become a model" just watch this for to my surprise it is very realistic and the advice given out from ep1 all the way through is spot on. I think just watching this series is probably the best way to pick up many things. It is easy to get wrapped up in the actual girls and the competition but listen as you watch to all of the comments and advice given out to the girls and also see what types of shoots and off set activities they have to do
Please be careful but have fun also.
Alicia
xxx
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