Before you become a professional model you should know how the business works. The general public only seems
to hear about amazing success stories as well as the scams, scandals and other bad news about the industry. To give you a
better idea, some realities about the business and ways to assess your potential and get started in the business
will hopefully help you to begin what could be an exciting and financially rewarding job. You may notice that I
did not call the business of modeling a career. That is because most models only stay in the business for a relatively short
period of time, make a lot of money and get on with their real lives. After all, fashion is fantasy and a model's job is helping
to create that fantasy.
First of all, get ready for a lot of competition. It seems that almost 90% of the world's female
population want to be models although only a small percentage have a realistic chance to be international models. The good
news is that height requirements are primarily limited to the fashion end of the industry which seems to generate the most
publicity.
Models in Canada can work locally in their own cities, in Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal
or travel to major fashion centres like New York, Milan, Paris, London or Tokyo. Many models also travel to Greece, Spain,
Germany, South Africa and Taiwan where they can also earn good money.
If models want to work, they generally need to
work through a reputable agency in the market they are seeking work. Top models usually have different agencies promoting
them in all of the markets where they can be successful. For example, a 5'9" fashion model might be represented by Women in
New York, Metropolitan in Paris, Riccardo Gay in Milan, Storm in London, Ace in Athens, Body & Soul in Hamburg and Yoshi
in Tokyo. She would travel to each of the cities for their fashion seasons to first audition and then to do the shows and
other assignments. In a typical fashion week, a top model can work in 5-10 shows within a week and earn $5000-$25000 a show
depending on her status in the industry. The bad news is that newer, less established models might be in less prestigious
shows and earn substantially less money while they are getting established.
Although you may not be 5'9" or taller you still may be successful as a commercial print or
petite model and a lot of the jobs in commercial print can pay you more than fashion work. Clients pay you your regular hourly
or day rate plus a usage fee for the photos taken which could amount to thousands of dollars depending on the ad. Most of
this work takes place in larger cities since that is where the clients and advertising agencies are based.
If you are not already a model but want to be one, there are many ways to get started but first
you have to realize that modeling in both a visual and skills business. In other words, you have to have the look the client
wants, plus you have to be able to do the job professionally. If you don't respect the business, it won't respect you, so
you have to pay your dues. You generally will need to invest in some training to learn about the business and to develop your
modeling skills. Clients want professionals and are not prepared to train you on the job since, even as a beginner, you will be making $75+ per hour. The clients are generally investing thousands of dollars
on their advertising campaigns so they need models that can complete assignments quickly and professionally.
Fashion models need to develop their runway walk and style, the proper techniques on how to
show off the clothing as well as learn how to do their own show make-up and hair since make-up artists and hair stylists are not available for all of the smaller shows. Models also need to know how
to apply photography make-up for both colour and black and white photo sessions since many smaller catalogue clients expect
you to arrive prepared to shoot. Models must also learn photography posing techniques for all types of clients. Some photographers
will direct you while others will expect you to move without direction while they shoot you. You also need to know what goes
in your tote bag as well as using a "Go-See"(potental client) list properly. The good news is that if you do a good job, the
client may call you back over and over again; the bad news is that if you don't do a good job, clients will never will call
you back and your agency will drop you since you didn't represent them properly.
Getting Started
The first thing you do is to find out if you can actually be a model. To do this, you need
to take an honest look at yourself through your eyes, the eyes of the people who know you and the eyes of legitimate agencies
or others in the business. If you are under 5'8", you will not do much fashion modeling but may very well be successful doing
commercial print work as well as TV commercials, music videos and trade shows. Petites and commercial print models also can
make good money but it is more competitive for them since there are at least three times the number of people competing for
the same jobs. If you are short but don't have a commercial or appealing look and an outgoing personality, your other option
is to get into acting where you can also use your looks. It actually is a good idea to do both since a lot of modeling jobs
require you to use your imagination.
The funny part about the business is that it is you who must have the most faith in feeling
you can be a professional model. Agencies have to believe in you, but if you don't walk the walk and talk the talk, it will
show in your photo sessions and at your auditions and interviews. After all you are supposed to be a professional model.
As a model, you have to get to know your face and body very well. You also have to take care
of them to make yourself as marketable as possible. Before you go to see agencies, have yourself measured as to the size of
your bust, waist and hips. Also have a few photos taken with some of them being polaroids in a bathing suit with you wearing
no make-up and having your hair off your face. Agencies and clients both like to see you as an empty canvas, before having
professionalss do your hair and make-up and dress you.
Once you have convinced yourself that you can be a model, you need to develop your skills and
start working on your portfolio. Your agency can help you but you don't need to spend thousands of dollars on training or
more than $400-$450 for a photo session which should include 3 looks as well as the services of a hair/make-up professional
and a fashion stylist who will provide the clothing. Models under 5'8" do not require a fashion stylist so their photo sessions
are even less expensive.
Agency Fees
A lot of people have been warned about paying agency registration fees. If you are already
a professional model and ready to work, a legitimate agency will not charge you a registration fee since you are ready to
make them money. If you are not professional and they are going to have to work with you before you are ready to work, they
have every right to charge you a fee since it could be months before you are making them any money. Maxwell Sinclair charges
a fee for aspiring models to be in our New Faces Division since we have to help prepare them and incur
long distance telephone and postage costs in order to seek out assignments for them in their areas. This fee also insures
that the models are serious about the business and will attend interviews, auditions and assignments they accept. If a friend
asked you to invest in a venture but was not willing to invest his own money, what would you think? We love investing in new
models who have proven themselves to be winners, therefore we produce our New Faces modeling competitions.
Conventions and Model Showcases
Convention producers will always charge you a fee since that is usually their sole source of
income and these events take months to organize. When we produce our showcases, we have to pay the airfare and hotel expenses
for the international agents who attend as well a fee for the casting directors and clients we invite plus the cost of renting
a hotel ballroom and meeting rooms plus staffing. Maxwell Sinclair tries to keep our fees low so more models with
potential can afford to attend and meet with the agencies, clients and casting directors.
Large convention producers like the IMTA, Millie Lewis, Fashion Rocks, Faces West and ProScout
charge between $695US and $5000US and have hundreds or thousands of aspiring models attend. Usually the conventions have modeling
schools and local agencies recruit the models from their schools and agencies. These schools and agencies mark up the convention
fees so they can make an additional profit for extra training and photos. By eliminating the schools, we are offering you
an opportunity to meet clients, casting directors and international agencies at a lower cost. Whereas a convention usually
has a ratio of 50:1 for agents and models attending, we try to have a 20:1 ratio so our attendees receive more personal attention
and more legitimate offers.
Agencies
Most agencies will charge you a 15%-20% commission for work they find you. Be wary of anyone
charging more or wanting to sign you to a long term contract. Your agency will expect you to be readily available for interviews,
auditions, "Go-Sees" and jobs in their area. If you prove yourself to be unavailable, they probably won't call you very often
especially if you live outside their area.
I hope this information helps you get started.
