The Successful Talent: Tips for the Actor & Model

THE MODEL EXTRAORDINAIRE - Part Trois

For our purposes in this blog, we are going to use two categories of reference – modeling for fashion runway, print, and promotion; and on camera for the acting-based endeavors.  On camera work is just what it sounds like – work done by a talent on video camera.  These types of work vary distinctly and vastly depending on the intent of the project, but include commercials, industrials, movies, television series/episodes, and music videos.  Depending on the market you live in, the breakdown or amount of work in each category may differ.

 

Commercials are what you see on commercial breaks when you watch your favorite sit coms.  Generally, the talent fit the mold of family friendly, cute, trustworthy, and attractive.  Someone introducing a product or sharing opportunities needs to be a face we want to watch and believe.  Commercial work is done as either union or non=union and generally runs in 15-30 second spots.

 

Industrials are a mysterious category of work for even some seasoned talent.  An industrial is technically a film piece, but is done for internal use.  For example, how many jobs have you worked where someone made you watch a training video at some point?  That training video would be considered “industrial.”  In Nashville, a client of ours shoots industrials for the US Armed Forces.  It’s unlikely that you will ever get to see work done on an industrial, but you might have friends say they saw you!  In fact, one of our talent who did a military industrial said her friend in Iraq saw her and wrote her!

 

THE MODEL EXTRAORDINAIRE - Part Deux

A commonly overlooked category of modeling is print work.  Print is anything that is physically printed and distributed for marketing purposes in which a model (or models) are featured.  Catalog work, brochures, billboards, store décor, magazine ads, and packaging are all forms of print. The big smiles you see above your head at Target are print work. And print work can span the gamut from friendly to sexy to casual to lifestyle to seductive and even scandalous.  Most markets have some form of a print presence to support the advertising agency needs.  Print models are frequently tall, but not always.  They have proportioned bodies, great smiles, good skin, and lots of personality!  Clients shooting print ads need talent from newborn to ninety years old. 

 

Promotional work is another form of modeling and probably the widest category for available work.  Promotional models work conventions, trade shows, live events, and know how to engage the crowd around them.  They are, naturally, pleasant to look at physically and in good shape, but they also carry a strong personality and it can be quite fun to chat with them!  Most promotional models are female and can be any height.  Some companies will hire good promotional models to travel with their products full time.   There are agencies who only represent promotional models, even.  This might be one of the easiest modeling categories to make a living in full time depending on your market!

 

The actor, who we will cover next, is an entirely different breed.  And yet, oddly, we find the models wanting to cross over into the world of the actor on a regular basis.  Angelina Jolie did it successfully.  Tyra Banks is continuing to make the effort – but why?  Modeling has a shelf life for 99% of fashion models who do make a living, whereas acting is an ever growing, ever blossoming, ever challenging venture.

 

THE MODEL EXTRAORDINAIRE

When most people think of models, they are mentally transported to a place where tall, thin, unreasonably beautiful women elegantly lope down a runway wearing designer fashions.  Although this is the glamorous definition that our culture has propagated, it is less than 10% of the modeling work available.  More specialized still are the markets where this type of modeling (fashion runway) is done.  For the 5’8-5’11 female with minimal curves, fashion runway is ideal.  Given that the average female height is slightly above 5’0”, most of us can identify ourselves as something other than a fashion model.   The fashion mecca is New York City – but we all knew that, right?  Other major metropolises around the world are beckoning the fashionista as well as the great designers, but most models start by working in the secondary fashion hubs – Australia, Japan, etc.  From there, they can grow into Paris, Milan, London, and eventually make it to NYC if they’re lucky. 

 

(Note:  Don’t starve yourself.  Your goal to become the next Kate Moss isn’t realistic if you can’t eat enough to be healthy.  And if you do starve yourself, the effects will be visible in the grotesque shape of your muscle tone and skin color, which means you’ll never be booked anyway.  Do yourself a favor – eat healthy and be aware of who you are.  Most people will not fit in this category.)

 

If you fit the requirements to become a fashion model, let me know!  These girls are few and far between . . . and usually find fitting into the everyday world uncomfortable due to being uncomfortable in their gangly bodies.  But embracing that self -conscious figure could actually be doing you a favor.  I’ll let you know if you’re headed down the right path!  Leave a comment with your name, height, age, weight, and city of residence!