The Successful Talent: Tips for the Actor & Model

WORKING THE CAMERA

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Please celebrate it safely.

Whereas most fields of work require an educational institute’s degree, there are still a handful of careers that work under the system of apprenticeship and the school of hard knocks.  Modeling and acting may be examples, but whereas actors have a few defined black and white areas (scripts, coaches, character descriptions, etc.), models are left with a world of grey to decipher.  So how does a model learn to “work the camera”?

The best no fail advice is to get experience.  Time in front of the camera learning what the photographers hope to capture, what the clients want to see, and where the model’s individual strengths and weaknesses lie, is invaluable.  Initially, a young model finds him/herself moving past the awkward positions that produce the best images and the nervous jitters with each shoot under his/her belt.  As the craft becomes better understood, a model will find him/herself more comfortable adding personality and style to the images created.

A model must also learn what physical features create the most dynamic images.  Strong jaw lines and symmetry among physical features is imperative.   Other sought after qualities include clear beautiful skin, toned muscles (this means arms, shoulders, thighs, calves, etc.) and overall proportions.

Keep in mind that even supermodel images are retouched.  Think about the Dove video from an earlier blog – the Dove model had a lot of great features, including translucent healthy skin and intense eyes, but her neck was lengthened and her features were widened digitally.  Don’t spend time worrying about the things you can’t change.  Focus on highlighting the features you possess that are most in tune with what the industry seeks.  If you create the perception that you have what everyone wants, you’re on your way to a prosperous career in front of the camera!

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

The start of a new calendar year plants small seeds of change in each of us.  New year’s resolutions are made.  The prior year’s challenges, efforts, and achievements are reminisced and evaluated.  The mental notations we make as one year closes and another begins reset our focus, our interests, our ambitions – if only slightly.  The vows made are to improve, to change, to triumph!

As you recap your work as a talent in the prior year, be kind to yourself.  Frequently, talent are their own worst enemies and tend to get hung up on only the negatives (what they didn’t achieve).  I suggest that talent only focus on what they know to be concrete evidence rather than subjective guessing.  It’s hard to find evidence in a subjective industry, so sometimes we have to find ways to create it.  As a business, the records you’ve kept will work as evidence.  Look through your records to find trends, highlights, and areas where you struggled.

When you are ready to move your focus to the new year, set clear and measureable goals.  (You thought all that lab work from high school was a useless waste of time – until now!)  Clear means that they are as precisely described as you can make them.  For example, “I want to have better auditions” could be clearly stated as “I want to spend 1 hour in focused preparation before each audition.”  Usually, by clarifying a goal, it will become measureable as well.  “I want to have better auditions” isn’t clear and isn’t measureable, but one can clearly measure a length of time (60 minutes) and connect that time frame to a certain event (an audition).

Only give yourself attainable goals!  There is something to be said for shooting for the moon, but unless you’ve studied rocket science, the moon might not be an option. For example, Gwenyth Paltrow is once again all the rage in Hollywood with the movie Country Strong, but her first episodes with the camera weren’t so heavily publicized or successful.  Her step-by-step approach to growing as an actress has ultimately allowed her to attain the celebrity status and/or success that every talent hopes to find.

So keep the past in the past.  Focus on the present.  And know that the future will come when the timing is right.  What goals have you set for the new year?

 

(UN)DRESSING A MODEL

Models are viewed first and foremost for their physical qualities.  We, as the public, visually assess a model’s features, potential, and even their character by a single image.  Sounds unfair, right?  It is, but embracing that simple unfair lesson in psychology can help give you a competitive edge over the talent who hasn’t yet figured that fact out.  It's easiest to break down the talent visually by keeping things simple, so we'll start from skin deep and dress through each step!

Appearance starts with cleanliness.  It goes without saying in this industry that sometimes the obvious needs to be stated – taking the time and continued care to value your product (your body) is important.  Skin and hair care, along with manicuring appropriately are a must.  Learning pro techniques with makeup and styling for your body type also make an impact.  If you are uncomfortable with any of these tasks, take the time to educate yourself and work with people who can equip you with the skills you need to always put your best foot forward.

Wardrobe is secondary, but no less important to the overall effect.  First, choose things that flatter and highlight your best qualities.  For example, a six pack set of abs should be showcased as much as possible.  Wearing something that shows the outline, but maybe not skin would do the trick!  Second, find ways to downplay your less desirable attributes.  No one wants to admit having them, but the truth is that even supermodels have things they wish they could change about their physical appearance.  The key is learning to draw attention away from those areas and refocus it on the features of which you are most proud and confident!  Third, choose clothing options that sell the character the client is seeking or that brand who you are as a model.  The edgy talent styling a pixie haircut and slender body should wear equally edgy clothing to showcase that brand.  On the other hand, the typical girl-next-door model would want to play up a wholesome and endearing look by going more classic.

Bottom line, your appearance is everything.  What are you telling photographers, assistants, ad agents, or even your agent when seen?

THE MODEL PERSONA

Models are usually interesting and unusually beautiful people.  That makes it natural for us to turn our heads and watch them a little longer than we might watch the average person.  Once we have seen a recognizable face, it’s also human nature to linger on it trying to figure out where you’ve seen it before.  Because of the nature of extended attention in a very physical business, a model’s persona is even more important than it might be in another line of work.

Whether being watched for unusual beauty, because you are recognizable, or because you simply walk with an uncanny confidence, models are under constant scrutiny.  How the world perceives a model and the actions they make or words they speak can have lasting effects on a talent’s career, similar to the way it does an actor.   Models must take responsibility for their actions and words while in the public eye.  Being able to act as a role model for others by also becoming a model citizen in society is beneficial.  Models can build their opportunities by building their network of supporters and the easiest way to win the public’s sympathy is for a model to give their time, face, image, and likeness to charitable organizations and local community impact groups.

Models aren’t stereotypically lauded for their intellect, but some of the biggest supermodels are brainiacs with the degrees to prove it!  They know how to work their business in order to maximize its potential!  Do you?

THE MATERIAL MODEL

Like any facet of entertainment, models must promote and market their abilities, resume of experience (a portfolio), and public persona.  How does one go about doing this well?

Start with the basics!  The model first needs to make sure that they are going to be able to meet the physical demands of the industry.   It can be disheartening to find out you aren’t fashion runway material since you can’t change things about yourself like bone structure and height, but knowing where you fit in the industry will save you a lot of heartache down the road and help you readily pursue the facets of entertainment that will more likely welcome you as a talent into their circles. 

Once you know where you fit, you’ll be able to build the marketing materials you’ll need.  As a fashion model, you will need a great book geared toward fashion which includes as many fashion tear sheets as possible.  Print models will need books and tears that focus more on lifestyle and commercial photography/clients.  Promotional models may not need a book at all, but would be wise to have something to show. 

Having the right type of work in your book is imperative to gaining attention in the circles where you hope to book more work.  A print model who wants to do fashion may take neat pictures that boost her self-esteem, but fashion clients aren’t ever going to consider her for work if she doesn’t fit their statistical needs.  To make it worse, the commercial and lifestyle clients who might be interested in booking that same model are more likely to choose someone else who has the type of work in her book which they will be shooting. 

Utilize special skills if you have them.  For example, dancers are able to use their bodies to make shots interesting while still showing the client what they want to see.  Adding motion to a commercial shot screams “fun, vibrant, and attention-grabbing” -- the last of which is exactly what every client hopes to achieve when hiring talent. 

Are you grabbing the decision maker’s attention with what you have to offer?  Build a book that is not only geared towards the clients most likely to notice you as a model, but also one that shows something unique and exciting!

THE PROFESSIONAL MODEL

The professional model is a prepared business person with a focus on his/her future and a strong skill set in front of the camera.  Like an actor has to provide more than memorized lines, the model must also bring an openness to the set that includes a clear vision of what the client needs to sell.  In essence, we can say that the model must develop various characters (like the actor) in order to maximize on her employers' campaign.  The most interesting faces have a lot going on behind their eyes!

And so, a model’s persona will make them something special or leave them in the dust.  Sound harsh?  Perhaps it is, but think about it.  What attracts attention?   Something interesting, right?  That why we all talk about Lady Gaga’s latest wardrobe choices, for example!  So if we want something interesting and the majority of young models think that they will become famous because they are . . . beautiful . . . have a great body . . . are tall . . . or have a killer six pack set of abs . . . anything beyond those things would be interesting.  Here’s where the persona comes into play.  All serious models are tall.  They all have great bodies.  They are all striking or classically beautiful.  When this is the norm, the only thing left to make you stand out from the rest is the personality to boot!

The modeling industry was horrified when actors started appearing on covers of magazines where the supermodels used to roam freely.  Those attractive actors and actresses sold more magazines.  Why?  We just answered that question in the paragraph above.  Read it over and over until you get it. 

Are you the next Gisele Bundchen hopeful?  You might have to be born with the look, but personality is something you can only work hard to create.  Set yourself up for modeling success by developing further than the standard model and show the world you have an amazing business mind, as well!

A TESTY TESTING

Testing is a great way for a young model to build her skill set and experience, but it isn’t without it’s pitfalls.  Like anything in life, the knowledge (or lack thereof) you take with you to each opportunity will either protect you or send you running for the hills. Using the safety-nets you have around you will help you avoid those unfortunate experiences and keep you on track to your goal of success!

One safety-net is your agent.  If you set up a test shoot, let your agent know the details of your plans.  Most agents are happy for talent to be busy building their careers, but there are some things the agent might be aware of politically or when it comes to the fine print that you as the talent may have never known.  One common test shoot mistake is signing a release.  Unscrupulous photographers may ask you to “test” with a purpose in mind other than building their books.  If they have a release that allows them to use your likeness and image at their will, you could be agreeing to allow them to sell those images to a paying client.  Not only does the model lose out on monies they should have been paid for their work, but that image could be sold to a client marketing products that could ruin your career.  If you don’t know what the release should include, be sure to ask your agent before signing it.  A photographer hoping to test with good intent wouldn’t put pressure on a model to sign away rights without consulting their agent or lawyer.

A casting director once shared with me the situation a colleague of his found himself in related to this subject.  His colleague, as a commercial talent, had agreed to do a “test” shoot as a doctor and signed the released he was handed at the set.  A few years later, this talent was offered a principal role in a national SAG commercial for an aspirin product.  On set, he signed a contract stating he had no analgesic conflicts, thinking there were none.  Although he may not have done any pain-reliever spots to conflict with the aspirin product, he had done a test shoot.  Oddly, a few days later he was shocked to find his image in a junk mail advertisement for a competing company.   This performer was legally liable for the cost of the shoot up to $100,000, despite the misunderstanding on his part.  And now he’s stuck thinking about where else those images might show up in the future that could cause conflicts.

No one wants to find him/herself living in fear of the unknown – especially when it was not intentional!  Be smart, read the fine print, and consult with the partnerships you trust to be sure you are setting yourself up for a long successful career!

OPEN BOOK TESTS

The word “test” strikes fear into the heart of anyone who has ever survived the conventional schooling system.  In the case of models, however, testing can be fun, fulfilling, and a great way to learn while building your book.

A photographer who asks a model to test is hoping to work on trade.   By doing so, the photographer gives his/her services and images to the model to use in his/her book while the model gives his/her services for the photographer to use for self-promotion, too.  Share and share, alike!  A team willing to work together can create some eye-catching images that will give both the photographer and the model a leg-up on the competition. 

Each time a photographer asks a model to test, they are investing in what the model has to offer in front of the camera.  The photographer’s hope is to use at least ONE amazing image from their session to show their skill.  Perhaps they are breaking into a new market.  For example, if their portfolio is filled with still life or product shots, they may want to start shooting talent for advertisers.  A paying client isn’t likely to hire a photographer who doesn’t have any people in their prior work!

Likewise, being in front of the camera is a great way for the talent to grow!  Gaining confidence and comfort on the set is probably the biggest advantage to testing.  Other benefits will include diversity in the model’s book, building new relationships, and learning their strengths and weaknesses in front of the camera to find things that will make them stronger as a talent in the future.

So don’t sweat it.  You’re gonna have a lot of fun and there are no grades or report cards in the end!

MARKETING SUPPORT FOR YOUR REEL

Each talent will find partnerships that can last a lifetime.  And each well-invested partnership will reap the profits of their successful venture together.  At the same time, though, each venture will require a unique marketing strategy and the talent’s reel is an important part of that promotion!

There are several industry-standard databases used by the majority of entertainment professionals.  These databases may vary slightly depending on your market, so find out what the top 2-5 might be in your area (Your agent can direct you here). If you haven’t created a profile on these databases, don’t hesitate in doing so – time is money!  Once you have your profiles created, find out what each database requires to post your reel.  In many cases, there are options on how your reel can be posted to the databases.  Some will charge additional fees and some will include it whatever the up front fees might have been.  The key is having your reel available to every vein of your career network so that no opportunities pass you by.

FIRST, have an eye-catching reel; a copy available to your agent; a copy available digitally; and then a copy available via database submissions. This ensures that you will be seen for every possible role you could fit!  Many talent who could nail an audition never get seen or considered because they have neglected to position themselves aggressively . . . and as a SUCCESSFUL TALENT, we know that won’t be you! 

Revisit the beginning of the blog set on REELS in order to put together a plan of action for your business.  Run into a mountain or molehill?  Ask for help here by leaving a comment!

THE TECH-SAVVY TALENT DOES METACAFE

Back in 2006, Metacafe announced a new program called Producer Rewards.  In this program, video producers / users are paid for their original content when their video is viewed a minimum of 20,000 times if the video has not violated any copyrights or “community standards (as defined by Metacafe’s user agreement).  Metacafe’s VideoRank system then gives the video a 3.00 + rating and then pays the producer $2 for every 1,000 views.  There is some fine print that goes along with this deal, as expected, so read it carefully before deciding this is the hosting site for you.  In one year, the top 10 producers posting videos on Metacafe are reported to have earned over $20,000 each.  The top earner reported over $117,000, and Metacafe is said to have paid out over $1 million through the Producer Rewards program.  Now THOSE are tech-savvy talent!

Similar to YouTube and Vimeo, Metacafe sets itself apart in several other ways, too.  It includes duplication elimination, an Adult content filter, and a community member review panel.  The allowable file size is smaller than other hosting sites.  Metacafe accepts the following video file types: MPEG, MPG, MPE, AVI, WMV, WMF, ASF, M1V, DIVX, MOV, MP4, FLV, 3GP, RM, RMVB, RV, RAM and MKV.

With many options to choose from, talent can find the best means to put themselves in front of an audience daily.  Of course, if the uneducated talent utilizes this information inappropriately, it could doom their future.  The wise talent will see the value of being choosey with their content and skill set, though, and find that they have opened new doors to exposure and growth!