The Successful Talent: Tips for the Actor & Model

TOUGH ROW TO HOE

Any model has to have the right marketing materials in order to book the work, but not just any materials will become profitable.  So what does a fashion model need in his/her book to land a major campaign?  Well, a major campaign tear sheet, of course!

Yes, I say that tongue in cheek, but it’s the truth.  The age-old problem that every kid faces when he/she joins the work force: how do you get experience if you can’t get the job which requires having had experience?

Models face this issue, too!  Building their book by paying to test is the most common way a model builds their book.   Some models are able to test on “trade,” meaning that they will give their time and likeness for the photographer to use in his/her book, and in return get the same images to use in the model’s book.  Count those opportunities as a lucky strike!  Models also build their books by shooting smaller local and regional campaigns.

More important than taking pictures to add to your book, though, is being sure that you have the right kind of images!  A model with very dark and severe features may want to shoot more editorial tests, since that will be the market most open to that look.   A young female with a tight curvy body and 5’7” or shorter should choose to shoot swimsuit shots to highlight her figure.  And an older male model in his 50’s would want to shoot family friendly commercial shots (think color, smiles, and action)!

The grass is always greener on the other side.  We want what we don’t have, but that doesn’t mean that we should ignore good sense!  Build the book that will most welcome your look and doors will open themselves as you grow!

Where do you fit in the industry?  Not sure?  Send me a pic and I can help give you some direction.

THE FASHION MODEL

The fashion model is the most publicized type of model in mainstream society.  She is the awkwardly tall and unnaturally thin figure missing the usual female curves.  The point in this body style walking the runway is to keep the focus on the clothing being showcased – and what better way to do that than to find a human wire hanger?

Fashion models are not all Gisele look-a-likes, though.  A beauty model may have enticing features, be perfectly symmetrical, and have the statuesque figure.  Editorial models, on the other hand, are likely to have more unique or interesting features.  Both fashion models can be found gracing major ad campaigns or walking the runways.

Female fashion models generally start working in their mid to late teens and are already at 5’9” or taller.  The average working model has balanced measurements (34-24-34 for example).

The fashion industry, although the smallest percentage of modeling work, is the most publicized and advertised, making it the most coveted form of modeling for it’s prestige and exposure.

Quick!  Know the answer?  How much did Cindy Crawford get paid to be on the cover of Mexican Vogue recently?

NO WILLPOWER? NO PROBLEM!

We all face those moments when we wish our willpower were stronger than it proved to be.  But like most things in life, success can be rooted in the approach.  That begs the question, is your approach working?  I’m talking about your approach to just about anything in life . . . your career, your happiness, your home life, or even your diet.

Psychological scientist and blogger, Heidi Grant Halvorson, PhD, writes The Science of Success and helps us understand the natural wiring of our mind and how it affects our choices and willpower.

I hate exercising. Every January of my adult life I've vowed to make it a part of my routine, and every year I've come up with wonderful excuses for avoiding the self-torture. Except last year: I've been exercising three times a week since 2010 began, and I've never felt better.

What finally worked for me? A simple plan. I mean "if-then planning," a technique that is uniquely useful when it comes to resisting temptation and building good habits.

Imagine your New Year's resolution is to lose weight. Most people would make a plan like this: "Eat less, exercise more."

For starters, it's not nearly specific enough. How much less will you eat, and of what? How will you exercise, and how often? The if-then version of this plan spells out exactly what you will do in the critical situation.

If X happens, then I will do Y.

X can be a time and place, like Monday at 9 a.m., or it can be an event, like the arrival of the dessert menu at a restaurant. Y is the specific action you will take whenever X occurs.

So Step 1, "Eat less," becomes something like "When the dessert menu comes, I will ignore it and order coffee." Step 2, "Work out more," turns into "I will work out for an hour at the gym on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays before work."

Amazingly, you are two to three times more likely to succeed if you use an if-then plan than if you don't.

Studies have shown that participants using an if-then solution as Heidi suggests are 91% more likely to reach their goals compared to the 39% who relied only on their willpower.  The reason this solution works is because it actually speaks the language of your brain!  Humans are build to encode “if x, then y” terms and deciding the relations to events or challenges ahead of time links the cue (if) and the behavior that you want to follow (then).

This makes if-then solutions far less taxing on the memory and prompt natural behavior without conscious effort.  Give your willpower a break and build the neural pathways in your brain that make following through a breeze!  You’re one step closer to becoming a success!

What things challenge your willpower most?  How can you change that to an if-then solution and prepare yourself when faced with the situation again?

THE CATALOG TYPE

Another type of model is used for catalog work.  These models can also be referred to as lifestyle models.  Models who are used in print media such as billboards, brochures, retail catalogs, and store décor, come in a variety of looks and sizes.

Catalog work is frequently done in both the major markets (NYC, LA, etc.) and secondary markets (Miami, Chicago, etc.).  The type of catalog will dictate the style of model most often used.  If you want to be a catalog model, pick up your favorite retailer’s catalog and study the types of models they use.  Stores like Macy’s tend toward the higher fashion body styles, while JC Penney offers a more well-rounded age and demographical range of models. 

Catalog models are selling styles and products to the general public, and therefore, can have quite diverse appeal.  Frequently, catalogs have a plus size division for the full figured woman.  The salt & pepper haired dignified man in his middle age is another hot look for catalog work.  Young men and women, children, babies, and even retirees all work as lifestyle or catalog models.

More important than the model’s age, however, is the proportions of their body.  Balanced measurements for women photograph well in the average designer’s clothes.  Catalog models must also have symmetrical facial features, nice teeth, and clear skin.  These are the attractive and believable models that we as consumers are more likely to relate to . . . and, in turn, purchase the clothes they’re wearing or product they are promoting.

Catalog models can make a nice living without ever becoming celebrities.  Look at the images from store to store and you just might notice some similar faces!