Model Advice from
Mark Curtis of
Design Zero
- Questions &
Answers
God only knows why,
but I often get
asked for career
advice by models. So
here’s my personal
thoughts and
comments on the
subject!
I am new to this,
what general advice
can you give me?
Personally I avoid
getting involved
with the whole
“industry thing” –
basically on the
commercial stuff I
say “Thanks, but no
thanks” to quite a
bit and “When,
where, how much” to
everything else (and
if I don’t get a
sensible answer to
all three I don’t
take matters
further)….
However, for models
my own thoughts are
as follows, just
like the old movie
says “If You Build
It – They Will
Come”.
When “starting out”
there is no reason
that any model
cannot manage
herself, there are
hundreds of agencies
in the UK but only a
handful control the
vast majority of the
real professional
paid work that is
available.
Personally I believe
that there is little
point in approaching
the heavyweight
“major league”
agencies directly –
if they want you
-they will find you.
But if you want to,
then go ahead and
they are listed
further on this
guide.
So where do I begin?
Get a good
photographer to do a
shoot few shoots
with you. Work on
what you want, work
out what you are
good at and do shots
that are
specifically
targeted to “sell”
you to the agencies,
and do shots which
will “sell” you for
paid work from
photographers too.
When I am pleasing
myself with shoots -
I know all my stuff
looks a bit dark and
moody – but I am
happy to shoot other
far less stylised
stuff, most other
photographers are
too!
The key to this, in
my mind anyway– is
to be sure that you
trust the
photographer that
you are working
with.
What areas do I need
to cover to get a
well balanced
portfolio?
Obviously each model
has their own limits
and interests but
typically a
portfolio shoot for
a model will include
the following.
1.
Headshots/Portrait
2. Fashion –
Formal/Casual
3. Lingerie
4. Sheer/See through
clothing/Implied/Semi
Implied
5. Glamour/Topless
6. Art Nude
You can cover these
pretty easily within
a few shoots or on a
full day with a good
photographer who can
work quickly. If you
are looking to cover
a lot of ground in a
single day then talk
to the photographer
before and simply
ensure each part of
the shoot is kept
short, with 1 or 2
changes or wardrobe,
and small quick
changes to make up –
so it also makes you
look like you’ve
tonnes of work, with
different people!
Once you do find a
photographer you
like, with me, what
models find has
worked well - is a
model coming for an
odd day or half day
for the first three
months that they are
starting out (keeps
the images fresh)
and then shooting
once every 6 months
or so afterwards to
top up while they
get their industry
contacts and other
photographer
contacts properly
sorted.
Which agencies would
you recommend I
contact?
If you are
interested in
fashion work, these
are the main model
agencies I would
recommend
contacting:
Select Model
Management -
http://www.selectmodel.com
IMG Models -
http://www.imgmodels.com
Marilyn Agency -
http://www.marilynagency.com
Storm -
http://www.stormmodels.com/index.html
IMM -
http://www.immmodels.com/
Do read their
instructions
regarding applying
to them carefully!
With regard to
local/regional
agencies in your
area – I personally
wouldn’t bother
contacting any of
them, let them find
you and review any
proposition they
make to you with
great care.
Little Red Dog -
http://www.littlereddog.co.uk
- Cambridge based.
Supermodels -
www.supermodeluk.com
– Lincolnshire Based
MWM -
www.mwm-uk.com
Mackenzie Models -
http://www.mackenziemodels.co.uk/
Certainly, you
should never ever
pay an agency to do
your photos or
create a portfolio.
In addition, never
ever pay to become
listed with an
agency.
What about listing
myself on the
internet?
If you are starting
out, having your own
website is not
essential – and
unless you are
working as a model
full time – a waste
of your time and
money. If you want
your own site as a
“vanity project”
then go ahead, but
you are better
spending your time
and effort (and a
little bit of money)
on listing yourself
on the major model
listings sites (see
below).
With regard to model
listing sites, these
are listed below and
I have marked the
ones that are worth
paying to become a
member!
First priority:
www.netmodel.com
(worth paying)
www.onemodelplace.com
(worth paying)
www.starnow.com
(worth paying)
www.purestorm.com
www.modelmayhem.com
Second priority
(optional!)
http://www.modellaunch.com
http://supermodels.com/
http://www.themodelsclub.co.uk
http://www.photographyheaven.net
http://www.urbanmodels.co.uk
http://www.modellocator.com
http://www.glamour-photo.co.uk
http://www.freelancemodels.com
If you are
interested in art
nude work and above
(!) then it may be
worthwhile listing
here:
http://www.adultemployment.co.uk
http://www.adultindustryresources.com
http://www.be-seen-here.co.uk
(just join the
forums and place an
ad there)
Finally, Myspace is
a favourite with
many models too and
I know many girls
consider it
extremely useful for
their careers
(personally I hate
it!).
Do you have any
advice when I am
writing up my
listing/bio on model
sites?
The key to getting
regular paid work is
to let your
“biography” or
“blurb” (!) that
these sites let you
write about yourself
cover the most
important bits and
hopefully keep all
the rubbish
correspondence to a
minimum. I have done
a fair few of these
for models and seen
the responses so my
advice to get work
with local
photographers etc
is:
1. State your limits
clearly and exactly
in the ad wording
itself.
2. State whether you
will do pro or
amateur shoots
(amateur stuff can
earn you some easy
money)
3. Keep it simple -
charge a flat rate
(not a tiered rate
based on your
“limits”) – keep it
at about £30.00 an
hour unless you are
doing art nude/adult
work (The current
true market rate for
solo adult work is
£60 per hour and
upwards).
4. Regularly update
and change the
images on a monthly
basis on the “first
priority sites” and
every 3-6 months on
the others.
5. To get the best
out of free
“galleries” or
portfolios - always
post images that are
sized at around
300x300 and at 72dpi
6. If you do not
wish to anything
“unclothed” – but
you do want to make
money from your
modelling work –
always consider the
“fetish” market –
there’s always
plenty of work for
this to be had from
the model listings
sites - a great way
to earn decent
money.
Do you have any
advice in dealing
with correspondence
regarding modelling
work?
It’s critical you
set up a new email
address – my advice
would be use hotmail
or yahoo – use an id
along the lines of
yourname_ukmodel@domain.co.uk
.
If you are going to
place these listings
– you will have to
accept that you will
get a lot of utter
rubbish
correspondence
(!!!), and a fair
few idiots creeping
out of the woodwork
in reply to your
listing -
regrettably it goes
with the territory.
1. Keep your replies
brief and
professional.
2. Ignore any
overseas work
requests.
3. Ignore any agency
representation
correspondence
4. Never email any
pics etc – just
refer them to your
site listings
5. Choose your TFP/TFCD
offers carefully.
In addition, if you
are simply in this
to make money –
remember – yep there
may be an awful lot
of talentless
amateurs who contact
you – remember
though – their money
is as good as anyone
else’s. Do the
shoot, pocket the
wages and move on.
When dealing with
the replies – my
advice is as
follows:
1. Always have in
your mind the mantra
- “When, Where and
How Much?”
2. If you are not
greedy, and set your
fees at a sensible
level. State the
expenses element
clearly – calculate
it carefully and
accurately.
3. With any enquiry
for work if you are
not given a date for
the job on offer -
always give the
photographer say,
three dates in the
following few weeks
or month (just make
some up!!), then if
you do not get a
proper reply to
these dates (e.g.:
“sorry am busy but
how about these
dates?”) – Then they
are most probably
just timewasters -so
ignore!
4. Always ignore
“castings” offers.
Once you get signed
with decent agencies
– they will identify
any worthwhile
castings for you.
It’s a nightmare to
get involved with
these unless you
have proper
representation.
5. Always ignore
agency “offers”
unless it is from an
agency that has been
recommended to you.
Most of the time
these “scam”
agencies will ask
you to send shots,
then tell you they
are “no good”, then
suddenly offer to do
arrange a shoot for
you, which you pay
for – and end up
getting charged
hundreds of pounds.
Big waste of time.
6. If you are
looking to do work
with “established”
or “pro”
photographers then
always look at the
photographers work
online. Get links to
their sites. Most
pro photographers
will rarely use
hotmail, yahoo etc
(although they may
in the first
instance – many keep
these “free”
addresses and bin
them periodically
change them to avoid
Spam) but either way
any pro photographer
really should have
their own website!
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