Do you have what it takes to be a model?

Do you have what it takes to be a model?
The answer maybe be a little different that you think. Some of the people who think they do, don't-and a lot of people who don't think they could - DO!
Why, you ask? Because we aren't splitting the atom here. We are selling a product and the product is a person SELLING a product. The reason that some people have no success as a model, especially in a relatively small market is they are too busy selling themselves (their pouty lips, their large breasts, their six pack etc etc) and they have taken no time to listen to their agent tell them about the market and what the clients are looking for.
Knowing and understanding the market is paramount to being a successful model.
If you live in NYC, your portfolio has to have a certain look- same with LA or Miami. If you live in Syracuse or Buffalo that portfolio will probably not work no matter how hard you try to cram that square peg into the round hole.
If you just want sexy/pretty/funky/wild photos of yourself to put on Facebook or Instagram I say have a ball. If you want to get modeling work you MUST listen to your agent. Your agent should know the market and be able to look at you and tell you the kind of work they are going to get for you. To do that you need a certain type of photo.
If a 45 year old woman joins my agency I am not putting her in a bustier and black leather pants (no matter how good she may look in them!) to sell her to my upstate NY clients.
Back to my original thought. The people that think they would make good models often think that because they get a lot of LIKES on FB with their selfies. When I try to tell them to stop pouting and start smiling we stop communicating. Its the sharp looking 50 year old guy I meet at Lord and Taylor or the fit 60 year old woman who I bump into at Wegmans, who thinks that they could never be a model (and asks me if I am crazy) that make the best models. They don't know anything about the business so they LISTEN, follow directions and they make GREAT models. Which one are you?

Do you know how to like a professional?

This is actually from our AMS Models Facebook page and I am making a post out of it as it was viewed over 1500 times.

Are you submitting to an agency like a PROFESSIONAL? I am constantly surprised by the way people email us or they FB message us (WRONG!) about wanting to be a model. First- in the 15 years I have been an agent less than 10 people have gone on to be BIG things and I have rep'd 1000's. That is the reality no matter what you have been reading. The best you can hope for here is that you can make some ...cool pocket cash. So if you are going around town or FB bragging and calling yourself a big time model that's like being the tallest guy in a hobbit movie. Get over yourself. It is Upstate NY. Have fun, make a little money, be HUMBLE and be realistic ,
If you wouldn't send the correspondence to a potential employer in that fashion don't send it to us in that fashion. So that means use capital letters. (Yup, stretch that pinky finger over to the shift button), give us your NAME (so we know what to call you), your phone, your address (so we know you aren't submitting from the Ukraine) and current photos. (just so you know, I have been doing this for over 30 years. I know a shot from the 80's when I see one, and please NO SELFIES! Also-If there are bathroom fixtures in your photo you can keep them as well) You should use complete sentences and NO Profanity. (I wish I didn't have to include that last thing and I can't even tell you why I must- its just too unbelievable) FYI- the proper way to submit to this agency unless we ask for direct submissions is to go to our on line app on our web page. Happy submitting!

Additional comment based on a question: They asked how models are supposed to find info when they are lied to....and who trains them?

First this is largely an etiquette issue and transcends this industry. Professionalism is professionalism. ALSO there is a LOT of good info out there and a lot of bad. JUST LIKE ANYTHING ELSE. Often people want to believe what they want to hear not the truth. Research! There is no substitute. We live in a world of Google and YouTube. ..you should have started when I did! Lol. There is so much info at your fingertips but if you are gathering from non - credible sources you are subjecting yourself to scammers and bad info. I spend1.5 to 2 hours (for free) with every new model I take into AMS MODELS. Knowledge equals power and confidence. :)
This is also mostly for models vs actors. Acting is a craft and you must train and have a special skill set. ACTORS in my industry bring something extra as the standards are much higher. (I tip my hat to you...)

Here is the link and thread: https://www.facebook.com/AMSmodelsandtalent?fref=ts 

Tips for actors....4 free things you can start doing NOW to improve.

These are some great tips from Cathy Reinking a Casting Director from LA. I thought I would pass them along. She brings up some very important points like the fact that you need to be very comfortable in front of the camera to do well at auditions and like any other job/craft you have to work at it EVERYDAY.

How badly do you want it?

We sometimes hear from models who ask us why they haven't gotten a job yet or in a while. There is no one answer to this question. One possible answer is another question: "How badly do you want it?"

If you really want to get the job(s) there are a few things that you simply must do:
1. You MUST have good, recent professional photos. Period, end of it. Often the person with the best photos wins. It is not about who is the prettiest model, it is about the model with the best photos. The photos that are the most diverse, best styled, best lit etc. Very few people with bad photos work regularly. They also must look like you do RIGHT NOW. If you have changed your look at all you must update your photos. If the photos are old you should also update. My clients look at our web site all the time and they are pretty discriminating and savvy. If they even think your photos might be out of date they will skip over you for new talent. The thought process being: fresh talent, fresh photos. Even if you still look like your photos, a good model updates them.

2. Do you attend auditions? Booking the gig(s) is not about getting an agent and waiting for the phone to ring. You must be proactive. My top bookers are also my most proactive talent. Coincidence? I don't think so. Attending auditions also gets you in FRONT of clients. That is never a bad thing. Even if you don't book every job you got out for, the clients will know you and see your dedication. I have had models book assignments for jobs they didn't even audition for because the client has seen them so many times before and remembered them or already had them on a reel. This type of over exposure is a good thing.

So sitting back and letting your agent do all the work is not really how its done. It should be a partnership. If you have a job change and you are now more available than you previously were, let your agent know. If you think you need new photos, ask your agent. Consult your agent BEFORE you get photos so they can coach you on what kind of photos are appropriate for the area you will be booking. (all locales are not created equal) Every time you get a booking your agent makes money- they want you to get work as much as you do. Every bit of advice they give you is to that end.

To Tattoo or not to Tattoo...that is the question.

I have put off a post like this for a long time. Mostly because tattoos are a really personal choice and a bit of a touchy subject. I am only posting now because they DO relate to the field of modeling and I it has been coming up a lot in the office lately, so that is how I am slanting this posting. (though I my personal opinion on the matter will seep in LOL)
First, let me start by saying that I don't have anything against tattoos or the people that sport them. I consider it a style choice- albeit a mighty permanent one. I am also going to say in the interest of full disclosure that I don't have any and I don't want any. I liken getting a tattoo to deciding on a husband, sofa, throw pillows, shoes, car, finger nail polish, comforter and wall paint for every room in my house (all of which I have changed already- some many times ;)- and never EVER being able to change them again. No thanks. Again- I couldn't make the decision on a husband stick; so I am going to select the ink that someone is going to drill [permanently] into my flesh with a needle? Um, no.

So all of that out on the table, here is how tattooing relates to modeling: Clients don't like it. Why would they? Much like hair that is too blond or too long, crazy colored contacts, acrylic nails and beards, they are distractions. They also are extremely personal. Good for you- bad for the COMPANY whose product you are representing. Modeling is about advertising, not about the model. You like butterflies? Great- you may not be promoting butterflies. You like skulls- it may not be a good fit for medical editorial you are being cast in.

A hidden tattoo- one that is only seen by your doctor, lover or someone you may run into on the beach may not cause a problem for a shoot upstate but big agencies are not amused by tattoos either. The big agencies are turning away people with obvious tattoos.
My favorite line [from talent] is "I can cover it with make up". Here's a news flash: if the clothing isn't yours and it is a wedding gown or its a cocktail gown or costume that belongs to a client there is no way they are going to allow body make up.

I know people that love their tats but I also know many people who have tattoos that regret them and it is MOSTLY because they got them done too young. This is my issue more than anything. I can't think of one thing that I was doing when I was 19 or 20 that is still relevant to me now. If I had gotten a tattoo back then, I shudder to think what I would have scrawled on my body. Thank goodness vibrating needles scare the bejeepers outta me or I would have some 80's rock band name embossed on my derriere or worse: an old BF's!

So in closing I would just suggest that when it comes to things that involve your body and all things permanent that you pause. If you want to model I would really, really pause. Even in smaller modeling markets like this tattoos have proven to be a an impediment.
If you feel compelled to do something permanent, commit to sending money every month to your favorite charity...or exercising...something that you can undo with minimal fuss. When you get to a point in your life where things are less likely to change and you have made all of your big life decisions (one that doesn't include a modeling career :) that maybe a good time to consider a well thought out tat.

One thing that will never change, is that things will change. I am always evolving; I still can't commit to throw pillows or wall colors for very long, and we definitely won't discuss the husband thing.... The needle issue notwithstanding, I can't imagine what I would ever consider so germane that I would have to have it tattooed on me. Perhaps when I get too old to drive, the GPS coordinates to the nearest Sephora and Panera for my driver? ;)

Hints for a good photo shoot

• Make sure that your make up is PERFECT! Hire a stylist for your shoot unless you are very good with hair and makeup (and by this I mean you do this for a living). If your hair and make -up are not good- your photos won’t be good. If you hire a stylist (ladies) they will stay and change your hair and make-up as you change your outfit. This will give you a great diverse shoot. Make sure you discuss this with them when you get your price.
• Your main head shot is the MOST important shot so (for us) it must be a plain white background (let your photographer know this!) and you must be smiling with your teeth showing. (here is an example of a great photo of one of our models and she gets a lot of work. Nilde) This is the shot that will draw people into your web page. It must be a knock out! Focus on solid colors vs busy prints and steer clear of logos. These are all distractions. Avoid trends as well as these will “date” your photos.
• Bring and assortment of clothing- upscale casual, business etc. Bring and assortment for the photographer and you to brainstorm over. Don’t just bring a few things.
• DO NOT wear excessive amounts of jewelry or bejeweled clothing. The star of this shoot is YOU. Excessive accessories are a distraction and can also “date” your photos.
• There IS a difference between photographers who shoot weddings & senior portraits, and model portfolios. Agencies want lifestyle photos that look commercial and editorial (not like you are the manager of the month at Walmart) If you are unsure- ask your agency and they will review the photographer's site/work.

ALSO- try not to go crazy with your photos either. A picture of you with a flower pot on your head with bizzare make up is not going to help your career much. Sometimes TOO much diversity is a bad thing. Lately we have been seeing a lot of new photographers taking photos of models that look good in their portfolios but don't help the models. (and by help the models I mean: GET THE MODELS PAYING JOBS!) If you are helping a photographer out, that's great! It is a good way to get photos for free, but make sure you get photos you need out of it too. Ask the photographer if at some point during the shoot you can get your critical head shot, or business shot or whatever else it is that YOU need as well.

The bottom line is your professional photos are not just for your friends to OH and AH over on FACEBOOK. They are supposed to get you paid jobs.

More in regards to Talent Searches...

If you can stand it here is one more tidbit.. if an agency or Company insists that you get photos or comp cards (or even classes or portfolios) done with them as a condition of membership - RUN. You should always be able to choose who does your photos. It within the agency's rights to approve or disapprove your photos as some photos may not be right but you should have the right to get photos done by whomever you like. We provide our talent with a comprehensive list of photogs who know how to shoot the kind of work we need and we make NOTHING from these shoots.
One of the complaints I read about in regards to some of these scouting companies was that none of the models that already had comps, photos and portfolios were selected. They only selected people with no photos. Why wouldn't you want people with photos and experience? We prefer those people! RED FLAG!!