Independent Modeling: Seven steps to starting a career as a model

Seven steps to starting a career as a model

A Florida modeling perspective from Tampa Bay Independent Model.

Bonus Article: Our seven step plan for the aspiring model.

By Julia Miller, Independent Model contributor from Orlando.

1. Research the industry
You decide that you want to be serious about becoming a professional model. Good. First, bookmark this web site. You've already found the cornerstone of your modeling career as an independent model in Florida. Independent Modeling, besides containing forms and contracts, also contains articles with vital and valuable information. Better yet, make this site your keystone. After you've read through this site, go to the bookstore or to Amazon.Com (a model supply store with a list of recommended books will be on this site soon!) And buy some books on modeling. Read everything, and cross reference the material to make sure it is accurate. Once you're armed with the information, you'll have a general idea of what to do next. Before starting, you need to research modeling scams, too. In Florida, it is estimated that over 70% of all modeling "opportunities" are scams. By learning about scams first, you will have the knowledge to recognize them if you run into any of them. Some scams, such as two that we know of in Clearwater, Florida, are especially dangerous, as they are run by con artists who act as though they are "good people" that are "helping" models and actors. They are liars, of course, and are only out to make a quick buck at the expense of aspiring talent. Trust us. We are sure that you will run into at least one scam in the first month of your career, and you can prevent any financial loss by reading our MODEL SCAM SECTION.

2. Work on your portfolio
Get with a great photographer BEFORE you go an agency, unless you're down in Miami and can send snapshots to a solid agency such as Elite or Ford. Local agencies in central Florida are notorious for referring beginning models to overpriced photographers who charge as much as $600.00 for a portfolio photography session. Unless a big agency such as Elite refers you, I wouldn't spend any more than $400.00 for portfolio photography. Before you look at photographers, brush up on MODELING SCAMS by going HERE (Prevention is the best cure. You MUST learn about modeling scams before starting your career in order to avoid costly mistakes, and that's why we will keep emphasizing this!). After you read the scam section of Independent Modeling, shop around, and check the photographers references in the process. Look at their work in their portfolio. Normally, it's standard practice to mail common snap shots to an agency to be considered as a new face. In central Florida, use extreme caution doing this; it leaves you wide open for the small agency to refer a sale to the $600.00 photographer. In some cases, the agency receives a referral kickback, which is against the law, but that doesn't stop it from happening (See "The deal with agencies", an upcoming Independent Modeling feature article). For those of you who are thinking of getting freebie shots for your portfolio through a TFP deal, remember that you get what you pay for. TFP means Time For Prints, and is a mutual exchange where the photographer builds their portfolio while giving the model free pictures. Very few professional photographers do this, and with TFP's you really get what you pay for. Free pictures usually equal professionally useless pictures. Check out their work first! TFP's are great to build experience, but more often than not the photographers are beginners who can do little for your career but teach you bad habits. If the photographer is good and offers TFP, there is usually a catch which is not favorable for the model (See our MODEL SCAM section ASAP under "Model Exploitation Scams"!) Caution needs to be applied to photographers who do great work, but have a large amount of tacky poses, risque clothing, nude, or pornographic work in their portfolio. While work like that does make money, it is not modeling, and a model who does it will cripple any chance that they have of being a professional model. Besides, do you really want to be associated with exploitive work? Another option that models may want to check out are model testing photography sessions that photography companies may offer, which are different from TFP's as the images are used to evaluate models as well as given to the models, free of charge. See the banner at the bottom of this article for one such offer, or you can go HERE for more.
A model needs things such as photographs for their portfolio, and composite cards, also known as a zed card. As the model definitely needs these, the model should invest in as high quality tools as they can afford. These are tools that the model uses to get jobs, and there is no way to work without them. Think quality, too. If you're a beginning model who is just trying modeling out to see if you'll like it, then cheapo laser printed cards might work for you. If you are serious, though, you need, at the minimum, high quality cards ran off of a DP press onto sturdy 12 PT stock. Remember: The people that you will be mailing composite cards to are apathetic toward them because they get the "industry standard" laser printed composites. The only reason that these are industry standard is because agencies need to be schooled in the use of quality materials in marketing. A good quality card is not only more professional, but will warrant a second look, as you would have set yourself apart from the average model. For recommended sources of these tools, check out the tool section in the resource area of the Independent Modeling web site.

3. Assemble your marketing array
Once you have your starter portfolio and composites, start pitching to several agencies. Although agencies would love it, you do not have to have an agency name on your composite cards (Why agencies would want their name on so-so quality composite cards is beyond me. For that matter, why do they seem to have the models pay double for a portfolio shoot and output the material on cheap composite cards? My theory is that models don't do their homework, and end up wasting lots of money on garbage). To start, utilize three or more agencies, a well designed web site (maybe you can trade services with a web designer- webmasters are always looking for pictures of models to use in their designs- there will be an article on model web site building on Independent Modeling soon), a throw away hotmail or yahoo account (Don't use your real E-mail unless you absolutely have to. At the very least, you don't want spam- the latest generation of spam cripples E-mail accounts because they fill up inbaskets with large files in a matter of minutes, making those accounts unusable!), a portfolio in a book, and well made composite cards. This is what we can call PASSIVE MARKETING. Let's see what we have so far:

3 Agencies.
1 Web site (at least 5 web pages with pictures and an E-mail link).
1 Hotmail account.
1 Portfolio book with at least 20 8X10 pictures demonstrating your range of looks (It could take at least six months of work with several photographers to build 20 usable pictures, so work at it).
150 composite cards (minimum; if you are going to be promoting yourself, 1,000 cards might be more realistic, as you will run out of 150 within two months. Of course, you need at least five different looks to make a composite card, roughly 25% of your starting portfolio).

Of course, that's what we need to cover your self promotion foundation. The agencies, as you can see, are components of your overall toolkit, and are put in their rightful place. They work for you. Agencies have no right exclusively managing the career of a model.
Anyway, if we stick to just the above, you'll quickly find that it isn't enough. There's something missing, isn't there? If you sit back and let the work come to you, you're behind the curb, and your career will crawl.
The other half of your marketing needs to be ACTIVE. Get out there and pitch yourself. Be known. Working from the foundation of the tools above, the missing piece of proactive marketing falls into place. Surf the Internet. Look at modeling job boards (Use caution here. Over 60% of all model scams are MODEL JOB SCAMS. Read our MODEL SCAM SECTION before using any model job board!). Read industry trade magazines for job offers. After you see something that you want, check it out before you send them information. We know of one model who couldn't get an agency to represent her, and started her own web site. She was able to make a living from the work that she got, and eventually the agencies came around and represented her. Do not let any agency dictate your career. Listen to what they have to say, and weigh it out against what you know. In the end, THINK FOR YOURSELF. An agency that dictates your career and perceives that you are dependent upon them will never truly respect you. On the other hand, don't be a dictator yourself. Don't be overbearing and demanding. Don't be a primadonna. Be fair. Treat them the way that you want to be treated. Agencies, properly harnessed, will help your career. Agencies aren't a bad deal, as long as the model doesn't allow them to be their main career cornerstone.

4. Set professional modeling goals
You won't go anywhere if you don't know where you are going. Start local. Use resources such as the Internet to promote yourself and get work. Once you start getting regular jobs, don't rest on your laurels; gun for the big agencies that can get jobs for you in the fashion capitals. Here's the secret to this: The power paradigm is different in cities such as New York, and the agencies there are very important for the model's career. You can still be independent in primary markets, but the agency is ten times more important when jobs are actually plentiful. It's the old textbook lesson of supply and demand; when there are more jobs, and agency is more apt to do their job than resort to bait and switch photo mill strategies, and the model will go to go see's more than have the time to promote themselves. A model needs to decide what they want to do early on. If you want to stay in a minor (Tampa and Orlando are minors) or secondary (Miami is a secondary) market, that's fine; just be prepared to heavily promote yourself. Of course, unless you're really lucky, you're going to have to work in the minor and secondary markets before you go for a prime market such as New York City. The model who is based in Florida should set their immediate professional goals to the Miami market, and then position themselves for major agency representation in New York. As a model, I am already working in Miami, and am on the verge of moving to New York. My goals were to start out in Orlando and Tampa, and to work my way into jobs in Miami. Of course, I had to keep in mind that minor markets are primarily commercial, while a secondary like Miami is a lot of fashion. I'm now at the Miami level, and am now aiming at New York, which could lead to other fashion capitals such as Paris, France. Think stepping stones.

5. Start to promote yourself
The model needs to use everything in their toolkit, and then some. Set professional limits for yourself; nine times out of ten nude work in a minor or secondary market is a bad idea (which leads to the next step, but we're getting ahead of ourselves). Get in touch with job prospects, mail out composite cards, and use the telephone. Check the job offer out to see if is legitimate. See if you have the look that the job requires. Pay attention to details, and use a cover letter when you mail out your comps. When you finally do land a go see, remember to be friendly, professional, and to project an outgoing personality. Even if you don't get it, remain professional about it. After all, your next booking could come from the very company that turned you down for the present job.

6. Build your work resume
Don't, don't, DON'T pad your work resume. Every booking reflects on the professionalism of the model. Every company and person that the model is connected to in the industry reflects upon their character. Don't accept every job. Weigh it out. Will it be good for your career? Remember that, in print work, pictures are forever. You cannot undo what you have done. It is far better to have a resume with a few great job references than one overflowing with string bikini car magazine editorials and trashy ad work. Some bookings are worth turning down. There are a lot of models out there that will book anything that comes their way. These models handicap the chance of landing a good booking from the garbage on their resume. For example, I know for a fact that models who work with the Clearwater runway model school scam are going to have a great deal of trouble booking any work with legitimate and reputable companies. They have tarnished their careers by working with unprofessional modeling teachers who are little more than con artists.
Quality makes the difference.

7. Update and progress
Keep your portfolio and resume updated. Make sure that you book as many quality jobs as possible. It's hard work, but the model needs to concentrate on making progress instead of doing the same type of work all of the time. A good way to progress is to learn as much as possible about the industry, too, and this site is a great way to learn about it.

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