GREGG AVEDON - ADVICE: MODELING
Getting Yourself Into Modeling
By Gregg Avedon
Congratulations on following your dreams at New Faces™! You've taken the first, most important step to becoming a model.
Below I've tried to lay out all of the things you should keep your eyes open for: what to do, what not to do, who to listen to, and what not to listen to. Plus whatever else I could think of to help make the journey into this surreal world easier. Be smart, take your time, make the right decisions, and you will hopefully find it a good and rewarding experience.
Get pictures:
The first thing that you've got to do is have some pictures taken. This is going to be the first question that any agent will ask you, so you might as well have between 4 and 6 pictures ready to bring into the agency. Think simple when doing your first photos, basic jeans, a monochromatic t-shirt, and a plain background will keep the focus point on your face. You should have professional shots done, but don't go to glamour-shots. The soft filters and glitzy jewelry are just plain cheezy, plus you don't want an agent to laugh upon your first meeting! Don't go to a professional portrait studio (with the proverbial painted scenery in the background). These just aren't the kind of shots agents are looking for, plus they're expensive! Find a good fashion photographer on New Faces™ by searching their photographer database.
Get Exposure:
The best way to make it in the industry is through an established name, most notably New Faces™, that will help you get started no matter where you live. Through NewFaces.com, agents like Elite, IMG, Ford and others have access to you and you have access to top castings. By going with a reliable name like New Faces™, you will avoid the hassle of potential scam agencies.
Start going to castings and go-sees:
You can find castings on New Faces™ in the Casting section. A go-see is going to meet several of the main clients and advertising houses in town that your agency works with on a consistent basis. This will give clients and advertising agencies an opportunity to meet new talent and check out what they look like in person as well as pictures. By doing go-sees, it makes your agents job a lot easier when they call to suggest you for an upcoming job. It also helps you stand out a little more than the others when they put your card in their next mailing to that particular client. Who knows, if you've got an agent who really wants to get things going for you, they might even slap a post-it note on your card asking if they remember seeing you.
A casting is when a client requests to see a specific "type" for an upcoming job that they're going to be shooting. Your agent will call you with the place to bring your book to meet the client. Alternatively, you can search and attend the castings that suit you on NewFaces.com, in the Casting section. When you arrive at a casting, be yourself, be confident, be friendly, but don't concern yourself too much about whether or not you're going to get the job. If it happens, great! If it doesn't, too bad...next time! Don't take it to heart, because it's truly subjective and you'll get your fair shake of jobs.
Want More Advice?
The Insider's Guide to Modeling is the #1 guide for beginning and established models. If you want to know how to be a model, get free photoshoots, avoid scams and more, this is the Industry #1 Best Seller that MTV calls "The BEST modeling guide on the market!"
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