We Invented Online Portfolios for Models and Actors in 1995 - Enough Dreaming. It's Time to Be a Star!

For those who are just starting out in the modeling and acting business, sexual harassment is so common. Beneath the glam of the industry hides many predators who take advantage of newcomers. These perverts often have established connection in the industry and they use this to lure new talent to give in to their sexual demands in exchange for the opportunity to land a high profile modeling or acting gig.

The term “casting couch” refers to that casting call for a supposed legit project that ended up with the talent being molested or persuaded to have sex with the predator. The couch has become a symbol of this sexual abuse since talent are often interviewed on a couch in the office before being exploited.

Top actors and models who have reached “celebrity status” often kept mum on their casting couch experiences, but there are those who have found the courage to share their experience and remind new talent to keep level-headed, ALWAYS:

“It was not successful – for either of us. I just went into a room, and a guy practically threw me on the desk. It was my early days in New York, and it was really disgusting. It wasn’t like I gave it a second thought, it was so badly done,” shares Susan Sarandon, more than 40 years after the experience.

“It was a little odd that the audition was on a Saturday night, at his house in Los Angeles, but I didn’t know anything about the business, so I thought maybe that was the normal thing. When I arrived, he was in his Hugh Hefner pajamas. I thought, ‘Maybe this is how he works0.’ I go inside, and he’s offering me a drink, and I’m thinking, ‘My God, this acting stuff’s very relaxed! When do we actually start working?’ It pretty soon became very clear to me what the situation was… I knew how to deal with it: ‘Not going to happen. Wrong girl, buddy,’” shares the feisty Charlize Theron of her near casting couch experience when she was but an 18-year old newcomer in Hollywood.

Yet, these stories are from only two successful celebrities who have managed to evade casting couch. We don’t know who and how many are those who have really became victims.

Avoid model scams and pitfalls! Get insider tips from top models and top agents before breaking into the modeling and acting industry.

Rihanna is naked on the cover of her new album, “Unapologetic”.

What else is new?

It’s normal for singers to use their sexiness to sell their music as part of the total package. But when it becomes “too normal”, you kinda wish for something different. Such as covering their bodies, perhaps? So you get to love the talent first, before you love the body.

Women’s nakedness on the covers of music albums. It’s like an A-list actress outshining the mediocre clothing label, instead of representing it.

In the relentless pursuit of reality TV to entertain every households with real-life drama, the latest stars are the jobless people.

From MTV’s “MADE” that helps fresh college graduates land their dream careers, to “Upgrade Detroit” that highlights and intervenes with the unemployment problem in Metro Detroit, to the TLC series that gives Utah consumers the chance to work for Mrs. Fields Cookies and TCBY Frozen Yogurt, to the show that invites culinary enthusiasts to create new products to be sold in an international supermarket chain, to “The Job”, the latest project by CBS that features jobless people as they compete to get employed  — reality TV is really giving a new meaning to the American Dream!

“MADE” is still active (since the show isn’t just about pursuing careers but passion in general — to become a pageant queen, to duo with Selena Gomez, etc.), not much has been heard from the other projects. The website for Upgrade Detroit is nowhere to be found — maybe the gig was cancelled. The TLC series for working in Mrs. Fields Cookies and TCBY Frozen Yogurt did not make noise — either the project was cancelled, on-hold, or it ended without an impact. Meanwhile, the casting call for creating a culinary idea for supermarket chain and for the CBS’ “The Job” are ongoing — we still have to find out if these shows can really create a social impact, or at least make a “decent” noise in the online community.

Do you think reality TV shows for the unemployed only exploit jobless people in the whole media stint to get attention and increase TV show ratings? Or do you have faith that reality TV can really help unemployed people get their dream jobs and live their dream?

“Retirement is boring. I need excitement. Contact me.”

That’s one awesome shout out from an awesome 65-year old lady, Sharon, who signed up on New Faces as Model/Actor. A former college marketing professor and college recruiter, Sharon’s life has never been sedentary because of her love for dancing and performing. Now in her retirement years, she’s decided she wants to keep the active and exciting lifestyle. And she’s about to find that out in modeling and acting.

There are just so many things that a retiree can do and one of them is pursuing a career in modeling.  At this point in life, modeling and/or acting becomes more of a passion than a way to get rich and attain fame. And hunny, don’t fret on your “old look”. Your laugh lines, wrinkles, and grey hair are assets. The fashion industry is screaming for “realness”. Give them the model they can relate to!

Get started at: http://www.newfaces.com/signup.php

If you have a knack for charming people and influencing them with your good looks and confidence, you have a promising future in promotional modeling.

In this field of modeling, shyness and quietness are a no-no. Let the editorial models hide their flaws in the most efficient photo-editing software. Leave the high-fashion models sashaying down the catwalk with sealed lips. Because when the promo models come to work, it’s going to be up-close and personal!

Like other commercial models, promo models are physically attractive. They need this to command attention. But unlike the other models, they don’t just use good looks to grab attention, they also TALK. Talking, in fact, is their most important task because they need to drive consumer demands for a certain product or service.

Promotional models can be spokesmodels, tradeshow models, or convention models.

Spokesmodels represent a brand. They become the face and voice of the brand. They appear on ad campaigns and public events saying good things about the brand. Quiet a demanding task, eh? Not when you’re Angelina Jolie! Without celebrity status though, spokesmodels are often referred to as “Brand Ambassadors”.

Tradeshow models are the beautiful people who represent a certain company during trade shows. Often, they are not part of the company but are hired as freelancers to promote the company during such events. Sometimes, they double as runway models in trade fashion shows. Tradeshow models are the articulate kind. They don’t just stand in the corner of the booth for people to admire, they engage in conversations to promote their company. So if you think you’ll score with that gorgeous tradeshow model who graciously posed for the camera with you, think again. She attends the event to attract and persuade.

Convention models function like tradeshow models, although they are leaning more toward the marketing than the modeling aspect of it. They are kind of the “beautiful sales representatives” that provide information about their company’s product or services. Their work includes handing out marketing materials during trade show exhibits.

Check out the many open-ended (never expire) casting calls for promo models on New Faces:

Abercrombie & Fitch Models Casting
Playboy Is Looking For Playboy Playmates
Agency Seeks Models, Talent, & Promo Staff
Nationwide Agency Is Looking For Fitness Models
Staffing Company Is Hiring Ring Girls
Event Staffing Agency Is Hiring Promo Models
STEEL Model And Talent Agency Representation
Modeling Company Seeks Spokesmodels
Promotional Modeling Agency Seeks New Faces
Bi-Lingual Brand Ambassadors Wanted
Staffing Agency Is Hiring Promotional Models
Talent Agency Is Looking For Spokesmodels
Events Company Seeks Promotional Models
Staffing Agency Is Hiring Promotional Models
Greece Model Agency Seeks New Faces
Model Staffing Company Is Hiring Models
Istanbul Company Seeks Promotional Models

Those random children that you see on the background of your favorite TV shows and movies are actually not random. They are hired to become “background”. Chances are, they are also having fun while doing it!

Background actors aka Extras are hired to make the film scenes more natural, if not realistic. Child extras are often seen on film settings where children normally thrive — classrooms, playgrounds, and parties. No, extra roles won’t make children “child stars”. (They don’t get lines at most.) But this gig could be the beginning of their successful acting career.

Children extras are primarily rewarded with experience and insider tips. They are exposed to the real film shooting. They get “something” to add to their acting reel and portfolio. If they are lucky enough, they also meet and act with their favorite movie stars — oh, and maybe get their faces on the silver screen for a few minutes.

Low-budget films offer exposure and copy and credit, but major TV and movie productions do pay child extras. In fact, the basic rate for an 8-hour work day for a SAG movie extra ranges from US $130 to US $309. Non-SAG or non-union extras wages vary.

And why not? If the movie producers are generous enough, they do treat the children to ice creams and goodies!

If you have children that are interested to become extras on TVs and films, get them started here: http://www.newfaces.com/movie-extras.php

New Faces latest casting calls for Child Extras include:
Casting Child & Adult Extras For “Reed Between the Lines”
Casting Kids For “Investigation Discovery”
Law & Order SVU Is Casting Boys For 300th Episode
Casting Child Actors & Extras For Hollywood Film
Casting Child Extras For “Reed Between the Lines”

Help your children prepare for the competitive acting industry ahead. Without experience, expose them on the film scenes today as child extras!

The countdown has started, and every designer attending and participating the event is in ecstacy, if not, tired and stretched. But, they’re not just the ones who feel the burden of putting up a good show, models and their agencies are all prepping up for this year’s most glamorous week; The Fashion Week.

This is one of the busiest week for models, they are their own product and so they take time to prepare to look good and be healthy for every event that they will be participating. IMG, one of the top modelling agencies, organized their twice-yearly event to prepare their girls for the upcoming Fashion Week, which mostly are NYC runway virgins.

IMG’s vice president of development, David Cunningham, egged their first timers to attend the prep, although not mandatory, everyone attended.

Well-respected people from the fashion industry were invited to be speakers for the said night. People like James  Scully, Nian Fish, and models Jessica Stam and Lonneke Engel. They each spoke with reality of what the girls should expect during their go-sees and gave them some tips.

They were advised to:

1. Be Punctual
2. Bring healthy food like fruits and nuts with you because otherwise you will starve or cave and eat something unhealthy.
3. Don’t take it personally when people say mean things about you to your face
4. Don’t take it personally when people reject you
5. DON’T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY
6. BE ON TIME

There is a classic scam going around where a scammer sends an email to a model and tells him/her that the model just booked a photoshoot for a magazine. They then say that they’ll be sending the model a check for thousands of dollars and the model is to keep some for herself, and then give the rest to someone else involved with the photoshoot.

The problem is that the model cashes the check, and gives most of it away. THEN about a week later, the check bounces because it was fraudulent, and the bank takes the money back out of the model’s account. The model has then lost thousands of dollars.

Modeling jobs NEVER pay the model in advance. Not for clothing, not for travel – never. If anything, they may reimburse AFTER.

Please share this post with all your friends so that they don’t get ripped off by this scam.

Mango is loving Kate Moss and she’s loving them back. She recently signed a contract with the Spanish Fashion brand to become the face of their autumn/winter campaign. This makes it her third consecutive season with the fashion power house! Kate’s campaign photos were taken by  Inez Van Lamsweerde and   Vinoodh Matadin; two of the most sought after photographers!

Kate who looks gorgeous at 38  is also set to judge a yearly talent competition organized by the brand. But before we fill you in with her judging skills, enjoy her modelling skills first in this video.