Namu Williams

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Modeling 101 – Or, "How I spent my summer vacation as a Model!"
By Namu Williams

Ok, I was never a model. There’s not much call for two hundred and fifty pound, hairy-chested white guys with bad hair, bad teeth and bad breath in modeling. And even if there were, I still wouldn’t model, because I’d be too damn pretty.

But aside from us Neanderthals, there are still hordes of models out there…they’re a “dime a dozen” in our society, where looks and physical appearance are the pinnacle that most strive for. But, with all those hundreds of thousands of girls, young and old, trying to score success in the world of modeling, how can YOU stand out?

Ok, I’ll tell you, and I’ll do it in less time than it takes for you to curl your hair. Or buff your nails. Or apply foundation. Which means, not so quickly, but not so long that you’ll give up reading in disgust and walk away to play Wii bowling.


Chapter One: THE BASICS

Let’s start with the basics. Are you really interested in succeeding as a model? Or do you just want some attention? There’s a difference, you know. Many girls are enamored with the idea of modeling because of the glamorous magazine covers, the stories and tv shows they see with all the ultra hot, ultra rich runway models and this very understandable attraction is what pushes girls of all ages, races, religions and locations to pursue a “career” in the fashion industry. The only problem is, maybe two percent of those girls actually end up with a career, while the rest spend ten years saying “Oh yeah, I’m a model” when really all you are is a girl who has several snapshots uploaded on ModelMayhem or MySpace. This leads me to my next section:

HAVING A PROFILE ON A MODELING SITE DOES NOT MAKE YOU A MODEL.

Building a career in any industry is tough and requires serious dedication, and modeling is no different. You have to set goals and go after them, you have to bust your ass and you have to do it all while looking pretty. For most, this is simply too much work. Yeah, you always hear people saying “Whatever, how hard could it be to model?”, but it’s really not as simple as the snobs would have you think - it doesn’t always take a lot of skill, but it *does* take a lot of effort. Many girls want the attention that comes from being a model, but they don’t want to do the part that requires the actual effort – the work. So, getting a few pictures taken or slapping together ten of your favorite snapshots and uploading them to ModelMayhem, Facebook or OneModelPlace does NOT make you a model. Hell, even a few real photoshoots with some decent photographers doesn’t accomplish that for you. But if you really want to be a working model, then I’ll sum up the basic steps you should follow to get started. Hopefully I’ll convince you that you’re not really the model type and you’ll give up and become that neurosurgeon you’ve always secretly dreamed of being. Ok, just kidding. I want you to model – I just want you to be serious about it!

Chapter Two: THE GET DOWN! Or, “How to be a model in seven easy steps!”

1) Make your most important decision. “Will I Be Serious?”
2) Make a plan. Organize your abilities, your resources and your connections.
3) Build a portfolio. This is actually the easiest part of being a model!
4) Shop yourself. Put yourself out there into the world, for everyone to see.
5) Develop your plan. Expand your connections. Improve your abilities.
6) Go to work! Attend casting calls. Troll forums for job listings. Be aggressive!
7) Rinse and repeat!


STEP ONE – Deciding.

Step one is about making the decision – that most important of decisions – whether or not you will really take being a model seriously. You’ve got to understand that it may start out part time, even just a couple hours a week, but eventually, you’ll find yourself spending more and more time working at becoming successful and most of the work isn’t really all that fun. Ok, it’s more fun than, say, typing or waxing a man’s back hair or even eating tofu, but it’s still not all that.



When you’re thinking about becoming a model, consider these factors:

TIME
Do you have the time in your day-to-day routine to get modeling stuff done? Can you make phone calls and send out emails and upload stuff to websites and research tons of junk and read and then read some more and practice in the mirror and drive yourself to casting calls and spend three hours sitting at the call, waiting for a three minute interview? Do you have the time to do three hour shoots that turn into seven hour shoots? Be realistic – it may not take much time early on, but eventually it will. Consider your day job, your schooling, the constraints of your family…it all takes it’s toll on your ability to get stuff done.

FINANCES
Think about your own finances. A smart model won’t have to pay to get great photos, because she’ll take the time to find photographers who are willing to trade. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay – if you really want a strong portfolio and you want it quick, fast and in a hurry, then a good way to do that is to pay great photographers. This can give you a head start over many other new models, but it can also clear out your purse faster than a four hour shopping spree in Milan with your best friend’s mother and her two shoe-happy sisters. Also, if you’re doing a lot of TFCD shoots (your time in exchange for the photographers time, with a CD of the final images thrown in for good measure) then you will build up gas costs traveling to and from the shoots…and then there’s the makeup and the outfits that you will almost certainly have to provide yourself, as many TFCD shoots don’t include make up artists or wardrobe stylists. And don’t forget that value meal at McDonald’s (come on, don’t lie – we know you love you some Mickey D’s, even if you only go there when we’re not around!) and the money you spend on your internet bill or your cell phone – all of these things are part of becoming a model and they all cost money. So be ready to put some of your own money out and if you don’t have any of your own money, then be prepared to be so hot that you can find plenty of people to pay the money for you. And c’mon, if you’re really that hot then you’re going to get discovered any minute now anyway, right?

YOUR WORK ETHICS
Consider your own efforts. Are you a procrastinator? Do you do things half-assed a lot? Modeling isn’t very complex, but it is demanding and it does require the models to do what they say they’re going to and when. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “Another damn model flaked on me!” and conversely, “That stupid photographer still hasn’t sent me the photos from our shoot!”. An unfortunate fact in this industry is that many people are flaky. So, by not being flaky, you’re already a step ahead of many of the other models! Will you arrive 15 minutes early, completely prepared and ready to give your all? If you can’t see yourself giving at least this much effort, then chances are you’re either not cut out to model, or your insanely hot and it doesn’t matter. My guess is the former.

SUPPORT NETWORK
Consider your support network. Are the people around you going to help you in your pursuit or hinder you? If you really want to model, you’ll make it happen no matter what, but if you’re not 100% sure, then overly-protective parents, uninformed friends and jealousy-prone boyfriends will very easily sidetrack you from doing what you need to do. If you have people around you giving you encouragement and helping you when you need it, you’ll be much more likely to succeed.

ARE YOU UGLY?
Wow, what a meanie, right? But seriously, this is the most important consideration of all - yourself. Are you ugly, average, slightly above average or just plain hot? Can you honestly look at yourself and think, “I can make it as a model!”? Are you just a somewhat pretty girl or do you really have a great look? How’s your body? Are you way too thin? Do you have abdominals or abominables? Are you six feet tall in flats, or five feet even in heels?

Guess what? It doesn’t really matter! The truth is, the fashion world is fickle and also occasionally retarded. You can be straight ugly and if someone in a big fashion magazine says you’ve got an “exotic” look, then you’re about to be a star. So, even if you’re ugly, average or any combination thereof, you still have a chance in the modeling world. However, let’s be real. If you’re gorgeous, you’ve got a much better chance. So be honest with yourself – if you’re not really a gorgeous girl, then this career could be a lot more work than it’s worth.


STEP TWO – The plan.

Get it all together. Don’t be afraid to write stuff down – make lists of what you’ve got going for yourself – long, beautiful hair, huge anime eyes, great breasts, a fantastic attitude, punctuality – make a resume and write up anything about yourself or your abilities or your personality that might apply to modeling. Make a separate list of what you have at your disposal that may help you – a car, a good makeup kit, lots of fashionable outfits, your cell phone, etc. Next, write down all the people you know who might be able to help you – your cousin Gina who knows John Travolta, friends with cars who might drive you to shoots, photographers or makeup artists you know, the director of a local tv station you met last summer during your internship, etc. The point of all this is to make it easier on you to see, at a glance, what you’ve got going for you. Don't forget to update these lists over time. And don't worry, if your list is small, remember that you're just starting out.

At this point, you can write down your plan. Make it an outline, or a huge paragraph – it’s form doesn’t matter, only it’s content. Talk about what you want to accomplish, write down specific goals, give yourself some general guidelines for how long you want to take to accomplish those goals. Take the time to do a little research and make sure your goals and timelines are reasonable…don’t put “I want to be a famous model in three weeks!” because no darling, you aren’t going to be. Instead, put “I want to have a portfolio with at least twenty great images by the end of the summer”, which is something you CAN accomplish.


STEP THREE – Build your portfolio.

With a huge amount of fairly affordable digital SLR cameras out there, you should be able to find at least three different photographers within a fifty mile radius of you who can help get your portfolio started. Let me keep this section simple and divide it into three areas: Cost, appearance and presentation.

COST
We’ll start with cost. Yes, you can pay, and if you do, it can cost anywhere from $500 to $5000 to get some great shots for your portfolio. Depending on how much you spend, you could end up with a beautiful, bound leather book displaying your best photos in a breathtaking manner, or you could end up with a CD filled with great images in high resolution, that you need to display yourself. Remember this – the more you pay, the more you should get. This doesn’t mean you should expect a thousand edited photos if you pay $5000, it just means that at that cost, you should expect extremely high quality photos, an excellent presentation and the most courteous photographer in the world. Also remember that quality over quantity is very important in the modeling industry.



Or, you can be a cheapskate and look for the freebies, like most of us do. Never fear, though - nothing wrong with that! Especially for models just starting out. Look through Craigslist.org or your favorite modeling website’s forums and find photographers in your area (or close enough that you’d be willing to travel to them) and work out a trade with someone who can give you a good start on your portfolio. If you’re smart, you’ll also try to make sure that there will be a Make-up Artist there too (often referred to as an MUA), because the combination of a talented photographer and a talented MUA can mean the difference between great shots that tell a story about your abilities and just good shots that won’t really stand out. And let the MUA do her work! Remember, you might be used to doing your makeup, but what you think is awesome may not really be that awesome after all.

When selecting photographers to shoot for your portfolio, look for a wide variety in style. Don’t shoot with the same photographer over and over again just because he or she takes good photos of you…a variety of styles guarantees that your portfolio will show a wide range of ability and looks. Shoot edgy, artistic photos, professional, business setting shots, high fashion magazine looks, editorial pieces and commercial work. Don’t neglect body and bikini shots and shots that show your facial expression range. Take shots with different hairstyles, different makeup styles, different locations and different lighting set ups. The end goal is to be able to show a potential client that you can represent whatever it is they’re looking for. And here’s an important aspect that many models neglect – change your expression! I can’t tell you how many portfolios I’ve looked at where the model has the exact same look in nearly every shot. That may work well for someone who’s looking for that exact expression, but what about the twenty other expressions they might be looking for? And once you’ve got great shoots to choose photos from, use only the ten best for your printed portfolio. Twenty or thirty is fine for an online portfolio where someone can see at a glance which ones they may want to look at, but less is more in your print portfolio. Which leads me to…

APPEARANCE (or, “Less is more!”)
So, should you get naked when you shoot? The bottom line is yes. Or no. How’s that for being clear? It really just depends on you and your own comfort levels. You will get a lot more offers to shoot (many of which come from legitimately talented photographers) if you’re willing to be nude, semi-nude or partially clothed (sometimes called implied nudity). That’s the nature of the business. Another thing to consider is that, in the high fashion world, models are often expected to get naked in front of tons of people backstage while “quick changing” into their next outfit, and sometimes they’re required to show their breasts as they walk down a runway, simply because the outfit they’re wearing doesn’t have a front! And notice I said “required”, not “asked”. If you’re hired to do a job that requires nudity, or has the potential for nudity, then you will get naked, or they’ll hire someone who will. Again, it’s simply the way it is, and it’s simply a choice you have to make for yourself. Be aware though, you CAN be wildly successful without showing your breasts - it’s just a little more difficult. Judge your own comfort level and make your decisions based on that.  TIP: NEVER LET SOMEONE FORCE YOU TO SHOOT NUDE. REAL PROFESSIONALS WILL NEVER FORCE YOU. If they need a nude model and you won't do it, they'll simply say, "Ok." and move on to the next model who will.



PRESENTATION
When you finally have your photos in hand, how do you show them off? The short cut is to upload them to a modeling website that gives a gallery and just link people to your photos. That works to some extent – it’s an easy way to network with people who are at or near your level, but when it comes down to it, you need a printed portfolio that you can bring with you to casting calls, agent/managing company interviews and other places where you might run into someone who can help you. TIP: BE READY AT ALL TIMES TO SELL YOURSELF TO SOMEONE. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU WILL MEET SOMEONE WHO CAN FURTHER YOUR CAREER. KEEP YOUR GAME FACE ON IN PUBLIC! Also, you should consider a “ZED” card (sometimes called a comp card), where you print some of your best photos and your vital statistics on a glossy cardstock flyer…it’s basically an 8.5x5.5inch business card for the modeling world. The advantage of the Zed card is that you can leave it behind with potential agents or clients, giving them something to reference when discussing you for jobs. If you don’t have a lot of money, you can always buy a presentation folder (the nicest one you can afford) with the plastic sleeves and slide your best photos in there. Print them at 8x10, on glossy full color paper stock. Any Kinko’s or local print shop can print your photos from a CD. And no, do not use small, web-sized images! Take some time to do the reading and learn the difference between 72dpi and 300dpi – web and print resolutions. Learning this will help you a lot. TIP: YOU CANNOT MAKE A SMALL IMAGE LARGER BY SCALING (DRAGGING IT BIGGER) IN PHOTOSHOP OR OTHER IMAGE EDITING PROGRAMS, WITHOUT LOSING QUALITY. Remember, your photos are often the first (and maybe only) time potential clients will see you. They must be clear, as high quality as possible and large enough to show a good amount of detail. The days of slow internet are quickly fading into the past, and the fashion world is all about technology and progression – you should be too!

Your portfolio is your key to the door of modeling. Make it shine and don’t keep old stuff just to keep it. Always work to update your portfolio with new and exciting images that don’t make people snore. Snoring is no fun.


STEP FOUR – Shop yourself silly!

No, not that kind of shopping, although new outfits never hurt a models career. I mean get your name and image out there, in all the places where it needs to be. The internet, the streets, shows, coffee shops – wherever people discuss fashion, your name and picture should be. Now, we all know you can’t be everywhere at once, so start out easy and choose a realistic approach. Make a list of websites that are related to the type of modeling you want to do and begin posting there. Create an account and make your profile look as nice as possible. You’ll have a ton of those accounts, so choose one username and password for all of them and forget about when people tell you not to use the same password – what’s the worst that can happen if someone hacks your modeling accounts? You’ll have to upload some pics over again, big whoop. But, make sure the password you choose for your modeling accounts is different than the one you use for your personal email or web accounts. That way if your modeling accounts do get hacked, your personal ones won’t.

Meet people! Find places where fashion is king and spend time there. Look for like-minded people who are also interested in fashion and modeling. Don’t be shy! Shy people have a hard time succeeding in industries where outgoing people rule, so if you’re one of the shy ones, work on becoming more sociable, a little at a time. But remember that you can be too aggressive – don’t force someone to look at your portfolio if they’re clearly not interested.

Your image and your name are your product…so sell yourself! With the right attitude, the right amount of get-up-and-go and the right image, you can convince people who might otherwise not look twice at you, that you are something special and worth paying attention to. Treat yourself like a product – make sure your target market knows about you, knows what you’re capable of and knows what you look like in your best packaging.

Remember that this industry is saturated with models trying to do exactly what you’re doing. Do everything you can, within reason, to make yourself stand out from the crowd.

STEP FIVE: Develop your plan!

You’ve got your plan already, you’ve shot your portfolio full of holes (ahem, I mean photos) and you’ve begun to spread the good word. Now what do you do? It’s elementary, my dear! You do more of the same! Now you begin to expand what you’re already working on. Take time to go over what you wrote initially and see if you’re on the right path to accomplishing your goals – and if not, then what’s changed? Update your information, your skills…keep growing. And speaking of skills, how are yours? Are you practicing facial expressions in the mirror? Do you flip through fashion magazines and browse modeling websites to find tons of different poses? Once you’ve found them, do you practice them in front of a full length mirror? No? Well, why not? Musicians practice music, martial artists practice kicking stuff, chef’s practice making delicious food that I love to eat – so why wouldn’t a model practice modeling? Just being pretty is not nearly enough, except for that one percent of the modeling world who are so hot they don’t have to do anything but look hot – but for the other 99% of you, working hard and practicing and learning all you can is the way to go. As a photographer, I search for photos that are in a style I would like to shoot, and then I try to recreate them. As a model, you should do the same – find photos you really like and ask a photographer to help you recreate the look. Some will balk – citing an irrational need to not copy other photographers – but most will help you out. The idea is to become comfortable with all the different poses, facial expressions and physical actions that you might be called upon to perform during a shoot. I once attended a shoot where the lead photographer made the model stand like a crane for twelve minutes in the glaring sun, in front of a hundred people. No lie. And she did it and the resulting photograph was horrible. But, that’s not the point. The point is that she understood that sometimes you have to go the extra mile to get that fantastic shot! She also understood that going the extra mile won’t always get you the fantastic shot. But learn her lesson – working hard may not always get you what you want, but it sure helps move you in the right direction.


STEP SIX: Get to work!

The final step is a lot of hassle for some models. It’s the “work” part of “get to work!”. Here’s where all your preparation pays off. You’ve decided to be serious. You’ve got your plan in order. You’ve built your portfolio. You’ve started spreading the word and you’re practicing like there’s no tomorrow. Now all you have to do is get rich, right?

You wish. Actually, I wish too, because then I would just follow my own guidelines and become a rich model. But since we both know that’s not how it works, then I guess all that’s left for you to do is start walking.

Pick up your telephone book and list all the talent agencies, modeling agencies, actor’s agencies…any kind of agency, really. Well, maybe not the Central Intelligence Agency. Although I hear there’s a real need for pretty women who can handle a gun and know how to keep a secret…maybe you had better stick with modeling. Get your phone out and call people. Begin to make connections and stick to it! It’s not an easy or fast road for most, but it can be a very rewarding one and if you commit to something, and really follow through, then you’ll build a great reputation and soon enough you’ll find yourself working, not for free, but for money. And we know you want to get money. Who doesn’t?

If you can get an agent, or become represented by an agency, then a good sized portion of your job is now done by them…but don’t stop working. They’re there to help you succeed but the more you help yourself, the easier their job is, and the easier their job is, the more they’ll want to work. So help them help you! Show up on time to appointments, dress the part, act the part and get the part!



If you don’t get an agent right away, never fear. Not all success stories involve agents or agencies. You can still land plenty of gigs on your own, and in-between paying gigs, you can keep your skills sharp by doing TFCD shoots, attending shoot-outs and picking up projects on your own.

CHAPTER THREE: A list of basic information that all models should know.

There are opinions about everything in this world, and everyone has them, including me. Below you’ll find some quick tips and quips about modeling. If you don’t agree with any of them, that’s probably because you wear plaid. I don't know why you do, but you do.

1)    Don’t shoot with just anybody with a camera. There are a ton of photographers who are good at what they do and for every one of those, you’ll find twenty who really suck. If their portfolio shots look like they were taken with a point-and-click camera, it’s probably because they were. Steer clear from these photographers, unless you don't mind helping them build *their* portfolio, in which case, shoot away!

2)    Always ask if you can bring an escort. The photographer will make it clear if you can or can't. If the photographer doesn't want you to bring one, then you simply need to decide for yourself if you are willing to go alone. Just because a photographer doesn't want you to bring an escort doesn't mean he has bad plans in store for you, but just in case, bring your cellphone fully charged and make sure at least one other person knows when and where you're going and when you should be back by. And if you don't want to shoot with a photographer who won't allow an escort, then don't! Remember, it's your life. You make the decisions.

3)    Be on time, even if it’s an unpaid gig. Everyone’s time is valuable and your tardiness could affect a whole day of people’s lives, in more ways than one. Show up when you’re supposed to and if you just can’t make it, then give as much notice as possible. And guess what? “I just don’t feel like shooting today” is a really, really bad excuse.

4)    Here’s a repeat from the prior chapter. PRACTICE DIFFERENT FACIAL EXPRESSIONS! At the very least, you should have a sexy face, a sad face, a joyous face and a “model” face, which is the “blah”, almost no-expression look you see in the high fashion magazines. But the most popular models can do many different looks.

5)    There is nothing less professional than coming to a profile and seeing "PAID SHOOTS ONLY" when you only have six images in your portfolio, and they look like your uncle took them with his point and click. I know you want to get paid, but until your portfolio LOOKS like you get paid to do what you do, then you should stick to TFCD.

6)    Update your portfolio often! Go for new looks, new photographers and new make up. Show a really wide range of photo styles.

7)    Be professional! When communicating with potential photographers, clients, agents, etc, don’t type or talk to them like you're in high school. OMG, LMAO, TTYL and other internet slang needs to stay in your cellphone and out of conversations with potential clients or photographers. It’s better to just speak or type like you would to a teacher or doctor – when you get to know them better, you can decide if it’s ok to be less formal. And use your spell check! Almost every program has one – and although it’s not likely that anyone would call you out for having typos or spelling errors in your emails, you will be judged. It’s a sad fact, but in this industry, people judge very easily. So don’t give them the chance!

8)    Be friendly. Outgoing models get more gigs and appeal to a wider market than withdrawn, quiet or shy ones. A big smile and a little conversation go a long way towards building a solid connection, whether it’s with a photographer, an agent, a client or a fan…a happy attitude will serve you well.

9)    Don’t trash talk! It may be sorely tempting to talk smack about the photographer who took nine weeks to send you your CD of photos (Sorry ladies! I was young and irresponsible! lol), or that model you worked with who tried to upstage you the whole shoot, or that agency who dropped you, but in the end, you won’t feel better, they won’t care and your reputation will be the only thing affected. Even though you had a bad experience with that person or group, there might be a hundred others who had great experiences with them, and you don’t want to come across as a bad apple, or someone who’s difficult to work with. You never know where your break might come from, so don’t burn bridges.

10)    Exercise! I’m not talking “get skeleton skinny” type exercise, but unless you specifically plan on being a plus-size model, then get your butt on a treadmill and try to eat healthy. And even if you do plan on being a plus-size model, you should still hit the gym. You can be heavy and healthy and you can be slender and healthy. Your face and your body are your tools and you want your tools to be in the best possible shape. Keep in mind the type of modeling you want to do, and then sculpt your body accordingly. If you are doing pin-up/burlesque type modeling, then a little extra curves on your body is probably a good thing – but don’t get it twisted – there’s a huge difference between curvaceous and chubby. You can still have a little extra weight and look healthy, and that’s where the gym and eating right come into play. But if you want to do high fashion or print modeling, you should definitely be body-conscious. Well-defined abs and no flab on your arms are two ways of improving your chances of getting the gig.



So there you have it. A really long-winded, not very exciting, but still fairly comprehensive overview of getting started in the modeling world. You have learned much today my young Padawan! Go kick some Wii ass and tomorrow you can get started on writing up your plan for success!

If you have any questions or just want to talk about modeling, send me an email to namu@namuwilliams.com or call me at 805.268.1877. Feel free to add me as a friend or leave me a tag!

*** Copyright 2007, Namu Williams, All Rights Reserved. ***