Starting a Modeling Career - Part 1
- by Josielyn Chase
Wow, my first column in Klixxx Magazine and I have the opportunity
to share my insight - and knowledge of the glamorous world of modeling.
What an impact the Internet has had on those starting and sustaining
a modeling career.
We have entered the year 2003. Because I began my modeling career
in the mid-1990s, I have seen a great number of changes in the modeling
industry over the years. But first, I will begin by listing some general
guidelines that continue to apply when one is seeking representation
through a legitimate modeling agency. After that, I will expand on
the impact the Internet has made on the modeling industry.
THE FIRST STEP in beginning a modeling career is to sign with
a legitimate agency. Before modeling agencies went online, determining
which agencies were truly legitimate was next to impossible- and now
that so many are on the Web, it's really difficult to verify the best
for those who didn't have the right resources to guide them. An agency
should be licensed or bonded as an employment agency if that is required
by the state in which they operate. Being listed with the Better Business
Bureau is not a surefire way of protecting oneself from scams, because
the listing can be purchased. Beware of agencies that sell in-house
photography, or require you to work with a particular photographer,
because chances are the photographer is working with the agency and
they are splitting the fee. The exception is modeling agencies that
also operate as a school. Several legitimate modeling agencies may
recommend that you work with a certain photographer(s), but be skeptical
if they insist. Red flags should go up when agencies will not represent
you unless you take their classes (e.g., runway, posing, make-up,
etc.) because when a legitimate agency knows the model has a lot of
potential, they know it's in their best interest to see that the model
gets what is needed to start. Legitimate agencies should be willing
to let the model verify their credentials. I also suggest checking
with Facts for the Consumers from the Federal Trade Commission to
assist one in choosing an agency.
The Second
Step: Finding a Photographer
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