Investment in Glamourmodeling

Investment

Modeling is a business, and like all businesses requires investment by you.  These investments may be in time and effort or in money, but you cannot hope to be successful as a commercial model without making them.  At a minimum, you will need to invest in the following:

1.    Pictures  The single most important thing you need is good pictures, in the proper style, to represent yourself.  You may find qualified photographers who will shoot you at reduced or no cost, but that is by no means assured.  Generally, models must be prepared to spend several hundred dollars at the beginning of their career, and to invest more on a regular basis to keep your “book” or “comp card” updated.  Some models (typically young women) may find that they can get pictures done free or for greatly reduced rates, but all models should be prepared for the likelihood that they will have to pay for pictures. Often what you get for free serves the needs of the photographer, not yours. It is relatively rare to find a good photographer who is willing to shoot commercially useful pictures for free.
2.   Comp Cards/Headshots Your agency will need photos of you that they can send to casting directors – and they won’t get them back.  So you must have printed “composite” cards (for commercial and fashion models) and/or “headshots” (for actors/actresses).  “Comps” may run $80-$200 or so; headshots should cost $50-$100.  A model can start with only a printed headshot, but a comp is much preferable as soon as enough good pictures are available. 
3.   Self-presentation skills  We discourage models from taking “modeling classes” – they are not required and often are counter-productive.  Still, a model should have a good basic understanding of makeup and wardrobe, and may require some guidance on posture and other self-presentation issues.  There are a variety of ways to get these things, some relatively inexpensive, and some costing in the hundreds of dollars. 
4.   “Bag of tricks”  Even though many assignments will have professional makeup artists and stylists to prepare you, some will not.  You must have the materials and skills to do your own makeup in a variety of styles, and a wardrobe and shoes appropriate to basic modeling situations.  You can reasonably expect that these things, if you do not already have them, may run to several hundred dollars or more, depending on how much you wish to invest in flexibility to easily take a wide variety of assignments.
5.   Modeling Skills  Although we do not recommend “modeling schools”, agencies and clients do want models to have extensive experience in front of a camera.  The best way to get this is, quite simply, to do a lot of shooting.  Ideally this should be with a photographer who is skilled at working with models in commercial or fashion style shots.  Still, any kind of experience is helpful, and even shoots with relatively new photographers often help you gain self-confidence and posing skill.
6.   Advertising  You need to get your pictures in front of photographers, art directors, casting agents and others that make hiring decisions.  It used to be that your agency would assist you in this by including you in the agency headsheet book that is mailed to such people. Now it is more common to use an agency website as well as promotional mailers.  As is customary in the industry, agencies must recover its costs from you for these promotional items.  Depending on the degree of promotion of you that the agency does, the cost to you may run from $75-$700 per year. Each agency has its own policies on these services and costs.
7.   Communications  This is a fast-paced business.  If your agent can’t find you quickly, you may well lose a job that could pay you thousands of dollars.  There are a variety of solutions that models use:  cell phones, beepers, good answering services – but one or more of these is necessary to a successful modeling career. 
8.   Living Near the Market  This is a very expensive item, but also a critical one. Fashion models often must relocate. We do not advise commercial models to move just to be a model – but if you aren’t within an hour or so of the market city, it is very difficult and expensive for you to compete for jobs.

In all cases above your model management company should be prepared to help you decide what you may need to do to be successful and to advise you on appropriately qualified vendors and sources.  A true “agency” may not in some cases – it’s outside the scope of their duties.