It's not enough to be pretty if you want to model

Commercial modeling = Acting

Let's face it - if modeling were all about looks - why pay a model some ridiculous amount of money when a quick visit to the local shopping mall would easily turn up a bevy of beautiful women?

It is somewhat of a given if you are entering this industry that you are attractive. What it takes to "make it" is personality and the ability to act and smart business sense!

Day after day I review new models portfolios and I see books with 15 - 20 pictures that show a grand total of 2 expressions - happy/smiling and serious/sexy. BORING!

Even worse yet - I can't tell you how many times I see the classic photo of a model holding a phone to her ear and looking at the camera and just smiling. Yeah - that looks real!

I receive emails every day asking me: "Do I need to take classes to be a model? If so - what kind of classes?" You don't "need" to take classes to be a model, and if you are going to be a commercial model you certainly don't need to be taught how to walk a runway. IF you want to take classes to improve our ability to model - take acting classes.

Think about it

How often do you see an advertisement in a consumer publication where the model is just looking at the camera smiling - unless of course the ad is for makeup, clothing, or male enhancement products?

What you do see

Photographs of models interacting with products, locations, other people. You see models acting out characters.

Many modeling agencies now have you do a cold reading of a commercial script when you first meet them. The reason for this is that more and more modeling agencies are providing casting services for television commercials and industrial videos.

So what is my message? Don't think its all about you when you produce a modeling portfolio. It's all about acting. Your portfolio needs to show your range (ages, looks, expressions, characters) not just the fact that you are pretty.

Walk into an agency with a portfolio that not only shows how good you look, but also the range of work that you could realistically be considered for and you are showing that agency that you have done your homework and that you are able to provide them with the proper marketing tools so that they can get you work and make money for both of you.