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This very
direct and no-nonsense posting first
appeared on
Model
Mayhem's General Mayhem forum
on August 23 2007, and it certainly
drew a lot of responses - you can
read the reaction
here.
I was so impressed with its clarity
of message that I asked the author,
model Peabo Powell if I could
reprint it on my web site to provide
advice to aspiring models and he
enthusiastically agreed .....
"Danny - I would love for you to use
my "rant". Feel free to do so. I
really appreciate your kind words. I
HATE for people to lie to beginners
just to make a buck........ Again,
thank you and I look forward to
working with you in the future.
PEABO
Please check out Peabo's portfolios
at
www.peabo.net -
Peabo's
Model Launch Portfolio
-
Peabo's
model launch article |
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Photo by Romer Pedron |
Modeling in the
real world (a list) (my 1st rant)
- by Peabo Powell
I rarely ever
rant or even get aggravated, but lately I
have read lots of posts about what folks
will or won't do for their chosen profession
(modeling specifically). I made a list of
things that models (and
photographers/actors/ etc) face everyday.
You have to learn to suck it up and go on
for crying out loud, if you ever hope to
"make it" in this business. Forgive me if I
sound bee-yotch-y. I am in doing EVERYTHING
in my power to make it and get tired of
hearing people whine while expecting others
to do it for them.
Feel free to add to the list or debate a
point.
1. You do NOT need a manager!
2. You do NOT need a portfolio to begin.
3. Agencies LOVE snapshots of you against a
PLAIN background.
4. You WILL eventually have to cut, color,
braid, whatever your hair. Get used to it.
5. You WILL be asked to lose/gain/tone your
body weight. Get used to that.
6. You WILL be stressed to the max.
7. You WILL get hit on…lots…by men and
women! You will be groped, felt up, made to
feel uncomfortable…I KNOW THIS. Be
Prepared.
8. You WILL eat lots of ramen noodles.
Develop a taste for it.
9. Chances are you WILL NOT be an overnight
sensation. Get used to sleeping on the
floor of your buddies/bff’s/moms best
friends uncles girlfriends floor. Suck it
up.
10. You WILL wait tables, mop floors, say
“would you like fries with that” for a
while...maybe a long while.
11. If you are 5’3” and 145 lbs, you WILL
NOT do runway/fashion for a major market.
Doesn't matter whether you are a guy or a
girl. That is just the way it is.
12. Most likely you WILL NOT get discovered
at the Starbucks. Get off your duff and get
out to open calls.
13. You WILL PAY for a shoot at some point.
Agencies will most likely require you to
shoot with one of their preferred
photographers. And you WILL.
14. Please DO NOT expect to get paid for
your 1st, 2nd, or 15th shoot unless you are
A) exceptional B) willing to show
boobies (ladies) or C) LUCKY.
15. Know that the LITTLE THINGS will follow
you. Be polite. Answer emails. Be
professional. Don’t gossip.
16. You are NOT a professional just because
you have done 3 TFP’s. Don’t put it on your
port that you are. Other professionals will
expect things from you that you may not know
how to do yet. There is no shame in being
NEW.
17. Saying NO politely is always an option.
Flaming is NOT.
18. Being an editorial/fashion model is NOT
the be all/end all. There is lots of money
to be made and lots of fame to be gleaned
from doing commercial/print/alt/fetish/etc
modeling. Pick what suits your body type and
desires.
19. You WILL be asked to “sex up” your
portfolio, do nudes, implied nudes, or other
things that may offend your sensibilities.
Get used to it and refer to # 17.
20. You DO NOT tell an agency what you will
or will not do. They WILL tell you what they
want & you can make a decision that is right
for you. The agency MAY or MAY NOT decide
to represent you at that point.
21. You WILL hear “NO” many, many times.
Toughen up for it.
22. This is NOT a glamorous life. It is
hard. Long hours, walking miles, subways,
little sleep, loneliness, rude comments, and
lots of “No thank you’s”, will be the norm.
23. People WILL think it is their
constitutional right to judge you, tell you
that you are fat/skinny/ugly/don’t look like
a model. Expect it and try to develop a
tough skin.
24. Things WILL bother you. You WILL want to
cry/quit/jump off a bridge. Just cry, it is
ok and doesn’t make you weak, just human. DO
NOT, however, jump off a bridge. It won't
help.
25. You WILL have to work with people that
you loathe, are not attracted to, or who you
think smells awful. Suck it up. You are a
professional, this IS your job!
26. You WILL have to work out/eat right/take
care of your body. Just do it already.
27. Water IS your friend.
28. Drugs are NOT. However, they are easy
to come by. Refer to # 17.
29. Remember, if you DO “make it”, you were
once new. Act accordingly.
30. There is more than enough hate in the
world. . LOVE yourself, your family, your
friends. They WILL be there for you when the
world stops cheering!
31. If you ask for critiques from anyone,
expect the truth and LISTEN. Take what
others tell you, apply what is needed &
discard the rest. This will help you grow in
your profession and in life.
32. Have FUN for this too shall pass.
33. Just because you “want this more than
anything in the world” DOES NOT mean that it
will happen for you. Give it your best but
have a back-up just in case.
34. Just because you get signed by the
biggest/best/prettiest agencies in the
world, you CAN NOT expect to sit back and
get rich and/or famous! You MUST still
work/network/bust your butt to get ahead.
Agencies sign lots of people. Not all of
them “make it”. TRUTH.
35. You WILL be lied to/led on. It is the
nature of the business. SMILE.
Sorry if I offend anyone. This is just the
way that I see it in the world I am living
in right now...and I miss my mommy (sorry,
just my whine for the day, we all get one,
right?)
PEACE, LOVE, and PUPPIES:D
PEABO
If any models would
like to contribute their own advice, please
dont hesitate to contact me at
danny@dannysteyn.com
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