As a petite model who started with no clue how to break into the industry, I have booked campaigns for Adidas, L’Oreal, and Heinz. Here is everything you need to know to get started.
In this article, I share how to break into the modeling industry with no experience and no connections. I’ve been modeling for 6 years, and I started from zero as a non traditional model at 5’6.
Take Excellent Model Digitals
Digitals are the most important factor to getting signed with an agency or booking work as a freelance model. Digitals are clean images of your current look with little posing. Casting Directors and agents want to see what you look like as a blank slate, so keep these as simple as possible.
Digitals can be taken on an iPhone in front of a plain wall with good lighting.
You should put as much effort as you can into these and they should be updated every six months. Once you have a system down, it becomes easy to hit all of your shots very quickly.
Check out my guide on how I take my digitals by myself.
Sign with a Mother Agency
Mother agents are a model’s mentor as they navigate the modeling industry. They help models build their portfolio, they place models in different markets for development, and they advise models on which jobs to take to curate the model’s best image. Many models will stay with their mother agent for years, and good mother agents are harder to find, since they manage small rosters with little turnover.
If you can sign with a reputable mother agency manager who is excited to develop you, this will fast track your career immensely. I mean it–this is like a golden ticket. They have connections that can propel you to a level that would otherwise take you years by yourself. Furthermore they do this work at no additional cost to you, since they share commission with the booking agency on any jobs you book.
The key here is to find a mother agent that primarily manages talent, instead of a booking agency that also acts as a mother agent. I share more about the intricacies between mother agencies and booking agencies in this article. If you can find a good mother agent, take the opportunity and work with them closely.
Sign with a Booking Agency
If you can’t get interest from a Mother Agency, it’s easier to get signed with a booking agency, because their rosters are bigger and they may not put as much focused effort into developing their models. They may offer you a mother agency contract, especially if you’re new to the industry. Make sure you have a clear plan on how the agency plans on developing you.
Regardless, signing with an agency is often easier than starting a career as a freelance model because good agencies have great client networks. They provide mentorship and you learn what the industry standards are as a beginner model.
It’s still extremely important to do your due diligence. Make sure you understand all clauses of your contract, how they’re used, and why they’re included in the contract. If you have any confusions, (I always have questions when I review a contract) make a list to review with your agent and hop on a call to go through all of these questions together.
Reach out to some of the current models that have similar physical features to yours and ask them if they’re happy with their experience with the agency. One of the main factors you should gauge is level of excitement your agent has to work with you. Be careful with which agency you choose, since it is better to be unsigned and apply again in 6 months, than to be signed with the wrong agency where you are stuck in a contract for 2 years.
Collaborate With Photographers on TFPs
You don’t need an agency contract to start building a portfolio. TFP’s or trade for print shoots are a great way to get to practice in front of the camera before you start booking paid work. In fact, if you are signed with an agency, they will require you to book a few test shoots so that you have proper materials to market to clients.
If you’re a new unsigned model, it may be harder to find a photographer willing to shoot with you, particularly without the credibility of an agency behind you. It’s still possible, you just have to target more up-and-coming photographers in your area. Join modeling/photography Facebook groups, and respond to shooting inquiries photographers post for TFP shoots. Reach out to people you know who are photographers–they may also be willing to shoot you as well.
In the beginning, the quality of your work may not meet industry standards, but these experiences are for you to gain experience and to build out your Instagram. For a professional portfolio, you’ll need to work with fashion photographers, who have that a fashion photography editing style. Once you get signed, your agent will guide you on the right photographers to work with.
Apply to Local Casting Jobs Online
Local castings are a great way to start building paid experience. You will get paid less if you don’t have an agency, but it’s a start. In the beginning, it’s worth prioritizing gaining experience and networking.
Never Agree to Usage in Perpetuity
It can be really exciting to book your first job as a freelance model. But be aware: Never agree to usage in perpetuity. A huge part of a model’s compensation is usage. Brands typically pay for usage by the year or for up to five years maximum. This means that the brand is authorized to use materials you shot for one to five years, depending on contract terms.
During this time, competitors are much less likely to book you. So, if you book a campaign for Coca-Cola, competing beverage brands like Sprite, Poppi, or even juice companies like Pressed are unlikely to hire you while that campaign is running. If your usage is up in a year or 5 years, no big deal, you were (theoretically) compensated fairly for not booking for beverage brands.
If the usage is in perpetuity, there’s a chance you may never be eligible to book another beverage ad. Industry standard for usage beyond 2 years requires original fee + 15 – 20% extra. This compensation is for your potential lost income from other competitor brands while the ad is running.
When I attend castings, casting directors often have talent verbally confirm that they have no running ads with competitors. So, do not limit your career before you even launch it. Never agree to usage in perpetuity. Funnily enough, anytime I see jobs for usage in perpetuity, they pay around $500 or less. A former agent of mine has called this “highway robbery.”
Conclusion
Modeling is a business, and starting a business and scaling it to profitability often takes time. The path from starting the process to booking your first paid job can take months. It may be faster under the guidance of an agent who has a wealth of knowledge about the industry; however, it’s definitely doable on your own as well. It just takes a bit more persistence before you book your first job and start getting paid regularly. In the meantime, keep learning about the industry, work on your hobbies, and keep applying to agencies in your area every few months.
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