How to work as a model?

My story

My history as a model starts when I was 14 years old and scouting of models saw me walking in a mall located in São Paulo. She asked my mother to take me to the agency she worked for ( I no longer remember the name of the agency) because she believed I had the potential to be a model. At the time my mother and I visited the agency, and for the reason that we like them, we decided that we would give a chance for a my modelling career.

Yes, I officially it was part of a model agency, but me neither my mom understand anything about this world,so at the time the agency offered a course that involved runways, , self-makeup, how to behave in front of the camera and theatre. I also had to make a professional book of pictures.Super important before visiting any agency, make sure you trust them. Make sure you feel they want to help you grow in your career. Nowadays I work with Bella management here in Australia, but before to sign up with them I was part of Mega model Brazil and another agency that like I said before I do not remember the name.

I want to be a model. Where do I start?

To become a model you have to have a mother agency, which would be the agency that you could trust, that would help build your career. It is super important to have a mother agency, as they will help you along the way of your model journey. It's super important that you TRUST your agency, so before signing any contract with an agency, research the agencies that are in the city where you live and see which one has the most positive feedback. When you find the agency you identified with, you will go to their website and see exactly the steps you will have to take to be part of the agency. Usually, they will ask you to send an email with your measurements and also photos. Do not worry if you do not have professional photos to send to the agency because what they want is to see their natural beauty, so put on a pair of jeans, a tank top, make a supernatural makeup, and ask someone from your family or friends take a photo of your entire body and also a photo that is a close-up of your face. Do not worry much about the quality of the photo, you definately can be taken by a cell phone. The agency will probably schedule an interview to see you in person. I know this can seem scary, especially when you're starting your career, but be calm, be yourself, do your best, smile, and whatever has to happen will happen. The next step will be the contract, so if the agency thinks you fit their profile, they will give you a contract to sign. Don't be in a hurry, take it home, read it carefully, and only sign if you trust the agency. Generally, contracts will ask that the model be part of the agency for more than 1 year, that the model pay an initial fee to the agency, and that the agency will get around 20 % of commission on the model's work. When you sign the contract, congratulations you are part of an agency. Now have fun on your journey, and do your best to reach your goals.

Salary and Work frequency.

The career of modelling are of ups and downs, a career that you can have a lot of jobs in one week, but in the next you may be without any job, so it is a career that financially can be unstable. Models have to be organized with your money because you never know the day of tomorrow. Modelling is very based on luck. It is a career that needs to have patience, and that also needs to have a love for it.

What are castings?

The modelling career is a lot about image, a lot about how you look, so NEVER take no as something negative. Basically, the client will contact your agency and will ask for certain profiles for them, at that moment they will describe characteristics that they are looking for for a particular job, therefore eye colour, height, hair colour, hair type and tone of the skin. If your profile fits the characteristics that the client is asking for, your agency will forward your photos to the client, so there will be a pre-selection, where the client will be able to see if you fit in with the job. If the client likes the material that your agency sent, they will probably call you for the selection that will be made in person, which is better known as casting. Face-to-face casting calls can be very tiring, as the model can often wait for hours to have the opportunity to introduce herself to the client. Imagine that casting can have 100 models that are trying to win the same job. The client will see one by one to see and analyze which one he thinks has the most potential for the job. Be patient, and believe in your potential. It is super important that at that moment you maintain your faith and maintain positive thinking. Be happy that you already had the opportunity to attend the casting and this is already a big step in your career.

Dont take anything personal !

Very important not take anything as personal. Often the client may have liked your perfil a lot, and thought that you have a great chance of being part of the job, but often, someone else had a more pregnant characteristic that was needed for a particular job.

Have fun and do not compare youself to others !

The modelling career is a career where your emotional has to be worked hard. Models are always surrounded by people so it's super important not to compare yourself. Everyone has their unique beauty. The model's biggest mistake is comparing itself because the moment you compare yourself, you lose your inner shine, which can get in the way of casting.This job is not to be about competition. I believe it is super important to help others, and I take this into my career as well.

So, dear friends, be patient, have fun, don't compare yourself, and BELIEVE that what is yours is saved therefore one day all your dreams will become true.

Smile & Shine