Answering a Reader Question #364

Anonymous Wrote:


Once you are signed to an agency (specifically top agencies in New York) are you expected to live there or live within a certain distance? If you are in college in a different state, will they work with you to find a balance or do they even care? Can you part-time model for their agency when out of school or whenever?

Hi, Anonymous! Yes, agencies in top markets like New York need their models to be local (at least within a 2 hour's drive) so that they can be available for castings, go-sees and assignments. Many castings are last minute so models have to be open at a moment's notice.

If you're currently living in another state for school, New York agencies aren't likely to want to represent you unless you're willing to relocate--for them it is a business decision and in most cases it's more convenient for them to seek out the many other aspiring models that live close to or in New York, as opposed to having limited availability for a model that they know they can't have access to when needed.

In your situation, I would advise seeking agencies within a 2 hour's drive from where you're currently living/attending school and breaking into the industry on a local level and then deciding if you'd be willing to relocate to a larger market after graduation. Agencies in your current location will be more than happy to find that balance for you between your class schedule and sending you to castings so there won't be that need to choose one over the other.

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