Modeling 101 - Answering Reader Questions

Anonymous Wrote: Hi. A model agency contacted me via email saying they were interested in setting up a zoom Meeting to meet me and my three children. This was one week ago. What is an appropriate time frame to follow up with them? Thank you Hi, Anonymous! The short answer is that you should respond back to any agency email within 24-48 hours if you know you're dealing with a legitimate agency.  Waiting as long as one week could give them the impression that you are not interested. If you haven't been in touch with them already, reach out ASAP! Best of luck!

Unknown Wrote: Is it normal for you to get the check then pay the stylist and make up artist? Hi, Unknown! It depends on who hired the stylist and make up artist. If they were booked by the client and/or photographer, then typically they are the ones who take care of the payment after the shoot is done. If you as the model was the one who hired them directly to be part of the project, then you'd be the one who needs to pay them.  In a majority of cases, the stylist and makeup artist would receive payment that same day after the shoot is complete. Unless you made an arrangement to pay them at a later date and time. Getting paid by the client/photographer on the same day as the shoot doesn't always happen but when it does it's great because then you're able to pay for their services right away. However, some projects require you to invoice the client/photographer, which means you'd need to wait however long it takes for the funds to arrive. Electronic payment methods

Kailee Davis Wrote: I have no piercings at all, no tattoos, and long virgin hair. I'd love to go into modeling, but I am barely 5' tall. How should I go about applying to agencies? Hey, Kailee! Without knowing your age and based on your height alone, commercial/print agencies would likely be your best bet.  An online search for agencies within a 2 hour's drive from where you live will give you a starting point to see which agencies -- if any -- are within your area. Make sure to stick to the agency websites and not blogs or other types of sites that might have different information or lead you to other avenues you're not interested in.  The agency websites will clearly state what types of divisions they represent. If you are under 18 (I'm assuming you're in the US), then you could also consider their Teen divisions, which typically do not have a height requirement either. I hope that helps and best of luck in your agency search!

Anonymous Wrote: Hi! I submitted to an agency last week and they contacted me immediately to ask me a video of me talking about my life, then I sent us the video back and they wanted to do a zoom call with me. I did and they said they'll get back to me. Its been 2 days now and I still have no response. Do you think its a bad sign? Hey there, Anonymous! I wouldn't see it as a bad sign. It is common for things to be fast paced in the beginning but then slow down or come to a halt altogether. It's the nature of the business side of the industry. When it comes to making a decision who to bring onto an agency's roster, it isn't always up to one person.  Sometimes it takes several meetings for the agency to agree on who they want to move forward with presenting a contract offer to -- not to mention the steps needed to prep for bringing on someone new, including paperwork and other legal documents necessary to make things official. So it's a process. It could take 1-2

Laura Wrote: I’m older, but interested in foot modeling. How to break in? What are expectations? What do they look for in foot modeling? Hi, Laura! I would suggest checking out my post on the very topic of parts modeling: Parts Modeling It'll give you a crash course on the subject. Chances are you'll have to do an online search for agencies within a 2 hour drive from where you live that have either a parts modeling division or specialize in parts modeling only. Los Angeles and New York are two major markets where there are agencies that focus specifically on parts modeling.  I don't know where you're located but even just Googling "parts modeling agencies Los Angeles" or "parts modeling agencies New York" will introduce you to the websites for those agencies. It would be a good idea to visit the websites of those agencies -- even if they're not near where you live -- simply so you can see the types of models they represent, learn more about the a

Anonymous Wrote: Hi Diana, So I have three agencies (1 in SF 2 in LA) that want to sign me. I’m pretty confident in which agencies I want to sign with in SF and LA (I have done my research and am aware that I cannot sign to two agencies in the same market). What i’m curious about though, is that each agency in these cities says they would be my mother agent when I sign. Let’s say, for example, that I sign with the LA agency first making them my mother agency. Would the SF agency still be interested? Or would the contract need to be altered? Also would i have to wait some time to sign with my secondary agency? They are aware of my interest in each and have a really good relationship between the two. They actually have a model that is signed to the same two agencies that I am planning on signing to. I have been very open and honest during this whole process and so have they, I just wanted another outside perspective since i’m new to the industry and still learning. Thank you! Hey, Anonym

Anonymous Wrote: I'm 14 but i really wanna do modelling but my parents are totally against it and there's this audition that i really wanna do but they are totally against it and idk what to do Hi, there, Anonymous! Ugh, what a bummer. You are definitely not alone...there are countless model hopefuls who want to pursue a modeling career but have parents who are not on board. As far as the audition goes, without parental consent, you wouldn't be able to participate, nor would the agency be able to work with you unless they have your parents' approval. I wouldn't suggest doing the audition without their knowledge (I think it would be hard to do that without their involvement anyway) because that will make a bad impression on the agency, not to mention get you in major trouble with your parents. If you haven't already, the best piece of advice I can offer is to really research the modeling industry and write down your goals and why you want to model (i.e. would you