How to join a modelling agency by Neon Models

Modelling agencies get hundreds of applications from aspiring models, so how can you make sure you give yourself the best chance of being noticed and signed?

Choose your agency carefully

These days there are many different types of modelling and many different types of modelling agencies to meet all those requirements. The largest agencies will cater for everything from fashion shows to catalogues to TV commercials on an international basis, but smaller agencies will specialise and may be a better bet, especially if you don’t have classic model looks, aren’t so tall or are looking for alternative or body part modelling.

Read the guidelines

You might be surprised how many people don’t read the modelling agencies’ guidelines. This is just a silly mistake that can be easily avoided, and if you’re careful to make sure you follow their guidelines you can save yourself a lot of wasted effort and rejection. Most modelling agencies will specify if they work with males and females and what ages. Also, if they have minimum requirements such as height. Ignore their guidelines at your peril!

Use decent quality photos to apply

All genuine modelling agencies will ask you to send a snapshot that they can assess to see if they want to meet you for an interview to see if they’d like to sign you to their books. While you don’t have to spend a fortune on these pictures, if you send in something in bad light taken on your mobile phone, they’re likely to throw them out without looking properly. So, try to get access to a decent camera (and someone who knows how to use it), and make sure the pictures are taken in good light (preferably natural light) and show you clearly and looking relaxed.

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Child Modelling

Many parents consider child modelling as a way to spend time with their child, expose them to some new experiences, and maybe save up a little money for a college fund or perhaps to go towards a house deposit one day.
So how can you tell if your child has got what it takes to be a model?
Well, the most important thing to know is that personality is far more important than actual features. We don’t judge children by the same kinds of beauty standards that we do adults, but we are drawn to happy, bubbly children.
So if your child is outgoing and full of sunny smiles, then child modelling might be a possibility. If so, you should get a few test shots to get an initial idea of how they come across in pictures.
A photographic studio is not the most natural place for a child and it can be quite a stressful environment for some children. However, others thrive on the attention and love meeting new people, posing and playing with the props.
The only way you’re going to find out if your child enjoys the experience of modelling is to try it, and either get a test shoot or have a session in a professional photographic studio. It may be better to do it this way than go through the process of signing up to an agency and not discovering that your child gets camera shy until you’ve got a paid job and there’s too much riding on it.
If you think your child could be a model, then remember, the photos have to be very up to date that you send to modelling agencies for review – assuming g you’re not going freelance. Children change very quickly, so portfolio pictures have to be updated much more rapidly than with adult models – sometimes every few months.

 

If you want a helping hand as you launch your modelling career, then register on the Neon Models website.

Freelance Modelling – the Basics

Many people are not aware that even if you are signed to a modelling agency, you’re not actually ‘employed’ by the modelling agency and there is no guarantee that they are actually going to get you any paid work.

 
They are an ‘agent’ that means they deal in making introductions and getting a commission of the fee that the model is paid by the client, and sometimes an additional introduction fee.
For this reason, freelance models may find it more lucrative to go directly to the clients, and cut out the agencies fees.

 
So, if you want to break into modelling, one of the first questions to ask yourself is whether you’d prefer to join a modelling agency or go freelance. Of course, you might decide to chase both routes and see which one works out the best, and that’s a good idea too, if you have the time and resources to do so.

 
A freelance model has to take care of the business side of being a model, and that means invoicing clients, chasing payment and making sure all the correct contracts and other paperwork is in place. There is plenty of advice out there and you can find free templates for most contracts, but you need to make sure you do your research.
Of course, getting in front of clients is easier said than done, and freelance models – especially those just starting out – also have to do a lot more legwork, networking, meeting the right people, making the right connections.

 
If you do have the right kind of drive and skills to become a freelance model, then of course the main benefit is that you get to keep all of your hard earned cash. With agency fees averaging about 20%, that can add up quite quickly. On top of that, you have a lot more control over where and when you work and you’re not limited by an agency contract which restricts who you can work for.

If you want to break into modelling with Neon Models, then visit our website and register today!

Neon Models Guide to Superfoods

If you want to be a successful model, then you’re body is your temple.

Models need to have flawless skin and perfect figures, and that means taking good care of yourself.

There are no shortcuts to good health, and the most important things are eating a healthy, balanced diet, avoiding toxins and getting plenty of sleep. And if you want to take care of your skin – stay out of the sun! For more tips and advice on being model perfect, click here.

In this article we’re going to look at the diet side of things, or more specifically – superfoods. What are superfoods, and which ones should you look out for

What are superfoods?

Superfoods is a term used to describe certain foods that have particularly strong or effective health benefits and may even help with some medical conditions. They may be able to help with everything from warding off heart disease, cancer and obesity.

Blueberries

Blueberries are one of the most well known superfoods, and are packed with anti-oxidants and phytoflavinoids. They are anti-inflammatory and can help reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.

Frozen blueberries are just as good as fresh, and about ½ a cup a day should give you great health benefits.

Omega 3 rich fish

Fish has long been known as ‘brain food’ and as well as there being some evidence that it can help stave off memory loss and Alzheimer’s, it may also be able to help avoid depression.
Wild salmon, herrings, sardines and mackerel are the best – but if you really can’t stand fish, you can get the same kind of benefits from fortified eggs, flax seed and walnuts.

Tea

Since ancient times, tea has been thought of as the miracle drink, and has been said to cure all manner of ailments over the centuries. Green tea in particular has been shown to be associated with lower cholesterol and the inhibition of cancer cells. But of course, it still has caffeine, so don’t overdo it!

Want to learn more about modelling and how to keep healthy for the camera? Click here!

Neon Models – Top Modelling Mistakes

Neon Models has been in the industry long enough to see pretty much all of the mistakes new models make, many of them hundreds of times over. Read on to find out what the top new model mistakes are and how you can avoid them!

If you want a helping hand as you launch your modelling career, then register on the Neon Models website.

Being unprofessional

Some aspiring models have the impression that modelling is a quick way to make a bit of easy money and you just have to stand around and pout. But there’s a lot more to the profession than that, and that includes knowing how to deal with client and understanding contracts and your rights.

Being over confident

We’ve seen plenty of people with unprofessional expectations, who think the world owes them a modelling career on a plate. These people may be quite attractive and have friends and family who have fed their egos, saying that they are much prettier than loads of the models on the front of the glossy magazines.

But however perfect you are to be a model, it’s important to be humble and have realistic expectations, Even if you’re stunning in normal life, once you enter the industry, you’ll be surrounded by stunning people at all times. Having a good attitude, being grateful for any help and opportunities you get will get you a long way in modelling – as well as life.

Being under confident

One the other hand, it’s no good have thin skin and getting upset every time there’s a little rejection, or feeling that you haven’t got what it takes – that’s the quickest way to make that prediction come true!

Models need to be confident and outgoing, as they are always in new situations, working with different people. Networking is also a useful part of building a successful modelling career, so it’s not really a great job for wall flowers.

For more advice on avoiding the pitfalls of modelling, visit the Neon Models website.

Modelling Posture

Posture is all about how you hold your body – whether you stand upright or slouch, hold your chin up or look down your nose, sit straight or lean to the side.

Good posture is important for all people, because it can have a long term effect on your health – for example, sitting badly in front of a computer screen for years, or walking badly can weaken and wear down your bones and muscles at particular points. These physical problems may not become evident until it’s too late to easily solve it, and serious medical intervention needs to take place. In many cases, improving posture early could prevent this.

For models, posture is critical. Posture affects how you come across, how healthy you look and how your clothing is displayed. Posture is an all over body thing, it’s not simply about a high head and straight back – though that’s a good place to start!

Posture advice for models

Most people think posture just means standing up poker straight, stick your chest out and look straight ahead. But it’s not as simple as that.

Body balance

The first thing to check is whether your body is balanced and straight. Stand in front of a mirror, with a straight vertical indicator behind you, such as a pole or doorframe. Does your head lean slightly to one side? Are your shoulders even? If not, try to get everything even and see how it feels. The first step is becoming aware of your posture, and where there may be imbalances. Once you’ve indentified areas for improvement, you can start to make corrections.

Of course this doesn’t mean that when you’re working as a model, you’ll never pose at an angle – but a model should be a blank canvas, and any angles should be deliberate, not ingrained. This is particularly important for catwalk models.

Height and Lift

‘Stand up straight!’ Well, yes, good posture is about standing up straight – but people often strain to stand up straight by stretching their neck, arching their back and even going on tip toes. To get a real natural lift, and gain the most benefit of standing up straight, you need to think whole body. Start with your legs, make sure your standing foundation is firm, with an event weight on both feet. Legs should be straight but not locked. Them rather than focussing on the spine, think more about the chest. Take a deep breath and feel your body lift and tyour spine extend as you do so. Make sure your head is light on your neck, and isn’t leaning forward. Finally, ensure your chin is straight out (not up or down). Standing up straight in this way will give you natural even distribution of body weight and restore the natural curvature of the spine

Relax

One of the most common problems when attempting to improve posture, is that people get really tense and stiff – which is completely counter-productive. To combat this, give your arms and legs a shake out to make sure you’re not holding any tension, and take a few deep breaths. If you notice any particular areas of tension, focus on gently relaxing them. Another problem with tension is that it affects the balance and lift of your posture. For example, if one side of your neck has knots in it, your head will lean towards that side.

Modelling jobs are waiting for you!

Modelling Agency Contracts

A contract with a modelling agency seems like the holy grail for aspiring models, but unfortunately, too many models rush in too eagerly, and only find out what they’ve agreed to later.

Pressure to Sign a Modelling Agency Contract

Modelling Agency contracts are often very long and filled with legalise, and can be very daunting for anyone who’s not a lawyer, let alone someone who may be very young and inexperienced with contracts.

The contract will often be presented as a ‘take it or leave it’ offer, and the modelling agency may even pressure the model to sign it on the spot, saying that the offer will be off the table if the model doesn’t make up her or his mind right away.

But a new model should resist this pressure. If possible, take the contract away and genuinely try to read it, not matter how difficult it may seem. It may even be worth paying for the services of a lawyer to check it over. And, if there are any clauses that the model isn’t happy with, she can ask for the contract to be amended.

What will the Modelling Agency Offer

A modelling agency contract will never guarantee you work, and in most cases, it will be heavily biased in favour of the agency, offering you very little. This is normal and is simply there to legally cover the modelling agency. After all, they can’t guarantee you work, as you must complete with other models and it’s the clients who make the final decision. It’s in the modelling agency’s interests to promise very little and then overdeliver. Otherwise, if they have any written commitments to get work for models, if it’s not possible, the model will come complaining to them. This doesn’t mean that the modelling agency isn’t going to try their hardest to find work for you, just that it can’t be guaranteed.

Exclusive Vs Non Exclusive Modelling Contracts

Contracts should be very clear about what level of exclusivity is required. The modelling agency may only require the model to be exclusive within a particular region or country, or it may be worldwide. The larger the modelling agency and the more time and effort they are intending to invest in launching the model’s career, the more likely they are to have high exclusivity requirements.

Length of Modelling Contracts

Modelling contracts can range from one year to five years and they may be fixed, or it may be possible to cancel them from either side before the time period is up. Whether it’s good to have a long or short contract depends on the relationship between the modelling agency and model, and how hard each are working for the other.

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Neon Models #5 Tips for a successful photoshoot

Here is the Neon Models guide to a make the most out of a photoshoot – follow these simple rules to great some great pictures from your portfolio!

Try not to be Tense

A lot of people instinctively hold their breath as soon as a camera looks at them, but this is a bad idea, because it makes you look stiff! Try to breathe naturally – it gets easier once you get over the initial nerves.

Don’t be afraid to Be Experimental

Your photographer will probably give you some guidance about where she wants you to stand, which way to face, how to hold yourself and that kind of thing, but it’s a good idea to have some kind of creative input. At Neon Models, we aren’t afraid to experiment with having your hands in different positions, with different expressions and looking at the camera from different angles.

Try using different Props

Props are a great way to add interest to a photo, and you should try interacting with your props in different ways. If it’s a teddy bear you can cuddle up to it or lift it up to the light, flowers could be smelled, held in the teeth or even tucked behind your ear. The more different things you try, the more likely you are to get that perfect, unique shot.

Listen to the Photographer’s advice and guidance

Chances are, the photographer has done this loads of times before, especially at Neon Models, so you should listen to her advice and instruction carefully and do your best to follow them.

Really try to relax and have fun!

The best advice of all if to try to relax and have fun! If you’re enjoying yourself and smiling and laughing naturally, it will come across in the images. You might want to try some techniques to help yourself relax, such as shaking out your body to get rid of tension, taking a few deep breaths and looking at things that make you laugh. Neon Models are experts at helping you relax and stay calm during a shoot. You could even try the old classic technique of imagining everyone around you naked!
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