What's Really Important

Aim: Getting signed with an agency.

[Why it's a must: If you want to make it as a model, you need to be signed with an agency. -plain & simple- It's easy to obtain some small paying gigs here and there, but only agencies know the info about major castings (as in extreme pay & exposure, ie: ads, catalogues, designer lookbooks) --that is what the business of an agency is about after all, model bookings = profit-- ]

You don't need professional pics to approach an agency but I felt the need to create a portfolio to plead my case; in my opinion, snapshots won't do me justice. I don't care how agents say that a few simple pics are all they need to spot potential; photos from shoots show versatility that they might not be able to imagine otherwise. Additionally, the fact of the matter is, a great deal of agency-hopefuls stroll in with portfolios --> might as well be on their level =p

After compiling my pics, I looked up agencies online and attended a few open calls. (did so sparsely a couple of months ago)

FYI
Open Call - time you can visit the agency
Only some agencies offer open calls and usually indicate when they are held on their website; if the website doesn't list open call info, call the agency and ask.
If the agency doesn't hold open calls you can mail in pics (I'm too impatient for that because if they aren't interested you never hear back & wonder & wonder... I sent my port to some agency I heard about called CESD...no response =p )

I have been denied by Ford, Elite, Wilhelmina, & Ikon thus far. (well known/big agencies, few out of the many!)
No biggy, I expected the rejection but needed it to be confirmed.
{On a sidenote, rejection isn't personal. The industry is always looking for different things; I just need to find a place where I'll meet their criteria. There's definitely hope.}
I'm always oh so curious & sometimes like to think "dream big."
I think I might revisit them when I have more photos for my book, who knows -shrugs-

The open call process: You fill out a form with your info and hand it over with your pics to someone at the agency, they take them to the back for review, & then return your stuff and say thanx for coming. It's so frustrating not to get any feedback but that's how it is.

btw if you plan to hit up Ford, go there early, they get packed !

There are plenty of other agencies I plan to visit; I haven't had a chance to go to them yet because their open call times clash with my class schedule. The semester is coming to an end soon and then agencies galore! I'm on spring break now but I want to update my port just a bit before I venture out.

I have a post-it listing open calls I shall attend, I will update in due time.