The Character side of things..

These days it seems that being a model requires one to be a svelte size 0 or a photogenic plus size.

Now with the world having over 6 billion people at any given time, 7 million of those travelling on London’s underground in a year alone, one comes across the many beautiful women and dapper men on a daily basis. These men and women, although extremely pleasing to our eyes, don’t seem to have a place in the high end modelling world.

 The average skinny girl is logistically between a size 10 and 14, which to most of us should seem normal when trying to sell and advertise in high street stores which are targeted at the average everyday person. That’s another debate that’s been around since after the heroin chic 90’s phase and will never truly be a closed argument.

Anyone who browses through our community, attends our events  or works with our friends will know that we are not short of beautiful people who are trying to crack it in the modelling world, but a % of them, even though through years of trying cannot seem to get it right.

Here’s some food for thought…  Does being a working model involve appearing in high end fashion and beauty magazines as well as other reputable editorials?

There is a movement and breed of beautiful that is now emerging from campaigns such as Dove, ‘reinventing beauty’ and Dentyne, ‘smile you are beautiful’ that encourages women to embrace our imperfections and steer clear of mainstream ideals.  The point to I am trying to get across is trying out Character modelling instead.

Character models are individuals you see on television commercials and magazines that represent everyday people. They include all ages, sizes and people we can identify with.

So what are some of the steps you can take to become a Character model?

1-     You need to examine yourself and identify what persona suits you. Are the blonde bombshell, girl next door, bookworm or typical elderly? Ensure you are able to present that side to a Booker/agent or casting director.

2-      Before an audition, get into the character mode. Much like acting, represent yourself as to what your ‘character is’ rather than what you are. So for instance, if you are playing a working office girl, arrive at the audition in work attire etc.  It might not be the best way to showcase your asset, but agents don’t want to have to think how they will make you the character, they want you to walk in the door and be it. Taking an acting class or practicing monologues will help ease your confidence

3-      If you haven’t got a portfolio, this should be the first thing you should start with. Always keep it updated and impressive and much like the typical model portfolio, showcase your different looks.  Collaborating with the BOTS community is a great way to keep up to speed with this and pretty affordable too.

4-       Join a modelling agency that includes characters or commercial models in their books. Remember, most agencies will only see new talent/models by appointment only, so always keep your wits about you. And take a friend to any potential appointments if the company is not too well known. 

For more tips and advice on how to start your career, keep up to date with the Be On The Scene Community or send your comments/questions to my inbox romy@beonthescene.com 

Romy