craze magazine

c r a z e

model of themonth

A Modeling ScAM And the

WArning SignS

WAnt to Be A Model?

here Are SoMe tiPS to get YoU on YoUr WAY.

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to

BeR

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4

Strike a Pose

Fashion Model size RequiReMents

What does it take?For h igh fash ion model ing there are s ize and « look» requirements . Model s ize seems to be the burning quest ion for many. in checking around i have found no two sources agree on s ize for fash ion models (some agencies have height , weight and s ize char ts they str ict ly go by and others just a genera l look) and i am constant ly f ind ing except ion. di f ferent fash ion des igner and model ing agencies have var y ing standard that can change a few inches here and there depending on the « look» for that season (one year they are draping c loths over scare crow th in models , the next they are form f i t t ing over voluptuous mod-els) . in genera l , mainstream female h igh fash ion models are ta l l , th in , young and beaut i fu l . how ta l l ? Main-stream range - 5›9» to 5›11» with outer fr inge being 5›8» to 6» with the extremely rare except ion down to 5›5» and as ta l l as 6›1». thin - puts weight at 108 to 130 lbs in propor-t iona l to height . this puts dress s ize 6-8 with the des ired f igure around 34B-24-34. this can range some but waist no larger the 25» and maximum hips 35 ½.» Beginning models star t model ing in the age range of 13-19 and i f you have not made i t by twenty i t i s over.

[ in checking around i t looks l ike for Fa l l 2003 they are back to ta l l and ver y th in - 5› 9 to 5›10», s ize 2 to 4 but i th ink they would love s ize 0 . i f you are Usa average of 5›6» s ize 10/12 forget about any hope of be-ing a h igh fash ion model th is season.]

in addit ion to the above numbers there are some genera l descr ipt ive terms for the «model look.» the industr y looks for some-one who is smal l to medium boned, f i t but not buf f . With a long gracefu l swan l ike neck, a square jaw and h igh strong cheek bones . the eyes should be wide set , a lmond shaped and even, with th ick eyelashes . sk in should be c lear, smal l pored, even toned with no scares , tattoos , or p ierc ing . L ips should be medium to fu l l and teeth should be stra ight and white . shoulder should be broad and squared and you should have a long legged look (more leg then torso) . You should have good posture and be able to carr y yourse l f gracefu l ly. hair should be hea l thy and in good condit ion.

craze“A good model cAn

AdvAnce fAshion by ten yeArs.” — yves lAurent

Contents

What does it take? 2

GLaMoUr 4

easY as 1-2-3-4 4

Pointers 5

FraMinG 5

hoW do i BeCoMe a ModeL? 7

ModeL oF the Month 9

a ModeLinG sCaM and the WarninG siGns 15

aBoUt FinaL ProjeCt ModeLinG aGenCY 17

eaCh Month YoU WiLL CoMe aCross the Most BeaUtiFUL WoMen to steP in Front oF MY Lens.the Craze MaGazine WiLL Be the Birth oF neW trends and What is hot. ModeLs WiLL teLL YoU What theY Like to Wear aLonG With intervieWs With stYL-ist that have Been in CLosets and ones jUst diGGinG throUGh theY draWers to Find the Best CLothinG.Craze is the MaGazine YoU need on YoUr CoFFee taBLe.

P O I N T E R S

there are several points that i think a model should be aware of and cultivate when in front of the camera. again, this is from the photographer›s perspective and has to do with a technical part of photography.

of foremost impor tance - knowing where the main l ight i s coming from. i t seems that more and more of the l ight ing i see used in fash ion magaz ines is an over-under-soft box set up. this creates a soft butter f ly l ight , a term from c lass ic por tra i t photography. i t i s a lso an id iot-proof l ight ing . For a model , a l l you have to do is stand and look at the cam-era . i t i s a lso a ver y f lat , un interest ing l ight . i f you have seen the photos of the hol ly-wood stars from the 30›s and 40›s you might remember how dramat ic and g lamorous they looked. a lot of that i s from the dramat ic l ight ing . For dramat ic l ight ing to work, the person in front of the camera must pos i t ion herse l f just r ight . With a l l o f these l ight set-ups there is a s ing le main l ight coming from one d irect ion and you must learn how to use i t . i f the l ight i s coming from the r ight you need to work to that d irect ion. You may a lso f ind that a cer ta in type or d irect ion of l ight may make you look better. this i s a d i f f i -cu l t idea to grasp unt i l you have done a few shoots - but i t i s best to be aware of i t r ight from the star t .

F R a m I N g

a n o t h e r p o i n t t h a t i s i m p o r t a n t t o u n d e r-s t a n d i s h o w m u c h o f yo u w i l l s h o w i n t h e p i c t u re . Wo r k i n g f u l l l e n g t h i s q u i t e d i f f e r e n t f ro m d o i n g a t i g h t h e a d s h o t . W i t h f u l l l e n g t h b o d y p o s t u re , a r m p l a c e m e n t a n d l e g p o s i t i o n a re ve r y i m p o r t a n t . W i t h a h e a d s h o t , w h o c a re s w h a t yo u r b o d y i s d o i n g , i t ’s t h e f a c e a n d e x p re s s i o n t h a t i s e ve r y t h i n g . k n o w i n g h o w m u c h o f yo u i s g o i n g t o s h o w a l l o w s yo u t o c o n c e n t r a t e o n j u s t t h e p a r t t h a t i s s h o w -i n g .

a l l o f t h e p re v i o u s i s d i c t a t e d b y o n e t h i n g , w h a t i s t h e p u r p o s e o f t h e s h o o t ? s e l e c t i o n o f l i g h t i n g , f o c u s , c a m e r a f o r m a t , f r a m i n g a n d yo u a re d e t e r m i n e d b y t h e p u r p o s e o f t h e s h o o t . i t i s i m p o r t a n t f o r yo u t o h ave s o m e i d e a w h a t t h e f i n a l p h o t o i s t o c o nvey. t h i s w i l l h e l p yo u t o u n d e r s t a n d yo u r m o t i v a t i o n a n d p u r p o s e i n t h e p h o t o . t h i s h e l p s yo u t o k n o w w h a t s o r t o f e x p re s s i o n s , g e s t u re s , a n d p o s e s yo u s h o u l d d o . i f t h e p h o t o i s t o s e l l g r ave - s i d e s e r v i c e s f o r a f u n e r a l h o m e , t h e n yo u r w i n n i n g s m i l e t h a t s e l l s t o o t h p a s t e j u s t wo n ’ t d o . i t h i n k a l o t o f p h o t o g r a p h e r s wo u l d r a t h e r v i ew yo u a s a c o l l a b o r a t o r i n a p h o t o r a t h e r t h a n a n o t h e r p ro p t o m o ve a ro u n d .

E a s y a s 1 - 2 - 3 - 4

02These are poses that were devel-oped up to the 60s. These fol-low good compositional design and function to make one look attrac-tive. These became so standardized they were thought of a mannequins. This is the style most used in catalog modeling.

ClassiC Fashion

aN ObSERvaTION ON POSINg

anti-ClassiC or high Fashion

A rebellion against the classic pos-ing started with the 60s rebellion to look unique. This has in-tern become its own stylized look that is seen mostly in fashion editorial. This style breaks compositional lines and goes for distorted, awkward, deformed and yes ugli-ness.

03

04

CommerCial print/aCting

Most often the pose is tied to direct non-verbal communica-tion. An ad has an advertising message that need to be stated and how the model is positions carries the statement.

05glamour

This area has its own unique set of poses. It is built on Classic fashion and good de-sign but emphasize the sen-sual and sexy.

HOw DO I bEcOmE a mODEl?

fashion modeling does not take plaCe in small town ameRiCa.

there is no single path to follow for getting started. different models have found success through different routes. if you want to become a doctor, for example, there is a set course of schooling, experience, and testing to follow. But for a career in modeling, there is no clear path. some of the ways that i know models have gotten started in the past are listed below. although it is by no means an exhaustive list, it might help you launch your career in modeling.

Front Door - Go to the Source

the bulk of the work in modeling is booked through modeling agen-cies. so, literally, go to the front door of the modeling agency. this is the number one way for a wannabe model to start. You will have to do some research. First, find out where the modeling agency door is, whether locally or in some big city. second, determine that it is not a scam agency. You can also approach a modeling agency through their open call, by scheduling an interview, or by submitting a cover letter and photographs. Give them a call or email them and ask how they want new talent to contact them. there is no reason to try another.

Know Someone

some models get started because they have an in. You hear stories of someone who has a friend who models and goes to a photo shoot with them and is then “discovered” by the photographer. or maybe someone has an aunt who modeled or runs an agency and helped him or her get started. Others might work in a related field and one day finds them working not beside the camera but in front of it. In smaller markets child models are most often used because they are an art director’s, buyer’s, or photographer’s child. knowing someone in the business can help you get started in a modeling career.

The Fates

Modeling agencies are constantly looking for new talent. this is espe-cially true in fashion

modeling. this segment of modeling is composed mostly of young models. By the time a model is 30, his or her career is over. There is always a need to find the next generation of models. Modeling agency personnel (owner, booker), photog-raphers, art directors, and of course the «model scouts» are the ones who are out there looking. some agencies are large enough to employ an individual whose sole job is to look for that next generation of new talent or to fill the new needs of a client. Unfortunately, rip-off organizations, web space salespeo-ple, and scoundrels often use the term «model scout», so you should be suspicious of those calling themselves model scouts. But there are many stories of models being discovered at the mall, on the beach, or in some other public place. if you hope to start your career in modeling by waiting for the fates to smile on you, you must plan on spending a lot of time hanging in out in public places.

Try to Buy Success

there is a whole industry built around this approach to getting started in modeling. very few career models, however, actually succeed through this avenue. this area includes many of the modeling schools, modeling camps, model searches, internet listing services, modeling contests, modeling conventions, and pageants. this is not to say that these activities can›t be inter-esting, educational, and fun. But most of these organizations will take on and take money from almost anyone who wants to be a model. this leads to a very low percentage of career models that actually come from these activities. Most of these organizations survive by playing on one›s dreams, ignorance, and pocket book and not by finding and developing top model-ing talent. But in spite of this, sometimes someone does make it and this is what these organizations feature in their sales pitches and videos.

mODEl OF THE mONTH

“i learned how to embrace everything. i pushed all of those thoughts of people telling me no and laughing at my flaws out of my head. And once I did that…I had all the confidence in the world.”

and embracing is what she did…Born in Compton, shar’ell davis entered the modeling game during her sophomore year of college. not knowing exactly what she was getting into…she started taking the modeling world by storm when she enrolled at the FPM Modeling agency.

“i was told for a really long time that i should model. But my self-esteem issues got in the way all the time. But, i soon realized that i love being able to bring the clothes i wear to life. i mean…i don’t have a knack for mak-ing clothes…but i do know how to bring them to life.”

dressed in a crop top sweatshirt, davis sat laughing and chatting as she prepared herself for her saturday ritual of hair, make-up and the camera. But she soon fell silent as the photographer began to move the girls in and out of the studio.

“this shoot is a little bit different for me. the last shoot i was not as fo-cused as i should have been. i mean…i felt like i did well but, my mood and my energy were off. and when those pictures came back and i was no longer the center of it all…and a new girl was. it didn’t make me feel good.”

Written by Felecia Bearden

as davis continued to reminisce about her results from previous shoots and how they made her not only fix the problems she encountered but become thankful for those around her. she began to smile as started to talk about her support system and the words of encouragement that has gotten her through it all.

“My biggest supporter is my dad. he has told me from day one that i am beautiful no matter what. I really didn’t understand at first because I was a baby but now that I see it and now that i have embraced it. i thank him for that.”

as the youngest of both her father and mother, davis said that it is because of him that she has made it this far. she said that it is because of his strength and his courage that she can move forward.

‘he told me that i would always be something no matter what i did. and i think that is important for any model or child striving to do what is they desire to be in life. Let’s be honest, the world is changing everyday and the people are not as giving and nice as they should be. so, i thank him for just being there and being that strength that i need. and teaching me that no matter how many no’s or how many bad things that others have to say, that i will always be something no matter what.”

But when asked about her advice for upcoming models, this is what she had to say.

“do not give up! if this is something that you dream about or that you think about…then go for it. if walking down the runway and being in front of a camera is apart of your life or your cell structure…do not give up. the money will come and the yes’s will happen but you just have to keep pushing with it.”

But those no’s are what made davis stronger. she said that was her biggest struggle be-cause it made her learn to motivate herself without the encouragement of others.

“i have trouble accepting no as motivator. i consider myself my own worst critic because when i feel stuck or unproductive, i tend to tear myself down instead of taking it as a learning experience to improve on my craft.”

She also said that by learning how to cope with the idea of not fitting everyone’s objec-tive was a humbling experience. she advises those looking or aspiring to become a mod-el to really check those egos at the door because confidence is one thing…but reality can be is another.

a ModeLinG sCaM and the Warn-inG siGns

Warning s igns of a scam, or a less than leg i t i -mate , or a poorly run agency. i f you f ind any of these warning s igns , i t does not necessar-i ly mean the bus iness i s a scam operat ion but be sure to ask a lot of quest ions , and be sure the bus iness g ives good answers . always check references! new York City i s the except ion to many of these warning s igns .

1) newspaper c lass i f ied ads or d isp lay ads looking for any k ind of model or ta lent (other than nude g lamour model ing , i .e . models for the adult enter ta inment industr y) . reputable model ing agencies receive p lenty of would-be model inquir ies so they don›t need to adver-t ise for models . i f they are shor t of ta lent they wi l l send their scouts out to publ ic p laces to look for potent ia l ta lent .

2) P ictures of famous new York supermodels on the wal ls of the ir of f ices , or these models› comp cards on a wal l rack . top new York fash-ion models do not need a model ing agency in smal l town Usa.

3) Up- front fees . these could be s ign ing fees , new account fees , eva luat ion fees , etc . i f an agency has to charge money at the front end i t means that there is not enough money at the back end. i t a lso means that the agency prob-ably does not have enough model ing work to be able to sur v ive on commiss ions ,

and therefore , not enough work for a model to sur v ive on e i ther.

4) We are interested in you but you need to test shoot with our photographer and i t ›s go-ing to cost you.» Leg i t imate agencies wi l l pro-v ide you with a l i s t of photographers that you may go to on your own. Many wi l l have a p lace by the front door for photographers› bus iness cards that you can take on your way out . You should be free to go to any photographer you choose . i f the agency te l l s you that you must use their photographer, watch out . a twist on th is theme is when the agency provides the photo sess ion at no charge , then charges you a h igh fee(example , $700) for a «profess iona l» makeup ar t ist . You wi l l need photos at some point but you should be free to shop around and f ind your own photographer and makeup ar t ist .

5) We are interested in you but you need to go through our c lasses f i rst and i t i s going to cost you.» aga in money at the front end means not enough model ing work at the back end. a combinat ion school /model ing agency has a conf l ict of interest . For example , saG (screen actors Gui ld) member agencies cannot of fer both.

Bringing Dreams into reality

Final projeCt modelsstrike a pose With us

about Final projeCt

modelingagenCy

What are we?

Fina l Project Model ing is an in format ion, adv ice , and resource agency for those inter-ested in learning about a career in model-ing . although the agency provides helpfu l in format ion to would-be models , i t i s not meant to be the f ina l author i ty on the mod-el ing bus iness . this i s not a b ig moneymak-ing agency but a agency i put together in hopes that i t wi l l be usefu l to anyone star t-ing out in model ing . through bas ic educa-t iona l in format ion i have tr ied to provide a source that wi l l he lp would-be models avoid the scam ar t ists and the r ip-of fs and have a pos i t ive exper ience fo l lowing their dream to where ever i t may lead.

History of the Agency

some years ago i star ted a webs i te for my photography and v ideo bus iness , hulk-Churchboi Product ions . surpr is ing ly, a l -though i t was d irected toward showing my cra f t , i t a lso drew a number of inquires from would-be actors , actress and models want-ing to know i f i d id free test shoots and ask ing for career adv ice . Ult imate ly, i t led to the development of th is agency. When i launched the f i rst vers ion of FPM agency, i was amazed at the interest i t generated. the FPM agency now attracts more than 100 v is i tors a month.

i cont inuous ly add content , jobs and re-sources to keep the agency current and usefu l to onlookers . When i get recurr ing quest ions , i a lso add them to the b log and soon to be webs i te . the in format ion is free of charge . i do se l l some photo-shoots , head shots , and photo edit ing , which helps of f -set the cost of mainta in ing the agency. Your purchase wi l l he lp to keep the s i te up and running .

My Background

For more than 7 years i have been creat-ing fash ion and commercia l photographs and have worked with new and old models inc luding

other model ing agencies . We did test shoots to bui ld por t fo l ios , develop composites , and to g ive new models exper ience in front of the camera . Much of my t ime was spent learning about the ar t of my cra f t and how to enter into the model ing bus iness , makeup, ha ir sty l ing , pos ing , wardrobe , and how to br ing i t a l l together with camera and l ight-ing to create a great photo. today my specia l ty has been sole ly on fash ion photography. But what was impor tant when i was working with models then is st i l l good to know today.

other agencies and photographers who teach on model ing are from the perspect ive of a model ing agency or a working model . My perspect ive is that of a working photographer in a metropol i tan area , Los angeles , Cal i fornia . this i s d i f ferent from work-ing in new York City, the hear t of the fash ion indus-tr y. however, i know from my own exper ience what sk i l l s and qual i t ies other photographers want to see in a model .

Thank You

For g iv ing th is agency d irect ion, i would l ike to thank ever yone who emai led me with great ques-t ions . For proofreading the var ious drafts i would l ike to thank kyron, regan, and kendahl . My mother, a grammar hound, became the f ina l author i ty on what was correct and i thank her for that . a specia l thanks to debra for her hard work of edit ing the Magaz ine one more t ime .