Modeling Composite Cards by Tampa photographer and designer C. A. Passinault. Tampa Bay Modeling. The free modeling career resource web site based out of Clearwater Beach, Florida.



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		TAMPA BAY MODELING ARTICLE MODELING COMPOSITE CARDS By Tampa photographer and designer C. A. Passinault Tampa Bay Modeling Modeling Composite Cards By C. A. Passinault, lead Tampa photographer and Tampa graphic designer, Aurora PhotoArts Tampa Bay photography and design. Tampa Bay Modeling has had many requests for an article about model composite cards for the last four years. Although we are sure that unethical modeling portfolio photographers, modeling consultants, model managers, and modeling agency placement companies will be learning from us and this article, plagiarizing it (passing the information off as their own without crediting Tampa Bay Modeling so they can bait models into buying what they are selling), this information needs to be out there for the good of professional models everywhere. Just remember where you saw it first. If any model obtains this information from anyone but us, remember that if they rip us off that they will not have a problem doing the same to you. Additionally, if they DO credit us as the source, please remember that this, in no way, means that we are affiliated with them in any way, and does not mean that they are legitimate professionals. If you have any questions about who we are affiliated with, please contact us. We will confirm who we are affiliated with, and that's about it. We will not confirm if someone is running a scam or if they are a legitimate business, as models need to be smart enough to figure this out on their own, and we have more than enough information on Tampa Bay Modeling to educate them and teach them how to tell the difference between a modeling scam and a legitimate business. Another reason that we decided to do this modeling composite card article is that a lot of self-proclaimed, so-called modeling professionals, comp card printers, model consultants, model managers, modeling schools, modeling agencies, and modeling portfolio photographers do not know what they are doing. Sure, they will convince the naive, aspiring model that they can help their career, but the only thing that they will succeed in doing is taking money from the model. Their low-quality, poorly designed modeling composite cards will sabotage the professional credibility of the model and undermine any chance that they have of being taken seriously and booked into a modeling job. Modeling composite cards are the first impression that a model gives because they are sent during the initial contact, regardless of if the model is referred by a modeling agency or they do it independently. Models must take the quality and the detail that goes into their composite cards very seriously, or the composite cards will backfire and handicap their modeling career! With this said, we will now explore what a modeling composite card is, how it should be put together, stock weight and quality, and many of the common mistakes that we have endured over the years. Learn from the mistakes, and the success, of others, and come out ahead in you modeling career. Composite Cards For Modeling Basically, a composite card is the business card of a professional model, containing a summary of their overall modeling portfolio. A good composite card showcases a wide range of looks that a model can pull off. The wider variety of modeling looks that a model can pull off increases the chance that at least one look will be what an art director or casting professional in charge of a modeling job is looking for. Even if one of those looks is not what they have in mind, being able to demonstrate a wide range of looks may interest them, and the chances improve that they will contact the model and have them bring their full portfolio in for a go-see (interview or audition). An average modeling composite card shows about five looks. The model has a modeling headshot (or a color version of their actor or talent headshot) on the front of the card, and four more looks on the back of the card. You wouldn't believe how many comp cards that we have seen where there are supposed to be five looks and they only show two (!) or three. The designer, or whatever so-called modeling professional that the model hires for their comps, doesn't have enough looks to put on the card or doesn't really know what they are doing. We've seen cards with a long-shot on the front (we would show samples but we don't wish to embarrass any models), a different picture of the same look on the back, and three more pictures which are variations of one more look (the completely unprofessional and unusable two look, five frame composite card which horrified us). It baffles us why any model would accept a five look composite card which only shows two looks and which makes them look like an amateur model. It mystifies us why a model would send anyone such a composite card. Modeling portfolio picture quality aside, an ideal composite card maximizes that range of looks that a model demonstrates, enhances their marketability, and builds their mainstream market appeal (unless the model specializes in a certain modeling market). A five look card must show five looks. Also, photographs which can be easily taken out of context, and which may portray the model in a way which could be inappropriate for a mainstream modeling job, should be avoided. While we are sure that an art director and his coworkers may enjoy a composite card filled with sexy modeling pictures in suggestive poses, it will hardly get the model the job or a go-see, unless the client has additional motives in mind- subject material beyond the scope of this article which will be explored in another Tampa Bay Modeling article, for sure. An actor headshot or talent headshot measures 8 X 10 inches, with the headshot photograph and the name on the front and the talent resume on the back. While most headshots are in the 8 X 10 format (which I know all too well because I have done hundreds of them over the years; headshots that have done exceptionally well in primary, competitive acting markets such as Los Angeles), modeling composite cards are smaller, and the size format can vary. Most modeling composite cards are 5 X 7 inches. I've seen extremes, however, and it is now common to see some models utilize business card-sized mini composite cards in addition to the traditional ones. The business card comps can be carried with the models at all times, and come in handy during business meetings, modeling networking events, and given to art directors once a go-see has ended and the model wants the art director to remember, and consider, them for the modeling job. The standard modeling composite card has the name of the model on the front of the card beneath the headshot, or cover modeling, picture. The modeling stats, which include the model's measurements, height, dress size, eye color, hair color, shoe size, etc., are usually on the back of the card along with the assorted looks shown there, but there are no hard rules and it is up to the model and the composite card designer (at least it should be). Stats vary, too, and depend upon the modeling market that the model works in. Some male model composite cards can contain even more stats and measurements than that for a female model! NEXT: ZED CARDS C. A. Passinault, who writes the Tampa Photography Blog, is a Tampa photographer who is a modeling composite card and actor headshot expert, and has done them for many years. These comp cards and headshots have proven to be effective in large markets such as New York and Los Angeles. This article may be read by professional models free of charge. We retain ownership and copyright. Article cannot be reposted on another site without the express written permission of Tampa Bay Modeling and the author. Article cannot be sold or used outside of this web site for any reason. If you see this article anywhere else, or someone passes the information as their own knowledge without citing the source, please contact Tampa Bay Modeling and let us know. If someone steals this article and uses it to sell a service or a product, then they will also scam their clients. This article is for the benefit of models, and we have no intention of educating modeling scams with our articles or anyone profiting from our content. For more, please read our Tampa Bay Modeling Terms Of Use. UPDATED 05/04/08 © Copyright 2008 Tampa Bay Modeling. All rights reserved
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