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        - NEXT Monday, 
        January 23, 2006 Did 
        You Hear About The Model Job Shortage? Neither 
        did we. Apparently, however, from looking at all of the model job boards 
        online right now, it seems to exist. 80% of everything seems to be promotional 
        modeling this, promotional modeling that. The remaining 20% are either 
        outright scams or jobs that good girls, and, for that matter, professional 
        models, shouldn’t be doing.What is promotional modeling, anyway? It’s basically standing around 
        handing out fliers or what-not. It is the “extras” (to use 
        an acting term for acting which is basically being background material 
        in scenes) of modeling work, and the low rates and low hours barely make 
        it worthwhile. Don’t, however, confuse it with trade show modeling 
        or convention modeling, which is almost the same thing but with the difference 
        being more upscale settings, more professional interactions with people, 
        product demonstrations (and the training required to demonstrate products, 
        which normally costs nothing to the model but the time spent studying 
        and practicing), longer hours, and much higher pay. Going back to promotional 
        modeling, I call it “plankton modeling”, which roughly translates 
        to being the low end of the food chain in the modeling world and barely 
        makes the status of legitimate modeling job (for more on these three similar 
        types of modeling jobs, their rate differences, and what they normally 
        entail, see our model job definitions here 
        on Tampa Bay Modeling).
 Did I invest hundreds of dollars for professional pictures, a portfolio, 
        and composite cards to land jobs paying $15.00 an hour for four hours 
        a pop? Hell No! It doesn’t make sense to spend all that money to 
        make what a full time day job would pay. I know, it’s like full 
        time pay in half the time, but when you factor in the driving for a four 
        hour gig and some of the BS that a promotional model has to put up with, 
        that four hours is more like sixteen- not to mention that the hours come 
        and go and you won’t end up making what you would if you had a normal 
        40 hour-a-week job. It basically sucks, and many a promotional model has 
        questioned if modeling is worth it after they get conditioned to think 
        that promotional modeling is what modeling is all about. Some get into 
        this mindset that the only jobs that a freelance model working without 
        an agency can land is promotional work. Thankfully, both of these perceptions 
        are incorrect.
 Think that you can negotiate rates on promotional modeling? Think again! 
        It’s very difficult to do, simply because anyone can do it and there 
        are almost no qualifications other than to represent the company as specified 
        and show up on time. While some promotional modeling jobs, such as for 
        night clubs and alcohol promotions, require a pretty face and a degree 
        of sex appeal, over half of all model promotion jobs only require looks 
        that don’t induce vomiting and the ability to compose single-syllable 
        words. At least with trade shows and conventions, you have more leverage 
        to negotiate rates, simply because those jobs require a degree of professionalism, 
        interaction, brains, and skill.
 Want to know a secret? Promotional modeling isn’t mainstream modeling. 
        You don’t even have to be a model to do it. To book a typical promotional 
        modeling job, you don’t need composite cards or a portfolio. If 
        you want to be a promotional model, all that you have to do is submit 
        a snapshot and then interview well with a resume padded with promotional 
        modeling work. Congratulations, you’ll get the job, and if that’s 
        your idea of modeling, you’re more than welcome to it. Is promotional 
        modeling a bad thing? No. I know print models who do it from time to time. 
        It’s just that you need to be selective, and balance it out with 
        other types of modeling jobs. If that’s all that you want to do, 
        then don’t bother wasting your time getting pictures, composite 
        cards, and a portfolio. If you do, and I know of many models who have, 
        you will eventually regret it, and if you do the math and factor in the 
        logistics, it’ll make your little model stomach sick.
 The other types of jobs on those model job boards are scams and inappropriate 
        modeling jobs. The most common type of model job scam would be the classic 
        bait and switch, with someone holding out the prospect of a paying model 
        job and then trying to sell the model something when they show up to the 
        go-see (some of those types of scams here in Clearwater come to mind, 
        but presently those who are still in business after a bunch of models 
        kicked the crap - figuratively, not literally - out of them have apparently 
        cleaned up their act..... as if they had a choice). What happens most 
        of the time with one of those model job scams is that the so-called “art 
        director” conducting the go-see tells the model that her composite 
        cards and portfolio are no good, and then mention that they offer portfolio 
        development, related services, and sometimes even a modeling school or 
        class. Many of these models never book the “job” for some 
        reason (although they don’t seem to have a problem booking other 
        work with what they had) and end up paying lots money for photography 
        which turns out to be worse than the ones that they had. A higher percentage 
        of these model job scams are supposed print jobs, as those are highly 
        sought after by most professional models and rarely appear on model job 
        boards since most art directors work with modeling agencies with their 
        print projects- at least for now, but this is changing, as I’ll 
        reveal in a bit. At the present, 75% of model print jobs on model job 
        boards are not good for any modeling career. Most of them are the-already 
        mentioned model job scams, but the remaining majority are career-cripplers.
 What am I talking about, faithful models? I’m talking about model 
        print work that is not compatible with most professional modeling careers. 
        There are photographers who seem to have lots of money to pay models to 
        take pictures of them, and most of those pictures are of the models posing 
        in risque bikinis, models posting nude, models posing suggestively, underage 
        teen models posing inappropriately and wearing skimpy clothes, and other 
        glamour-type work. What generally happens is that those photographers 
        sell the images to adult businesses and other parties that most models 
        would have an issue with. So, by all means, if you want your tacky picture 
        on an ad for a 900 phone sex line, there are lot of paying model print 
        jobs to be had. In the end, though, most professional models will find 
        that such work is not worth any kind of money, as it fully exploits the 
        model and can cripple their career in mainstream modeling. Know of any 
        legitimate business that would want a model’s face representing 
        their product or service with the knowledge that they are also representing 
        things that conflict with what they are about? I didn’t think so, 
        either. There seem to be a lot of photographers in Tampa Bay paying models 
        to take it all off or to pose like sluts, and I think that it’s 
        misrepresenting print modeling in this area. Hell, if I wanted to make 
        money taking off my clothes, it would make far more sense to become a 
        stripper and not a model. Not only would it pay more, but at least the 
        only people seeing my body would be the patrons in a strip club and not 
        the whole world. Obviously, you may have gathered that this model isn’t 
        into the nude stuff. I don’t consider it to be mainstream modeling 
        and I don’t think that it would be very good for my career. Some 
        models out there are so anxious to make a buck doing print work that they 
        make foolish decisions and hurt their careers by taking it all off in 
        front of the camera for photographers with no real connections in mainstream 
        modeling. Others are insecure about themselves, and feel that “sexy” 
        modeling will make them feel better about themselves while they get paid 
        for it. They are only deluding themselves into cashing out on a career 
        that will never progress nor have any staying power. Then again, if you 
        are insecure to the point that you let it affect your judgement, you have 
        no business being a model in the modeling industry. This business is tough, 
        and you have to know who you are and what you stand for in order to survive 
        in it.
 Well, I have ranted about the issues that many models have been having 
        with model jobs. If there are no shortages, the ones that are available 
        are questionable most of the time. Are there any solutions? Actually, 
        there are, and some of those solutions will be working well by the end 
        of this year.
 What would be ideal? More model print work that pays good rates and will 
        give you tear sheets that will earn you respect? More promotional-type 
        jobs in the vein of trade and convention jobs? More legitimate art directors 
        from advertising agencies, business marketing departments, and department 
        stores skipping the modeling agencies and posting what they need online? 
        I think it would, and so do other models. So, is this a pipedream or is 
        it a future that will be realized? Let’s just say that it is a future 
        that will be realized before you know it.
 I am not allowed at the present time to go into details into how this 
        will happen, but I can say that our friends over at Independent Modeling 
        have identified the issues that are holding the freelance/ independent 
        modeling industry back, and have come up with solutions after a few years 
        of research and experimentation. They are about to unveil a new kind of 
        model job board that will attract the jobs that models both want and need, 
        as well as the tools that they need to book those jobs. They will also 
        teach models how to find and book jobs on their own without an agency. 
        The board will start out with the promotional modeling jobs and the few 
        legitimate modeling jobs that are out there, but in due time the jobs 
        that normally go through the modeling agencies will begin to appear on 
        the job board.
 I can’t wait, and neither should you.
 As you know by now, Independent Modeling inspired a group of freelance 
        professional models (us!) to start Tampa Bay Modeling back in 2004. Independent 
        Modeling is controversial with those who have something to lose if they 
        cannot control models, but to most professionals it has proven to be the 
        most useful modeling resource on the Internet. I wouldn’t be surprised 
        if even the Independent Modeling-haters ended up using the site as a resource, 
        too, even if they continue to denounce the site and won’t admit 
        that they secretly use it. That’s something to think about, and 
        it makes me smile with the possibilities.
 ~ 
        Danielle Cooper, Editor Tampa 
        Bay Modeling Clearwater 
        Beach, Florida 
 
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