TAMPA BAY MODELING - FLORIDA MODELING CAREER - ADVANCED MODEL - INDEPENDENT MODELING

 

TAMPA BAY MODELING

UPDATES ARCHIVE

05/13/11 - Short Modeling Story - Born Beautiful, Episode 1: Independence. Story by C. A. Passinault, © 2004 Independent Modeling. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

05/13/11 - Short Modeling Story - Born Beautiful, Episode 2: Runway Talk. Story by C. A. Passinault, © 2004 Independent Modeling. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

05/09/11 - Talent Agency Deregulation Removed From HB 5005

04/13/11 - News Update On Independent Modeling Reboot

03/30/11 - HB 5005 Deregulating Modeling Agencies Enables Modeling Scams

04/02/11 - Tampa Glamour Photographers: A danger to models?

03/24/11 - Tampa Modeling Blog Post: Done And Buttoned Up

04/02/11 - Tampa Bay Model 2011: The State Of Modeling In Tampa Bay For 2011. By C. A. Passinault

05/04/11 - Tampa Bay Dancer - The next Tampa Bay Modeling?
The motivation and experience behind the next big thing.

Tampa Bay Modeling director C. A. Passinault reports on the upcoming Tampa Bay Dancer resource site, hints of the future of modeling, what his saying “dancers are the new model” means, how to best combat modeling scams (and why he’ll be one of the few who can do it on the front lines), why stealing from him doesn’t work, what it means to be an innovator and an industry-changer, a personal story of what helps feed his motivation (as well as becoming one of the inspirations for Tampa Bay Dancer), and his return to his roots while expanding what he currently does.
Please note that there is a deeply personal anecdote in this article concerning C. A. Passinault and his experiences in the world of dance, including the story of a dancer which he was involved with, as well as his first experiences working with models as a photographer. This anecdote may be controversial, but the author feels that it must be told, and that it is relevant to this article.

04/18/11 - Keep trying, Erica! The models have been having a good laugh all weekend at, in our opinion, the continued efforts of a misguided model and her attempts at making Tampa Bay a fashion modeling mecca! What happened to your previous fashion businesses? Do you actually pay models for their participation in your so-called fashion shows? Do you have a talent agency license for the talent management component of your business, and, if you do, why isn’t the TA# talent agency license number on your web site? Perhaps she manages talent for free, which is not a good business model; if that is the case, then ignorance in business is not good for success. Go back to school (and this time, make sure that it is accredited, and that you actually learn something)! Don’t even get us into the jokes known as Tampa party models; models whom think that networking and hanging out at night clubs are the way to work a modeling career! Such Tampa modeling follies do not have the support, or the respect, of Tampa Bay Modeling.
In our opinion, the only person in the Tampa Bay market who currently has a clue about fashion modeling is Jose Gomez and his wife. They have our support.
TIP: Anyone producing any runway shows or fashion modeling events BETTER start paying the models who work the events! Either that, or be straight-up with the terms and the pay of the events.

Congratulations to Miss Tampa 2011, Chloe Lupo
C. A. Passinault, director of Tampa Bay Modeling, attended the Miss Tampa pageant with Tampa model and performer Ann Poonkasem, who was Miss Tampa 2001, on Saturday, March 5, 2011, in downtown Tampa.
Tampa Bay Modeling would like to congratulate Miss Tampa 2011 Chloe Lupo for her win, and we wish her luck in the upcoming Miss Florida pageant.

UPDATE 03/08/11 - Buttoning up Tampa Bay Modeling for what is coming in the coming days and weeks. Although we will be doing small updates and will be adding jobs to the modeling job board (as they come in), our web team is in another castle (or, more to the point, busy building a massive fleet of photography marketing sites for Aurora PhotoArts. With the first three of the new Venus 3 Venus Class sites due online this week, and three to four sites due online every week thereafter, they will be very busy; 16 of these sites will be online, and fully operational, this spring).
So, we took this time to finish up the spring additions to Tampa Bay Modeling.
Not to worry, though. We will be back, and you won’t believe what is coming to Tampa Bay Modeling. Those modeling pay vouchers, a fully operational modeling job board (which will tie into the new Independent Modeling site), and new interactive tutorials are among the awesome things coming to Tampa Bay Modeling in 2011.
Please read our latest post on our Tampa modeling blog for the latest.

UPDATE 02/21/11 - Something to read, and it was added today to our Modeling FAQ section. We wanted to add some short and quick content to our QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE FOR MODELS, but it was a lot more work than we originally planned. We don't skimp or take short cuts, we put a lot of work into it, and now, it has enough content to carry an entirely new site. Check it: Am I model material? - Modeling Job Scams - Model Placement Scams - Modeling Management And Modeling Agency Scams - Modeling Photography And Exploitation Scams.

Update 02/18/11 - New Tampa Bay Talent site announced.
The newest Tampa Bay Talent site, Tampa Bay Dancer, is now in development. Tampa Bay Dancer is an upcoming talent resource site for professional and aspiring dancers in the Tampa Bay market, and it is due to launch later in 2011. Tampa Bay Dancer's primary agenda is to redefine what dancing is in the Tampa Bay market, as well as the perception of what a dancer is. This is will cover ballet, hip hop, jazz, swing, freestyle, tap, ballroom, club, and a variety of other professional dancing genres. Tampa Bay Dancer will be family friendly, too, and will not cover risque dancing, or any other kind of dancing which reflects badly upon the art of dance.

01/28/11 - News and Opinion Archives
We went exploring the ancient parts of Tampa Bay Modeling today, and found two huge sections, from the early days of the site, which we had actually forgotten about. The sections are our news, and our opinions, sections. These content sections, which need updating eventually, have a lot of information in them, and are great for historical research, for those who are interested.
We intend to resume using both the news section and the opinion section on Tampa Bay Modeling. Of course, the content and the menu system in these sections are not quite up to present web site standards, so they have to be overhauled, but new updates are coming!
A lot of new sections and content will be added to Tampa Bay Modeling in 2011. We have decided to leave the foundation of the site largely intact, with no editing unless it is needed, so expect a lot of buried treasure for those of you who explore the site. The new content, of course, will be slick and well organized, with ease of use, and relevance, the emphasis, as some of us have been annoyed lately with how difficult it is to find anything on this site. We are going to fix it (without forcing our users to resort to using an in-site search feature), as the way that this site has been over the past few years is simply inexcusable. Models deserve better!
The one archive section which we decided not to overhaul and update is our model letters/ mailbag section, which was discontinued in 2007. We are going to keep the letters on the site, but we decided not to edit them and push them to the main menus because model Monica Stevens is launching a new model letters / mailbag on Advanced Model when it launches, and the content already here on Tampa Bay Modeling and on Independent Modeling will be edited, expanded, and republished on Advanced Model in a retroactive archive. Monica has a lot of work to do, but the new model letters section over at Advanced Model will finally get it right, and it will finally make all of that work worthwhile!

01/28/11 - In the process of applying an upgrade taken from the page of the Tampa Bay Film Online Film Festival, and rerouting the model image thumbnail array to a spotlight online modeling portfolio. This will allow us to change around pictures (thumbnail images) at our leisure without having to run up bandwidth and refresh the entire site every time that we have to change anything out. We now have the capability of changing out pictures rapidly, and easily add model pictures to our Tampa Bay Modeling online portfolio; with the number of shoots that Aurora PhotoArts is about to do, this ability will become important. Regarding applying a concept from the online film festival to Tampa Bay Modeling, this is also an example of how an innovation from one industry can be applied to another. As of today, the new feature is enabled.
Note that the models who are featured in our thumbnails is something that is not the same thing as being a featured model with a featured model profile on our site, but featured models CAN be featured in the thumbnail array, too. The rule for models whom are featured in our thumbnail array will be that they are clients of Aurora PhotoArts Tampa Photography and Design; we are directly affiliated with Aurora PhotoArts, Aurora PhotoArts lead photographer C. A. Passinault is also the owner and director of Tampa Bay Modeling (as well as Florida Modeling Career, Independent Modeling, and Advanced Model), and we are both owned by Passinault.Com. The reason for this strict rule is that it would be a conflict for any other photographer or photography company to be featured here on Tampa Bay Modeling as far as image property usage, and all images used on this site are now required to be from Aurora PhotoArts. Because Aurora PhotoArts is the top modeling portfolio photography company in the Tampa Bay market, and is a leading modeling photography company in Florida, this isn’t a problem, and we will not have any shortage of great pictures of models. Knowing this, if you want to be a model in our thumbnail array, you have to be a client of Aurora PhotoArts. If you’re a featured model, are not a client of Aurora PhotoArts, pay for a featured model profile, and are accepted for publication, it IS possible for the photographs of other photographers and photography companies to be used in your featured model profile, but credits would have to be approved (we have the right to refuse crediting pictures, and would simply put a note that the pictures were not from Aurora PhotoArts), and we would not link to most photographers (We are having serious issues with linking to any unaffiliated external parties from this site, although we are getting lots of people requesting to exchange links; it seems that this would benefit them more than it would us, as they need us more than we need them at this point, and this does not interest us). Either way, models would be required to obtain a full signed release from the photographer or photography company before we could use those pictures on Tampa Bay Modeling, and we would require a copy of any release to be on file with us. Tampa Bay Modeling is a modeling resource site first, and a premier marketing platform for top tier independent models second; this site is not intended to be used to market or promote any other photographer or photography company other than Aurora PhotoArts. We own the site, and we make the rules (just wait until you see the rules being applied to certain events owned by Passinault. No competitors of any Passinault Industries LLC service company will be allowed to sponsor, or advertise from, any Passinault event, and that means all events and productions of Eventi Events and Eventi Stage!).
Keep in mind, too, that, effective immediately, that in order to be a featured model on Tampa Bay Modeling, that it will cost $500.00 per year, and you would have to be accepted, too, or you would have to be a client of Aurora PhotoArts AND be selected for the privilege (selection / acceptance is a standard term, as we are not a portfolio networking site, and we have to be picky about the models whom we feature on our site). With the value of the online real estate of Tampa Bay Modeling (just go to any search engine to see for yourself. We are already positioned first in modeling jobs and just about everything else regarding modeling in Tampa Bay), and the fact that we are more concerned about quality than quantity, which limits competition, it’s worth $500.00 a year, especially when that covers a featured model spot on Independent Modeling and Florida Modeling Career as well as here. The featured model profiles are also cross interlinked with all of our modeling job boards, which means that featured models will be looked at first by companies posting modeling jobs.
Are we worried about not having any models paying to be featured? No. We’re not desperate for models, and we’ll have plenty of models to choose from who are paying clients of Aurora PhotoArts (although it should be noted that, because they would have to be selected, that ALL model clients of Aurora PhotoArts will not be found here; just a select few. Other than the obvious reasons of quality and relevance, another reason for this is that we will not have our site used as a yardstick to gauge the clients of, and the amount of business being done by, Aurora PhotoArts). If a model understands the value of our site, and the exposure, but yet decides to pass, we wish them luck finding a better way to obtain online exposure in this market. Not even top portfolio networking sites (or agencies, for that matter) have our presence, search results, or credibility. Good luck!

Tampa Bay Modeling: Modeling Your Future – 01/23/11
We’ve prepared a simple guide of modeling information here on Tampa Bay Modeling for aspiring, new models, as well as professional models. Tampa Bay Modeling is a free modeling resource site for both independent models and agency represented models, although since, in our opinion, independent models are smarter than agency models, most of the information and tools here on Tampa Bay Modeling are geared for professional independent models. Keep in mind, too, that independent freelance models are not anti-agency, and freelance models do allow modeling and talent agencies to represent them, and to find them modeling jobs. It’s just that independent models do not allow modeling and talent agencies to manage their careers, or to represent them exclusively, especially in the Tampa modeling industry. Independent models use agencies as one of many sources of modeling job leads, and that is it. The reason for this is that modeling and talent agencies do not employ models. Modeling and talent agencies work FOR the models whom they represent. Because the models are actually the boss of the agencies, and the agencies are more like employees (although, technically, they are subcontracted), it would be inappropriate for agencies to manage models and to tell them what to do; it would be like an employee telling their employer what to do. Additionally, allowing an agency to manage a modeling career is a working conflict of interest, in our opinion. How so? Because the modeling and talent agency also works for the competition of the model. Who is this competition? Other models whom they represent, and work for. It would be like a company having salespeople working for their competition, which is a conflict of interest; allowing such a scenario gives the modeling agency an unfair advantage of the model, and enables favoritism, shady politics, unethical conduct, and modeling scams. Thus, Independent models do the smart thing, and only use agencies as a source of modeling job leads, and nothing more. Independent models make the agencies work hard and do the job that they are supposed to be doing. Better yet, the smartest independent freelance models obtain representation from several modeling agencies, and make them compete with each other to give them modeling job leads first. Even better, independent models have leverage over the modeling agencies, because the modeling agencies realize that the model will be booking work without them if they are not on the ball, and they don’t want to be cut out of a booking. The independent freelance model has every advantage over simple agency-only models who allow themselves to be dependent, and to be blindly led, by modeling agencies .
With our older sister site, Independent Modeling, spearheading the independent, or freelance, modeling movement as a worldwide leader in modeling resource site, you may be wondering what purpose Tampa Bay Modeling serves. Tampa Bay Modeling is a regional version of Independent Modeling, as well as a modeling resource site optimized for the special needs of the Tampa modeling market. Although you will find versions of tools here which are already published on Independent Modeling, the tools have been optimized for the Tampa modeling market. Tampa Bay Modeling is also a sister site to Florida Modeling Career, and Advanced Model. Tampa Bay Modeling, Florida Modeling Career, and Advanced Model all tie into Independent Modeling, which is our core modeling resource site; all four sites make up one meta site.
Our simple online guide to modeling your future is a port of a specialized modeling compact flyer developed for Tampa Bay Modeling in early 2010. It is current for 2011, and has a lot of useful information for models.

Tampa Bay Modeling Career Tip 12/02/10 - Smart models know that you never respond to any advertisement in the paper, or on the radio, for modeling jobs (the jobs are bait so they can trick you into buying something; you cannot trust anyone who has to mislead you to buy into whatever they are really selling), but even if a modeling job seems legit, never, EVER pay anything to be considered for any job!
In this economy, many scams uses jobs, and promises of employment, to trick people into contacting them so that they can sell them something. It’s wrong!

Examining Modeling Exploitation Scams. Updated 12/02/10.

Are Models Really Needed For “Major Department Store” Fashion Shows?
Tampa Bay Modeling’s Opinion? Beware of any advertised modeling jobs, especially if the specifics are vague. In a nutshell, read the following if this applies to you, young model, or aspiring model.

1. You are an aspiring model who does not yet have a portfolio or modeling composite cards.

A professional modeling portfolio and quality composite cards.
These are required tools for a modeling career, and there is no doubt of that, that is, of course, unless the model wants to work the low-end bottom-of-the-barrel modeling jobs such as promotional modeling; modeling jobs which are more bodies-to-fill-a-pot and less critical on the looks, or the range of looks, of the model. These tools show your range as a model, which makes your looks more marketable, and are like any investment into tools like business cards, a resume, and marketing material. They also demonstrate your experience so the company booking the model can be confident that the model can pull off the look that they need (What is the model supposed to do - Walk into a go-see / audition and demonstrate every look that they are capable of, with the assistance of a makeup artist, and hope that one of those looks is what they are looking for? Some things you can’t do without, especially since the model will not even get scheduled for consideration until the art director evaluating the models for the job see’s the composite card of the model, see’s a look demonstrated in that composite card which is close to what they are looking for, and checks their resume to make sure that they have enough experience for the job!). You HAVE to have these to work as a model, and this, unlike a model obtaining agency representation, is mandatory (Regardless of if a model is independent, or if they have agency representation, they HAVE to have a portfolio and composite cards to book work, and the more effective, and professional, those tools are, the more likely that the model will book paying modeling jobs). Do you think that any modeling job is going to book you if you can’t demonstrate your range of looks as a model, your experience, or the investment that you’ve made into your professional modeling career? If you were running a business, where time and money is at stake, would you?
Amateurs are not contenders in any profession, and they certainly cannot compete with the professionals who have invested in their careers. Could you imagine the chaos of a business world where people did not have to invest in their careers, anyone could become a professional just by claiming to be one, and amateurs tried to do professional-level work?
It’s not like these modeling jobs are hiring models as employees, either. The models are hired as subcontractors for a single job. There is no “on the job training” in this industry, especially for one-off, high profile marketing efforts such as fashion shows where the job demands that the models are experienced, and that they know what they are doing. That is, if the company wants effective marketing which will result in sales, and if the models want to get paid, and make a living, in their career.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A PORTFOLIO AND COMPOSITE CARDS, AND HAVE NOT INVESTED IN YOUR MODELING CAREER, YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO BUSINESS TRYING TO BE BOOKED INTO ANY MODELING JOB, OR RESPONDING TO ANY ADVERTISEMENT FOR A MODELING JOB OR MODEL SEARCH.
If you’re stupid enough to not read this, to not educate yourself, and you try to book a modeling job, especially one that someone is (obviously) paying to advertise, you DESERVE what happens to you, and don’t cry to us that you were misled and that you were ripped off.
Also, if this somehow offends you, please do us a favor and leave our site, and don’t come back. We are actually sincere about trying to help people avoid modeling job scams, and you owe it to yourself to read what we have to say.
So, you want to be considered for a modeling job, but don’t have a portfolio or composite cards? What do you do? How do you become a model?
Simple. Invest in your career by paying for a modeling portfolio and composite cards from a professional photographer or a photography business who is HONEST about what they are in business to do. Look at their work, ask questions, and check references. Make sure that they guarantee their work for quality.
NEVER, EVER buy any services from ANYONE who promises that they can find you modeling jobs, or who is advertising any modeling jobs. This may be a deceptive, unethical tactic, baiting in models and aspiring models with the promise of a modeling job (a job which may or may not actually exist, as many of their victims never find out), and then turn around and sell you overpriced portfolios and comp cards in order to be “considered” for a modeling job.
YOU SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING TO BE CONSIDERED FOR ANY JOB, MODELING OR OTHERWISE. DON’T BE AN IDIOT, AND DON’T FALL FOR THIS.
Also, never go to any modeling agency before you have a modeling portfolio and composite cards. Agencies work FOR the model, and find them modeling job leads. They are only allowed to make money by referring models into modeling jobs, and that is it. Since they work FOR the model, they have no business telling the model what to do, selling them services, referring them to any photographer, or managing them. Besides, an agency which oversteps their bounds and tries to manage the career of any model is a working conflict of interest, in our opinion. How? Because agencies also represent, and work for, OTHER MODELS, models who COMPETE with your for the same modeling jobs. Is it right for someone who works for you to tell you what to do while they work for your competition?
Additionally, the ONLY WAY to ensure that a modeling agency is making money the only way that they are allowed to is to ONLY use them as one of your many sources of modeling job leads, and that is it. If you allow the modeling agency to refer you to a photographer for a modeling portfolio, you cannot be sure that they are not making money illegally, and unethically, by receiving kickbacks or referral fees from the photographer. Also, if this is how they make money, do you really think that there is any incentive for the agency to make money by finding modeling job leads for models, and by referring models to those modeling jobs?
Also ponder this: If a company is ADVERTISING a modeling job, they are paying money out to run those ads. It is costing them money to advertise. How do they make their money, and how do they make it profitable?
It is AGAINST THE LAW for anyone to make money from referring models into modeling jobs if they ARE NOT A LICENSED MODELING AND TALENT AGENCY in the State Of Florida; Florida State Statutes indicate that it is a FELONY, and it is a CRIME.
If they are not a license talent agency, and they are not able to make money by referring models into the jobs that they advertise, how do they make their money? Can a model management company legally make money by finding and referring models into modeling jobs? Not if they are not a license modeling and talent agency. How about a model search who is advertising modeling jobs? Again, not unless they are a licenced modeling and talent agency!
They are spending lots of money on advertising modeling jobs. Again, HOW do they make their money?
Don’t you think that anyone advertising a modeling job, and who, after you go to the go-see (audition/ casting, whatever it is supposed to be), will only refer you to the job if you buy something, is a little deceptive? Could it be a modeling job scam?
Consider this, too: No legitimate modeling job is ever going to hire a model who has no experience! NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY? We say “No way”!
If you were a business paying models to help you with the marketing that you depend upon to sell a product or service, would you invest in a model who did not have experience? Can an inexperienced model effectively compete against experienced, professional models who have invested in their careers, and who have professional portfolios and composite cards? Also, the people booking models into modeling jobs are not stupid, and they know who the modeling job scams are. Do you think that they are going to take any model seriously who was lured in with a fake modeling job offer that was advertised, and who was TRICKED into paying for overpriced classes and a professionally useless portfolio before they could be “referred” to the “modeling job”? Not only will you not be booked into any modeling job, and not make your investment back, but you will be out a lot more money that you have to invest, and will CRIPPLE the credibility of your modeling career if you fall for any modeling job scam!
Our opinion? If it’s a modeling job, or a model search, which is advertised, stay away. We have NEVER, EVER seen ANY of these modeling job offers turn out to be legitimate.
Also, while we understand the allure and prestige of anyone being considered for a fashion show by a “major department store” in the Tampa Bay area, why is it that, after we call all of the major department stores, that none of them know anything about these fashion shows? Who are these “major” department stores? Can the companies that are advertising these so-called modeling jobs, modeling jobs where “no experience is necessary” (We suppose because the “major” department stores who are putting all of the time and money into these so-called fashion shows don’t know what they are doing, and increase their risk of failure by working with inexperienced amateurs. I don’t know about you, but I’d be leery of working with any business which lacked such business sense!) tell models exactly WHO these “major” department stores are, so that the job can be verified?
Also, when was the last time that you saw ANY fashion show done in the Tampa Bay area where models were PAID for their work, let alone fashion shows which are done by ANY department store?
Don’t fall for false advertising. Do the modeling industry a favor and REPORT IT to the Federal Trade Commission, as well as the media. False and misleading advertising, in our opinion, is FRAUD, and it is a FELONY. Can criminals who have to mislead you and trick you into buying what they are REALLY selling actually do anything for you or your modeling career? We think not!

2. You are an experienced, professional model who has a modeling portfolio and composite cards.

NOTE: This does NOT apply if you are an amateur model pretending to be a professional model, and you have not invested in the professional level career tools that your competition, who are actual professional models, are using. If you have built your portfolio with free TFP / TFCD (Time For Print/ Time For CD) shoots with amateur photographers (No professional photographer is going to work for free, or exchange services with you, if you are an amateur model who is in need of a modeling portfolio. It’s that simple. Why would they give away the store and work for free? Sure, they may say that they are professional, but most TFP photographers are amateur hobbyists or guys with cameras who use photography as a way to pick up pretty girls, or who use photography as a way to take advantage of women. Why expose yourself to risk, and why waste your time? Do you think that photographers who are in “business” to work for free will be able to give you a marketable modeling portfolio which will enable you to compete with real professional models who are smart, and serious enough about their career, to invest in the professional-level portfolio that they need?), you work as a chicken wing waitress in order to “break into modeling” (Hey, maybe you can get breast implants, and lock yourself into a “sexy” bimbo look, which limits your marketability as a model, and make it big on one of the calendars! Yes, that’s the ticket! Don’t blame us when professional models, real models who ensure that their looks are flexible enough to maximize their marketability as a model, and you know what they are doing, take all of the jobs. Limited models will not be able to compete against professionals! Why handicap yourself?), and otherwise compromise in order to market (Yes, we are sure that most businesses will consider allowing a model to represent their product or service if the model has tacky nudes all over the Internet. Sounds like a genius P.R. move to us, and a way to reach your target market without alienating them and costing you business! For those who are idiots, we are being sarcastic here. We’ve known many talented models who sold themselves short, or out, for a quick dollar, only to crippled their marketability, and their modeling career, in the long run. Nothing makes a professional model happier when their competition limits themselves by locking themselves into any limited market!) themselves as a so-called “professional” model.
If you’re not really a professional model, please go up to the first example above, and read it, as it applies to you. If you’re really a professional model, please continue reading.

This is simple. If you already have a modeling portfolio and composite cards, and they have been working for you, you’re not in the market for any services. You’re also among the only models who are qualified to book a modeling job.
If anyone tries to convince you that your portfolio is not good, ignore them, but proceed with caution. Obviously, your composite card and portfolio were good enough to get your foot in the door. If they try to sell you any services, tell them that you are not in the market for services, and that you only wish to be considered for the modeling job that they are advertising. If they give you the run-around and try to sell you something, walk away and report them for deceptive advertising.

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BREAKING NEWS 09/10/10 - Introducing the Model Dominion.
An association of professional independent models from Tampa Bay, Florida.

NOTE: The Model Dominion is an association of professional models who operate within the law to change a backwards industry. What we do is the right thing to do, what we do is professional, and we do not do anything wrong. Everything that we do is legal, and ethical, so please do not take certain metaphors literally. Quite simply, we’re the bigger and better deal, and that’s how we will change the industry. The Model Dominion is NOT a modeling and talent agency, is not a model management company, it is not some lame model placement company which claims to place models with agencies, and it is not a modeling school. Our models are independent, professional models who book work on their own, earning the full rates that agency models would normally earn, while the modeling job and the model save money on the commission that would normally be paid to the agencies. Our models manage their own careers. The Model Dominion is the force of the new modeling industry, that new industry begins here in Tampa Bay, and we answer to no one but ourselves. Agency models who allow their careers to be limited because of their dependence upon agencies, and modeling agencies themselves, cannot stand before us. Modeling scams cannot hurt us because of our knowledge and experience, and we work to restore balance, ethics, and integrity to the modeling industry. Thank you.

The Model Dominion will take the modeling market in Tampa Bay within two years, and begins operations now.
On August 18, 2010, Tampa photographer and modeling expert C. A. Passinault and Independent Modeling formed the Model Dominion, an association of professional independent models which operates out of Tampa Bay, Florida.
The main Model Dominion web site can be found at ModelDominion.Com .
The models of the Model Dominion will force change in the modeling industry, starting in the Tampa modeling market. Literally an army of models, the models will go out, find modeling jobs, book those jobs, and take those jobs away from modeling agencies, and the limited models who depend upon those agencies. Each model will directly compete with the agencies, and faced with hundreds of competitors in the span of a short amount of time, the modeling and talent agencies will be vastly outnumbered, and will be unable to compete. Each job taken away from the agencies, and their limited models, will be another conquest of the Model Dominion. Since our models are top professionals, they will earn repeat bookings, too, further denying the agencies, and the limited agency models, those modeling jobs. As a result, the pool of prospective modeling jobs will become increasingly limited as our models work the market.
Many of our models will work both sides of the fence, and will also allow multiple modeling agencies to represent them, competing with agency models directly, too. The agencies may, or may not know that these models are associated with us, which is up to the individual model, but regardless, it will not matter. Even if the agencies knew that a model was a member of the Model Dominion, they would have to realize that the model is smart enough to book work on their own, and the agency will have to work harder to book our models into jobs, before the model finds the job first and cuts them out of their commission. The models of the Model Dominion have leverage over the agencies, and put them in their proper place, as well as have the advantage over the modeling agency models who remain ignorant by choice; agency models who allow the agencies, which are supposed to work for them, to manage and manipulate them. Agency models will be forced to wake up and adapt to the new market standards, or find their careers adrift.
The members of the Model Dominion will be in three distinct classes. We will have face models, models who are the public faces of our organization, and these models will be the PR head of our organization, also serving as our voice. More commonly, too, we will also have legions of shadow models who are off the grid, and who will not publicly acknowledge that they are members of the organization. These models will be our eyes, ears, and our hands, and will work the market to our advantage. The third class is a specialized class, instructor class. These advanced models and modeling experts, who teach while also working successful careers, will work to keep our body of members educated and informed.
Our operatives have already infiltrated many of the clients of local modeling agencies, and we have spent years preparing for what is happening now. Those clients would rather work with independent models, and cut out the agency middleman. It won’t take much convincing to convince others to book independent models, especially with the deployment of free online evaluation tools such as the Risk Analysis System on Independent Modeling, which will become the main resource web site for the Model Dominion. The Risk Analysis System, or RAS, will be deployed on Independent Modeling, Tampa Bay Modeling, Florida Modeling Career, and Advanced Model, with each version optimized for the target market of each modeling resource site.
That same Risk Analysis System, which will enable modeling jobs to quickly evaluate independent models for professional credibility, will also be used to put the amateur modeling market in its place. Models and photographers who refuse to invest in their careers, building their portfolios with free TFP photography shoots and operating from freebie portfolio and social networking sites, will find that their professional credibility will be crippled. Models and photographers who don’t respect their careers enough to invest in it will be seen for the amateurs that they are because of what they do, and they will be unable to compete with professionals who are serious enough about their careers to invest in it. Those amateur models and photographers will be forced to adapt, and they will be forced to get serious about their careers, investing in real web sites, portfolios, composite cards, and other tools. They will find it hard to book jobs without professional tools, and without being able to demonstrate an investment into their careers.
Likewise, the Model Dominion will be aware of modeling scams and unethical people operating in the modeling industry, and we will work to identify and address these issues.
Balance will be restored in the market.
The Model Dominion will also be doing other projects through our modeling resource sites, such as Tampa Bay Modeling and Independent Modeling. These projects include, but are not limited to, media interviews, which we have been doing already, under Tampa Bay Modeling, since 2008. The Model Dominion web site is currently being built, and will be launched soon.

On Wednesday, August 18, 2010, Tampa Bay Modeling, Independent Modeling, Advanced Model, and Florida Modeling Career initiated a special modeling program which may rival Independent Modeling itself as far as innovation. It will change everything.
At this time, this program is only open to professional models, and it is classified as top secret, with a reveal in 2011. What is it? The princess is in another castle, and her initials are “MD”. That’s all that we can reveal at this time, other than this is something that the agencies have been accusing us, and are extremely afraid of, for many years. It will enhance Independent Modeling, as well as all of our other modeling resource sites. Consider it to be a supercharger, and it will literally change the face of the Tampa modeling industry within a span of two years.
These are exciting, revolutionary times.... unless you are a Tampa modeling and talent agency, a Tampa modeling scam, or one of seven other things. In those cases, we are not sorry.

How to get started in modeling: Pending Feature. We almost had this done, and then a computer crash a few weeks ago wiped it out. We are rewriting this feature, so please be patient.
We will give you this tip for starting out: Get a modeling portfolio and your composite cards done BEFORE going to any Tampa modeling and talent agency. It is against the law for any Florida modeling agency to make money by selling modeling photography, portfolio, comps, or any other modeling career tool. If an agency is set up to make money this way, too, there is no incentive to do what they are supposed to do, which is find modeling jobs for the models who they work for (represent). Agencies work for models, and not the other way around. They have no business trying to manage any models (as they also work for the competition, who are other models who they work for, which would make it a conflict of interest). To MAKE SURE that an agency is not scamming you, and that they are only making money the way that they are supposed to, NEVER allow an agency to refer you to any photographer or service for your portfolio, comps, or other career tools; you can not be certain that they are not making money from illegal kickbacks or referrals. Make them work for you, and make them earn money by finding you modeling jobs, and referring you to them. Also, NEVER, EVER buy any service, modeling photography, portfolios, or composite cards from anyone advertising modeling jobs, like they have been in the paper, and on the radio. They have to be an agency in order to make money referring models to those jobs, and if they are not, there is no incentive to find jobs for the models. Can you trust someone who is not straight-up with you in regards to what they are actually in business to do? If they have to trick you by baiting you with a job offer, and then turn around and try to sell you something, is it right? Modeling scams will hurt the career of any model! Only by services from businesses who are honest with what they do, and what they offer.
In related news, independent models, the long-awaited modeling pay vouchers for professional Tampa models will be up by the end of August, 2010!
Large numbers of updates are coming to Tampa Bay Modeling this fall, including a new modeling scam analysis database, and new modeling scam fighting tools!

Networking in nightclubs? - Party Models

2011

TAMPA BAY MODELING AGENCIES
FLORIDA MODELING AGENCY LAWS

OUTRAGE! Tampa modeling jobs hit a new low!

Article - Modeling and the economy.

PUBLISHED 05/21/11

UPDATED 05/23/11

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