Modeling Journey

There are three main ways to contact a modelling agency:

- By post
- By email
- In person

Many model agencies specify which method they usually prefer, but note that when you’re starting out and shopping for agencies, cold-calling is a no-no. The odds of being signed to any agency are slim, but bugging an agency with calls isn’t the way to even out those odds. The key to getting seen is to play the hiring game by their rules. If the model agency you’re after prefers emails, send an email. If another agency holds Open Days, turn up on that day ready to dazzle. Persistence is a valuable asset when starting out in modelling, but use it intelligently and channel that determination.

The first step in contacting any model agency is to prepare some photos. This doesn’t mean spending hundreds, even thousands, on a portfolio. All you need at this stage are a couple of recently-taken photos, one head-shot (head and shoulders, facing the camera) and a full body shot (head-to-toe, again facing the camera). Some agencies also like a profile shot to see how your face copes with different angles - it’s worthwhile checking their websites as they will list exactly what they want.

The key to getting good photos is to keep it simple. Your background should be well-lit and uncluttered – standing up against a plain wall is perfect. In terms of posing, resist the temptation to show off your killer impression of Anna Jagodzinska: for these photos, try to keep your face in a neutral expression – this means no pouting or smiling. It’s harder than it looks and it might be worth practising in the mirror beforehand to know how your face settles naturally and what looks best.

Think of the process as a chance to present yourself as someone who could handle lots of different looks. With this in mind, think about what you wear whilst taking these shots. A simple t-shirt or vest with jeans is ideal: you’re looking to market yourself as that perfect blank canvas, ready to be signed.

In terms of grooming, simplicity is the key: over-working your skin and hair is a rookie mistake. A busy agent doesn’t want to have to spend time scrutinising a photo of someone who’s covered in make-up to see what’s underneath. Keep the skin clean and fresh – no make-up is preferable but a little dab of concealer here and there is fine. With hair, swept back off the face to show your bone structure works well, and it will also demonstrate how light hits your face. These photos are very important, and the temptation to hide behind a comfort blanket of make-up and hair product is immense, but any good agent will be able to tell if you have potential from a couple of simple shots. Once you are armed with a set of photos you are happy with, here’s how you go about approaching an agency.

By post

Contacting an agency by post is fairly straightforward. Send your photos, along with a SAE and brief covering letter (outlining any previous experience and your vital statistics), to the model agency marking it for the attention of their ‘New Faces Division’ (every agency has one).
Your vital statistics will be the following:

- Height
- Chest / bust size
- Waist & hip measurements
- Age
- Hair and eye colour
- Dress and shoe size

When compiling your statistics, it is crucial to be honest. Not only is it good modelling karma, but adding an inch or two to your height, or shaving an imaginary inch off your waist would be a terrible mistake. If you write off to a modelling agency, stating that you are 5’9” when you’re in fact 5’6”, the agent will not thank you for wasting their time when they agree to meet you in person. If you hover between measurements, always state your exact size. There’s no shame in being 5’8” ½, but saying your waist is 24 inches when it’s closer to 25 can make a difference. You want to start your relationship with any agency off on the right foot, and being absolutely honest is the best way to start.

By email

Rapidly becoming the most common method of contacting a modelling agency, many agencies now have their own dedicated page for people who want to be considered for their New Faces Division. If your chosen agency has a page like this, you can directly upload your photos directly onto their website. Many of these agencies will also have an online form you can fill out, adding your contact info and vital statistics. Bear in mind that if the agency likes your photos, you could well be asked to meet with them in person: padding your CV or spinning your stats so they look more attractive to an agency doesn’t work in real life. Modelling is one of the few professions where starting with zero experience isn’t a problem. If you have potential to work in the modelling industry, someone will spot it.

In person

Some agencies have regular ‘open castings’, which anyone can attend and meet with agents to see if they have modelling potential. Usually, if this is an option, it will be listed on an agency’s website with dates and times.

Take this as gospel: if an agency has an Open Day and wants would-be models to attend the agency on Tuesday at 10am, turn up on Tuesday at 10am. Do not assume that the agents will have hours at their disposal to spend looking at new faces; many times the ‘Open Day’ is little more than a couple of hours at most, because time spent away from existing clients and models has the potential to lose the agency valuable income. Therefore, take their time seriously and be punctual. It’s also good training for when you become a model, as time-keeping is as important as having a decent runway walk. If you know you’re one of those people who’s at least 10 minutes late for everything, plan and organise your day accordingly. Adjust the time on your phone so it’s running 10 minutes fast if you have to, and work to that.

If you’re able to get to an open casting, present yourself the way you did during your photos. Think clean, modern and polished. Presenting yourself in this way not only flags up to an agent that you’re someone who’s done their research, but also someone who’s serious about committing to a career in modelling. Don’t forget to bring a copy of your original photos along with you as well, so the agent can see how your features translate on film.

Whatever way you decide to approach an agency, listen to any advice and constructive criticism that’s offered. If an agent suggests you may not be right for a sector of the industry because of your height, don’t automatically give up. If you’re aged 16 or under, it might be worth waiting 6 months before trying again, as you may grow that extra couple of inches which might make all the difference.

However, if you’re about as grown as you’re likely to get, and the issue is that your look won’t fit in a particular section of the industry, you may have to accept that you’re getting advice from someone who knows what they’re talking about. If you’re 5’5” and want to break into high-fashion where 5’9” is the norm, you will have to face the fact that the odds of succeeding are stacked against you. There are always exceptions, especially in high-fashion where tastes and trends change so quickly, but in order to break through those barriers you will have to be truly exceptional.

When you are contacting modelling agencies, accept that rejection is part of the whole experience, and be flexible and open-minded when it comes to looking out for opportunities. If an agent suggests you might be better off exploring another area of the industry, don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations on where to go next. They will know who will be best placed to help you in that search. Don’t give up too easily: it’s a big modelling world out there – if you’re not quite right for one agency, you could well be a perfect fit somewhere else.

HELEN TOPE

Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), better known by her stage name Katy Perry, is an American pop musician. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents; Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her freshman year of high school, she began to pursue a career in music. As Katy Hudson, she released a self-titled gospel album in 2001, which due to the closing of her record label, was deemed unsuccessful. She later recorded an album with production team The Matrix and completed the majority of a solo album from 2004–5; neither of which were released. After signing with Capitol Music Group in 2007, her fourth record label in seven years, she adopted the stage name Katy Perry and released her first Internet single "Ur So Gay" that November, which garnered public attention; but failed to chart. She rose to fame with the release of her second single "I Kissed a Girl" in 2008, which went on to top international charts. Perry's first mainstream studio album One of the Boys followed later that year and subsequently, became the thirty-third best selling album worldwide of 2008. It was accredited platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America, while "I Kissed a Girl" and her second single "Hot n Cold" both received multi-platinum certifications. Her sophomore studio album Teenage Dream was released in August 2010 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The album included hit singles "California Gurls", "Teenage Dream" and "Firework", all of which topped the charts on the Billboard Hot 100 and worldwide. Perry was credited as a guest judge on the seventh series of the British television show The X Factor; has released a fragrance called "Purr"; and will appear in the upcoming 2011-film The Smurfs.
Perry has a contralto vocal range. Among Perry's musical influences are Alanis Morissette, pop rockers Cyndi Lauper, Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, Shirley Manson, and Freddie Mercury, the late frontman of the British band Queen. Growing up listening to gospel music, Perry had few references when she began recording songs. Asked by the producer with whom she would like to collaborate, Perry had no idea. That night, she went with her mother to a hotel. Inside, she turned on VH1 and saw producer Glen Ballard talking about Morissette; Ballard produced Morissette's Jagged Little Pill, the album that had a "huge influence" on Perry. She told her initial collaborator that she had decided to work with Ballard. The producer arranged a meeting for her and Ballard in Los Angeles. Perry presented him a song, and a day later she was called. Ballard developed Perry for a few years.
Perry described her music by saying, "Someone kind of penned it for me the other day, and I've been using it ever since." According to her, she has "changed a lot between the ages of 15 to 23." Her first album dwells on Gospel music. She related that her perspective in music was "a bit enclosed and very strict", and everything she did was church-related. Her second album, One of the Boys, is described as "secular" and "rock," and reflects a departure from her religious musical roots. Perry expects to record more pop songs for her next album.
Perry is artistically involved in her projects, especially in the writing process. Since she could play guitar, she would start writing songs at home and present it to her producers. Perry is mostly inspired by specific moments of her life. She said it is easy for her to write songs about heartbreak. Most of the themes in One of the Boys deal with heartbreak, teen adventure, and "puking into toilets"

Perry was incorporated into her parents' ministry and sang in their church between the ages of nine and seventeen. She grew up listening to gospel music,was not allowed to listen to what her mother called "secular music", and attended Christian schools and camps. As a child, Perry learned how to dance in a recreation building in Santa Barbara. She was taught by seasoned dancers and began with swing, Lindy Hop, and jitterbug. She took her GED after her freshman year at Dos Pueblos High School and decided to leave school in the pursuit of a career in music. Perry initially started singing "because [she] was at that point in [her] childhood where [she] was copycatting [her] sister and everything she [would do]." Her sister practiced with cassette tapes, while Perry took the tapes herself when her sister was not around. She rehearsed the songs and performed them in front of her parents, who suggested she take vocal coaching. She grabbed the opportunity and began taking lessons at the age of nine and continued until she was sixteen. She later enrolled in at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, and studied Italian opera for a short period of time.At the age of 15, Perry's singing in church attracted the attention of rock veterans from Nashville, Tennessee, who brought her there to polish her writing skills. In Nashville, Perry started recording demos and was taught by country music veterans on how to craft songs and play guitar. Perry signed to the Christian music label Red Hill, under which she recorded her first album at the age of 15. Performing as Katy Hudson, she released the self-titled Gospel-rock album in 2001. The album was unsuccessful, however, after the label ceased operations at the end of 2001. She later changed her surname to Perry, her mother's maiden name, because "Katy Hudson" was too close to film actress Kate Hudson. At the age of 17, Perry left her home for Los Angeles, where she worked with Glen Ballard on an album for record label Island. The album was due for release in 2005, but Billboard reported it also went nowhere. Perry was dropped by Island Def Jam Music Group. Some of Perry and Ballard's collaborations included "Box", "Diamonds" and "Long Shot", were posted on her official MySpace page. "Simple", one of the songs she recorded with Ballard, was released on the soundtrack to the 2005 film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
Perry signed to Columbia Records in 2004. However, the label was not amenable with her vision, not putting her in the "driver's seat". Instead, one of Columbia's ideas was to pair Perry with the record production team The Matrix, who was working on an album, to serve as its female vocalist. Although the album was later shelved, she caught the attention of the music press: Her burgeoning music career led to her being named "The Next Big Thing" in October 2004 by Blender magazine. With no album project ongoing, Perry began recording her own. Eighty percent completed, however, Columbia decided not to finish it and dropped her off the label.
While waiting to find another label, she worked in an independent A&R company called Taxi Music. In 2006, Perry was featured in the tail-end of the video to P.O.D.'s single "Goodbye for Now". She made a cameo appearance in Carbon Leaf's video, "Learn to Fly", and in Gym Class Heroes' video, "Cupid's Chokehold", playing the eventual love interest of lead singer Travie McCoy

Perry is known for her unconventional style of dress. It is often humorous, bright in color, and reminiscent of different decades, and she frequently uses fruit-shaped accessories, mainly watermelon, as part of her outfits. Having learned dancing at an early age, she fancied about having her own style. Perry's transformation into an artist began with fashion, inspired by American film actress Dominique Swain's portrayal in 1997 film adaptation of the novel Lolita. She defines her fashion style as "a bit of a concoction of different things". Johnny Wujek, Perry's stylist, described her style, upon meeting her for the first time, as "very colorful and vintage".[64] Her fashion has caught the attention of designers, who were giving her nearly as much attention as fans of her music.
In June 2008, a publicity photo that showed Perry posing with a switchblade was criticized. The picture was defended as only an effort to give Perry a "sexy, harder edge". The criticism leveled at her was mocked by Perry who subsequently posed with a spoon instead.
Perry dated Gym Class Heroes front-man Travie McCoy, whom she met in a recording studio in New York, on and off for several years. After more than a year of friendship and casual dating, they became serious with their relationship right before they embarked on the 2008 Warped Tour. Perry and McCoy broke up in December 2008. The two began dating again in early 2009 and broke up again a few months later.
Perry first met British comedian Russell Brand in the summer of 2008 when Perry filmed a cameo for Brand's film Get Him to the Greek. Perry and Brand began dating after meeting again in September 2009 at the MTV Video Music Awards, where Brand, as host, remarked, "Katy Perry didn't win an award and she's staying at the same hotel as me, so she's gonna need a shoulder to cry on. So in a way, I'm the real winner tonight." The couple became engaged in December 2009 when Brand proposed to Perry while vacationing in India. In a July 2010 YouTube interview, Perry said Brand would be a "perfect" father. Perry has stated that she plans to take dual British citizenship when she marries Brand. "One of the first things I'll do is apply for dual citizenship. I'm not too sure if I have to take a test as I've not had time to look into it. But England is like my second home". Perry and Brand married on October 23, 2010 near the Ranthambhore tiger sanctuary in Rajasthan, India, the same location where Brand had proposed. They were married in a traditional Hindu ceremony.

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff says that if an election is called in the coming months, his party is the only true alternative to the Conservatives.

In an interview with CTV's Question Period, Ignatieff says that a vote for Jack Layton's NDP or Gilles Duceppes' Bloc Quebecois is essentially a vote for another Conservative government.

"What I'm saying is, it's time for Canadians to make a choice between two governing parties," Ignatieff said.

Photography by Kathy Lo, modeling by Ashley Smith@Trump, Aris Sayd and Erik Johnson

Winona Laura Horowitz was born in October 29, 1971 better known under her professional name Winona Ryder. She is an American actress. She made her film debut in the 1986 film Lucas. Ryder's first significant role came in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice (1988) as a goth teenager, which won her critical and commercial recognition. After making various appearances in film and television, Ryder continued her career with the cult film Heathers (1989), a controversial satire of teenage suicide and high school life, which drew Ryder further critical and commercial attention....


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Sienna Rose Miller was born in 28 December 1981. She is an English actress, model, and fashion designer, best known for her roles in Layer Cake, Alfie, Factory Girl, The Edge of Love and G.I. Joe, The Rise of Cobra....


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Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was born in 1 November 1973. She is an Indian actress and former Miss World. Before starting her acting career, she worked as a model and gained fame after winning the Miss World title in 1994. During her career, Rai has acted in over 40 movies in Hindi, English, Tamil and Bengali, which include a number of international productions....


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Olivia Wilde was born in March 10, 1984. She is an Irish-American actress and model. She began acting in the early 2000s, and has since appeared in a number of film and television parts, including roles in the series The O.C. and The Black Donnellys. She portrayed Dr. Remy "Thirteen" Hadley in the TV drama House, and in 2010 starred as Quorra in Tron Legacy....


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