Your Modeling Profile Sucks (Here's How to Fix It)

A few months back I had the pleasure of casting a model for the cover of my 2nd book. I found Tiffany Britton Rell on modelmayhem.com. Sometimes I go there to find images of people to inspire characters. Back in my text-based RPG days, I mined that site for unusual Played-Bys.

I noticed a few things that drove me crazy when I was on my hunt for a young blonde with light eyes and a certain look. So many people had bad or misleading profile images or a collection of photos that cast them as a type automatically. Don't get me wrong, a type is not bad, but if you're at all open to trying to work outside of that type, you need to be careful.

Tiffany had a great portfolio and a really great profile image. I have some experience modeling, more experience acting, and I have the added perspective of someone who has given paid work to a model found on one of these sites. So today's blog is about just that-- how to set your portfolio and profile up to get paid work off of these sites.

1. Your profile image should be a clear shot of you and your face.
You might LOVE that picture you had taken of yourself dressed as Harley Quinn, you might think that a tantalizing shot of your pecs will draw people in, but when someone has a specific look in mind and they are sorting through 940 profiles, they don't have time to click on every portfolio to see what else they are missing.

Your portfolio can contain artistic images, over-the-shoulder shots, profiles, and extreme close-ups. Your avatar should not be any of those things. Make sure that it is current to your look, not a really nice photo of what you looked like three years ago when you had short hair. Your avatar should give a casting director and instant, clear picture of what YOU look like. Period.

2. Have someone else take pictures of you with a decent camera.
Don't have a decent camera? Get images taken outside in daylight to compensate for poor lighting. Refrain from using "the angles" in a shot you took of yourself. If you can't get anyone to take your picture for you, why would a casting director or photographer want to take your picture?

3. Don't type-cast yourself unless you want to be typecast.
If every photo in your portfolio is an image of you bent over a car in a bikini, that is likely all you will be cast to do. That might make for a lucrative career, but don't be upset if you can't get artistic or high fashion work if your portfolio only shows one thing.

It's like a job interview-- dress for the job you want to get. If you have a portfolio full of vampire role-play images, you will be limited to castings on covers of horror novels. If you are only photographed in sun dresses in a field, you will be cast as sweet girls and never get edgier parts.

A simple photo in a black or white t-shirt is always a good standard for a portfolio. If you have sexy pictures, make sure you have something more conservative so that casting directors don't pigeon hole you as a sexual person.

Variety and simplicity are key. Let the creative people imagine you in the roles they want to fill instead of forcing them to see one extreme.

4. Be active in your photos.
Charisma is far more valuable than conventional beauty. Make sure that you are thinking and relaxed. If you are smiling, don't hold it so long that it looks strained. If your eyes are glazing over, close them and open them right before the shot. Breathe and think and you will become so much more interesting on camera.


5. Select your username wisely.
Putting your age in your username limits your profile to one year of activity. Likewise, putting something like "Vampiress"will type cast you and make you seem unprofessional. This is not an AIM Screen Name. If you want to be taken professionally, be professional. Some form of your name is usually the best bet.

What the following usernames say about a person:

19yearoldboi- Plans to drop out after one year?

nymphomama- Afraid to do porn

koolguy9119- Douche

vampiress- Only wants to do gothic shoots

6. Plan your profile, don't just type.
The profile blurb is basically your resume. It's good to show a little personality, but it's best to be concise and hit upon major hiring points. Hobbies are good in a list because someone might be inclined to cast you based on the fact that you actually play guitar, soccer, or roller derby. Experience is helpful and a list of desired photoshoots might entice a photographer to get a passionate model in front of his lens. It might also give someone ideas.

Lists are a great way to keep things concise and easy to read.


7. Supply as many details as possible.
Measurements, ethnicity, hair color, eye color, etc. should all be filled out HONESTLY. This will help you be found in an advance search like the Browse feature on Model Mayhem. If you have dyed black hair, don't list yourself as a redhead.

Sometimes advanced searches will exclude you if information is missing. If I look for a 23-26 year old brunette with blue eyes, and you don't list eye color, even if you fit that bill, I won't see your images! Fill it all out. Even your weight, ladies.

Also, pink and Kool-aid red hair are not "Red" hair in the sense that anyone would search. Those are "Other."

And I can tell by looking at your picture that you're lying. Don't say you're 190lbs of muscle when you clearly weigh 125. Don't tell me you're 33 if you look 43. Models are cast for what they look like, not the lies they tell.


8. Be clear about your comfort zones.
If you do not want to do nudity, state it clearly in your profile. Also, a great tip I got from Tiffany, if you are not comfortable meeting a stranger at their home studio alone (which you shouldn't be, be smart) you should state that you always bring an escort.


9. Be honest about your age and act appropriately.
Like I said before, if you are 43, do not lie and claim to be younger. Photographers will see, from your photos, how old you really look. If you show up for the photoshoot and you look ten years older because your images are all outdated, the photographer will be mad and it might hurt your reputation.

TEENAGERS-- please do not do overtly sexual images until you are 18. You do not understand how uncomfortable it makes someone over 21 to see a sixteen-year-old girl in a tube top licking a gun. Normal people don't want to cast real teenagers for sexual parts and you don't want those images on the internet in five years if you decide to do something besides model, tend bar, or strip.


10. Be honest. (Period.)
Don't lie. It will always come to light.

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10 Best Cast Characters in the Harry Potter Movies

Another casting countdown. Over the years I've griped and cheered about casting in the adaptation of my favourite book series. Now, as it is coming to an end and we've met all the cast there is to see, I finally put my thoughts on paper... well... on paper if any of you decide to print this post.

The 10 Best Cast Characters in the Harry Potter Movies

(And don't tell me I forgot Alan Rickman. As fabulous as he is, he's wayyyy too old for the role)

10. Sir Richard Harris as Dumbledore

It's really sad that the knighted actor only got to complete 2 films (and he had a double for the second in many places) because he was the perfect Dumbledore. Harris had a sort of whimsy in his Dumbledore-- fitting of a man who likes ten pin bowling and wears purple robes-- and a respect for the character.

He was pressured into accepting the role by his granddaughter, and I'm glad for it. Richard Harris lost his life in 2002 to Hodgkin's Disease at the age of 72.

9. Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy

When they first cast Isaacs, I had a "whaaaat?" moment, because I forgot about things like hair dye. Once I saw him in the costume, I was sold. Isaacs has the sharp nose and the cold blue eyes, but most importantly, he has a silky, sophisticated, menace about everything he does. Isaacs is one of those actors who will always be remembered for his villians.

8. Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort

It seems like an odd choice to cast a man with a larger-than-normal nose as the one character in the book who doesn't have a nose, but CG can do wondrous things these days. Ralph Fiennes was a brilliant choice for the big bad Voldemort because he is a smart, dedicated actor who knows not to take a role in a "children's movie" lightly.

I clearly remember a post Order of the Phoenix interview where Fiennes discussed the particular madness of a man as evil as Voldemort. It would be easy to just play evil, menacing, snarly man. It would be boring. Ralph Fiennes is a great Voldemort for the same reason that Heath Ledger was a brilliant joker. He broke up his script and found strikingly different levels. He snapped between calm and calculating, maniacal and gleeful, and screaming rage like a true psychopath.

Nearly anyone could shave their head and don the makeup to look like Voldemort. His snake nose and bald head are pretty iconic. Fiennes knew that to act like Voldemort, he couldn't just tale the role lightly. He had to embrace it.

7. Julie Walters as Mrs. Weasley

Julie Walters has crinkled brown eyes that show genuine warmth with every smile. She screams motherly affection. And she's a real ginger!

Of course, Molly Weasley is the mother of six rowdy boys, and Julie Walters has the right presence to believably keep six boys and Ginny Weasley in line. When she snaps to scolding, we all turn our heads to check for our mothers. When she fawns over Harry, we all can almost imagine the smell of that dinner in the oven.

Presence. Sincerity. Warmth. Julie Walters is a perfect Molly Weasley.

6. Brendan Gleeson as Mad-Eye Moody

Brendan Gleeson kind of reminds me of one of those dogs with the muscly shoulders. He looks like a pug or a pitbull. Maybe he's capable of warmth and affection, but he's much better at scowling and scaring off cats. 

The same goes for Mad-Eye Moody.

Gleeson is a revered, talented actor. Like Ralph Fiennes, he didn't say "Kid movie!" and slack off. He's committed to making sure that Mad-Eye is the same gonzo, paranoid guy he is in the books. He looks the part and he plays it well.

5. Natalia Tena as Nymphadora Tonks

The right age, the right look, and my God, her voice is wicked cool.

4. Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid

He's like a big furry teddy bear. Robbie Coltrane is another one of those actors who has a genuine soul that exudes warmth. Sure, I've seen him play mean and menacing, but he's so lovable as the simple half-giant.

Coltrane has been with the series for all eight movies, but he never seems tired of the role. He has kept up his commitment to the character. It's a good thing. I think he'd have to look over his shoulder for an angry Dianne Rowling if he butchered her favourite character. I think Hagrid might not have survived the Battle of Hogwarts if JK Rowling hadn't feared that very same thing.

3. Dame Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall

The fact that she has been Knighted should tell you that her acting ability is not in question. Maggie Smith has a tendency to be cast as stern women (I first saw her as a strict nun in Sister Act). She continued the type with the no-nonsense McGonagall.

It's easy enough to be a tight-haired teacher. Maggie Smith was sure, from the start, to make sure that McGonagall showed hints of compassion through her tough exterior.

2. Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange

Bellatrix is crazy, dark, and evil. Who better to play her than Tim Burton's baby mama? When Helen McCrory dropped the role due to her pregnancy and Carter filled in, I was ecstatic. Voldemort is the big baddie of the Harry Potter series, but I would rather be locked in a room with him than Bellatrix Lestrange.

Carter actually managed to make her character more maniacal and bipolar than Voldemort. Combine that with her frizzy hair, unusual beauty, and big dark eyes and you have one absolutely spot-on casting for the role.

1. Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood

When I first saw photos of Luna I thought that she looked freakily like a younger version of my room mate.

Then I saw this video. She IS Luna. Rather than talk about it, I'll just let you watch it.

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Lost in Reality Set Diary: Day 14 (My Last Day)

As my blogger profile says, I am a teacher, writer, and an actress. My BFA is majoring in Performing Arts and while I haven't done paid work since leaving the Boston area, I am currently involved in an exciting local Birmingham film project, Lost in Reality. LIR follows Angelo, a struggling actor who gets himself roped into a drama-centered reality TV show where he has to play the part of "The Animal." Unsatisfied with his life, Angelo decides to change directions when he meets Maggie, a down-to-earth girl with a great family.

I play Maggie.

We've been filming on weekends since March and today was my last day. I should really have kept a set diary the whole time, but it's never too late to give you a glimpse of the experience.

I was on set for 6 long days (Day 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 14) With the exception of Day 1, I was on set each day for 10-12 hours. While it was easy to pour myself into bed after those long days, I have to say that even 12 hours working on a project I'm passionate about is easier than working 4 hours in retail.

Last night I made the horrible mistake of touching up my hair color at the very last second. After going to see Thor I decided to pull out the dye I had bought 4 days ago to make sure that my sun-blonde highlights were back to a fiery copper. The bottle on the shelf had been mislabeled and I ended up staying up late trying to come up with strategies to hide my hair and worrying myself sick about continuity.

The photo to the left shows my hair wet because after wearing a hat until 1p, I had to wet it to tame it for my last on-camera appearance in the film.

Today was Day 14, the Duck Pond day and also time to pick up a few shots we didn't get when we filmed at the Maggie's house location. I headed to Mountain Brook for 9:30a and was, as always, way early. I'm chronically early. It's a good thing unless you're the one who has to explain to the guard at the gated community what you're doing there.

For those not familiar with the greater Birmingham Metropolitan area, houses in Mountain Brook have a reputation for being grand like this (see right). That's not the house we filmed at, that was the neighbor across the street.

The Mazer family has been kind enough to let Bernadette Chapman's cast and crew invade their back yard and their picturesque little lake that they share with a few other neighbors. The cast and crew were there last weekend to film some shady bedroom business and made friends with a duck we've named Jett (more on that later).

This pond was the setting for our picnic date and also for a scene at the end of the film where Maggie comes to meet Angelo. There is a running joke about the ducks at this pond.

Angelo feeds the ducks in this scene and believe me, they loved it. Our ducky friends were named after members of the reality TV show cast after we realized that one adorable duck had a poof of feathers on his head that mirrored the haircut of the character Jett, Angelo's friend on set. Jett duck was greedy, hogged the crackers, and was always trying to waddle into the shot. He actually walked right up onto our picnic blanket in the middle of the scene. I'm hoping this is in the blooper reel.

We put our PA on the task of duck wrangling. Thad's a real trooper.

You can sort of see Jett's poof in this cell phone shot. He's the white duck. The Mallard next to him is named Memphis after another character in the film.

The other excitement of this scene, aside from the ducks and the inconspicuous hat (which was at least a way to sneak a very subtle Harry Potter reference into the flick as it was my special July 16, 2005 hat from volunteering at Barnes & Noble), we had to deal with a beautiful but territorial swan.

I'm not sure if it's a he or a she, but we named it Natalie Portman for the obvious Black Swan reference. As long as we kept Natalie Portman fed, he/she seemed alright but there were a couple of times that Natalie Portman challenged Corey Merrida with a display of impressive wing span and Natalie Portman hissed at me because I didn't throw a cracker fast enough.

After the shoot at the duck pond we headed over to the other side of town to Lee Green's house to pick up some outside shots from last month. Between shots we had to wait for nightfall so we played a game of touch football. I admit that I got a little dehydrated and was boiling by the time I quit. Moody (sound) and Kyle (camera, not my Kyle) showed us some game and I caught a touch down pass that knocked me over.

We finished off the shots and said goodbye. I'll be looking forward to seeing those guys at the wrap party!

Follow our progress on the Lost in Reality Facebook page.

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