If you weren\u2019t with us for our exclusive modelling tips workshop with Mark Summers a little while ago, you missed out. Luckily for everyone who couldn\u2019t get tickets (we sold out insanely quickly \u2013 Mark just has *that* sort of reputation), we\u2019re going to share some of his top modelling tips.<\/p>\n
Mark has over 12,000 casting credits to his name, working with some of the biggest names in the industry. He can be a hard man to get hold of \u2013 and when he does run these elite workshops, they\u2019re almost always in L.A.<\/p>\n
Luckily for We Are Models members, we convinced him to hold a workshop in London just for us.<\/p>\n
Here are his top modelling tips for aspiring models and actors.<\/p>\n
\u201cRelationships are everything\u201d<\/p>\n
In the modelling industry, relationships really are everything. According to Mark there are only 10 to 15 casting directors who really make decisions \u2013 so it\u2019s a very, very small world. Get in with the right people and you\u2019re golden \u2013 make enemies and you\u2019ll struggle.<\/p>\n
Mark Summers | Crowd photo<\/p>\n
\u201cToday\u2019s student directors are tomorrow\u2019s Oscar winners\u201d, after all.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to hustle, but never be a hustler\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you really, really, really want it, you have to hustle. You don\u2019t have to sell your soul to the devil, but it is an effing massive slog\u201d, says Mark.<\/p>\n
You have to be proactive in the modelling industry. You can\u2019t just sit by the phone and wait for it to ring. At the same time though, don\u2019t be a pain. Don\u2019t hassle people, but do hustle. Never stop looking for opportunities to build your network, expand your reach and make connections.<\/p>\n
\u201cEducation is the key\u201d<\/p>\n
Learn everything you can. \u201cStop blaming everyone else\u201d, Mark roars. \u201cThe best advice I can give anyone, models or dancers or actors \u2013 take a class. Do a movement class, take an acting class. Anything. Become self aware. Get better, every day\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cKnow your business\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWould you trust a plumber who didn\u2019t know a kitchen sink from a toilet? Would you?\u201d Mark brings up a slide with around 70 names on it: \u201cWho are these people?\u201d he asks the crowd.<\/p>\n
One or two people make tentative suggestions, but the audience are mostly quiet. Mark gives us a few more minutes.<\/p>\n
It turns out they\u2019re top directors.<\/p>\n
Mark Summers | Casting workhop<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know the brands. You know the Coca Cola, the Beyonc\u00e9s, the Brad Pitts, but you don\u2019t know the names of the people who made them famous. You\u2019re not the public! This is meant to be your career. If you don\u2019t know these people, I don\u2019t trust you and I\u2019m not hiring you. That\u2019s why 92% of artistes aren\u2019t working \u2013 because they haven\u2019t taken the time to learn their business\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKnow your look\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I don\u2019t like is people who don\u2019t know who they are, who try to be something they\u2019re not\u201d, Mark says.<\/p>\n
The key to getting booked for jobs is to develop your USP \u2013 to \u201cuse different to your advantage\u201d.<\/p>\n
Mark picks people one by one and gives them honest feedback on their look \u2013 admittedly slightly nerve-wracking, but absolutely valuable insight.<\/p>\n
Mark Summer | hosting event<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of the day, know who you are. Know your market, and stick to it. You can cross over, but don\u2019t try and play someone you\u2019re not. Don\u2019t be scared of what you look like \u2013 the industry is more diverse than it\u2019s ever been before\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t give me ancillary reasons NOT to hire you\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to work with professional, friendly and confident people. Models with attitude are quickly found out and dispensed with\u201d, Mark promises.<\/p>\n
\u2018Professional\u2019 is his key point here \u2013 know what the casting director is looking for, and then make sure you deliver. Bring the right things. Have the right photos. Know the right questions to ask.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why Mark\u2019s workshop was so valuable \u2013 I\u2019m sure most of us had never had the opportunity to sit down with an international casting director while he spelled out, step by step, what made him book someone. As far as modelling tips go, it was an absolutely invaluable experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cHave the right photos\u201d<\/p>\n
The question of photos comes up about mid-way through the workshop: which photographer should you use? What type of photos do you need? How much should you pay?<\/p>\n
The answer, says Mark, is to find a photographer who knows the importance of your look. Look for someone who will work with you, not try to jam you into a mould.<\/p>\n
On price \u2013 don\u2019t skimp on your career. \u201cIf you can\u2019t afford it, give up smoking. Give up drinking. Give up whatever you need to \u2013 this is your career\u201d. Saying that, don\u2019t assume that expensive means better. Finding the right photographer for you is the most important thing.<\/p>\n
On style \u2013 Colour (\u201cwe stopped making black and white films years ago\u201d) and true to life (\u201cIf what I get in the casting room isn\u2019t what I ordered from the picture, I\u2019ll be livid. Don\u2019t create some fantasy version of yourself\u201d).<\/p>\n
\u201cUse social media \u2013 it\u2019s powerful\u201d<\/p>\n
This is something Mark resoundingly agrees with: \u201cbe active on social media. Talk to people. Use it to build the right relationships, and to build your brand\u201d.<\/p>\n
Mark himself is a good example of the power of social media. He gets hundreds of emails every day, but he proactively sets aside time for Twitter. Unlike email, Mark is easily accessible via Twitter \u2013 which has got to be a no-brainer for aspiring models aiming to build relationships.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou!\u201d he points someone out in the crowd. \u201cHim! This guy here. I know him through Twitter. We chat. We have rapport. Nice to see you \u2013 speak to me afterwards. I want to talk to you about something.\u201d<\/p>\n
There you have it. Top modelling tips, straight from the mouth of one of the most important figures in the modelling industry.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t want to miss out on our next Mark Summers event? Need help implementing his advice in the meantime?<\/p>\n
For more interviews, top tips and one-on-one career coaching, join the We Are Models community. You can check out our membership page here and we\u2019ll send you invites to more exclusive events just like this.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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