Expert: Michelle Renee Krehl - 3/31/2010

Question
Hello, my name is Madeline and I am 12 years old. I am an aspiring actress, model, singer, and dancer, and my dream is to be on Broadway and in movies and TV shows. I have many questions about the business and I felt you were both knowledgeable and polite about this particular topic. In advance, I am terribly sorry if this message is long but I have a lot of questions. Here they are:

Here is about me-I am 12 years old and blonde and very tall. As of right now I am 5 foot 7. Therefore people have told me I would make a great model and I am interested in the business. I live in Rochester, NY, just over 5 hours away from NYC. I also love to act, sing, and dance. I just started taking dance lessons but I am only taking a ballet class for that is all my mom could get me into mid-season. I do have a 4 year background in gymnastics though and I am VERY flexible. I have done 4 plays as both chorus roles and leads. I keep telling my parents that I want to be an actress, but all they say is "be excellent at your craft." I don't know how much of that I can do on my own. I was thinking about voice, piano and acting lessons. I already play the flute and have dance lessons. My dad said I could audition for TV shows and movies in NYC, and even miss school to do so. But my family will NOT be moving there, since my dad HATES big cities so I haven't even asked. I already have a great voice (not to boast, I just want to tell you the background) and I'm a good actress. My dancing skills are decent, but I would still consider myself a beginner. How can I get started with my career? I have a few questions about acting/modeling.

-How is it being a model? Is it hard, is it a long day? My mom's friend used to work in the business and she said there is a lot of waiting around. Is it fun anyway? Also, if you have like acne or bad skin, even moderate, they cover it with makeup right? Or do models have to be perfect (I doubt it but still). Also, how can you tell if a model/acting agency is a scam? Are there agencies who work for clients in both modeling and acting at once?

-Do I need voice and acting lessons and an agent right away, or should I get a few more shows under my belt before I get them? I might be willing to wait a year to go big, because in my opinion, if I really want it, I'll wait. I really skipped the whole child star thing, though, since I can easily pass for 14 or 15 even.  I would be more of a teen star.

-What is the average day like for teen actresses/models? I know it is hard work, but is it fun, too?

-How to modeling/acting casting calls work? Do you send in your resume and headshot and then they call you if interested, or are there open calls? What do you have to prepare?  

-Would I have to move to LA or NYC just to audition for things, or could I just stay there every once in a while?

-How is it in a photo shoot/movie/TV show set? What is the environment like?

-How do I convince my parents to let me go out and be a big time actress? I'm trying, but they seem to think that my enthusiasm is fake and this is just a phase of wanting to be famous. How can I convince them that it is real?

Thank you for your time! I'm sorry this is long. Please answer and help me get to my dream.

Answer
Madeline,

I will try to address as many of your questions as I can to the best of my ability! I definitely am more comfortable dealing with modeling questions, and some acting ones more than singing and dancing, which although part of entertainment, have standards and processes that can be a little different than those for modeling. (for instance, most singers, dancers, and actors have had or need to have training, lessons, or coaching, and models DO NOT EVER HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL FOR IT!)

As far as modeling goes, if you are already 5'7" at age 12 there is still a chance you may grow the inch or two more that you need for (fashion) modeling. Teen models can be of your height, and if you have the look that a legit agency is seeking, I certainly think that you should check it out, as long as your parents are willing to take you around for castings and go-sees which would be in the city, should you get signed.

Scams want you to pay them money, that is pretty much the tell tale sign. A legit agency will sign you for no cost. The only thing you need to pay for on your own would be a test shoot and comp cards. You should be able to test with whatever photographer you choose, but a good test can run you @ $500 with a makeup artist and hair, etc., but this would be something you pay the photographer and assistants, NOT THE AGENCY. Agencies often recommend good photographers and that is fine, but if they want to shoot you themselves, that is not the proper procedure. Good agencies in NYC are Wilhelmina, Elite, Ford, Click, etc. There are many more, but those are good places to start, and all represent girls your age, either on the women's board or in a teen/children's division. I have not seen a pic of you, so I cannot judge.

The work can be fun, sure, but yes, there IS often a great deal of waiting. Waiting around can be boring, but bring a book or something to do (I often check email or play a game on my phone!) but sometimes you can chat with the other models and pass the time. Getting hair and makeup done can take a long time too sometimes. Days shooting for clients doing catalog type work can be very exhausting, sometimes shooting dozens of pieces very quickly, time is money!!! That is why it is important to get the shot as quickly as possible, to move on to the next one, girls who are slow, or who complain, rarely get rebooked.

Good skin is important, and yes, they can cover up a zit or 2, (everyone gets them sometimes!) but overall it must be smooth and free of scars. Good skin, teeth, and hair are very important. And yes, many agencies represent models who also act. But if you want to act more than you want to model, you will need a separate theatrical agent.

Your agent sends you out on castings, most times the client has asked to see a certain amount of models (maybe on a particular time they asked to see all the light eyed brunettes) and other times they ask to see all the models of a certain size or age, and sometimes they see everybody! There are also times you can get "directly booked" meaning you get the job just from seeing your photos. The best preparation for castings is to know what your look is and stick with it. When you go to castings it is best to look fresh and fairly natural, and be friendly but not overbearing.

A TV or movie set can also have lots of waiting while they prepare the lighting and the set, and it is important to pay attention to when they are actually shooting, as you have to much more quiet than when shooting pictures in modeling. There are also many more people present when shooting for TV or film in most cases.

Living where the auditions are is very important. If you are serious and want to go somewhere with it, yes, most likely at some point you would need to be closer to NY or L.A., especially for acting. There are other cities that have modeling opportunities, such as Chicago, Miami, Dallas, etc., although not as many jobs as in NY or L.A..

Realistically it is most important to finish your education and any agent will tell you that as well. If you are serious and really enjoy it, continue taking dancing classes, and maybe voice, and and if possible, take a class in commercial acting as well, it is a good place to start. (community colleges often offer these), and continue participating in school productions. These careers do take a great deal of hard work and persistance, and sometimes require more patience than the average 12 year old has, so I am sure your parents want to know you are dedicated before changing their lives to suit something you may tire of after a few months.

I would start out by contacting some agencies and seeing when they see new potential models (either through open calls or by submitting photos by email or mail) and taking it from there!

Best of luck!

Michelle