More male models are getting in on the runway action as the market heats up for men's consumer fashions and accessories. Three industry experts explain it all.
With so many gorgeous girls featured in every issue of Pageantry, it is hardly surprising it has a strong male readership. I have been surprised, however, at the increasing number of requests for information in my in-box from young men interested in a modeling career. Many of them had accompanied a sister or girlfriend to a pageant for moral support, and then had been told by an agent or scout that they could be models. Here is a typical question:
Q: What are the requirements and possibilities for guys interested in a modeling career?
A: Basically a man should be 6 feet tall (with some exceptions), and wear a 40 Regular jacket size. Good looks, a well-toned body, great personality, and willingness to travel are also essential. To be successful in fashion work, he must really understand this part of the industry, especially the designers' likes, dislikes and idiosyncrasies. He must also have the ability to project well. Age can range from 17 to 70 and beyond (wrinkles suit men!). There is no equality in pay, however, compared to their supermodel sisters.
On that score though, my research reveals that it is possible for an experienced male fashion model who can do runway, showroom, and fashion print work to earn between $12,000 and $50,000 a month. Sometimes a fashion model can do commercial print and advertising work and make another $20,000 to $100,000 a year. To be in this league, a guy must have a lot of personality, a great smile, pearly white teeth, and perform with great confidence in front of the most critical acting directors and clients. In this commercial category, height is not a requirement if the model is proportioned from head to waist and waist to toe.
Several trends today are driving the male modeling interest. It is very acceptable for men to be interested in what they wear and how they look in clothes, and there is a new trend for men to shop for themselves. An increased number of men's fashion magazines and the burgeoning sales in men's fragrance, hair, and skin-care products have contributed to very lucrative opportunities for men who model. Also, Prince William, who epitomizes the in-look for models in the United Kingdom, and English footballer David Beckham, a fashion icon in Europe who has arrived in the United States this year as a new member of the Los Angeles Galaxy Major League Soccer team, have drawn attention to this market.
I asked several industry experts for their input, and here is what they told me:
Expert #1: Joey Hunter
Former model and actor Joey Hunter, who helped create the Ford Agency in New York and is an international scout, told me: "Guys can work all over the world, but they have to give 110 percent. They have to make it happen."
Asked what type of photographs a man should have, he said: "For their Sed card [which are a model's business card], you need a good headshot, a body shot and a movement shot to show they are not stiff." Discussing his thoughts when he looks at these Sed cards, he said: "I look for the mood and what the guy is doing and the feeling that is coming out of the picture. What does it say about his personality? Then, if I like him, I have to see him, so that I can see his personality. The personality part, the attitude part, is fifty percent of a guy's makeup."
Expert #2: Voloney White
The MAAI success story does not stop there, however. Everyone who attends MAAI-including all ages of males and females-benefits from this convention's seminars, workshops, and industry presentations that are scheduled during the course of the week. These educational opportunities cover many aspects of modeling and acting: How to Audition Using Improv, Techniques, Models Act for the Camera, How to Find Success in Your Regional Market, Runway, and How to Audition for Commercials.
Los Angeles agent Voloney White, who has been in the modeling and acting business virtually all of her life, started Extraordinaire Models and Talent Management, which represents men and women, 20 years ago. Voloney told me: "In general, everything has increased for men in the industry. Working out is the number-one priority for the male model. He must have a six-pack, be good looking, and have some commercial acting training. Commercials are a good way for a guy to make money while he is waiting for modeling assignments. More and more men are becoming interested in this career. One of our very successful models, Tony Brown, was working as a teller in a bank when one of our scouts spotted him. We took him to an International Model and Talent Convention competition, where he was picked up right away by New Faces in Taipei. He has worked steadily for 18 months and has dozens and dozens of tear sheets from Taipei, Milan, Istanbul, and Korea. He is now interested in crossing over into television. A lot of models make the transition into acting."
Expert #3: Patrick Johnson
The MAAI success story does not stop there, however. Everyone who attends MAAI-including all ages of males and females-benefits from this convention's seminars, workshops, and industry presentations that are scheduled during the course of the week. These educational opportunities cover many aspects of modeling and acting: How to Audition Using Improv, Techniques, Models Act for the Camera, How to Find Success in Your Regional Market, Runway, and How to Audition for Commercials.
Patrick Johnson, who has enjoyed an immensely successful career in all dimensions of modeling, made the crossover into acting and then into directing. However, at one point he switched careers and went in to real estate. He told me: "I was burnt out and tired of the rejection." But his new career did not supply the stimulation and creative challenge his mind required. He said: "One day I sat in the office and looked at the people around me and I said to myself, 'I know that I can do what they do, but they can't do what I do.' I changed course again. From that moment my career was on an upward swing in acting, modeling, and television. It is all in your frame of mind. You have got to believe in yourself and be happy in what you are doing. So much of what you are is in your face, in your attitude, in the way you speak, in the way you communicate with people. If you are unhappy and lacking in self-confidence, it is difficult to walk in and get a director to believe in you and want to hire you for a commercial."
Taken with permission from Pageantry Magazaine from the article It's a Guy Thing, Too.
Eve Matheson is the author of The Modeling Handbook , a bestseller in the industry. She has been writing about the modeling and acting world for over 20 years. Her new book Model Scoop And Acting Info provides a wealth of information on how to have a happy, successful, safe career and is now available. Eve is a journalist and the mother of a former international model. She has worked as a model, and in radio and television as a writer and presenter. Eve lives with her husband, Ian, a plastic surgeon, in Tampa, Florida.
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