I get a *lot* of notecards & portfolios dropped on me at random, from people hoping for a modeling job at LapGirl Boutique. I'm not actually looking for any new models at the moment (I've already got a _lot_ of people on my books, and don't make enough clothing to keep them busy as it is!), but I do tend to flick through these portfolios anyway, just out of curiosity.
I'm not entirely sure how many "would-be" models might read this blog, but I thought I'd post a few of my thoughts on what makes a good or a bad model application. I get a *lot* of _poor_ portfolios sent to me - lengthy notecards stuffed full of pics which - to be frank - aren't the slightest bit useful in helping me assess the potential of somebody as a model for LapGirl Boutique. I guess this might be, in part, due to the fact that the information about what a designer looks for in a model just isn't "out there". I wouldn't presume to speak on the behalf of *all* content creators, and maybe some of them look for something quite different. However, this is what works for me...
Falling at the first fence...
I'll get the really obvious things out of the way first:
- Don't use a generic cover letter, when you're IMing me out of the blue. If your notecard begins "Dear Sir/Madam, I am a big fan of your business, and would love to model your products." - with absolutely no personalisation (or reference to my specific business/specialities), then it smells of large-scale spam to me. I'm probably going to ignore it.
- Spell my name, and the name of my business, correctly! For some reason, people seem to love adding the word "s" to LapGirl. It's a small thing... but getting it wrong doesn't make a great first impression!
- Don't tell me you're a huge fan of my products, unless you really *are* a huge fan of my products. Many content creators retains a *lot* of historic transaction history. We can tell if you've barely bought anything from us before! ;) ...Besides which, if you make it through to an interview, you're going to feel pretty stupid when I ask you to "show me your favourite LapGirl Lingerie outfit..."
What I'm looking for in a model:
Basically, by becoming an SL model, you're hiring out your ability to create a pretty and/or visually interesting avatar, and your talent for demonstrating a designer's clothing in the most appealing way.
If you want to do that job for _me_, I'm going to be looking at:
Your shape - do you have nice/attractive proportions? Do you have a realistic, sexy avatar, that's going to look good on my ads? Curves in the right places? A chest size that isn't going to cause my textures to stretch beyond all recognition?
Your skin - does it compliment the style of my clothes? I tend to prefer models with a "photo" look to their skin, rather than flat textures - it just works best with my artistic style. Do you have a range of skin tones/make-up that can compliment the different colours of items that I make?
Your range of poses - can you stand in a way that shows the clothes at their best? Poses that put arms in front of the body (obscuring the design), or strongly distorts any part of the avatar mesh, aren't so useful. They might make you look cool.... but you're here to show the clothes, not your attitude. Your pose needs to show and sell the clothing. Can you do that? Just with a pose?
Can you accessorise? I make lingerie. I don't make skins, jewelry, boots, hair, high heels, tattoos, or anything else that would flesh out a "complete" outfit ... I rely on my models to be able to pull stuff out of their inventory that "makes" the look. If you have the skill to rapidly flesh out a full outfit given just a few starting items, you're going to be a *very* popular model. Show me that you can wear make-up, hair, and jewelry that _enhances_ your outfit.
(as an aside, when I get IMs from customers saying "I *must* have the boots that the model is wearing in the ad for this outfit, can you tell me who made them?" ....*that's* when I know for sure that the model in question has got this skill nailed!)
How photogenic is your avatar? This is - to be honest - something of an X-Factor; some avatars just seem to have it, and others don't .... but there are lots of subtle little tricks that can really make a difference in SL photos. For example, did you know that your avatar's eyeballs focus on whatever object you hold your mouse cursor over? If you hold your cursor over the person who's taking the snapshot, your avatar will be looking at the camera. If you move your eyeballs elsewhere, the whole mood of the photo can change (for better or worse!) ... mastering little tricks like this can make your avatar photographs seem *much* more expressive... this is pretty advanced stuff, but the degree to which the SL camera "loves you" is never _entirely_ out of your control.
Your portfolio...
Your portfolio is your opportunity to sell yourself to me on all of the above points, through the medium of snapshots. Remember that - at times - SL can take a *long* time to rez a picture ... and if you've dropped your portfolio on me without an invitation, I'm probably only going to have the patience to look through 2 or 3 pictures maximum. Sure, if my interest is piqued, I may look through more - but you have to make sure that the pictures I click on first count!
Don't put *any* second-rate pics in your portfolio - a small selection of stunning pics will serve you better than a long, sprawling list of random shots.
If you really think it necessary to include lots of pics in your portfolio, make it clear which two or three are the "must see" shots.
Don't send pictures that have been heavily post-processed outside of SL (soft-focused, sepia-tinted, grey-scaled, or whatever). I want to see your true SL look; the "blank canvas" that *I'll* be working with... not a demonstration of your nominated photographer's mad ph0toshop skillz ;)
The exception to this "no post-processing" rule is any kind of cut-and-paste photo editing that allows me to see several views of you within the same picture. Obviously, this lets me see _more_ of you, with minimum photo rezzing delay... that's a definite winner!
What to wear...
The worst portfolio I ever got sent was a set of two dozen shots, all taken in big, elaborate, prim-heavy ballroom dresses. While these photographs were *wonderful* for showing off the dresses concerned, they were absolutely hopeless for model assessment. Why? Well, basically, all I was seeing of the model in all these pictures was a little bit of cleavage, and her neck and face! (which comprised maybe 5% of each photograph). I had absolutely no sense of her underlying body shape (which was all obscured by bulky prim skirts, frills and ruffles) ... and in virtually every picture, she was wearing the same hair, same skin, same diamond jewelry, and striking the same pose. Why bother?
I'll cut to the chase - from my point of view, the less you're wearing, the better. Put on something skimpy - it means I get a good look at your body shape, and your skin. Yes, I'd also get that if you sent me pictures of you wearing absolutely nothing at all - but, "nudity" is a bit more tricky to accessorise than a swimsuit ... and you need to remember that I'm looking for some indication that you have a flair for outfit accessorisation. My ideal portfolio pic would be a traditional magazine "glamour shot" of somebody in a bikini or lingerie, with appropriate make-up, jewelry, hair and footwear to match. That approach ticks a _lot_ of boxes on my checklist.
(if you're a bit shy about being seen in your virtual smalls... well... you're probably applying to the wrong guy for the wrong modeling job *grin*).
Try to show a range of different skins, hairstyles etc... Different clothes suit different skins, and I want some indication that you can slip between looks to suit an outfit (and a sense that you *know* which skin suits which costume!). Can you do "tanned sassy beach babe" AND "pale demure english rose"? Show how versatile you are, and demonstrate your ability to adapt your look to suit the outfit.
Throwing in a "specialist" look - say, goth, or neko - also scores points on the versatility front; IMHO, it's good to have models for specific niche interests on your roster, and I would assume other designers think that way too.
If you *really* want to score points when applying to model for me, wear one of my outfits. It may seem like a bit of a no-brainer, but I get surprisingly few model applications that include a picture of the "would-be" model actually wearing something I've made(!). Most of the people who were smart enough to do that, also proved to be the kind of smart people who I like to work with, and got the job :)
Final Thoughts...
Earlier on, I used the word "hired" in connection with obtaining a modeling job. That was possibly a bit of a misnomer. In reality, you're probably only going to be "paid" for your work by being given "free" clothing from the designer that you're modeling for... and with the kudos of being the girl up on the posters in their store. That idea might not appeal to everybody - but that's the reality of the modeling situation in SL. This makes it a _very_ wise decision to only apply for a job with designers that you like ;)
You're not going to get rich from SL modelling. Well-dressed, perhaps. But not rich.
And remember, this article is for information only. I'm NOT hiring right now. But other designers are - and hopefully this article will help you with your battle plan when you approach them.
Any other ideas on what makes/breaks a good model? Feel free to comment!
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