How to Accept the Reality About a Career in Modeling and Acting
The lives of actors and models are usually portrayed as glamorous and extravagant. Unfortunately this is not typical for these professions. Instead, most actors and models have to worksecond and third jobs to get by during times when they aren't booking jobs. Before you commit yourself to a career in modeling or acting you need to understand the reality of what these jobs actually entail.
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Instructions
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Accept the Reality About a Career in Modeling
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Physical perfection is a career must. This means that you will need to be between 5'6" and 5'11" to be a female commercial model and way under 120 pounds, that you will need to be between 5'9" and 6'2" tall to be a male commercial model and way under 170 pounds, or that you will need to be between 5'8" and 6'2" and be between a size 10 and 18 to be a plus-sized model. Symmetry is also important in a model. This means that modeling agents are going to point out every flaw you have on your face and on your body.
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Learn to take rejection. Entering the modeling industry is not easy. The competition is fierce and the type of models getting work is going to change seasonally.
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Accept that pretty isn't good enough to get work. Just because you're pretty doesn't mean that you are right for the modeling industry. Designers and casting agents need to see something special and they need to see that you have versatility.
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Understand that nudity is a part of the job. Being comfortable with your body and being open to posing nude, or just being nude in front of other people, is necessary if you want to be a model.
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Have another job to support yourself. Modeling work is not steady work for most models. Therefore, many non-A-list models have to take second jobs to pay their bills. It can be weeks, months or even years before you get your next modeling job.
Accept the Reality About a Career in Acting
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Know your craft. While there are actors that get roles without ever taking an acting class, if you want a career in acting it is a good idea to take some classes.
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Understand that breaking into an acting career is an expensive process. You will need to pay for acting classes and head shots. You should expect to pay between several hundred dollars and several thousand dollars for these things.
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Prepare yourself for the reality that just because you are a dedicated actor, doesn't mean that you will get work. There are thousands of actors in the world and only a handful of acting jobs. Just think about how many top actors from five years ago aren't working now.
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Create the right image. Physical perfection and style are not just goals of actors, they are career necessities. Without these things you can expect to be rejected a lot by casting directors.
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Become a penny pincher. Actors are paid on a sliding scale based on their experience, the type of role, the production's budget and the popularity of the actor. Most actors earn annual salaries that qualify them as a person who is below the poverty level. Because of this, most actors have to have supplemental income to survive.
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