Getting
into the Entertainment Business as a Fitness Model
Part 1---Getting started
By Kenny Kassel
Photography by Lori Smith
So you have
worked hard for years honing an outstanding physique and you would really
like to use your looks and physique to start a career in the entertainment
industry. There are opportunities performing as an actor in films, television
series, and appearing in commercials and print advertisements. You will
notice that I said you would really like to start a career as an actor
and model, because if you want to be successful in these endeavors, you
have to really want to do so. In fact, you have to want to do it more
than the thousands of attractive people who arrive in New York and Los
Angeles every week to "make it" in the entertainment industry.
If you are not absolutely positive that you want to do this, then don't
get started. It is a very hard thing to do. I wish I had a dollar for
every person from the fitness industry who told me that they are going
to be the next Arnold, or women who told me that they are going to be
the first "female" Arnold. There is only one Arnold, but you
can make a very good living as an actor or a commercial actor. Please,
for your own sake, make sure that you REALLY want to do this. If you REALLY
do want it, then at least give it a try, so that you won't live your life
and find that you are unhappy when you are 65 years old, wondering why
you didn't at least give it a chance. You must be very focused, and goal
oriented. If you live in Montana, and you want to stay there, find another
line of work.
A Bit of History
The Motion picture industry has been around for over 90 years, and television
broadcasting began in 1948. Up until the end of 2001, there has been approximately
800,000 hours of network television that has been aired since 1948. For
the first 25 years there were basically the 3 major networks (CBS, NBC,
and ABC) however now we have a few hundred networks available, and we
are rapidly approaching 500 channel capability. When we have that many
channels, there will be between 3 and 4 million broadcast hours needed
to fill those 500 channels, each year.. That will provide many more opportunities
for actors, not to mention approximately 14 minutes of commercials for
each hour of broadcasting for commercial actors. In the Motion picture
part of the industry, there are hundreds of films that are being produced
these days in all genres of films (Comedy, Drama, Horror, etc.) Eventually
there will be thousands of films made each year.
How to Get Started
If you want a career in film, television, or in commercials, you really
need to be where most of them are filmed, which means Los Angeles or New
York. If a career as a film or television actor is what you desire, Los
Angeles is really where you need to be. I meet many fitness models who
live in other parts of the country who have done some modeling in their
hometowns, and that is a good for training purposes, but if you really
want to make a career out of this, you must be where the majority of the
work is done. The first thing you need besides ability, are great photos
of yourself. For acting or commercials, you need an 8 X 10 inch black
and white head shot. This shot is the most important thing to have. The
first step in finding work is to submit your head shot.at an audition.
If your head shot is not really good, you will never get to the second
step. Your head shot has to be properly lit, and your hair and makeup
need to be done perfectly. The photo should showcase your looks and charisma.
Charisma and presence are what casting directors notice. The people who
have charisma and presence will stand out. If your photo is not good,
it generally means either you are not photogenic, which obviously is a
problem, or that you are not professional enough to get good photos done.
A head shot for acting is different than one for commercials. Most models
who are going to pursue acting, will also pursue work in commercials,
so if you plan to do both, you will need a head shot for each area. A
good photographer will be able to shoot both photos for you, but there
are photographers who specialize in each area. The acting head shot tends
to be more dramatic than a head shot for commercials. The next article
in this series will get into more specifics about each type of photo.
I will also address doing a zed or comp card to submit at auditions or
to provide with the help of your agent..
Step # 2 Finding
an Agent
One of the
most common things I hear from fitness models is that they have think
finding a manager is important to them. What they really mean, is that
they need to find a good agent. Let me explain the difference between
an agent and a manager.
An agent's job is to find work for their client (you) doing commercials,
or in film or television work. Many agents specialize in one area. Agents
who specialize in film and television are called theatrical agents. Those
who specialize in finding work in commercials are called commercial agents.
Many agencies have a number of agents, one or more of each in all areas.
It is not uncommon for successful actors to have 3 different agents, one
for theatrical, one for commercials, and one for print advertisements.
An agent in the entertainment industry will earn 10% of the gross earnings
you receive for each job they get for you. If you do not earn money, the
agent does not receive money. Any agent that tries to get money from you
without getting you a paying job is someone you do not want anything to
do with. Talent agencies must have a license to operate, and each agent
must have a license as well. These licenses are issued by the state government.
They come from the Division of Consumer Affairs of your state Government.
If you are approached by an agent, or agency that is doing something that
you think is fraudulent, you should contact the Division of Consumer Affairs
of your state Government to find out if they are licensed, and if they
are, you can and should report them. Your agent can also negociate contracts
for the jobs that they get for you and may also collect payment for work
that you perform.
A manager is someone who guides and directs your career. They dont get
the work for you, but they should work with your agent to make sure that
you are doing the work that is best suited for your talents. They can
also help you manage your finances, and assist you with publicity. A manager
will receive a percentage (it could be anything from 10-20%) of everything
you earn. You will notice that they earn a piece of everything you earn.
What this means is that you really only need a manager if you have a successful
career. If you are working all the time, and have a good working track
record, then you need a manager. If you are first starting out, and are
not a working actor that gets work all of the time, then you do not need
a manager.
In part 2 of this
series, I will get into more specifics about agents, such as Union agents
versus non-union agents and exclusivity. I will also explain what happens
at an audition, and what you should and should not do at an audition.
Another area that I will discuss and explain is how actors and talent
are paid when they do theatrical jobs, commercials, and print advertisements.
Another topic I will address is training, such as acting classes. Finally
I will address web site agencies and some of the more common scams that
victimize talent who do not yet have an agent.
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Kenny
Kassell has been a promoter of fitness and bodybuilding events
since 1987, including the world reknowned Women's Extravaganza Championships
(WSE). He is also president/owner of KIK, Inc. a multi-faceted company
that acts as a fitness consultant to the entertainment and advertising
industry. He also owns Beauti-Fit Talent Agency, a full service, licensed
Model and Talent Agency that represents many of the best women in
the fitness industry. Kenny also functions as business manager for
Don "The Dragon" Wilson. You can reach Kenny at BeautiFit@aol.com |