We all have skills and talents, whether we’re aware of them or not. Showcasing your abilities can help others to understand what you’re capable of, whilst setting you apart from others in competitive situations such as modelling. Sharing your talents can add a touch of uniqueness and be a personalised journey into who you are.

Models Direct is shining the spotlight on skills and talents as unveiling these could help you positively drive and move your modelling career forward. Some skills and talents might make you question how they could connect with modelling but as we walk through some popular examples, we’ll also provide potential scenarios that could match them in the modelling world based on our 30-year plus experience as a reputable modelling agency. Let’s take a look!

Some key skills you could let an agency know about are:

Public Speaking

Whilst most people might shy away from speaking in front of others, maybe you don’t. Maybe you thrive on communicating with an audience with presentations. If you do, let us know. We might be placed with assignments that might mean pitching in front of a live audience.

Sales Skills

Can you drive a successful sale with your persuasive abilities? Maybe you have a knack for selling products or services as a sales pro. If this is you, you might be put forward for promotional work out in public to help make a brand visible and instigate serious sales.

Customer Service Skills

If you’re a wizard at providing awesome service and taking into consideration customer needs, then this skill is one that our agency would love to know about. With this, you might be cast in a TV ad, reading a dialogue that demonstrates good customer service skills, and because you’re already a pro, it’ll translate more naturally on screen with you!

Knowing a Foreign Language

Being able to speak, write, read and understand another language is an excellent skill to possess. A client may select you to read dialogue or engage in conversation with others in a particular language that you’re proficient in.

Ride a Motorbike

With the know-how of riding a motorbike, we’d like to know as some clients have approached us with scenarios that involve riding this vehicle for filming or an action photo shoot. If you’re one of the 1.34 million people with a registered motorcycle in Great Britain, then don’t forget to inform us!

Now moving on to hidden talents. Here are some examples that you might have that we’d love to learn about.

Musical Talent

Whether this is playing an instrument, singing, composing music, or dancing, could be any of the four or all of them, why not let our agency know? You might be booked to showcase one or all of your musical skills for campaigns.

Artistic Skills

The ability to draw, paint, or create visually appealing art is another skill you might enjoy exploring. If it is, let our team know as you might be booked for a creative adventure using your artistic skills.

Cookery Skills

If you love cooking and whipping up great meals and treats, then enjoy your talent with us! You might be put forward for food photoshoots, or perhaps TV ads.

Martial Arts

Are you skilled in a division of self-defence? Karate? Jiu-jitsu? Judo? Whichever one you’ve mastered or are quite skilled in, again, let us know.

You might have some magic tricks up your sleeve, be into sports, know how to do the best impersonations or connect with animals well. Whatever hidden gems you have, let us know because we’re interested in widening your chances of being booked by clients!

For models and talent, agency jargon can be confusing and difficult to understand what it really means. You hear the words ‘searches’, ‘portfolio views’, ‘shortlisted’, used lots when speaking with your agent, but you are maybe left feeling a little confused and unsure on exactly what”s happening.

This blog explains what a few of these modelling agency terms mean, it may seem obvious, but if you are new to the industry this isn’t always the case!

‘Clients’

If you are a registered model with Models Direct you may well have viewed our extensive client list – our client’s are brands, companies and industry individuals who have contacted the bookings department and we have provided models and talent to for their latest photo shoot, commercial or advertising campaign.

‘What is a ‘Search’?‘

At Models Direct there is a team of booking agents who’s job it is to coordinate modelling assignments from beginning to end. When a client contacts us with a brief, our booking agents will create a search from our database of models and talent that fits the criteria the client has provided. The talent criteria can vary hugely depending on many factors including, location, budget, looks, experience, etc. Once the search is complete it is then sent to the client for them to view and consider.

‘ePortfolio’

This is your online portfolio, think of it like your modelling CV. This is what clients will view when you are put forward to them in a search so it needs to look the best it can be, it can be the difference of getting selected or not! As a model with Models Direct you will have your own log in and password to access your ePortfolio online, this is so you can make sure it includes all the relevant information, your contact details and measurements are updated when need be. It’s also incredibly important to make sure your photographs are current and of a high quality, often client’s will select models without a casting or audition, simply from ePortfolio’s so it’s essential yours stand out above the rest!

‘ePortfolio Views‘

This is the amount of times your ePortfolio has been looked at by a client. If you find that you have had a high number of views, but are yet to be shortlisted selected for an assignment then perhaps you might review your ePortfolio and make sure it is showing you off in the best way. A member of the Models Direct team is always very happy to look through it with you and will offer and help and advice where they can.

‘Shortlisted’

This is a very exciting time, if you have been shortlisted for an assignment then it means you are one of the client’s favoured options for the job! When a client receives a search they will then create a shortlist of the talent they think would be right for the role, at this point a member of our bookings team may well contact you to let you know you have been shortlisted and find out your availability and give you some information about the assignment to see if you are interested in it. At this point the job is still not guaranteed, so do not change any of your plans or make travel arrangements – there will be time for this if you make the final selection.

‘Castings’

Castings are just like an interview, they are an opportunity for the client to meet you in person to see what skills you have depending on the job. A casting will often be held if the the client is looking someone for a speaking role or a very particular look which you can not determine from just an image. Castings are unpaid and the work is not guaranteed, this would be explained to you if a member of our team contacts you regarding a casting opportunity.

‘Assignment’

Assignment is the term used for the modelling job, the nature of the job can vary from photoshoots, fashion shows, films, TV, commercials, the list is endless, but they are all referred to as modelling assignments.

For any other modelling questions please visit our FAQ page where you will find lots more helpful modelling info!

NEW YEAR, NEW START….. or are new year resolutions not your thing?!

It’s that time of year when we reflect on our own highs and lows of 2018, what we did well, where we could improve and what we still would like to achieve, big questions, but do we need to make such big changes??

It’s good to take this opportunity to make a plan for what you would like to achieve in the year ahead, whether that be in your personal life or career goals, possibly both, however stay true to you and remember everything takes work!

It’s an exciting time of year at Models Direct, our models are keen to update their online portfolios with new content to represent themselves with, it’s a great time to make sure your portfolio is the best it can be!

If you have a talent or have always liked the idea of working in the modelling and entertainment industry then 2019 might be the year for you to join an agency and be represented to clients across the UK and Internationally, who know’s what new and exciting opportunities it may bring you!

New faces are applying to join the Models Direct books, maybe it’s the year they’ve been waiting for to kick start their modelling career or maybe have decided that this is something they have always wanted to do, however you have found Models Direct we can’t wait for you to join us in 2019.

This is also the time of year where business’s plan their marketing campaigns and commercials, set budgets, time frames and start looking for the new faces they need to promote their products or services, the Assignments team are chatting away wishing all our regular clients a Happy New Year!

Models Direct has an exciting year ahead, having been established for 30 years we work hard to stay ahead in what is an incredibly competitive and ever changing industry. 2019 will see diversity in the modelling world and the team here couldn’t be more ready to embrace that….bring it on!

Whatever your resolutions are for 2019 be proud of what you have achieved so far, follow your dreams and dare to dream big…..

Happy New Year from the Models Direct team x

Male Model Herb has successfully been selected for numerous assignments with Models Direct ranging from an extra for a Nokia commercial to a photographic nursing home shoot! He’s travelled the UK with his modelling work and earnt a nice income along the way – check out what Herb has to say about his time with Models Direct so far…..

“It is getting more and more difficult to find superlatives for each assignment I receive from Models Direct. The latest a journey to the East Midlands to take part in a brochure photo shoot for a retirement home. My fellow models were Emma, we had worked together on other projects and Kristina who I worked alongside for the first time. The shoot was to highlight the activities available for residents. These were various but two stand out – one was planting up a garden plot with flowers, Emma and I working together, and the second where the delightful Kristina introduced me to the intricate game of chess.  We were very lucky as the weather was sunny, if not very warm and the shoot very well organised. Now retired from full time business, I have been working with Models Direct for over four years and each assignment has proved to be a really enjoyable experience, just try it and find out for yourself. As ever thank you Molly for finding me the job.” –  Herb

“Working with Models Direct certainly helps you see the UK, north south east and west and on this occasion the north, a trip to Castleford in Yorkshire. Until then all I knew about Castleford was they have a Rugby League Football club but I had no idea of the warm welcome I would receive when I arrived at Overview Studios for a photo shoot for Symphony Kitchens. The success of any shoot depends on everyone working together and on this occasion it certainly was the case and it made for a very enjoyable day in Castleford. It was a “family “ shoot and my fellow models were Patricia who I have had pleasure of working with on other occasions and a real life family unit of Garry, Jessica and their three year old son Maxie who is a star in the making, together with the Production Crew, Leanne, Nina, Josie, Toby, Chris and Johnny, all the shooting was done against a green screen and then the CGI background inserted another first for me and what we saw looked great. So, thanks to all my new friends in Castleford and thanks to Molly who put me up for the job.” – Herb

“What an enjoyable day! One of the most interesting things about working with Models Direct is the diversity of locations. As I was travelling back from my latest assignment I started to think about the locations where I have worked.
Holiday Parks, Arboretum, Hospital, Posh country houses, Retirement
Villages, Care homes, Bed manufacturer, Furniture Manufacturer among
others, but today was something different, Reading Railway station, they say
variety is the spice of life in which case my working life with Models Direct is
pretty spicy.” – Herb

“This assignment was very different to any of the above, one of thirteen, all of
whom were a pleasure to work with, we spent a very interesting day on a
video shoot up and down the escalators, singly or varying group sizes, in
alternate wardrobe, you could think it could have been boring but it certainly
wasn’t primarily due to the great companionship of crew and talent, great
day all around.
Once again thanks Molly for giving me the chance of enjoying my working
day so much.” – Herb

“Well, well, I have been working with Models Direct for four years and been to many locations but this was very different, a Casino, and it was very interesting.

Unlike most shoots where you may work alone or with another two or three colleagues, today there were fifteen and it was pleasure meeting and making new friends, although I didn’t get to meet everyone. The ambience of the Casino was quite different to other locations and in a strange way both exciting and interesting, for one reason it was open and working. The shoot itself was again different to any other I have done, but that is what makes working for Models Direct such a pleasure, you don’t know what it is going to be but you do know you will enjoy it and get paid for enjoying yourself.  Once again thanks Molly, more please.” – Herb

If you are interested in being represented by Models Direct click here