Richard Bamidele Eko
Mr Richard is not a model, but as modelled twice like he always says. He is a photography consultant and C.E.O Sigma, a marketing firm. He was a one time marketing manager of Kelechi Amadi Studios. He worked with Kelechi Amadi Obi for six years has a project manager. He also was the marketing manager for Mania Magazine, a fashion and lifestyle magazine owned by Kelechi Amadi Obi.
He talked about: Business Etiquette and Investment Opportunities for models.
He described a model as an individual who can metamorphose to something else. Then he conducted a test, where he asked three questions:
(1.) How much money do you want to make between now and the end of the year.
(2.) How much do you want to save from your income
(3.) How much do you want to earn or have in your deposit when you are done with modelling professionally.
There are three ingredients required to achieve this feat: (1.) Attitude (2.) Personality (3.) Skills (4.) Patience (5.) Communication skills.
If your genuine interest is modelling, you need to research and know what you are going up against. Change is coming to Nigeria, you need to be ready for what is coming.
Take modelling as a serious business. Be serious about it, believe it, analyse it, and express it. Have the passion and interest.
Be disciplined and professional, don't be fake. Get educated, education has a way of fusing in and helping you. You need to know and learn how to relate with people, your personality grows, most modelling jobs you get are from referrals. Have a nice attitude, know when to talk and when not to. Be yourself. Define your relationship when on set, be on time, clients will take note, there is no excuse for being late. Being on time is professional, clients takes note of these little things. Learn to say I'm sorry when you are wrong.
He also talked about agencies. Models please you need to belong to a good agency who will represent your interest well if you want to get jobs. Be conversant with your agency. As a model signed to an agency, you need to be loyal, anything that has to do with your modelling career, discuss with your agency.
For instance, where an agency books a let's say mtn job for its model, then after the job, the same model goes for an airtel casting, gets picked and is used for the job and the agency is oblivious about it. The breach is detected and the two brands take themselves to court over a model, the agency is caught in between. That gives the agency a bad name and the only way out of such is the agency changes its name. This shows total disregard for the agency and negligence on the part of the model. I know of an agency doesn't allow any of its models who has a signed contract under it to do any other job except those provided for by the agency.
As a model, you can destroy an agency. As a model, you have to be very professional. I saw one BC recently about a banking advert casting were the client said if you have done any banking job this year, do not bother coming for the casting, this is to prevent instances I just mentioned above. As a model, do not try to model for two similar brands, it gives your agency a bad name and might backfire on you as a model. Get things right.
Then he talked about clients. There are situations whereby a client enters into a contract with a model that the model shall work for the brand for a number of years and such model is not allowed to work for any other client. It happens.
When your agency sends you for a job or casting, you need to ask for the brief. A brief is a description of the job or casting, for a casting, the type of model needed whether dark skinned or light skinned, tall or short, what size and for a shoot, the theme behind the shoot storyline, location. When you have knowledge of the brief, you go prepared. Asking for the brief shows competency and professionalism. Modelling is straight forward but easy for those that have it at heart.
As a model signed under an agency, you have to be pro active. A model who is sharp, smart and has done her research. A model that researchs goes out of her way to find things out. A model should be creative and flexible.
A model's greatest weapon is her portfolio. The best way to get work is to create work. Create a portfolio, do not wait for an agency to do that for you. Find an upcoming photographer, make up artiste, designer, stylist, hair stylist, location manager. This incurs little or no cost because you guys are all upcoming, rendering services to each other, are looking for a way to get into the industry and are in a way helping one another. Then after that, ask known photographers for a test shoot, although this is not an easy task because most of these photographers are most times busy. But if you can send them good pictures and prove to them that you are worth the time, they will make time for you. Then add your best pictures into your portfolios. When you create a team, it influences you positively. Creativity comes to play when you merge together.
Final words: when you entered school, there were no jobs, when you leave, there will still be no jobs, it is the creativity you make when you are in school that will help you when you leave. When you fail now, you will not know how to fail again. Make mistakes now that you are in school.
He also advised models not to drop themselves or to stoop so low because we want to get a job. He said something that 'a man forgets the girls he slept with, but never forgets the girls he did not get the chance too.' The guy you refused to sleep with today because of that job that the pay is just 30,000 naira might recommend you tomorrow for a job that cost 1 million naira because you set your standard, you gave yourself worth and you did not sell yourself cheap. So models, no matter what do not let desperation take over.
Sign under a good agency, emphasis on good so you don't find yourself in situations like this. If you are yet to join an agency, get a team and create a portfolio.
Thanks all for reading please keep voting The Model's Workshop here webxpresstech.com/WAFA/nomination.php thank you.
Watch out for the next session and please keep sharing...
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