Uju Chimezie
Uju Chimezie is a top Nigerian model. She was a nominee for best promising female model of the year 2010 and a contestant of Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 2012. She was the first speaker for this session.
She defined Innovation has recreating something for it to become beautiful. If you as asked as a model to model for a bag of garri, you have a duty to make that bag of garri stand out. A model needs to stand out all the time, know your worth and learn how to organise yourself. When you are going for a casting, go with your black heels, do not use makeup, use lip gloss but not lipstick, do not do brows on fleek, try and be as plain as possible.
Requirements for Castings
(1.) Do not apply powder
(2.) For female models, if you are on your period, carry with you extra sanitary towels.
(3.) Try as much as possible not to have a body odour so you don't wreck the designer's outfit. Carry along a deodorant.
(4.) Learn to shave
(5.) Know the brief for the casting before you go for it
(6.) Don't be desperate, know your limits and category
(7.) Train yourself. Everyone has their features which makes them stand out.
(8.) Not every job is for every model, learn to accept rejection.
(9.) You need to know the brief of a job you are going for.
(10.) Signing under an agency is important. The period you are not signed under one, use that period to train yourself.
(11.) Know why you are modelling, think of renumeration too.
(12.) Work with professional photographers.
(13.) Know how to take care of yourself and be well organised
(14.) Never fall to inferiority complex. Don't think because you are not tall, you are not good enough as a model. Kate Moss is like 5'7, but she is one of the world's top model. She might not be as tall as many of her colleagues in the modelling industry, but her pose game is on fleek. (What I learnt from her that where she was deficient in, she made up in other things. So next time someone tells you you are not tall enough that you can't make it as a model, tell them, 'tell Kate Moss that.') Know what you can do as a model, do not sell yourself cheap.
Kelechi Amadi-Obi
He is a top Nigerian photographer and the publisher of style mania magazine. He has worked with top brands in Nigeria and his works are known internationally too.
He continued from where Miss Uju stopped. He talked about things he looks out for when casting models. A model is someone set apart from the crowd. If someone says you look like a model, that means there is something about you, the way you come across sets you apart. As a model, you are you, no one can take your DNA away from you.
For advertising and Fashion modelling, a tired model cannot be booked. Take good care of yourself. Make sure you sleep well a day before a shoot.
Like all other professions, for modelling as a profession, you need to acquire the necessary etiquette. If a casting is by 8:00 am, come 15 minutes earlier. Coming late to a casting or shoot is unprofessional.
As a model, most of the time, you are required to be in front of a camera. The worst thing to do as a model is to ask the photographer how you should pose.
Posing is a movement, like dancing which is continuous. Posing is an art, you have to learn it, it is a performance, like a skill. You as a model tell a story through your dance. You interpreted the brief by the movement of your body. All the time, you have to be composed, clients look at demeanour. Modeling is the outer expression of your inner self. Get a mirror and practise your pose in front of the mirror.
Get a portfolio that is professionally done. You can get a portfolio done by either shooting with a photographer or sometimes when you do a magazine shoot. A portfolio must be done in stages, don't be in a rush. It must be targeted to an audience as well. Target your portfolio to a market. Most times, clients do not need to see you physically, your portfolio should speak for you.
ALEX NWOBEDI
She is a model, a legal practitioner and face of sleek 2011. Her discussion is very useful and important to the Nigerian Modelling industry.
The Nigerian Modelling Industry hasn't been able to reach international modelling standards.
She also talked about the impact of an agency on the career of a model. An agency can be the best thing or the worst thing that can ever happen to a model. The modelling industry is not that big for a lot of models in Nigeria. Also there is no organised body regulating models in Nigeria. 10 years ago, some models were being paid a certain amount of money for shoots and fashion shows. Forward to 10 years after, models are still being paid that same amount.
A model needs to be exposed, be self motivated. Motivation comes as a result of curiosity. What will last for every human is the brain and the works of your hands. Most models are so desperate and want to make it at all cost. Most models are to desperate to ask questions and do things the right way. Most times, your personality matters. You have to find out what you have to do as a model.
If we have a unified body as models, we will move forward. The modelling industry in Nigeria is static. Models in Nigeria are supposed to get the same recognition has actors, musicians and celebs I.e. models not being used as brand ambassadors.
Most models are so ignorant as educated as they are they only care about the fame. We models in Nigeria need to come together as a unified body. Most times people see models as prostitutes because of these people who are so desperate to be famous has given us a bad name. Some even use modelling as a cover up for prostitution. If we have a unified body, we will be able to separate the real working models from those who are not actually models.
Models should get royalty for pictures and works done. Royalty means an individual should not use your picture without your permission. You should be paid for every picture used outside that purpose you shoot the pictures in the first place.
When signed under an agency, make sure you have a contract and review the terms of the contract and make sure its something you can live up to. If you do a shoot, there has to be a contract to make sure the pictures are used only for the purpose for which the pictures were shot.
Models are supposed to be treated as working class and part of the labour market. They are supposed to have health care pensions and pay taxes.
Then I asked a question about people who ask models to pay for jobs. This year alone, i saw adverts about two fashion shows who asked models who may be interested in working for them to contact them, but they have to pay registration fees. The first is 500 naira and the other 2k. I had to call them and ask them to give me reasons why i should pay to work for them, the reasons were not legit. The facilitators could not believe when I told them. Kelechi Amadi Obi said the easiest way to catch a model is to tell her you are a modelling agent. There are modelling agents and pimps, try and investigate and verify their claims.
Do not pay anybody to work for a fashion show, for castings or pay modelling agencies. What you should pay for is modelling competition forms or beauty pageants forms, catwalk training, portfolio developments, shoots in some cases which is part of portfolio development.
There are some modelling competition or beauty pageants you shouldn't even pay for. Pay for the legit and certified ones. Google them biko, if you do not see anything about them, not even a website or anything about them on blogs, please i beg you, take your money elsewhere. Also check out their facebook or instagram to see their past editions and contestants. Not the ones which looks like the organisers are looking for a way to make quick money. Be Careful.
I'm sorry it took me so long to post another session. So keep checking for more sessions, thank you.
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