TONN Model Blog

As a new model, you would often hear people in the industry throw around the words, ‘book’, ‘portfolio’ and ‘tearsheets’. But, what do all these words mean? They’re really not as complicated as people lead you to believe.

Your book and portfolio are really the same thing. They’re a collection of your work as a model. The main purpose is to show clients that you’re an experienced model, that you’re not some new wannabe off the streets. They show that you’re working with an agency; you’re on-time; you get the job done; and people are willing to pay for your services!

Books generally consist of tearsheets, which have been traditionally, as the name suggests, sheets torn out of magazines. These are print work that you’ve done and are printed in magazines. When using tearsheets, always tear out the cover of the magazine they’re in to be included next to the actual tearsheet. Sometimes, the cover IS your tearsheet!

With internet ads becoming more and more popular, models should also put these ads into their books. Some models prefer to get the actual digital photos from the photographer, but this is often pointless because when a client is looking at your book, he may just think that the photo was taken for a test shoot. For web work, I’d recommend printing out a freeze-frame of the page on the website where your photo is found.

Other works to be included in a book may be professional photos from runways, and other prints, such as newspaper ads and catalogs.

When putting your book together, it is important to keep these things in mind:

1. Magazine tearsheets, especially a cover, carries the most weight.
2. Runway and event photos, photos from test shoots, newspapers, catalogs and websites are good to use, only if you’re short on print ads.
3. Just because you like a photo of yourself from a test shoot, doesn’t mean that it should be in your book. Save it for your family album. Talk to your agent, who understands what’s good for your look and market. Before putting anything in there.
4. More is not always best. You only have about 10 seconds to capture your audience’s attention, so only put your best works in there.
5. If you’re with an agency, get the agency’s book with its logo. It let’s the client knows who you’re with and that you mean business. Looks aside, agencies will not work with flakes, so if you walk in with a generic book, it tells the client that an agency has not signed you – probably because you’re a flake.
6. Do not include anything in there that’s over 4 years old. No one cares what you did as a model back in the 90s. We only care whether or not you can get work with your current look.
7. If you are not signed yet, spring a couple of hundred dollars on a professional ‘modeling portfolio cover’. Again, this will add to our aura of professionalism. DO NOT buy generic binders at Staples that are meant to be used for corporate purposes. And DEFINITELY DO NOT use family albums you pick up at Wal-mart (Stage-moms, please take notes of this particular point!!)!

Keywords: Boston modeling agencies, Tonn Model Management, Boston model management, talent agencies in boston, bostn model, Boston fashion models, Boston runway models, Boston male models, Boston female models, Boston modeling portfolios

Posted by TONN at 08:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Naked Truth: Tonn Model Competition 2008 is running without a hitch. The four finalists did a photo shoot with one of my favorite photographers, Kate Mckenna (www.KateMcKenna.com), with Aileen styling the photo shoot. Aileen’s concept was high fashion with men wearing pieces of suits.

The guys looked awkward and weren’t sure what to do with themselves. Their insecurities and inexperience show in their photos. None of them really knew what to do with their faces and their bodies. Brandon resorted to putting his hands up in the air, while James resorted to doing dance moves.

At the night of judging the guys were also awkward and had misconceptions about the competition and working as models. They were challenged to go amongst the audience to solicit votes. Brandon and Aitor were somewhat tenacious, while James and Elvin stood amongst their friends like wallflowers at a party.

This is not the like of a top model. Much of a top model’s success depends on his or her personality and ability to relate to others. I would say James and Elvin failed at the challenge. James was eliminated at the end of the evening.

The following week, Elvin, Aitor and Brandon did a photo shoot with Oliver Klink. The concept of was edgy and hot men in an industrial setting. The photo shoot took place at an abandoned warehouse in the Seaport District.

The guys showed much improvement this week. Their sexuality and sensuality showed through in their photos. Some of the frames were stiff, but for the most part, they looked like budding models.

During judging, Brandon received 5 votes less than Elvin and was eliminated. This was unfortunate given the close call. I would encourage Brandon to pursue a modeling career in commercial and editorial modeling. He’s got that boy next door look that is so much in demand right now.

Keywords: Boston modeling agencies, Tonn Model Management, Boston model management, talent agencies in boston, bostn model, Boston fashion models, Boston runway models, Boston male models, Boston female models, male model competition

Posted by TONN at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Naked Truth, my male model competition, started off with nothing less than drama. I decided to hold the competition at Club Café, New England’s most popular gay venue. The event is also sponsored by EDGE Boston, New England’s biggest online gay publication.

I chose to work with the gay community because they have been supportive of my career. In addition, what other group is better at picking the next top male model in New England than a bunch of gay men?? As expected though, the straight wonnabe models had issues with the venue and sponsor.

There were three in particular, who comes to mind. One was a graduate of a local ‘modeling school’. I put ‘modeling school’ in quotations because I think ‘modeling schools’ are nothing but frauds. I’ll explain that later in a separate entry.

Anyway, this guy, let’s call him F, came to the open call. He was early, which was impressive. When it came time to do his polaroids, he refused to take his shirt off. Aileen, my runway coordinator, explained to him that it was necessary for him to take his shirt off for the polaroid. After all, this is what they do at high fashion castings. After some convincing, he did do it.

His body was impressive. His photos and personal hygiene, were not so impressive. In fact, the judges were on the fence with him. They felt his facial expressions looked the same in all the photos and was, over all, not photogenic. I made the final call and decided to put him in the final 5. To make the long story short, he emailed Aileen telling her how he ‘got a weird vibe’ from the casting. When Aileen forward me the email, I called to leave a message for him to see if he would like to discuss his concerns. I never heard back from him.

I’m not sure to what ‘weird vibe’ he was referring, but I have an idea it had to do with the gay men who were there at the casting, and our asking him to take his shirt off. To this, I’d say - firstly, 90% of the men in this industry are gay. Didn’t they teach him that at ‘modeling school’?? Secondly, if he had a problem taking his shirt off for a polaroid, he has no business being a model. What does he think modeling is? Showing off his intelligence???

The next wonnabe model that I shall discuss; let’s call him R. I must say that I was extremely disappointed in him. I thought he had excellent potential and a wonderful personality. Not to mention a great body. After a couple of unanswered emails in regards to his making the finalist in the competition, I finally called him. He told me he doesn’t ‘think that he would be able to participate in the competition’. I didn’t ask any questions, but I can read between the lines….

Finally, there was G. G called me the next day after having made the final 5. He told me how uncomfortable he was at the gay club. I explained to him that I wasn’t really interested in justifying why we’d held the competition there. I frankly didn’t even see it as an issue and if he did, well, he really shouldn’t be a model, especially at my agency.

G was invited to come to our first photo shoot. He reluctantly agreed. Unfortunately, he was an hour and a half late, citing transportation issues. I sent him home.

I really don’t understand what these guys’ problems are with gay men. Do they think that we all want to sleep with them??? Honestly, this is a business. Until they see it as such, they will never make it in this industry.

Clients and agents need to see guys (and girls) in their underwear because there’s simply no time to waste. We cannot take the chance of a model having unwanted tattoos, scars or flabs. This is the business of beauty. If you cannot be comfortable with your body, then I would suggest becoming an accountant.

Keywords: Boston modeling agencies, Tonn Model Management, Boston model management, talent agencies in boston, bostn model, Boston fashion models, Boston runway models, Boston male models, Boston female models, male model competition

Posted by TONN at 10:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When I was 15, my schoolmate and friend, Amy Dunn, got me to go to a fashion show go-see with her in Houston. That was how my modeling career started. Five years later, Amy became the toast of the Taiwan modeling world, while I became the toast of Hong Kong’s.

She and I have a lot more in common than modeling, however. The other thing we have in common is that we are constantly judged by others based on our looks and our profession as (former) models. People look at us and assume that we don’t have a brain. They speak to us in short sentences. Once they find out we were models, their vocabularies lower even more so. Little do people know that Amy became a Columbia Law School graduate, while I graduated with Cum Laude (that means top 10% of my class btw) from one of the nation’s top liberal arts schools, and entered a doctoral program at Northeastern, and of course, launched the successful Tonn Model Management.

To this day, I fight against the prejudice and misconceptions that people have against models (and former models in my case). It’s no wonder I’m still single. When I go out on a date, the first question people ask me is, “Do you sleep with your models?”. My response is (depending on his profession), “Do you sleep with your patients/customers/clients?”.

Why should people automatically assume I sleep with models I represent?? It’s because they think anyone involved with the modeling industry also dabbles in prostitution and other forms of promiscuous sexual practices. This is the prejudice that the rest of society has on us.

Not only are we seen as high class prostitutes, but we’re also seen as inferior. I was having a conversation with the chair of my graduate department last year, and he said to me, “Oh, don’t own some agency that books models?”. I said to him, “No, I own one of the top modeling agencies in Boston. Mention my name in the industry, and everyone will know who you’re talking about.”.

I wouldn’t say something like, “Oh, don’t you run some little graduate department at some university in Boston?”. So, why would he belittle what I do?? Again, the answer is simple. Society simply does not value what we do.

The final example that I will give you is the reaction I get from model-wonnabes each time I hold a modeling competition. I hold these competitions each year to recruit some of New England’s best raw models. However, about 80% of the people who respond to our open calls turn out to question the legitimacy of what we do.

The women get offended when we tell them their measurements are too large. The men feel violated when we ask them to take their shirts off for polaroids. Unfortunately, as all professional models know, these are standard practices within the industry. If a prospective model is offended by these requests, they have no business being a model. Clients will inevitably ask these things of you, and tell you the honest truth about your looks and measurements.

I wonder if they would feel just as offended if a school tells them their SAT scores were too low; or that they weren’t ‘right’ for a particular fraternity or sorority? The answer is no. It is because society does not feel that the modeling industry is a legitimate one (even though it’s a multi-billion dollar industry). They do not feel that it and those involved in it offer any contribution to society. According to them, we’re all just perverts.

So how is one to handle these misconceptions about modeling? How does one rise above the prejudice and become a respectable, professional model? My approach has always been to treat it like any other profession as it IS a profession. Show up on time. Be well spoken. Be well dressed. Be courteous and well mannered. Have intelligent things to say. And above all, become educated, whether it’s through schooling or just reading. Just educate yourself on diverse topics. Sounds cliché, but information IS power.

Even then, people may still have their misconceptions and prejudice toward you, but at least you will have the strength and intelligence to rise above them.

Keywords: Boston modeling agencies, Tonn Model Management, Boston model management, talent agencies in boston, bostn model, Boston fashion models, Boston runway models, Boston male models, Boston female models

Posted by TONN at 08:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

What do these have to do with one another? Here’s a recent comment to my posts on Sex Tape and Racism.

“Great post, Tonn!  As a sociologist you may well know that people tend to be more accepting of sex scandals and sex tapes in Western cultures.  There's lots of speculation that Kim Kardashian "leaked" her tape for a little cash settlement and publicity (did Paris, her close friend, give her a little push?).

But while Kim and Paris enjoyed more fame (and admiration?) after their respective sex tapes, Hong Kong "pop-star" Edison Chen was much less fortunate when his "scandal" broke out.  His career may even be over...and it doesn't look great for the other movie stars allegedly involved.”

When I was working in Hong Kong as a model, there was a popular soap actress there, who was due to marry into old Hong Kong money. Sounds like a fairytale, but the problem was that the groom’s family, who was very conservative, threatened to disown him if he married her.

You see, models and actors, even in today’s traditional Chinese families, do not hold a very high social status (keep in mind that social status is different from economic status). They are seen no different from prostitutes, selling their looks for a few bucks. So, it’s no surprise to me that the East react very differently to celebrity sex tapes than the West does.

What does all this have to do with modeling? Well, as a model, especially a top model, you are breaking cultural barriers. People may think that models can’t possibly make a contribution to society. Well, these people are usually unattractive people. But aside from that, these people also don’t understand that models are instrumental in defining popular culture, and popular culture is who we are as a society at any particular moment in time.

Keywords: Boston modeling agencies, Tonn Model Management, Boston model management, talent agencies in boston, bostn model, Boston fashion models, Boston runway models, Boston male models, Boston female models, male model competition

Posted by TONN at 06:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)