AGENCIES BOOSTING THEIR L.A. PRESENCE
It’s a perfect day for modeling.
The bright afternoon sun warms the faces of Rosemary Ryan and Eric Osland, two members of L.A. Models who are strolling down Santa Monica Pier, showing off clothes that will appear in an accessories catalog for Saab motor cars.
Contrary to the stereotype of frenzied sessions in which a crazed photographer alternately barks and coos at his models, Matthew Barnes clicks away calmly and methodically, despite having the shoot intermittently interrupted by passing bicyclists and skateboarders.
“I’m a low-maintenance model,” laughs Ryan.
The casual scene belies the intensely competitive nature of the modeling industry and similar scenes are occurring with increasing frequency throughout L.A.
In 1999, there were 6,569 production days for commercials and 6,393 for photo shoots in Los Angeles, according to the Entertainment Industry Development Corp., up sharply from 1993, when there were 4,838 production days devoted to commercials and 3,051 for photo shoots.
“Miami had a moment because it’s close to Europe, but it has become overused,” said Heinz Holba, who founded Hollywood-based L.A. Models 15 years ago. “No serious agencies are based there because they fly in models.”
L.A.’s growing popularity
While New York and Paris still dominate the world modeling scene, more than three dozen modeling agencies now operate in Los Angeles, including the Ford agency and Elite, the world’s largest modeling agency.
Among the factors attracting agencies to Los Angeles are the area’s brilliant sunlight (which is one reason the film industry took root here), as well as the proximity to the mountains, ocean and desert providing flexibility to art directors who often have year-round shooting schedules.
“L.A. has very versatile terrain,” said Russ Noe, creative director of the Voyager Group, a Newport Beach marketing and branding company that hired L.A. Models for the Saab shoot.
L.A. also is on the cutting edge of a trend that features a more exotic look a mix of Latino, Asian, Caucasian and African American. “It could be Latina-Japanese or Irish-Japanese,” Holba said. “It’s an exotic look that people are asking for.”
Of course, it also remains the center for natural, athletic-looking models, which seem to be more favored these days than the waif-heroin look that originated on the East Coast with models like Kate Moss.
“We want nothing that looks static,” said Vanessa Rose, president of the Voyager Group. “We want a look that says lifestyle and what people do on weekends. These models bring a sense of animation to a page, maybe because they are animated and hungry to succeed and passionate about their work.”
Silver-screen dreams
More and more young models have come to Los Angeles with the hope of transitioning into films no doubt fueled by the success of former models Renee Russo, Liv Tyler, Andie MacDowell, Sharon Stone, Kim Basinger and Cameron Diaz. And modeling pays a lot better than waitressing.
“Models can wait to be actresses,” said L.A. Models’ Holba. “But now you have a lot of actresses who want to be models. When things slow down, modeling pays the bills. Modeling allows you to turn down things (film or TV projects) that you don’t want to do.”
To capitalize on the trend, Holba has opened a theatrical agency, L.A. Talent, which represents many of his models for acting jobs in feature films and television.
But modeling can pay just as much, or even more, than TV and film work $2,000 to $3,000 a day, on average. A star model can earn between $30,000 and $60,000 a day anywhere she works. Superstars like Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer and Stephanie Seymour can charge even more.
Holba charges his models 20 percent of their fees, which is the industry standard. L.A. Talent charges 10 percent, just like the William Morris Agency or any other Hollywood talent agency.
“We pay them and then we chase the money (from clients),” Holba said. “A model’s biggest concern is getting paid every Friday. A lot of them have been burned.”
The formula seems to be working, for both the modeling and talent agency businesses.
In 1999, L.A. Models generated $8 million in revenues, a jump of 18 percent over 1998, while L.A. Talent saw $5.5 million in 1999, a 10 percent increase. Holba estimates the two companies will have similar increases this year.
Despite the glamour and big money that many models can earn, modeling remains a tough business. It’s a world of constant and painful rejection. “Ninety percent are rejected,” Holba said. “And if you make it, you have a short life span in a very competitive business.”
So what are the two keys to success? It’s 50 percent looks and 50 percent personality.
“You have to get along with people,” Holba said. “You have to be disciplined. When you go on a shoot, you are often working early in the morning and everybody is cranky and high strung. A model has to be in a good mood. They have to learn to compromise or they won’t survive.”
