Internet modeling

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Internet has changed the face of the modeling industry significantly by increasing accessibility. Aspiring models are drawn to online modeling sites, where they have an opportunity to post biographies and photos in hopes of being discovered by a top modeling agency.

Internet modeling sites boast benefits like the ability to be “discovered” through self-marketing, without actually visiting the agencies or going to conventions.

Drawbacks of these sites are the possibility of scams and exploitation. Also, most major modeling agencies say they do not search online for talent since they have hundreds of people knocking on their door every day.^{[citation needed]}

However, there are social networking sites dedicated to fashion models and actors. These sites act as a way for people in the industry to share advice and network with others in the industry as well as showcase their photos. OneModelPlace.com and ModelMedia.com sites that operate like MySpace, but they are dedicated to the modeling and/or acting industries; photographers and talent scouts as well as models and actors are able to create profiles.

OneModelPlace.com host portfolios at no cost for models and at a nominal fee for photographers.

ModelMedia.com offers members the opportunity to make money by offering those with paid memberships a referral payment for each person they encourage to purchase a membership.

There are countless sites on the Web that cater to this industry. Most of them cost money and claim to “submit your photos for review by top talent scouts.” In many cases, a model must pay out-of-pocket for travel to conventions, hotel stays and on-site photo shoots, in which no further contracts or profits are guaranteed.