Q. You have worked extensively in both the Philadelphia/New York markets and the LA/Hollywood markets. When it became time to start your own agency what factors went into the decision to return to our area instead of staying in LA?
To be completely honest, a big part of me wanted to stay in LA. I loved it there and was doing very well. I was working for clients such as American Apparel, PacSun, Under Armour, and many more. However, the East Coast is my home. And it will always be my home. I always wanted to start my own model and talent agency, but it needed to be the right time. So I think the biggest answer to this question is timing. It was the perfect time in my career to start my own agency. In addition, many models, actors, and even clients were telling me that it was the perfect time to return to the East Coast to start my own company. A lot of talent were unhappy with their representation and wanted something better. Models and actors wanted an agency that was honest, reputable, had great connections, and had a deeper work experience. And I knew I could be just that.
Q. The LA Film and TV markets are much bigger than the east coast. What kind of breakdown do you expect for Vie agency between Modeling/fashion compared to TV/Film?
Every market is different. And like any company, you have to go where the money’s at. For any agency, the money is always in print. And while TV/movies dominate LA, print dominates almost every market. For Vie, we’re hoping to make most of our revenue in print. While runway shows are fun, they don’t pay a whole lot. In fact, a major print campaign can easily pay ten times the amount of a runway show. As for on-camera work, Philly brings in a lot of industrials, commercials, and pharmaceutical jobs. So we’ll be pursuing those bookings as well. Overall however, we want to target the NYC, Philly, and DC/Baltimore markets. Therefore, we’re never limiting ourselves to just one city. This is exactly why we’re located in NJ.
Q. At Philly Model Magazine we often meet Models and aspiring Models who aren’t tall enough for most Runway Work. Would you discourage these Models from fashion altogether, or do you think there is a chance to do fashion without doing runway?
While I hate discouraging anyone from this business, you do have to be a certain height in order to do things like runway. This isn’t up to me. Instead it’s up to my clients. It’s a lot easier for a client to have one sample size then several. That being said, there is work to be had for those men and women who are a bit shorter (like myself). Instead of doing fashion, I always tell these people to do on camera work and print work. Not only do these divisions make more money than runway, but talent have a longer lifespan in these areas. So in a way, being shorter can sometimes be a blessing in disguise. You just have to point your career in the right direction.