Hoping this is the correct forum for this! LOL  Here goes~

When you live in a small town and are looking for agencies to represent you, and/or to go to open calls etc....... do they HAVE to be in your state?? Can you live in said state and have an agency represent you from another? I have another year in school and then I can uproot myself, but frankly there aren't any in Missouri that are aggressive enough for me! Thanks!

Generally speaking, you need to be where the agencies are.  There are exceptions to any rule, but to really get bookings, you need to be available to go to auditions.  Agents that offer to represent you from long distances tend to be ineffective.

That having been said, why don't you make the rounds in Chicago.  It isn't that far away.  You've got the age and the height.

You might be able to arrange to spend periods of time there outside your school schedule to hit some go-sees.  They might even be able to "co-op" you to Europe or Asia for part of the summer or during your winter or spring school breaks.  At a minimum, you might be able to establish a relationship for when you graduate.

You are not too young to start shopping agencies.  If you want to make a career of this, you might find yourself moving at some point to NYC, L.A. or Chicago. Remember the younger you start the more likely you are to get signed.

Umm... OK - Alan said just about all that I wanted to say. The only other thing is to check with the state that the agency is in to see what the requirements of that state are. If it requires licensing, make sure the agency is licensed, etc.

Good luck with it.

Marc
UCPhoto

Even if an agency is out of state, or even a long distance away (Dallas, Chicago, NYC) you can still send them snapshots (they don't have to be professional) and they'll tell you whether or not they're interested, and can tell you which photographers to shoot with, if they are interested, for you to get started.
   Most agencies prefer to start their models young, so you have a much better chance of findining an agency at your age, than waiting a couple of years (most professional models start at around 14-18).   They understand about school, and will work with you anyhow.
    Start submitting to the top agencies, and see what they say.

Thanks everybody!

Hmmm submit to TOP agencies??? Thats a scary thought! lolol Yes, I know that getting turned down and doors slammed is all part of this business, just never thought to go ahead and hit the big ones! Of course I'm very competitive, so maybe I shouldn't be so nervous about it!

Thanks for the encouragement!!!

So...are you still coming to Oklahoma sometime?