Hello Ravishing Readers!
I recently had a chance to sit down with the ever beautiful and charismatic Kyla Francis, Creative Director for True Colours Model and Talent Agency, one of our amazing ANTM Live exhibitors. Kyla shared some reflections on the nature of the talent and modelling industry today and told us about her roots in the business and her vision for the future of her boutique agency.
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| Kyla Francis, Creative Director at True Colours Modelling and Talent and two of her models |
How did you get started in the business?
I grew up in the industry, my sister is a fashion designer and my brother is a director, he directs videos, commercials and films. I helped them on set, producing fashion shows and organizing talent. I never thought at the time I would be in this industry although I have a very strong media background. I am a writer at heart and went to University for Literature and Creative Writing. Ultimately I would have liked to be on beach writing a novel! My journey took a turn when I had my daughter and of course, every mother thinks her child is the cutest, so I went to different agencies and found it was not only expensive to get involved but it was also difficult to get her representation because of her ethnicity - black - many agencies weren’t taking on that type of talent. Bearing in mind this was ten years ago, the landscape of the talent and modelling industry was different. It was then I decided I could do this myself and I started to gather all my friends’ children and began my business.
You describe your agency as being ‘urban’ what does that mean?
For me, urban equates to diversity and we'd like to bring that diversity into the media - so it can be reflective of our society. We live in this melting pot and it is important to try and bring different ethnicities to the forefront of the industry so we are seen and heard in the wide variety of roles. I find that there are a certain amount of actors being reused over and over again for diverse roles, while there is a huge pool of talent not being brought into castings. For example, you see typical nuclear families but there are so many different possibilities out there. There are always typical roles that actors from diverse backgrounds are pigeon holed into - taxi drivers, thugs, waiters, bouncers...while there are shows like ‘Flashpoint’ and others that present more variety. There is a need for more lead roles that are open to ethnic talent.
My goal for True Colours is to remain an outlet for actors and models of all varieties, ages and ethnicities to be cast in roles in film, television, theatre, runway and print.
What is the first step to getting represented?
It is important to get professional pictures taken. Your look book/headshot is what will get you into castings. The pictures need to be high quality, but beware of places that take advantage and over charge you. Making sure that you contact a reputable agency that will work with you is also important. My best piece of advice to working in this industry is for talent to trust their Agent. Agents are dedicated to getting you jobs so they can benefit as well, so if you have a good quality agent, you will never go wrong. A great agent will always have your best interests at heart.
Thank you to the wonderful Kyla for taking the time to speak with ANTM Live. Make sure you come to the show and check out the ‘True You Casting and Style’ zone - An Insider's Access Destination. For more information, please visit: http://truecolourstalent.com
Until Next Time My Glamazons!
Cecilia J
Great Article
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