South Florida Talent and Modeling Community

We love our new colleague - All-Star Locations!

lspamer — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 18:05:00 GMT

Lisa Collomb, president and owner of All-Star Locations, is our new colleague in the Entertainment world. We at Boca Talent look forward to our partnership with Lisa. [H]...(read more)

Burn Notice premieres tonight!

lspamer — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 21:44:00 GMT

Congratulations to Paul Caesar, who landed a role on Burn Notice. It premieres tonight. Be sure to watch Paul at 9 p.m. on cable channel USA.

If you're in the neighborhood, hang out with Paul at Cathy's Fishtails, 3355 NE 33rd St, Ft. Lauderdale, 33308. He's invited Burn Notice's Casting Director, Ellen Jacoby. Other actors, Natalie Kahn Toewe and producers will be present. Here's another chance to promote Burn Notice and help keep production in Florida!

Gossip Today

lspamer — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:13:00 GMT

Aug 1, 2008

Vanity Fair has revealed its Best Dressed list for year 2008

Two political wives made the list: Michelle Obama and First Lady of France Carla Bruni has also made the list.

Choices that don’t surprise: Kate Middleton, Sarah Jessica Parker, Diana Taylor, Evelyn Lauder, Zac Goldsmith, Daniel Craig, Matt Lauer, David Beckham, Karl Lagerfield, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Don't know about you, but I'd rather see the Worst Dressed list.

And congratulations to Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and to People Magazine for scoring the first public pictures of the couples newborn twins Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon.

That should be quite a spread. Look for People on stands Monday.

And were you sad to hear Kate Hudson and Lance Armstrong broke up? Did you even know they were dating for three months? Weren’t you weirded out that she went out with him in the first place? Come on, he is Owen Wilson’s best bud. Remember how she dated Owen for a while? A strange trio all around. Who will she date next? Do you care?

Hard at work or barely working?

lspamer — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:10:00 GMT

Don't you wish the summer would hurry up and leave?

Or that your agent was calling for everything from Burn Notice to a SAG casting? But they're not. Well. Because it is summer. Sigh.

If you are one of the lucky ones and working, keeping busy - we would like to hear from you. What's your magic? The Secret? Rune stones?

Seriously. We want to know.

Burn Notice may film in Florida another year

lspamer — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:12:00 GMT

What is the owner of Boca Talent and Model Agency up to these days?

Natalie Kahn Toewe, the owner of the agency, is doing all she can to keep the production of films and TV series in Florida.

For that, Toewe attended the Miami City Commission meeting Thursday, July 24th. Toewe was doing her part to keep the production of the USA Network’s hit TV series, Burn Notice in Coconut Grove. The cast and crew use the Coconut Grove Expo Center for production of the series, but the city commission would like to tear it down.

She was one of many who showed support for keeping the Expo Center intact - at least until the end of shooting the third season of Burn Notice in 2009. Ellen Jacoby, the casting director for Burn Notice, actors, and another agent were some who protested the demolition of the site that will make way for a park.

The real danger of Burn Notice re-locating lies in the hands of the Commission as they are the ones who will decide when it will be destroyed. That decision could come at their next meeting. On Thursday the Commission approved the city's $165 million Coconut Grove Waterfront Master Plan, but has not yet approved a beginning of construction date or demolition date for the Expo Center.

While the commission tentatively decided they would allow Burn Notice to shoot the third season at the Expo Center, sadly the series could receive a better offer to shoot season three or four in another state.

That's pretty much everyone's thought when it comes to filming in Florida these days: fewer and fewer are choosing to do it. In part that is because the State Legislature's new budget for 2008-2009 revealed a major slash for incentives in the film industry. The other is because other states are now offering the same or better incentives that Florida used to command.

Toewe, however, is banding together with others in film and TV to make sure South Florida remains a vibrant production center.

900 letters for Charlie Crist

lspamer — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:27:00 GMT

Write In: Save the South Florida film industry

lspamer — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:40:00 GMT

Natalie Toewe, the owner of Boca Talent and Model Agency, was busy advising actors how to create better resumes and choose better headshots at Lori Wyman's Casting office in North Miami Monday. The room was packed with actors, photographers and acting teachers who came by to drop off letters protesting Florida Governor Charlie Crist's cuts for film incentives in this year's state budget.

Without the incentives, film production will all but cease in South Florida. Actors, teachers of actors and casting agencies will suffer. Lori Wyman called on all of us in the industry, and all those impacted to come by with three letters each. And we responded. The room was wall-to-wall with people coming by all day long, dropping off letters, writing letters, and discussing the impact on us all.

The talent was given a little incentive to show up too. Natalie helped with headshots, and even recruited a few promising talent. Photographer Bob Lasky provided workshops throughout the day giving actors and models tips on their comp cards and headshots. Director and Acting Teacher Marc Durso was there too. The vibrant Marc showed actors some of the ways they could improve their craft.

Now let's hope the hundreds of letters Crist gets in his mailbox tomorrow will make the state legislature stand up and take notice.

Save the film industry in South Florida! Write Crist a letter already.

Help keep film production in Florida. Write a letter June 2!

lspamer — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:45:00 GMT

Lori Wyman Casting

Press Release For Immediate Release

Lori Wyman Casting Announces
LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001nOXxL0f2xJ3oDIzO9vk2VCCej_TIGLukLZUGQeaq5zunvEN7ssG3OvSM2R_JPESqsOhHCapIY53aFYIPWeIRE36ihIGXrlx4CA8PHF6xU4cI5Nunu_mjnw==>
Bob Lasky Photography

Miami, Florida May 24, 2008 - Since the state of Florida has decided to do away with millions of dollars in filming incentives, we, as a film community, are going to do something about it!

On Monday, June 2, 2008, a letter writing campaign will take place at the offices of
Lori Wyman Casting. - 16499 NE 19 Ave #203 North Miami Beach, Fl.   33162

The hours of our campaign will be from 11AM - 5PM!!!!!
You do not have to stay very long - just long enough to turn in your letters.
OR you can stay and take advantage of the many lectures we will have going throughout the day.
We ask everyone who shows up to be prepared to turn in 3 stamped, addressed letters that they have written to our governor to ask for that film incentive money to be reinstated.
You may either write the letters at the office, come to the office and drop them off, or bring letters that you have collected from your friends in the business. We do not want you to mail them directly yourself. We feel it will make a much greater impact if we send the many letters we collect at the same time. Imagine the surprise when 1000 letters are delivered on the same day. WE NEED TO MAKE AN IMPACT!!
Don't complain that the money has been withdrawn. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Here is your opportunity.
We will have lectures and workshops being conducted all throughout the day of this letter writing campaign. If you have questions that you have wanted to ask, this is the day to show up and ask those questions, BUT YOU HAVE TO TURN IN 3 LETTERS! If you want your contact sheets looked at, June 2 is the day to do that, BUT YOU HAVE TO TURN IN 3 LETTERS. If you want to learn some auditioning tips, June 2 is the day to hear them, BUT YOU HAVE TO TURN IN 3 LETTERS. We will have representatives from various aspects of the business. Casting Director, Agent, Photographer, Acting Coach, Manager. You can hear them speak, BUT....that's right, YOU HAVE TO TURN IN 3 LETTERS.
This will be a great networking day. Don't miss out on this chance to make a difference. You just never know who you might meet at this very important event.
Just imagine if we had 200 people show up throughout the day and each one of you brought 3 letters. We could mail out 600 letters to our governor's office.
Don't miss out on your chance to make a difference.
Here is all you have to do.
Bring in 3 pieces of paper, 3 envelopes and 3 42 cent stamps. or more if you want. :)
You may ask your friends to write letters and then you can bring them into the office with you.

IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT IN THAT DAY - FEEL FREE TO MAIL THE LETTERS IN THEIR STAMPED, ADDRESSED ENVELOPES TO US SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE THEM IN THE MASS MAILING. SEND THEM TO:

Lori Wyman Casting
ATTN: Letter Writing Campaign
16499 NE 19 Ave #203
NMB, Fl.   33162

Here are some of the points you may want to make in your letters.

       1)      The letters you write should come from your heart .
    2)      Write about losing your home to foreclosure because you can't work here anymore because the loss of the incentives means losing your income

       3)      You might have to close your business because the incentives are driving the production companies to film in other states that are offering incentives.

    4)      The cast/crew need to leave the state and move to where the production work is: i.e., you are moving to States that offer film incentives because that's where the production companies are going to film instead of Florida. You can name New York, New Mexico, Michigan, Louisianna, Texas, etc.

    5) Tell them how great this past year has been due to the incentives.
             FYI - for every dollar of incentive money they give us, the state gets back $7.
             Giving us money should be a no-brainer.


            Below is the address you should put on the envelope:

Govenor Charlie Crist and Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp

Office of Governor Charlie Crist
State of Florida
PL-05 The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001

PLEASE - Take an hour out of your day to help!
PLEASE FORWARD THIS ONTO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN!!!!

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!!!

Lori Wyman is committed to helping actors achieve their dreams and goals of pursuing their passion for acting. She is considered one of the top casting directors in the entire Southeastern United States. Most recently she cast the critically acclaimed HBO movie entitled, "RECOUNT," and the coming of age "Bart Got A Room" starring William H. Macy. She just wrapped Marley and Me and the new Jim Carrey movie entitled I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS. A 2 time Artios Nominee, Lori continues to cast top notch projects shooting in and around Florida to help local actors continue to follow their passion.

Lori Wyman Casting
16499 N.E. 19 Ave #203
North Miami Beach, Fl.   33612
www.loriwymancasting.com

Some dos and don’ts on your way to that perfect headshot:

lspamer — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:11:00 GMT

Consider your headshot a visual resume. What do casting directors want to see? You might be surprised at the answers. Casting directors are most often on the hunt to cast natural looking people rather than glamorous or extremely pretty people. Good looking is not a bad thing, and there is a need in the industry for those actors as well. However, if you aren't that typical beauty but can act, and can do well in an audition, you are set - especially with a headshot that truly represents your look.

Will a bad headshot prevent you from working? Probably not, but it might prevent an agent from sending your headshot to clients because they don’t think you can book. That means working a lot less than you could. Now why do that to yourself?

Finding the right photographer is key. That doesn’t mean the most expensive one either. These Dos and Don’ts are listed to give you a better idea of what to look for in a photographer and will up your chances of a better headshot. Remember, there's a lot of competition out there and a better headshot could put you in front of the line.

DON’Ts: If a photographer wants to use any of these techniques, beware

DON’T go for the glamorous look, or lighting that is drastically lit or extremely shadowy. The shot should look natural and reveal your confidence as an actor.

DON’T dress in character. Sure you might play the best punk rocker ever, but don’t dress like one at the photo shoot. Look like yourself.

DON’T touch up your photos. Casting directors want to see what you look like. If you see a surprised look on their faces, you’ve blown it simply because you look nothing like your headshot. Worse yet, your agent will hear about it, and won’t send you out again until you’ve renewed your headshot.

DON’T rest your hand under your chin or it will look like amateur night.

DON’T go black and white.

Please DO these:

DO order color headshots. Black is so two years ago.

DO smile. Everyone looks better with a smile on their face. So smile, and show your teeth too.

DO update your headshot if your appearance changes. For example, you dye your hair, grow a beard or cut your hair. Casting directors aren’t often pleased seeing a blonde when they’ve requested a brunette. Agencies won’t send your headshot and that means fewer auditions, fewer call backs and fewer bookings. Again, why do that to yourself?

DO update your headshot if your booking category has changed. For example, you’ve aged and are no longer a teen, so a card that represents you as a 20-year-old would sell your skills much better.

DO ask your agency for advice as they can recommend photographers who will do a great job and won’t charge too much. They can also help you pick the shots that will best market your skills. Remember, the agent knows what talent is booking. Just make sure the photographer is not in-house or that the agency is not receiving a kickback for the referral. Agencies should not be involved with photographers, but they are familiar with the work of some of the best in the market. Use their knowledge for the good of your headshot.

Remember too that you are constantly changing over the years. It's the nature of life. Don't deny the change but work with it. Embrace your new look, new wrinkle and new category. And get some new photos while you are at it!

Read all about it! Entertainment at your fingertips

lspamer — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:03:00 GMT

These links will help the working actor or comedian stay on top of the trends and the news in the fast world of the Entertainment Industry:

Variety
Entertainment trade magazine. Also the home of Daily Variety.
www.variety.com

Hollywood Reporter, The
Daily entertainment trade paper.
www.hollywoodreporter.com

Icom Magazine
Monthly magazine all about film and video production

http://www.icommag.com/

SHECKYmagazine.com
Monthly magazine about standup comedy. Includes interviews and information about careers in comedy.
www.sheckymagazine.com

Black Talent News
National trade publication for African Americans in the film, television, theatre and music industries.
www.blacktalentnews.com

The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Actors and Models

lspamer — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 14:48:00 GMT

1.Like mailmen, they arrive in rain or shine. If a tornado or hurricane is near, these industrious actors and models find their way to the set. Even if they are on traffic-jammed highways like Interstate-95, getting there on time is their goal. Yeah, they’ve figured out that leaving early is the key. Google maps are gold.

2.And they’ve learned the art of writing things down. They have a calendar - you know, one of those day-timer thingys - with all their castings, dates, callbacks and bookings. It saves the day every time.

3.When their agent calls them, they pick up – cuz you never know. Working with Jennifer Aniston could be the offer on the other line. They might call back, but OOPS, it's too late.

4.When a casting comes along they say, “YES!” Sure dressing up as a chicken wasn’t their idea of acting. But shucks, it gets them in the door. So what if the pay is less than chicken feed, at least there’s one thing to add to a resume.

5.Speaking of resumes. Hey, working talent know how to work it. With their resumes updated often, they showcase all of their abilities. Their agency KNOWS what they can do, sending them on castings regularly.

6.Talent is always courteous to everybody. They’ve learned it’s easier to catch flies with honey than vinegar. No high and mighty here. Just enthusiasm and gratitude (maybe some acting too).

7.Their agency knows what to do, the talent sees. “We need new comp cards,” the agency says. In days, in no time at all new ones magically appear at the agency’s door.

Is an exclusive contract the way to go?

lspamer — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Why sign an exclusive contract in non-exclusive South Florida?

For actors and models who are starting out in the business in South Florida, making the decision of which kind of contract to sign with an agency can have enormous impact on their careers.

Of course, finding agencies who accept their submissions and request an interview is one grueling aspect of the business, but once prospective actors and models have gotten past that, the contract offered should be examined closely.

Hopefully, these points will aid in any decision you have to make, or at least this will make you think twice about the contract you are about to sign.

Reasons a talent might want to consider exclusivity with an agency:

In large markets:

• The agency will guide the new talent to develop acting, modeling and other skills relevant to a successful career. The agency will have a great deal more control over a model’s look, or an actor’s training. This could be beneficial if the talent is a fresh face and needs the guidance.

• The agency invests time and money and has motivation in getting the talent work.

• The agency will help train the talent, get them test shots, lay out their portfolio, and put together comp cards and other printed materials. Usually, the agency pays for these materials. But some agencies actually prefer to represent new talent non-exclusively.

Reasons why agents and talent prefer non-exclusive contracts:

• In the beginning, both the talent and the agency test each other out to see if the relationship is a good fit.

• It is easy to end the relationship if one or both parties are unhappy with performance. With an exclusive contract the talent and the agency could be bound to each other for a few years. That is a long time to wait if the talent isn’t getting any work and is stuck with the one agent.

In smaller markets:

• The talent is expected to provide all of the training, portfolio, composites and other marketing materials before an agency will work with them. So at least in South Florida, which has been a non-exclusive secondary market for decades, signing an exclusive contract doesn’t benefit the talent because there won’t be the perks of free comp cards and photo shoots.

• Smaller agencies do not have the capital to take a risk on a fresh face by offering an exclusive contract with all the perks. The costs are too high and failure could ruin an agency.

Benefits of non-exclusive contracts in South Florida:

• Actors and models tend to like the freedom because they can approach several agencies for representation and that might mean a bigger net with more castings and bookings.

• In a secondary market, signing with a few good agencies could mean the difference from working part time to making it into a career.

• If the talent finds work on their own, they do not owe the agency anything.

• Some markets such as South Florida operate seasonally and non-exclusivity works to the advantage of the talent who wishes to travel to bigger markets such as New York or Los Angeles during the slower months. There is no contract to adhere to so the talent can seek other markets for jobs.

Finally, even though Boca Talent does sign talent exclusively, the agents understand the reality of South Florida’s non-exclusive market and the advantages for the talent who works with different agencies. Thus, Boca Talent will not press any talent to commit to an exclusive contract. The talent must decide what choice is right for them.

Work for talent: How Agents and Managers do it

lspamer — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:49:00 GMT

Here's a question we at the agency hear quite a bit: What’s the difference between a management company and a talent agency?

I've listed a few details below. These are by no means comprehensive, but this information may help to answer some questions.

Managers and Management companies:

Managers are not legally able to collect any money for those they represent or to book any jobs for them; they must work through an agent who has a license to negotiate contracts and collect money for talent. Sometimes an agency may decide to work with a management company if the agreement they’ve worked out is beneficial to both.

If actors and models decide to work with managers, an additional commission of 10 to 15 percent will be taken on top of what the agent takes.

Managers and management companies may also have a contract that will obligate the talent to pay a commission to them for as long as three years. Some may request money up front as part of their agreement to develop a talent.

Part of that development includes preparing marketing materials such as comp cards. If they are legitimate, they will be up front about an actor/model's potential for that market.

And while it may make sense to hire a manager in a large market like Los Angeles, in a smaller market like South Florida it may not be necessary. This is because a manager’s primary job is to promote his talent to an agent. In this market, actors and models can promote themselves to an agency by submitting their photos and resume.

Talent Agencies:

Talent agencies should have a license that enables them to negotiate contracts and collect money for their talent. As part of the licensing process, talent agencies must be bonded. The bond acts as a back up in case the agency finds itself in financial distress. The money in the bond ensures actors and models will be paid for their work.

The primary job of the agency is to offer their talent as many opportunities to showcase their abilities. The agency does that through submissions for castings where they think the actor or model has a good chance at booking the job. They spend a great deal of time negotiating with clients, finding the right talent for the casting and submitting them. Finding fresh faces and generating new client prospects is also a continuous process for these agencies.

Once you have booked the job, the agency takes 10 to 20 percent commission of earnings as their fee. Agencies also collect an agency fee from their clients.

An agency only makes money when the talent books a job. For that reason, small agencies have a variety of talent – too many who are similar can’t all book the same job. And generally, agencies in Florida don't expect their talent to be exclusive with them because it is a secondary market.

One specific difference from a management company is that an agency cannot or should not request fees up front from a talent.

And they should never charge for training, for photos posted on their website or for any other kinds of fees - the only fees should come from booking work for the talent. The agency should have this laid out in a contract. If other fees suddenly pop up, make sure to look at the contract closely.

If you still have questions about how talent agencies in Florida should operate, look at the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations' website under the statutes and rules of registered talent agencies.

See this link: http://www.myflorida.com/dbpr/pro/talent/index.html

Looking Hot Next Season

Another Model Resource — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 20:02:47 GMT

The next year is soon to be upon us and it’s imperative that you look your best for this upcoming season. Fashion faux pas do not for a successful model make. Or something like that. (I’m trying to sound wise here, help me out.) So, what can you do to ensure that you’ll be ready? First of [...] Read More......(read more)

Brief Hiatus Over

Another Model Resource — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 20:02:47 GMT

I know you’ve been sad to see that Another Model Resource underwent a hiatus, but don’t worry, things are grinding back up to normal as we usher in the new year. Much restructuring has been done and new bloggers are being considered. (By the way, if you enjoy fashion, the modeling industry, and writing, consider [...] Read More......(read more)

For new Models and Actors: Frequently Asked Questions

admin — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:33:00 GMT

Every day Boca Talent and Model Agency receives dozens of phone calls asking for the same information. To save time, here is a list of frequently asked questions. If you still have a burning question that only a live person can answer, call or email us. If you still must call us, try to do so during business hours Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

1. Do you represent only models?

No. We represent both models and actors.

2. How do I become a model or actor for your agency?

That’s easy. The first step is to submit all of your information, the head and body shot, and a resume if you have one. (Click here to submit your resume) We will get back to you if we think we can represent you. Be patient. It could take up to two weeks. Do not call us. If you do not receive a call back, it means we cannot represent you at this time. You are always welcome to try back in a few months as our needs may change.

3. Do you represent models or actors over 30?

Yes, we have actors and models in all age ranges. Submit your photos if you think you have a distinct look or a particular ability that is currently in demand.

4. Can I call to make an appointment?

No. We make the calls, and only after we have seen your submission. We do not accept walk-ins.

5. Do I have to travel for jobs?

Yes. If you don’t live in Miami, get used to driving to the city for most castings. If you live in Miami, travel to Broward County and West Palm Beach County is sometimes required.

6. Is there a height requirement to become a model or actor?

No. Actors and models come in all shapes and sizes. Casting directors require different looking talent and different heights for the talent in their movies, TV series and commercials.

7. Do you represent babies?

While there are not many castings for infants, we do keep baby photos on file in case a casting director asks for them. Parents may send snapshots via the website submission under kids, (Click here to submit your child resume), or slow mail some shots every few months as babies change drastically. We do represent children, ages 5 and up.

8. Do you have an in-house photographer?

No. While we have professional relationships with several top photographers, and we refer our talent to them. We do not have a photographer in-house. (Agencies that do have in-house photographers potentially have a substantial conflict of interest; this is because they may be motivated to profit from taking photos despite knowing that you may not be an ideal talent candidate.)

9. Do you work with management companies?

We are a licensed talent agency, and as such, we do not work with 'management' companies.

10. Do you offer exclusive contracts?

No. Florida is a non-exclusive market and our talent may work with other agencies as long as they honor their commitment with us. Talent should strongly consider what possible benefits there could be related to going 'exclusive' in a non-exclusive talent market; it will only limit your career options.

New Florida Model and Acting agency owner passes one year mark

admin — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:04:00 GMT

“New face of Boca Talent gears up for busy season”

By Lily Spamer

Boca Talent and Model Agency may already be one of the go-to model and talent agencies for major casting directors in South Florida’s entertainment industry.

But that isn’t enough for new owner and President Natalie Kahn Toewe.

Toewe wants to grow the 35-year-old-regional agency nationwide.

Her strategy for growth, however, isn’t obvious. Toewe actually wants to shrink her pool of 1,000 Florida actors and models to a far more intimate number.

“I want to downsize the agency and to have the best connection with the best L.A. and New York-based agencies so that my talent is not just South Florida-based anymore, and so that I can get them the best work,” Toewe says.

Toewe, who bought the business last June, would like to tailor her representation of actors and models to 500 within the next five years. That doesn’t mean Toewe is turning talent away – quite the contrary. Toewe continues to carefully sign on the talent that show promise from the hundreds of submissions she receives weekly.

The former actress and model says representing select talent is the ticket to establishing a name all over the nation and with agencies in bigger markets. But Toewe knows the only way to sign the best is to form solid relationships, especially in Florida’s non-exclusive market.

Hence, Toewe is striving to show the talent she signs that they mean more than just a face. She’s even developed the company’s logo, “Respect the Talent,” to reflect her mindset.

“I’ve made it more about the talent more than everyone else, that’s what respect the talent means,” Toewe says. “I’ve brought my empathy from being an ex-talent, and I’ve told everyone that works in my office to adhere to that same philosophy.”

Anita Spiegel, the founder of Boca Talent, agrees that talent relationships has always been the key to her success and kept her in business for over three decades.

Spiegel, who says she had to pound the pavement to find clients when she first started out in 1972, has a feeling Toewe will succeed in growing the agency. It was one reason Spiegel agreed to sell the agency to Toewe, she says.

“She’s been in the industry, and you’ve got to have that fire in you, I think she had that, still has it. That has a lot to do with it,” Spiegel says. Spiegel signed her as a talent in 1989 until Toewe retired in 2006.

And Spiegel, who has seen all the ups and downs, and is lately working on the other side of the business as a model, believes the industry is poised for an upswing.

“It peaked in 2000, and then it went downhill. But it started to come back up, I think it is going to come back. It’s been a good summer, and it’s usually dead in the summer,” Spiegel said.

Besides an unusually busy summer booking actors for jobs like the USA Network series Burn Notice and a new movie set for video release this winter titled Blackwater, Toewe has also juggled a renovation and expansion of her office space in Deerfield Beach.

It seems all Toewe’s hard work for the talent is paying off. Toewe says she has received a great deal of positive feedback from many casting directors and talent since she took over last year. “That’s what makes our day,” Toewe says.

Now Toewe is gearing up for the winter season.

“I know it will be a busy and successful season,” Toewe says.

Boca Talent actors’ debut film at the International Film Festival

Andrea — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:20:00 GMT

The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival

South Florida-based Boca Talent and Model Agency is pleased to announce the screening of the movie, Black Water at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival this month.

Blackwater, a re-make of the Academy Award nominated 1972 motion picture Deliverance, features three of Boca Talent’s actors: Amy Simon, McCayne Blomberg and Tony Salsburg. The movie premieres at 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22 at the Cinema Paradiso.

“Blackwater was my first lead role in an Indie feature...it was such a great experience that I will never forget it,” Simon says. “I actually missed everyone when we weren't shooting. Doug (Zipperer), the executive producer, treated us like his daughters and made sure we were safe every step of the way.”

Simon and Blomberg play friends on an Everglades camping trip who are attacked by backwater clan men as they are chased deeper into the swamp. Salsburg plays one of the men who prey on Simon and Blomberg.

The film, directed and produced by Douglas Zipperer, Bill Schreiber, and Bill Rogers was shot over four months on location in the Everglades.

“I couldn’t be more proud of them. It’s going to be a great piece of work. It could be a breakout role for them, and it could lead to bigger things,” says Natalie Kahn Toewe, Boca Talent president. “This will put the actors on a whole other level. For months, it was living and being that character.”

The movie will also be released on DVD later this year.

About the movie:

Click here to view the trailer.

Still a camping movie, the Deliverance remake focuses on the friendships of four women, replacing the men in the original. And Producer Bill Rogers says while they may have used Deliverance as a starting point, Blackwater stands all on its own.

“While we took much inspiration from one of the greatest camping movies of all time, we decided early on that Blackwater would be a totally different movie, conforming more to the locations and situations that we had available to us,” Rogers says .

The tension between raw nature and the human will to survive remains a major theme of the movie as Simon and MaCayne along with two other women struggle to find their out of the Everglades even as Salsburg and the other clansmen target the women, leading them further into the swamps.

“Blackwater is a story of courage, friendship and the instinct to survive. Instead of becoming victims, our women band together to overcome deadly odds and emerge victorious. I guess you could say girl-power is a prominent theme in Blackwater,” Rogers says.

The backdrop for the film works as well as the Chattooga River in North Carolina that was used for Deliverance.

“Fortunately, our executive producer, R. Douglas Zipperer, brought some terriffic locations, cool vehicles like 4-wheelers, airplane, airboat and that made the adventure more than just a down-river camp out,” Rogers says.

But filming in the Everglades did present some challenges, Rogers says.

“Mother Nature didn't always cooperate… The rain seemed to get worse from take to take and I remember looking up from the monitor and seeing McCayne (Blomberg) and Amy (Simon) wrapped together in a soaking wet towel, looking very cold and miserable,” Roger says. “The director came over to me and said ‘Now that’s the look we need for the rest of the movie’. And so it was.”

For tickets, go to the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival web site, fliff.com.

Producer Bill Rogers speaks candidly about his experiences with Boca Talent and the actors

“Thanks to Boca model and Talent we were able to cast some of our most essential characters.

Thankfully, Natalie brought us together with Amy Simon for one of the leading roles as "Megan", the sweet and loveable mom who wouldn't hurt a fly. Amy absolutely nailed her performance and somehow always managed to look great even though we were working in some pretty rough conditions, wet and dirty through most of the shoot.

We also signed McCayne Blomberg through Boca. She played the rough-around-the-edges city girl, Kat. When McCayne arrived for the initial audition limping from a skydiving accident we knew she had what we were looking for. We didn't realize she was terrified of spiders...which were everywhere.

When I mentioned to Natalie that we needed a ruthless backwater-type bad guy for the role of "Tuck" she introduced us to Tony Salsberg, absolutely one of the nicest guys I've ever met. But Tony could instantly transform into a very scary character and brought a powerful new dimension to our project. Tony is a real pro who comes prepared, goes the extra mile and follows through, all the way to the end.”

Naomi’s Past Will Come Back to Haunt Her

Another Model Resource — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 19:31:40 GMT

It seems that Naomi Campbell will receive no love when it comes to dredging up her past offenses against her various employees. In a recent ruling, the judge has said that it’s alright to bring in the testimony of Naomi’s past workers because it would be revelant to the case. (Yea, even we — [...] Read More......(read more)

Yannick Lord Model Search

Another Model Resource — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 19:23:55 GMT

While we’re not particularly inclined to trust anything that we read or see on MySpace, Yannick is seeking some models for an upcoming shoot. Read the details, contact if you’re interested, but please make sure to do your due diligence first. We don’t want a repeat of some random MySpace tragedy… New upcoming fashion house out [...] Read More......(read more)

Naomi Campbell’s On a Mission

Another Model Resource — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 18:58:15 GMT

It was revealed that super model Naomi Campbell plans to open a modeling agency in her home town (Kenya) in an attempt to right the balance of black to white models in the industry. She declared her disdain for the practice of selecting white models over black models for various magazine covers. It’s almost as [...] Read More......(read more)

Hilary Duff Contest Winners Announced

Another Model Resource — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 22:57:40 GMT

The winners of the Hilary Duff Stuff modeling contest has been announced. Read More......(read more)

It’s Time to Take a Breather

Another Model Resource — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 20:32:30 GMT

Even models (and aspiring models) need to take a vacation every now and again. Now, if you already know all the right people in all the right places, you may even be treated like royalty when you arrive. Of course, that’s probably going to happen anyway if you book everything properly. Read More......(read more)

Boca Talent and Modeling advice

lspamer — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 19:57:00 GMT

I may only be the book keeper at Boca Talent, but I've learned a few things as I cut the checks in this office, watching the talent come and go...

Here are some words of advice to new talent wanting to break in as the world's next top supermodel: Boca Talent and Model Agency isn’t for you.

But we do a lot of commercials, TV and some film and print. You can make a living in the commercial acting/modeling business if you can read from a teleprompter, can follow directions to new places in Miami or wherever the casting call or the call back is shooting and you have the right attitude.

Other words of advice: Don’t get lost and forget to call us. Don’t turn down jobs. Or decide not to show to a time-slotted casting call, and forget to tell us. Sounds simple right? You wouldn’t believe how many instances we encounter where actors and models do just that… and the excuses are unbelievable. I came up with better in the third grade.

And don’t forget to send us your new comp cards or headshots on a yearly basis. You change, styles change and what directors look for also change. You want to work? Then please make sure you keep your profile up-to-date.

Finally: Listen to us. We know what we’re doing.

That's it for now.

Next up: Getting paid as a talent at Boca Talent and Model Agency

Thanks for reading (if you've gotten this far)

Lily Spamer

Boca Talent and Model Agency's book keeper