Life as I find it

Nothing encouraging so far. What’s worse, the link they provided me to see the site directly through their name server also doesn’t show. Is this problem really a DNS thing, or are some larger settings messed up? I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight

I tried using proxies….. no show. Not posting any learnings from there, because I’m not sure I really learnt anything useful. the site didn’t show, and I was too distracted by its absence to really pay attention to anything. I guess all I can do at this point in time is to rant and rave, or fall into an exhausted sleep, hoping for better luck tomorrow.

I thought of updating all my blogs which are not on my server, like this one for example, but that is also not working in my favour. I’m getting errors on that front as well. Its a conspiracy!!! Perhaps I need to start a blog about how the world is constantly against me.

For some reason, some bright guy in the company hosting my Wide Aware site changed the DNS servers of my website. Everything was fine and there was absolutely no reason to fiddle with anything at all, but *sigh* I guess someone forgot to tell them - “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”

So there we are, with the DNS changed for some reason, and my site suddenly disappeared for all intents and purposes. It had been acting extremely sluggish for the last couple of days…. So I guess this was in the making until it crashed upon me in the middle of some work I was doing on the site.

Luckily, I was online, and contacted my hosting providers immediately, but it took some confusion before things were ok, as they updated the DNS to my old server first before I told them that my server had changed…… They assure me that things are sorted now, but that doesn’t work to help me breathe easy until I actually see my site up and running and unharmed through this nightmare. Call me paranoid, but that’s the fruit of a very steep two year learning curve, and I would hate to see it go.

Meanwhile, for all the noobs trying to figure their life out with DNS, its basically your domain name attacked to the numbers related with your server. You have two of these servers and they point to the one on which your site resides (I think). The point being that records of DNS are with all service providers and they keep getting refreshed every day or so. This is how when you point your browser to a site, your ISP knows where to send that request for you to be able to see that site. This list is regularly refreshed so that any changes can be applied by ISPs in pointing the browsers of their various clients. When you change these servers for your domain, its going to be some time before all the servers in the world (or, to your point, the one for your ISP - for you to be able to see your site) refresh the information. Considering that for most servers this refreshing is an every day thing, it is assumed that the change will take a day to be visible round the world.

Since I’m going to have to wait for a day to see my site again, I’m now going to direct my learning curve toward proxies (which I haven’t encountered in my syllabus so far) and sites like the Babel Fish Translation Site to see if their servers can see my site and I can see my site through them Its better than sitting here twiddling my thumbs and worrying endlessly.

Stay happy folks, and pray that your hosting providers don’t get any bright ideas to fiddle with your site settings.

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Two years ago, I didn’t understand much about computers beyond checking email and the occasional google search for some information I required. It even took me some time to figure out that I could right-click and open a variety of options from the search to check them all out rather than follow one of them.

Then, I started my own outdoors and adventure business and decided that I wanted a website like so many cool websites I see all over the net. Naturally, my business was an extension of myself, and the site was to reflect that - which means that it was to be an ever expanding project - not something simple and painless. I approached some designers, and the amount of money I got quoted was my first push into learning how to design websites, if I didn’t want to stick with some 4 page creation that I could afford.

From then to now is a long story. Suffice it to say that wide-aware.com is entirely my creation (I have used packages, but applied and integrated them myself). Far from the basic html, I’ve even figured out some javascript (or at least learned how to google for stuff I want to do and find it)

The more I learn, the more I network, the more I realize that there are many who are on constant journeys of discovery with their machines.

This blog attempts to reflect some of this learning curve in words which another nerd in progress might understand better than polished pearls of wisdom that take some experience to recognize.

I think I’m on a roll for modelling tips. Anyway, here goes. You have a brand new portfolio ready and want to begin modelling. You are aware that modelling is like any other profession and requires a lot of hard work and sincere efforts to do well. Great - its time to begin circulating your picture.

What to do?

• Short list your best pictures and select the ones you’d give if you were to give 1, 2, 4, 6 or 10 pictures. Be sure to have ample copies of these pictures to hand out once you begin promoting yourself.
• Make sure you have your name and contact numbers behind every picture. This is important. The world provides no guarantee that all 6 pictures you submit will remain together. You don’t want to lose work because no one knew who you were or how to contact you. A good way of doing this is getting tiny stickers printed that you can simply paste onto the back of your picture. Comp cards are good for distributing, but rarely fit into standard model albums, so they will get stored and viewed separately. Since they are a minority of picture submissions, they may get misplaced or forgotten by a harried production assistant trying to create a list of people to call. That’s unprofessional, but hte only person it will harm is you, so you might as well avoid it.
• Keep scanned copies of these pictures handy to email as well. This is a very good option, as many places prefer to file and distribute their pictures like this. They can be sent to clients instantly, magnified to see clearly, etc. They will also be cheaper to send to many people for you in the beginning, as it can get expensive to mass print photos, particularly initially when there is no guarantee of work in return.
• Create a list of contacts. Modelling agencies, advertising agencies, production houses all have their own databases of models they use for audition calls. Send your picture out to as many as you can. Our of these, Modelling agencies are the MOST IMPORTANT as they cater to requirements by production houses and ad agencies too. Even if you skip the other two, they will still bring audition calls for you. This contact list should have the names of production houses/agencies and phone numbers.
• Contact everyone on your list and speak with the people to confirm addresses, and inform them that you’d like to send in your picture. Be sure to ask them if they would prefer an email with attachments (this is what your wallet prefers, so your default option) or hard copies couriered to them and to whom they should be addressed to.
• Send out the pictures as discussed promptly
• Forget about them, except for modelling agencies who fail to inform you about any audition even after a month or two - in that case, call them to remind them and offer to send a fresh set of pictures or find out why there have been no audition calls. Building a rapport with modelling agencies is good. The others - LEAVE ALONE. Models are not their only concerns, and they will be irritated by calls asking about requirements - they also will have fewer requirements than modelling agencies, so it is very likely that they simply have not needed you till then.
• When you get invited for auditions, the person calling to tell you will be working through a list and will be very likely to be in a hurry to tell you to land up at a certain place and time and move on to the next person on their list. Take a moment to ask them what character is expected, and if it will help for you to dress up in a certain way to better look the part in the audition. Pay attention to any information about the character they tell you.
• Land up at the audition as appropriately dressed as possible. If you think the best dress would be something you wouldn’t like to wear on the street, feel free to carry it and change there. Avoid this for normal clothing.
• Understand the character you are to play carefully. Where possible, watch other auditions happening and see what the expectations of the person conducting them are and try to deliver as closely as possible. If you’re nervous, rehearse as much as possible and sincerely enough for your audition simply seem like another rehearsal and not make you nervous. Stay as calm as possible, and know that there can be more takes if you goof up - its normal - not a sign of any incompetency on your part. Feel free to ask for another take with a variation, if you think the character can be played differently better, but first, do it how they want it. Its always your best take that will count, unless you end up asking for endless takes in a crowded audition.
• ALWAYS carry a set of your pictures when you come for an audition. If you have been sent by a modelling agency, the production house may not have pictures of you. They will want them, and anyway, its one of the best ways of getting your pictures on their files.
• Have patience. Out of a hundred people who come for an audition, a couple get work. Its not about beauty, or looking the character or even acting ability sometimes - its about how the director has visualized the character and who comes closest to bringing it into reality. It may take many auditions before you get work, or it might happen in your first audition. Either way, remember each audition is a fresh slate, and keep doing your best each time. Every good audition is a step nearer to be included in the next audition call as well, whether you get the role this time or not.

That’s all I can think off. Good luck!

For most modelling, acting related work, a portfolio need not always be professionally shot, as long as the pictures are good. It helps to get it done by a professional photographer, mostly because they have a better idea than you on what would be a good portfolio. I am making suggestions based on what I like to see in a portfolio.

• 6 pictures is a good number to short list for circulation to modelling agencies. Production houses and ad agencies are likely to be happy with 2
• Be sure to include 2 close ups in two different looks, out of which one uses no or minimum make up. This picture gives a good idea of what you really look like and is important. One smile and one serious is also good.
• 2 pictures can be mid-length. These are often requested and son’t really serve any major purpose beyond showing what you look like in them. I recommend using these to showcase different looks that suit you. Please remember that expression is part of a look - there’s nothing more hopeless than a guy showing off his muscles with a vacant expression on his face. If your get up is that of an innocent, look actively innocent, etc. Avoid exaggerated expressions that distort your face so much that they give no idea of what you look like without them.
• 2 full length pictures again should show two looks. Ideally, these should be a good indication of your figure. While it is not necessary to pose in swimwear for these unless you want to model skimpy clothes, it is important that the structure of your body and the way you carry yourself be visible in these. I remember being impressed by one par where one is a total corporate look in a sleek fitting suit with crisp and erect body language, and the other is a total hippie, complete with slouch.
• Sun glasses are a no-no. We have seen them all, and if we require you to wear one on a shoot, we are capable of providing you with one. From your portfolio, we need to see what YOU look like, and your eyes are a big part of that. However, this is not a rule. There can be certain looks that require glasses. If you look superb that way, include one picture like that, but no more.
• Flash is out. The pictures should be well lit, particularly your face and every part of you shown. But this well lit doesn’t include a flash. Soft, ambient light is better. Even a shady area in daylight (not direct sunlight) is good. We want even lighting. Let’s leave the dramatic lighting for the camera man when you get a job - unless your portfolio is for lighting rather than modelling. Even then, flash is out
• Avoid cluttered back grounds.plain or textured backgrounds are good. Again, it is not necessary to have a studio type background sheet and all that, even the side of a building or a wall in a room will do well, if it is clean and doesn’t have stuff lying around you.
• You should be distinct from the background. As a rule of thumb, go for a light background if your are wearing dark clothes and vice versa. Other contrasts like colour and texture work well too, if you have the eye to judge them well. As long as you don’t merge with the background, things should be fine.
• Sharp focus is essential. Really, I don’t need to explain this.
• Avoid clutter on yourself too. Keep yourself visible and clean of all distractions. This goes for excessive hair trailing on face, hand covering part of face, disproportionately large amounts of jewellery, props (unless you’re a kid)…… be certain you are showing yourself and do just that and remove absolutely anything that will share the show.

I’ll probably think of more things and add to this list - this is what I want to share right off the bat on this subject. Feel free to mark this page to check for updates or to comment and add suggestions, etc.