CMTC Model & Talent Experience

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2014, Canada, Canadian, CMTC, industry, international, Mode Elle, model, shana gray, talent, Toronto

This past weekend, hundreds of Canadian models and talent attended CMTC to meet international agents and showcase their skills. Shana Gray, represented by Mode Elle (personal manager, mother agent) was among them.

During the weekend, Shana attended seminars and workshops presented by agents from markets as diverse as Paris, London and Milan, and presented her monologue on stage to pick up some useful acting tips from an LA casting director.

Shana participated in ten showcase competitions including photography go-see, runway, swimsuit, cover photo, commercial print, tv commercial, cold reading, improv, monologue and singing.

Although it is impossible to attend everything at CMTC, there are seminars presented from every corner of the planet, including modelling from New York to Europe to Asia to Africa, and practical workshops covering topics from acting skills to nutrition (presented by an international model).

In the evenings, models and talent let down their hair for some theme parties, and on the final night, an awards banquet is presented for the year’s top picks from the competitions.

The final morning concludes with callback interviews. After CMTC, international agents are able to follow up on interest in models and talent for their own specific markets. (Agents may be as diverse as model agents from every international city, acting agents from New York and LA, and music companies.)

CMTC is a very exciting experience, an opportunity to showcase Canadian talent to top agents in worldwide markets.

“It is impossible to predict careers, a lot of it depends on timing, and you never know what may come of it,” Shana explains. “Last year I spoke with New York and LA acting companies, and there was follow-up from New York, but my LA contact unfortunately passed away with cancer. She was very sweet. This year I spoke with a record label. There always appears to be interest from model agents, but these things are very unpredictable. You never know who noticed you, and there is a great deal of competition. You hope that people will connect with you if they need you at some point in the future. You keep working on your skills and portfolio, and you keep showing up whenever you can.”

In addition to knowledge gained and connections made, friendships are created and built, among models and talent, and across the industry. “Networking is really important. It’s a phenomenal industry with a lot of great people. They hold to the highest artistic standards as top companies and are very genuine people. I find it impossible to talk to everyone there because the schedule is so completely packed. But I hope these people can find me when they need me.”

Shana can be booked directly in the Toronto area market, and is represented internationally, via mother agent and personal manager Mode Elle. Agents can connect with Mode Elle to request Shana for their markets.

“Everyone is unique, and careers are as unique as each person,” Shana explains. “Ultimately, it’s all about enjoying the journey, the experience, and making the most of every opportunity.”

Shana on Casting Workbook
Shana’s Model Portfolio
Mode Elle (Personal Manager & Mother Agent)

Headshot & Resume (below), Comp Cards (check back soon)

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Adventure is Canadian Lifestyle

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adventure, artist dj producer, Canada, CIQ music, electronic dance music, electronic musician, Great Outdoors, Gsynth studio, lifestyle, new music producer, news blog, sport

When a Canadian says, “the world is my backyard,” they might be referring to Toronto, one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. But it is more likely they are referring to the endless expanses outside the cities, otherwise known as the Great Outdoors, that makes up most of Canada’s geography as one of the largest countries in the world.

A lot of Canadians grow up outside the cities and towns, and in order to survive they must learn basic survival skills. They don’t have buses and taxis to drive them home. They must learn to drive through all types of extreme weather, especially in the winter. That might include snowstorms and blizzards, glare ice, hail, heavy rains, freezing rain, lightning, high winds and maybe the occasional tornado, to name a few. Snowstorms can last for weeks and the snowbanks often rise higher than the cars and people. Snow shovels are essential gear. It’s not uncommon to rescue each others’ cars from snow banks in the winter when they slide right off the road. You don’t wait for a tow truck in the extreme cold when your friends could be there in a fraction of the time. It’s pretty normal for teenagers to test the limits of their cars in fields and empty parking lots in the winter to learn how to handle a car in the snow. Everyone keeps survival gear in their cars and houses. You don’t get far without it.

But to Canadians, even though lives are saved every day (and many people do that for a living), they laugh about it. It’s a matter of daily life, and most Canadians consider the Great Outdoors to be their playground, a place for all types of sports. Hiking is popular, so are hobby vehicles, including all types of boats and airplanes, and even children drive four-wheelers now. But even though people joke that they risk their lives every day, they remain humble about it, knowing that any poor decision could really be a matter of life and death in the Great Canadian Outdoors.

There is also a sense of responsibility and a sense of wonder that comes from living in a place with such radical weather and four distinct seasons. There is a high respect for human life and lower respect for people who abuse that privilege. It’s not that Canadians are tough, but just in order to live day to day, they have to know how to survive. And many work in medical or safety careers, including emergency workers, and others make a difference every day in the lives of others. They also deal with the local crime which comes and goes.

People who frequently overcome great obstacles typically have their priorities in full view all of the time. They know how to keep their heads screwed on straight and expect that from each other. They don’t have time for people who don’t have other peoples’ or society’s best interests in mind. They typically see through people in three seconds and can tell you what kind of person they are and will call them out to their face if they consider them to be flaky or dishonest. No one wants to depend on someone who isn’t on the same page if you actually needed anything. People survive because they depend on themselves and each other.

These are the people who grow up in Canada’s great outdoors, and when they speak, people listen. No matter where they go in life, they make a difference. They don’t bend their integrity for anyone and couldn’t care less what others think of them. Because they know what life is about and the reason why they are here.

And because they are strong people, the great outdoors is sport. When you see hobby aircraft flying around in the sky, hear four wheelers in the fields and forests, and see speedboats on the lakes, and all manner of outdoor sports, the Canadians are outside enjoying their beautiful and sometimes insane weather!

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