Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Hi All,

Hope you had a great Thanks giving I know I did. I decided to take some time to update the blog about what has been going on with my career. I know some of my fans have been wondering what I have been up too since leaving NYMM so I apologize for the delay.

Now if you are one of my friends on Facebook you may have noticed that I was updating my status frequently about the Victoria's secret Fashion show, well here is the scoop.

When on the 1st of November I found out that the Victoria's Secret Fashion show was headed back to NYC I decided that I had to find a way to get in to see the show. It was kind of like one of those things I had to do before I die kind of motive. I found out that the show was actually going to be taped on the 19th of November so I began a mad campaign called operation Find Victoria's Secret. It was basically an initiative to find any contact that I knew who would possibly be able to get me into the show.

A week had passed and after I spoke to models, stylists, make up artists and producers no one had a lead on how to get into the show so I decided to let the issue rest for a moment. As I was searching the internet for castings for Broadway I came across a casting for the Victoria's Secret Fashion show searching for Female Dancers, as someone who is familiar with the production I knew they usually had an all female dance crew so though I wasn't surprised I sat back and said "Damn they should have had a call for guys. I would have definitely gotten to see the show then." Three days later as I was checking the internet for castings again, my prays had been answered. There, illuminated on my laptop screen was a casting for Male Dancers for the Victoria's Secret Fashion show. "What luck" one might say after reading my last sentence but no, it was not meant to be. The date of the casting happened to be the same day I found it and the start time was the same time I was reading it, so getting from queens to Manhattan in 1 second all warmed up and ready to go was out of the question.

Now you might say this is when you gave up. No I refused to give up I kept telling myself someone of my contacts would come through and be able to sneak me into the venue. Maybe I could be a production assistant, maybe Bravo needed someone to cover the event somehow I was getting in. Five days before the show and I'm again searching for castings for TV, Broadway and any interesting projects and there it was Victoria's Secret Fashion Show searching for Male Improv Actors. Cue the celestial choir. Now, to tell you the truth, I have only had one acting class in my entire life, an acting for dancers course my first semester, freshman year so I would not exactly call myself an actor and improv comedy...ah...yeah about that, but I was determined to find a way into the VS fashion show. The call was scheduled for the next day so I had enough time to both psych myself up slash freak myself out as to the embarrassment of not knowing what I was going to do, however, I have never been one to care about being qualified to do something.

On entry to the casting I was met by around 25 other men ranging in age and ethnicity but all seemed to be seasoned vets at comedy and acting. There were some who had Nationally syndicated commercials, about five Law and Order, what I like to call third cop from the left's and the rest were stand up comics. Feeling completely out of my element yet strangely confident I walked into the room with two other actors and was asked by the Director of the VS production to act out various scenarios. To say I had a blast is an understatement. I thoroughly enjoyed making a fool of myself in the hopes of possibly seeing the most beautiful women in the world in lingerie. Surprisingly I was one of ten guys asked to stay for a second round of improv while everyone else was released. The second round of improv was basically movement based, no words just physical comedy. I must say this time I thought my performance was a bit weak but it still garnered some laughs from the director and his assistants. At the end we were given the "We will call if we are interested" line and then were sent home.

This was it, only 4 days left and this was my last chance to get into the 2009 Victoria's secret fashion show. As I got home from the casting, continuously replaying the days events, I decided that I needed to take a nap and just relax. If I got it then great, if I didn't then next year. Two hours later, I got up from my nap and literally five seconds after opening my eyes my phone rang.

"Hello, Goodnight" I always answer the phone with a double greeting

"Hi is this Sandhurst?"

"Yes"

"Hi this is Robert from Victoria's Secret. We thought you were extremely funny so we want you to come hangout backstage with the models."

Male Model Tips

Hi all,

I know its been a while but I am still alive and well.

Some of you may already be my friends on Facebook so you may have already seen my Male Model tips but I decided to bring them over to the blog as a fun entry for you to read.

Tip to Male Models - if you are going to remove the hair from your chest using hair removal creams then make sure there is enough in the tube for the entire chest and not just a thin layer. Trust me it is extremely embarrassing showing up to castings with a patchy chest, or so I've heard

Tip number 2 for male models. Make sure that if you use the bathroom before going into a casting, remember to pull ur fly up. It could become an embarrassing situation if you don't ...or so I've heard

Male model tip #3 when asked to do your run way walk in an extremely small room from the back wall towards the camera, please remember how many steps it took to get there. Walking into the wall can lead to embarrassing questions about your sobriety... or so I've heard Male model tip

#4 it might actually be a good thing to go into a casting with your fly down the embarrassing moment will keep you fresh in their mind and you might actually get a call back ... Or so I've heard

3rd TIME'S THE CHARM

Well it happened. It finally happened. Sandhurst Miggins is a signed model and with the agency that gave him his first rejection no less.

It's funny to think that a year and a half ago I walked into New York Model Management not knowing a thing about the industry trying to fulfill a dream. I had no pictures and no book and I was dressed in some of the most ill-fitting clothing that one could wear to an open call. Let's just say I wasn't a model that day. My hair had grown out of its borders and to tell you the truth I don't know what I was expecting them to say, all I know is on that morning of January 7, 2008 I was politely rejected by NYMM. Now some people may have gotten the attitude of "I'll show them" or "How dare they reject me" but the way they did it was so professional, almost kind, like they knew I wasn't ready and knew it was up to me to do my homework and prepare myself to try again. I left the agency that day determined to come back, well that was if the other agencies in NYC felt the same way. 

Most people know that it was when I left the building that morning, I first saw the promotion for Make Me A Supermodel season 1. Did I suspect that this new show would have a life changing effect on my life in just 6 short months? To be honest. No. I just thought it would be a great learning tool for me about the industry. I mean the male side of the business had mostly gone undocumented compared to the various shows promoting the women. Anyway after watching the first season it was time to try again. This time I was sporting a fresh cut. my clothes were perfectly fitted and my pictures were existent, though amateurish, but then again that is all I could get. I sat waiting in the reception area for the open call to begin, confident that today was the day that I would be signed. Out of the corner of my eye a figure entered the waiting area. It was David Ralph the head of the men's board, I had recognized him from the first season of MMASM and knew I had to impress him in order to get anywhere. He stopped for a cool second, looked at me for a moment and then returned to to the back where all the agents worked. At that moment I thought to myself "I had this." 

Two seconds later the agent conducting the call came out to meet me and the three other models who arrived earlier in the morning. I looked at one of them and thought he looked like me from January. He was Indian, his clothes were so baggy that it was hard to tell what his frame looked like. His hair was all over the place and he had no pictures and as he was politely rejected as I had been 6 months earlier I thought to myself  "Go home and do you homework" That day I had finally cracked the first barrier. They liked me. The liked my look and wanted to take more shots.  "This is it!" I thought. It was going to happen. As we began to take more pictures the dreaded question was asked. "How tall are you?" Now I knew I was taller than the standard but I had heard stories about the exceptions so I said it "6'3." That's when my second rejection happened. "Well we like your look but, we are going to struggle with your height but we will keep you on file if anything"

What was I supposed to do now? I couldn't change my height. This is the point where most would have given up but I just knew that somehow it could work for me. It would work for me. Later that month came the open calls for MMASM season 2 and I thought to myself "Why not and if this doesn't work out for you then it really wasn't meant to be" Well it was, Even while competing on the show I knew I had to perform well, just to impress Cory and David because if I didn't win the contract from the judges I knew I would be making my final trip to NYC after the competition ended to try one last time with the exposure from the show. 

Well I did it. I walked into the agency for the third time and had proven my abilities to the board. I had shown perseverance, maturity, and brute determination and it was finally time to give me a shot. 

Now today I rejoice as it has finally been made official but signing a piece of paper does not mean anything more than I am represented. It is time to get to work, to actually build a career and live the dream. Signing on the dotted line ended one phase of the process but commences another. Looking back on this past year and a half you really have to think that the saying is true 

3RD TIME'S A CHARM

Take the chance

I didn't realize that when I got into that line in NYC back in July, that May would come and my life would have changed for ever. It's weird how we can sit in our beds, or classrooms, or offices, or where ever and daydream about doing something bigger.  We wish for that chance to change our lives, but we refuse to because we're too afraid to break what's comfortable or exert that extra effort to just try. We look at others who are fulfilling their goals and we say that "they are lucky," we say that "they have it all," "they were in  the right place at the right time" but I believe that the reality is that they just got FED UP. 

They got fed up with mediocrity, monotony and any other "m" words to describe a state of constant averageness directing their lives. I remember sitting in class listening to a lecture and thinking "this is not what I want." A realization like that can really set the ball rolling for change in your life. This is the acceptance of "No I want more," and if you want it that's when you start thinking of how to get it. 

Now I will admit the road from the realization to the actualization may be bumpy. I remember when I had decided to try modeling I went to all the agencies in NYC and heard varying levels of "NO," most with no reason at all. However, the pure excitement of actually going to each open call and doing something that I was so enthused to do, knowing it was something that I wanted, provided the right medicine to get over the rejection. Simply it was just fun. I was actively pursuing something. 

Finding the courage to say "this is what I want and I have the ability to go for it" is to me the best advice I can give to anyone. I constantly get asked "do you think I have potential?" or "Should I try out for next season?" and the truth is why ask? Give yourself the opportunity by showing up for whatever it is you want, just be prepared that the answer could be either YES or NO. 

By showing up to that casting in July, I met 15 incredible individuals, countless other PA's, Cameramen, Sound guys (I know technical term right), lighting specialists, casting directors, make up artist, trainers,  stylists, designers, supermodels, photographers, scouts, directors, caterers, drivers, producers and cast ranglers. I was allowed to take part in once in a life time activities while learning the other side of an industry that not too many are privileged  to. I was given the most AMAZING experience of my life and to think I could have missed the chance if I had listened to the twinge of doubt, that made me turn away twice from the subway, that morning on the 26th. 

Sandhurst-Tacama