Model hopes it leads her to goal

OU student Savana Ciavatta models at the 2012 North American International Auto Show. COURTESY/MICHAEL MOCERI

BY CALYN SHARP
OU News Bureau

Sore feet and a tired smile are part of working as a model at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

“I work eight-hour days,” Savana Ciavatta said.  “I am on my feet, and I smile a lot. Some days you’re just tired, but you learn to work through it — it’s part of the job.”

Ciavatta, a junior communications major at Oakland University, said she is lucky for the opportunity to work at auto shows in a number of big cities. She does a show once a month, which gives her the chance to get her name and face recognized.

Ciavatta began modeling four years ago for TRAQUE and Productions Plus, Michigan-based modeling agencies. Soon she was working as a model for Chrysler and Jeep — something she hadn’t anticipated.

“I’ve done quite a few promotional modeling gigs and print work for photographers for their websites,” she said. “My favorite type of event to model for are definitely auto shows.”

Models must be knowledgeable about the products they promote, she said. That includes anticipating questions about a particular car.

“I knew nothing about cars before this, so I went from 0-60 at this job,” Ciavatta said.

She explained that modeling is one of the few jobs that hires based on looks, but it does not mean that models don’t need to work for what they want.

“Being a model is so much more than just being a pretty face,” Ciavatta said. “We have real dreams and goals, and I think that is something most people don’t think about.”

Ciavatta said she does not think she is cut out for a nine-to-five job because she enjoys working on new tasks instead of doing the same tasks repeatedly.

“I got into modeling because I went on a audition with a male friend,” she said. “When I was at the agency, they took down my information. They started calling me a few months later, and I just started getting jobs that way.”

“The hardest part about being a model is trying to find consistency from the agency,” Ciavatta said. “Sometimes you hear from them twice in two weeks or don’t hear from them for months on end.”

Ciavatta said modeling is not her goal; instead, it’s the means to an end.

“This allows me to be an independent contractor, pay my way through school and, hopefully, make contacts that help with my career in broadcast news,” she said.Tweet

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Posted by admin on Feb 13 2012. Filed under Featured article, Oakland U.. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry