Yours truly has gotten a hold of the upcoming series premier of "The Agency" on VH1. February 20th will bring the opening gusto of half hour bit's of the strings of Wilhelmina Modeling Agency. The show revolves around the back breaking work of brokering beauty. The Agency is a world all its own in raising models and turning them into marketing moguls. It's a combination of business meets pleasure in the land of beauty, fashion, and the cut throat industry. After the first two episodes I was hooked. The reality of selling flesh combined wit, attitude, plenty of cursing, and a British ball-buster (that I could only hope would take me in and lend me her whip to ride the models around the office with) to create industry dynamo.
I also got a chance to interview Danielle Gelfand who is one of the executive producers bringing the new addition to the VH1 family.
Cara: What sparked the idea for the "The Agency" series? Danielle Gelfand: Sean Patterson, the president of Wilhelmina, pitched this show to VH1 with a tape of absolutely amazing characters. What we could see right off the bat was that these were people you want to watch, and a world that our viewers would kill to see. Becky, an agent on the high end women's board, puts it best when she says: "Well if people ask me what I do, I give a pretty simple answer; it's like, we sell flesh." Who wouldn't want to watch that?
See Why "The Agency" Is Worth Watching After the Jump.
Cara: Tell me about the direction "The Agency" is going. Is it going to be a dramatic addition to the VH1 family or should we expect comedic release? Danielle: Both! There are many funny moments, for example, watching agents fight over the proper way to walk on the runway (one agent advises against "twizzling around like a fairy on the top of a Christmas tree"), and then some serious interpersonal office politics. Even though most people don't work in an environment where you're likely to walk past a model in a red thong and heels on the way to the water cooler, the pressure, deadlines, and personality conflicts are all very real and relatable. That's what "The Agency" is all about.Cara: The fashion industry is becoming more and more mainstream everyday. With reality shows, movies, tv series....what do you think is the sudden surge of interest is?
Danielle: I think the interest has always been there - people love the glamour, beauty and sex appeal of the fashion world. What's changed is the access. The core of the industry is a dramatic one, filled with big, flawed personalities in over-the-top situations. Wilhelmina is the first modeling agency to expose itself and give viewers a real look at the business and all the juicy fun details.Cara: What can you tell me about the trials and tribulations "The Agency" will experience in forthcoming episodes?
Danielle: Wilhelmina came to us with this project at a time when their high end women's board was at a crossroads and struggling to find its way. Our cameras were in the office on a daily basis in the midst of a "make or break" scenario: how do you take one division to the next level? From weight issues to poaching models, to the frustration of finding new faces and landing campaigns, the producers were able to capture a range of dramatic situations and storylines.
More of the 411 on "The Agency" next week. Including some rundowns on the episodes
Sweetpea says:
Forget about Americas Next Top Model with the Fat Chick...this is the real deal. I will be clued to the set.
vh1fan says:
Check out the web site:
http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_agency/series.jhtml