(this article is from the Director Spotlight, a IMTA publication)
Teresa Pollman is the Owner of IMD Image and Modeling Development, which is located in Medford, Oregon. Teresa has changed the opinions and ideas that people from Southern Oregon once held regarding the modeling industry. She has made dreams come true for her models and actors by stressing quality versus quantity and by using personal relationships as a foundation.
Teresa started modeling for Barbizon during her high school years in Fresno, California. She continued modeling until she graduated from Fresno State with a business Management Degree. While in college, Teresa also worked for Barbizon as
a Director and Instructor. She continued to work for Barbizon for eight years. In 1998, Teresa's long time friend and fashion photographer, Jeff Wilson, convinced her to move to Medford and open up her own modeling agency.
IMD functions as a modeling/ talent agency as well as a career development center. IMD develops its models and actors to work nationally and internationally. IMD's models have been placed in New York, LA., San Francisco, Miami, Chicago, and Japan, Israel, Taiwan, Austria, Milan and Australia. Placing models with other agencies around the world has really put Medford on the map in the fashion industry and many agencies visit IMD at least once every couple of months and always seem to find a new face. It just goes to show that Teresa is very selective about who she represents.
One of the reasons that Teresa has been so successful is that she always maintains her integrity and high standards for excellence. She demands that her staff be just as dedicated as she is to developing young people into successful professionals. Teresa has committed herself to uphold personal relationships with all her models, actors and their families.
Teresa handpicks the group of models and actors that she will take to IMTA each year. Usually at the IMTA auditions there will be about 150 people, although, Teresa only chooses a few to participate in traveling to the IMTA. The last IMTA Convention in New York, Teresa brought 16 models and actors, all of which came back with 100% callbacks. The models and actors that are chosen go through six to eight months of intense training with Teresa and her staff. The models fine-tune their runway skills and build their portfolios as well as learn the business of modeling. Actors attend various workshops to perfect their vocal skills and scene work. IMD believes in each one of it's IMTA contestants and strives to offer them the best direction possible.
With Teresa's dedication to the industry and as a member of IMTA, IMD has become the successful agency that it is today. "IMTA is the best convention in the modeling and acting industry. It's been a great experience for all the models and actors. Thank you IMTA for being so supportive!"
