Step 1: Wait for a phone call from a desperate friend who:
a) had a model cancel at the last second;
b) didn’t realise another model was needed; or
c) has a client with shifting requirements.
This is how I get all my modelling jobs. Yesterday Sayaka called me at 12:27. “Kristen, do you have some time? I need you.” At 2 pm.
Step 2: Ask the friend, client or photographer what you should wear. Are you supposed to be a housewife, a teacher, an office worker, a date? Are there color requirements? Dig through your wardrobe and find something that will work (It is helpful to have a wide and varied collection of clothes that fit). Get dressed quickly, do your hair and face neatly. There will be no adjustments once you get there.
Step 3: Wait at the venue. They may say 2 pm, but that’s when they start prepping the studio or shooting the products or other models. You will wait your turn. Bring a book.
Step 4: Get in front of the camera. Act natural. Smile. Look into the lens. Note the camera’s make and model and what lens is on it so you can tell Tod later. Interact with the other models, as directed.
In my experience, most photographers just want you to stand or sit without moving around too much - forget what you’ve seen of fashion magazine shoots with models tossing their hair and striking poses. When you’re in a picture for an event poster or a flyer, you’re probably background for the text.
Step 5: Assure everyone that you are neither a model nor an English teacher. Hand out your meishi and tell them - especially the bosses - that you are a media editor (or whatever you are) and would be happy to hear from them if they ever need you in that capacity.
Step 6: Collect your stipend and go home. The total elapsed time from arrival to departure is likely to be around an hour, most of it taken up with Step 3.
Posted by kuri at July 26, 2006 11:36 AM