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US internet networking..the unhappy learning curve
This trip to LA has been a very big eyeopener for me. It was the first time I actually placed a casting call for a paid job on an internet modelling site. I also arranged to meet several stylists and make up artists who - while I explained that I would probably not be using them for this job, wanted to take the opportunity to meet them see their work (read... put them in mind for future collaborations). The Statistics: As far as the "models" were concerned 2 out of 12 selected actually showed up at the casting and 0 out of 8 others who had asked to see me showed up. 0 out of the 5 "stylists" showed up 1 out of the 4 "make up artists" showed up. (kudos though for the MM model sascha who presented herself expertly, very friendly and professional even though in the end I did not use her for the job..) Got some amazing excuses(from the few who actually bothered to give any) everything from the boyfriend who drove the model to the wrong address then reufused to take her to the right one....a wierd one about russians moving into the apartment next door...a sick and poorly dog..... In the end i used a make up artist/stylist who were not listed on the world wide web of internet modelling and a model who I had met/worked with before.............business as usual. I have attempted to give MM the benefit of the doubt as to it being a useful business tool, but for a serious professional it just ain't happening, since 99% of the folk in here are not doing this as their day job and it is painfully obvious. I still find it a pleasant relaxing way to pass down time chatting to the lunatics in the forums, but you wont find me offering work collaborations online again any time soon. ok rant over...off to a barbeque. LA may be flaky, the online world of modelling even flakier....but the food and the weather out here are top notch.  May 28 06 04:09 pm Link It's not just models and stylists who pull this stuff, too... I've been flaked on by a few photographers in my time as well. Ultimately, what it comes down to is reputation. Check references. Talk to other locals. LA's a big scene, so it's a little harder to do there, but I know that in the alt/pinup/fetish circles, you can usually determine within a handful of emails whether or not someone you're potentially interested in is worth spending any more time on/with. People talk. If someone's unreliable... people probably know about it. When you're casting online, you have to budget in some time to do a bit of research. May 28 06 05:27 pm Link You should really come to Toronto  May 28 06 05:29 pm Link Josie Nutter wrote: Hey, stop giving us a bad name! May 28 06 05:33 pm Link L.A.'s the epicenter of flakiness, though--you have to take that into account. There's a good chance you would have had better results elsewhere. May 28 06 05:35 pm Link Btw, Chris, I wasn't talking about you-- I meant no-show/no-calls. May 28 06 05:49 pm Link Josie Nutter wrote: I know :-) Just the issue, plus the fact that you were posting, made me think back to the two times I've cancelled, and why. I was kinda hoping that my reasons might have been a little more creative, actually. May 28 06 06:01 pm Link Josie Nutter wrote: hmm i think a better phrase would be May 28 06 09:58 pm Link photofashion wrote: Oh, not at all. I've done a massive amount of work lately with Internet models. Granted, I'm offering something that they want, making the trade shoot valuable to them, but isn't all business like that? Both parties feel they got the better end of the deal - that makes for a good deal. May 28 06 09:59 pm Link I'm just glad not all photographers feel that way. May 29 06 12:01 am Link I was going to post a reply here, but then decided to floss my cat instead. May 29 06 12:39 am Link photofashion wrote: LA? you sure? or did you mean L.A.? May 29 06 12:43 am Link Hmmm early last year I tried to put a paid shoot in Houston together. It was only paying $250.00 for three to six hours but included a MUA and was for handbags and shoes. Well to make a long story short it didn't happen. Of the five models we planned to use only two showed. One called off. Another was a no call no show and one asked could she come two hours later then planned. I'm going to New York soon and I'm planning to pay some of the models I shoot. However I love New York and would go just because its a great city. Would I fly there just to shoot models I met on-line, never. May 29 06 12:48 am Link Yup. This is a myspace website. Not an employment agency. Apparently. Jun 04 06 07:57 pm Link This is why this site should implement an ebay style feedback system. -Jose Jun 04 06 08:02 pm Link Josie Nutter wrote: reference check people just to appear at a casting??? You have got to be kidding me. Jun 04 06 08:07 pm Link I just think what a shame that is, considering your work. Jun 04 06 11:13 pm Link Richard Tallent wrote: HA HA HA a good one! Jun 04 06 11:57 pm Link I was just in LA on business too. At least MM doesn't have smog and insanely crowded freeways. Jun 05 06 12:04 am Link _Cinnamon_ wrote: Yeah, there's a comedian who has a routine about how, in LA, "Dude, I just FLAKED" is an acceptable excuse for ANYTHING Jun 05 06 12:07 am Link for me the learning curve is highly pleasing through this website. I learn from showing up models, I learn viewing portfolios of high end pros and their online experiences, I get inspired from amazing stylists and photoshoppers. and I also learn what not to do  Jun 05 06 12:22 am Link Perhaps it could work like this: thread title " Good Model ratings" model #xxx1 she was surperb 5 out of five stars model #xxx1 great to work with, organised 4 stars. model #xxx1 was running late for shoot two hours but worked hard 2.5 stars model #xxx1 Average rating:11.5/15 stars thread title " BadModel ratings" model #xxxx2 never showded up ZERO stars. model #xxxx2 showed up late and asked for payment on tfp shoot, ZERO stars. model #xxxx2 booked me twice and still hasnt shown up yet Zero stars. thread title " Good Photographer ratings" Photgrapher #xxxx1 great to work with proffessional, I'm having his child 5 stars. Photgrapher #xxxx1 Pro attitude, great results, made me work hard 4 stars Photgrapher #xxxx1 Nice guy tfp shoot, results not as good as Id hoped, turn around took awhile 3 stars. Photgrapher #xxxx1 Av 12/15 star rating. thread title " Bad Photographer ratings" Photgrapher #xxxx2 a real sleaze bag, unproffessional, I'm having his child 0 stars. Photgrapher #xxxx2 keeps calling me and I still dont have my images NIL stars. Photgrapher #xxxx2 said shoot was lingerie and ask me to do nude then refused to shoot at all when I said no, 0 stars. the key to this working would be the code Tyler would have to incorperate to make it all work so the everyone would have an average rating, and no one could just slander for slanders sake of little things. It IS complicated but could well ensure a site that adapts/grows and meets the requirements of what we are seeking, and thus elimate or at least perhaps reduce bad experiances. just my 2 cents:) Jun 05 06 12:41 am Link photofashion wrote: Yep, that would be me : ) Jun 05 06 04:13 pm Link reference check people just to appear at a casting??? You have got to be kidding me. If it's an open call (cattle call) for a fashion show or a short film, I do not check references. However, if an individual photographer contacts me about wanting to shoot, you bet your sweet bottom I check references! Jun 05 06 08:02 pm Link Diana Moffitt wrote: Ding ding ding! Give the girl a prize. :-) Jun 05 06 08:32 pm Link Arobeck wrote: Or... it could look something like this: ebay-esque wrote: Seriously though, if a rating system were to go up, yes, Ebay's system is good. Yes, only be able to rate someone you actually shot with. To do that, however, you would need to somehow ensure/verify that the photographer/model/mua/stylist DID actually do a shoot together... which puts the burden of handling the record keeping of the transaction on MM. Jun 05 06 08:41 pm Link |
