Recently I saw a posting about why MM is hard to book off of, and how do people do it. My answer is tens of hours of prep time, blind contacting etc... for every one hour of shooting.

Now I can't speak for other photographers but right now I am in the middle of setting up 4 shoot dates. Each date involves 3-4 models, 1 make-up artist, 1 hair stylist and a wardrobe stylist.

I am just confirming dates with people right now since the closest starting date is September 10th, which is 16 days away, and the latest is September 26th which is 30 days away.

For some reason I have never understood there are always one or three models who really want their hands held in this initial stage of booking. They want to know the theme of the shoot, start time and wrap time, the exact location of the shoot.

If you answer three questions with good answers and a request to please have them send you their email address and confirmation you get 6 more questions instead.

I would think the six pages of information, and the entire 4 hours I spent just matching dates and people would be enough. One thing I do is I grab an image from each involved person, put their name and MM# on the image and create a photoshop document with everyone who is involved each day.

So to my complaint.

To make it simple, please when something is in its preliminary stages don't become the problem person. If you see that there are 16 models, 3 designers, and 3 make-up artists on a list of dates and times be aware that there are 16 people that aren't you involved, including me.

While I would love to spend individual time going over the shoots with each model I am forced to lump everyone from one day into one group for the preliminary information. Than the questions can be more of a nature of should I dye my roots and less of a nature of do I bring wardrobe.

Now with me if you are working with me you are hot and you are special, so I have to weigh that against holding your hand even before we confirm a shoot date. I am tired and frustrated.

Before I even put people in dates I usually have several communications with them, even than about 30% drop out once I have made my spreadsheets. I don't begrudge that, but please have some consideration, some patience.

Models, I know you go through this with photographers, but when the photographer has to be the art director, photographer, and all around best boy be nice to them.

Otherwise, they may decide you aren't going to work in this situation, or with them at all,

Star

edit: at this point my rant is because they have recieved a five page letter explaining start time, wrap time, do's and don't's etc...

MM isn't as hard to book like some might think. Frankly, I think that it's more harder for models to get assignments than it is for photographers to get models.

The problems that I do see with what photographers negative expereinces is the flakes or as you have addressed, the poor lack of communication between model and photographer. Me personally, I don't and won't tolerate this. My time is valuable and I treat the model's time llike I want and need to be treated. models who I know who have worked with me can tell you how I work and won't waste your time or mine if I can't make it happen.

I have also made my modeling projects a bit different on here. I'm into the commercial/advertisement field/fashion and other photography fields. I'm now picking few models because of what I'm targeting and because of the flakes that I am constantly reading about on here.

Some have stated that MM needs to do a profile check on both model and photographer to see and show that both are serious. At first I didn't agree with this, but I do now. Foir many of us serious photographer this is business. There is anthoer website that does exactly that. They aren't not having their site labeled with flakes and freaks.

Need a little patience, yeah
Just a little patience, yeah
Some more pati... (ence, yeah)
I've been walking these streets at night
Just trying to get it right (Need some patience, yeah)
It's hard to see with so many around
You know I don't like being stuck in a crowd (Could use some patience, yeah)
And the streets don't change but maybe the name
I ain't got time for the game
'Cause I need you (Patience, yeah)
Yeah, yeah well I need you
Oh, I need you (Take some patience)
Whoa, I need you (Just a little patience is all we need)
Ooh, this ti- me....

i find your situation kind of self imposed. MM is not a model booking service, its not supposed to be, so its really no different to using people u pluck off the street, almost none are professional, which by nature means they dont have any clue what it takes for you to organise shoot stuff. using agencies means u make one phone call and then are secure in the knowledge that the model is coming. (u can still get free girls from agencies too if money in an issue).
i find it commendable that u are doing all this yourself, and shooting stuff coz u want to do it, not waiting till the phone rings, but organising 16 models off an interenet site is a recipe for heartbreak and stress, and i think you are mad for even trying it. how bout start with 1 model, 1 shoot?? i would be happy getting some amazing pictures from one model, than 16 lots of crap from 16. whynot double book your models with plan A being to shoot the one that turns up, and plan B being to shoot them both if they both turn up.

Gavin look at my profile, look under credits. I have been booking off MM for a while,
in the last year over 26 models (that I am willing to credit) from MM. I have used craigslist in the past but now am working mostly off MM,

Star

I don't know:  I've never had a problem setting up a shoot with anybody I've contacted through MM.  It might be that people who want to work with me have a different set of motivations for doing so than most "industry oriented" models, but I'm all smiles as far as MM goes.