Thank you for contacting me regarding this casting.  You have the look I desire for this casting.  I would like to book you for it.

You had actually responding to one of my castings in the past and we booked a shoot.  On the day of the shoot, you didn't show.  You also never returned my calls or emails regarding your absence.

Your previous history with me indicates that you are not reliable.  If you desire to book a date for this project, I will happily do so, but need some insurance.  I require a $250 retainer that will be paid back to you on completion of the shoot to be paid to me prior to booking.  Should you not show without adequate notice or reason, I will not refund your retainer.  I will require a signed contract agreeing to these terms and the payment in cash, cashiers check, or money order.  You can send it to the address in my signature.  Once I receive it, I will gladly email the contract to you and book the shoot.

Mike

I'll let you know her response.

Michael Newbern wrote:
I'll let you know her response.

I think we can guess what it will be hehe...

Michael Newbern wrote:
So, I posted a casting call the other day at https://modelmayhem.com/posts.php?thread_id=96726 and other places.  I've been gettng some responses and have actually booked the shoot full.  The models that contacted about the casting were serious about doing it, and booking was hassle free.  So that's good.

I've been running these sites for some time now, nearly 7 years for one one them.  I've learned a lot in the past few years and have gotten my no show rate way down.  But, needless to say, some models still flake.  I always set up more than one girl in a day, so when doesn't show, it's not a complete loss.

Something funny has happened to me a couple of times recently.  I've been getting models answer my castings after having pulled a no show in the past.  Do they think I forgot?

Setting up one of these bike shoots is an ordeal.  After we get past the usual stuff of studio/location and model, I have the bike owners/builders to deal with.  Some of these bikes are easily in the 6 figure range and sometimes come from a couple of thousand miles away.  When a model pulls a no show on me, I don't forget.

So, what do you think she will say when I tell her that in order for me to schedule a shoot with her, she will have to pay me $XXX over the phone by credit card before I schedule the shoot and I will pay it back to her with her compensation check?

Stay tuned. This should be interesting.

Mike

Michael Newbern wrote:
Do no show models think we forget?

I have recently been posting casting calls for a few ad campaigns I am shooting soon. I have had some people respond that I have stood me up or done the mysterious set everything up, but just stop talking when it comes time to schedule.
I not only don't forget, I have my list here at my house(my eyes only) of people that have no showed, repeatedly cancelled and people I just didn't enjoy working with. Now as I am offering pay or other forms of compensation beyond TFP/CD I use this list. Name is everything in this industry.

Michael Newbern wrote:
I'll let you know her response.

Don't assume you'll be getting one.

Michael Newbern wrote:
I will be implementing a 'commit to shoot' contract.  Basically, it puts the model in a situation where when they don't show with no call or reason, they owe me money.  I bill them for it and when they don't pay in 90 days, I turn it over to collectiions.  After a few of those, the models either quit modeling or quit no showing.

Funny you say this. I had a girl scheduled - a nice record of emails (she never called) of content, time, date, compensation, etc. Day of shoot - no show no call. I emailed her "hoping she was okay" since she didn't show.

No answer....

So I sent another email the next day billing her for 4 hours of my time and the MUA who drove out that the model said she'd pay billed her as well (we conspired). Believe it or not, within 15 minutes of her receipt of my bill for $1000 ($250/hour - hey, I can dream) she actually called me! She said she had had car trouble and didn't have my number, didn't have access to her computer, blah blah blah blah, and she was apalled that I could be so heartless and bill her.

She called the MUA (the first time she bothered calling her as well) telling her she never agreed to hire a MUA - she does her own make up, blah blah blah blah....

Bill 'em - don't cost nothin...

Ron Casas wrote:
Right like she is going to put up $$$ up front....

No show = Want to get paid to shoot, but broke a nail the night before and could not call or e-mail you because of the broken nail and the traumatic stress of said broken nail.

hey, I broke a nail that bad once, it's not pretty, and you shouldn't mock people who have gone through such a traumatic expirience.

...Stacy wrote:

hey, I broke a nail that bad once, it's not pretty, and you shouldn't mock people who have gone through such a traumatic expirience.

Yeah, but did you call the photographer and let him know?

Nice look by the way!

Ed Selby wrote:
Bill 'em - don't cost nothin...

Hola right back. 

You're right, it don't cost nothing and you can actually sell the delinquent account to collections after 180 days for about 1% of what the bill was.  Some agencies will give you 10%.  Just gotta shop around.

Mike

John Jebbia wrote:
So did she ever respond?

Not yet.  She's been pretty good so far about responding the next day.  Either she hasn't see it yet, or won't respond at all.

Mike

Leo Howard wrote:
Not only do I not forget, but I make sure I let other photographers know as well.

I dont mind a model canceling, even if its at the very last minute, things happen, life happens, what I dont like is no call no show.

Same here I will post the no shows on my port but only if there was no call from them whatsoever I try to be fair. But the Models should show a little more respect for the time and money it takes to do this.

Leo Howard wrote:
Not only do I not forget, but I make sure I let other photographers know as well.

I dont mind a model canceling, even if its at the very last minute, things happen, life happens, what I dont like is no call no show.

Amen.  And you can be sure I let fellow photographers know.  In one case the model had booked a different shoot and my friend called the model and cancelled the shoot stating "you did a no show on my friend" as the reason.  She claimed she didn't even remember booking the shoot.

e-string wrote:
SHE probably forgot

I agree with e-string. Seems like models also double book lots of time, or don't remember it takes 30 minutes or more to get from studio A to studio B, so after shooting at Studio A, are tired and bail on Studio B.  Just be thankful you didn't also have an MUA and/or Stylist also booked at the same time.

Best of luck. We've tried to get our flake list down to as close to zero as possible, but now and again one will waste our time. And, I do as you do, charge them a deposit for future shoots.  That removes a lot of 'em from the gene pool (the non-serious ones).

Cheers, Tim

Leo Howard wrote:
Not only do I not forget, but I make sure I let other photographers know as well.

I dont mind a model canceling, even if its at the very last minute, things happen, life happens, what I dont like is no call no show.

Michael Newbern wrote:
Here's the email I just sent her:


I'll let you know her response.