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Hey, my first real post here. And yeah, we're not ready in any way for getting into this, but we're curious about how you shooters screen your models.

How do you know that a prospective model is really doing it because they want to do it, and not because they feel the NEED to do it? Get my meaning?

Mishi and I are facing a life change in living arrangements and are looking into warehouse flats, so we can start a studio, among other motivations. We WISH we could afford the space next door to Spider and LadyS studio, but that's not to be right now.

anyhoo, we're just wondering what parameters, etc. you set as a content shooter in determining if you want to use any given model.

All thoughts are appreciated. And thanks in advance!

Hi venturi! :-)

Let's get together sometime and we can chat about how you two can start shooting. :-)

Hmmm...you can bring the Hooters Medium Wings! LOL


Lady Sharlot :-)

Jimmy,
Finding good models is a job. No matter how well you screen them you will always have flakes, no shows and mean models. I try to get to know them a little bit so they will feel comfortable. If a woman poses that doesn’t feel comfortable it will show up in your pictures. I look for models that have a good personality, because I believe that shows up in the pictures too. Good topic.
Bill

Good points bc43! :-)

I, too, have yet to figure out which models will show on time, which one's are easy to work with, follow direction, act well. :-) Sometime, when you get a really good model, the shoot flows so wonderfully that you all have a great time. Other times, it seems that the hour you hired her for isn't ever going to end. LOL

I think that sometimes, with me being a female photographer, it's easier for me. The models don't feel as much like they have to "impress" me--and it makes it easier for them to spread their legs 'cause I'm prolly not going to ask them out on a date afterwards. :-)


Lady Sharlot :-)

Sure. . .Sure. . .I heard you ask them all out on a date. . .and the bitchier they are . . .the more you like it.

Um--Sorry PMGames...I don't mix business with pleasure. Even if I WAS interested in a date (which I'm not LOL)...I wouldn't ask.

Damned Ethics...get in the way of everything. :-)


Lady Sharlot :-)

Lady Sharlot,

I know you and Spider pretty well, and I think models would be in the safest of hands if they shot with the two of you. . .I was only kidding about that. . .

I know if is tough to think that a lot of people get into the content business because they think they can do things like that. . .I am sure for those of us that are in the business for the right reasons that this makes us sick.

Just my two cents worth.

setting up what we call a test shoot. They come in and show 2 forms of id first off (state issued id and a social security card or birth cert.), they then fill out a modeling form which gives us their name, address, phone and etc. They then fill out what we call a modeling type form. This is where they check off the types of modeling they are willing to do, this keeps us from asking a girl who does not want to do hardcore if she wants to.

We then do a test shoot with them which is around 50-100 images and it takes around 15-20 minutes to do (depending if the girl sits and talks the whole time or doesn't know how to model then it can take longer).

We look at the images afterwards to check for certain things, like does he/she close their eyes on most the shots, do they have sexual and erotic poses or do they look like they are laying there dead. Most of all we look how well they make love to the camera, if they can make love to a camera you can make big bucks off them.

We then either tell them we can not use or tell them that as soon as we get them listed on our site as an available we will get them some work. Mostly we call them back in right away though to do more shoots with if we liked what we saw, we then shoot with them everything they are willing to do that is legal.

If you don't like them be honest and up front with them and just tell them that you don't think you could make them any money. Of course if you never use them again don't profit from their images you just shot, but if you do use them again then sell the test shoot images too because you spent your time to interview them so you rightfully put something into owning those images. Normally if they never shoot again I offer them $50.00 for their time and have them sign a model release (which I do either way anyway because it's very required).

I hope this helps you out

Hi CD Media!!! Welcome to the board.

Thank you for posting on how you handle the screening of models. We do things pretty much the same way. :-) And we always pay for test shoots now. (Of course, the ID's and paperwork are front and foremost and have ALWAYS been a priority) We've found that, you just never know when those images might come in handy. I'de rather pay them for their time and such, even if I don't use them, than to not pay and want to use them later.


Lady Sharlot :-)

CDMedia,

Thanks for sharing. . .That was a lot of great information especially for being your first post on the board as well!

Welcome on board !!!

Just curious. . .I really don't deal in this type of content, but I love to learn about things.

Do you pay the $50 upfront the day of the test shoot?
Is that amount of money disclosed upfront before the day of the shoot?
Do you have them sign the model release form before you shoot as well, or only after what?

sorry for the questions. . .just got me curious in learning more.

Thanks,

I would from my experience this is textbook screening. I think that this is the best way to screen a model but even like that you still have alot of flakes and no shows there is absolutly no way of controlling model show ups and how far a model goes during a shoot thats the exciting part because you never know what to expect this is what makes my job so exciting. Then of course I look forward to the crazy. models are like a box of chocolates YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO GET

I used to pay for all test shoots but found that alot of crackheads were showing up just for the quick buck and you would never see them again. A guy once told me "Do you get paid when you go to McDonalds and apply for a job, it's like your probation period".

We find that alot of models are unreachable as well and have ended up selling the images later on anyway only because we could not reach the model for further shoots and such. But we never intentionally try to con a model into shooting a test shoot and never calling them back.

We had a model once try to sue us over this, she did her test shoot and we held onto the images for weeks and kept trying to call her and she kept turning all the shoots because she was busy or something, so we finally put her 42 images on the site as a photo set and they sold to a local newspaper who used them for a print ad, she flipped out on us and got a lawyer and tried to strong arm us into taking them down. I proved the signed release and she was in the wrong then I took them down anyway

We normally don't pay for the test shoot at all, but when we have to (which is not alot) we call the girl and verify her address and send her a check.

This is our pay rates here in central Indiana:

$50/Hour = Softcore/Toys/Mast/Anything Simulated
$75/Hour = Girl/Girl (not simulated)
$100/Hour = Hardcore/Oral/C*mshot
$150/Hour = Anal
$200/Hour = Gangbang

Some models, mostly amateur girls off the street who answer our ads except these prices nicely because you sure can't make this kind of money at McDonalds, but more experienced models usually start out at around $100/Hour for softcore and go up.

We do say in our ad in the paper that we pay $50 to $200 an hour, we also confirm this on the phone with the model as well. In some states though I have heard it is prostitution to advertise for models so be careful and find out first.

They do the paperwork before the shoot, sometimes they sign the release before the shoot and sometimes after, I tell them all to be sure to read it but you would be surprised how many skip to the 2nd and 3rd page and just sign it and fill out their information. I scan ids before the shoot, this gives me the chance to verify models age before she gets nakee

How many forms of id would you check? I am asking because I used to be a bouncer at a local club a couple of years back and kids can get fake ID's and drivers licenses with easy these days.

Would you pay that model differently then the rates you quoted if you called them back in (after the test shoot.)

Also. . .what does a typical ad look like?


lol. . .sorry for all of the Q's. . . I just find this interesting.

I accept a drivers license or state id with a photo and a social security card or birth certificate.

I pay all models the same rates unless they are pro-am, semi-pro or professional, then they tell me what they charge and we negotiate from there.



Here is our ad we run in the paper: