The information that I am about to provide is going to come from responses that I got via Facebook when I asked,
"Has anyone here done a model call before? Any tips or tricks to make it run smooth? Any guidance you would give to someone that is considering doing one for the first time?" I am also going to provide some information that I have found from scouring the internet with the idea of being a photographer considering to model call for the first time.
During my Google search the first article I encountered was an article written my Rachel Brenke 5 Tips to Successful Portfolio Building. It seemed odd at first that this was the first article until I actually opened it up and read it. The article is based around building a portfolio, however it does give pointers on what to do regarding model calls. Some of the biggest points that she made was that you need to make sure you have a model contract, model release, and print release. Also make sure that you have covered all the questions regarding what the model is going to get. Be as prepared as possible and more or less you are trying to make this to where the model cannot back out after they get their prints or digitals or whatever you are giving them and then not allow you to publish your work.
As I continued my Google search I noticed a trending theme, use modeling agencies. I thought that this was kind of absurd to be honest. What modeling agency would want to work with someone like me? Here is what I discovered. Models need to have their own portfolios as well and those that are starting out typically do not have one. The smaller agencies do not have their own photographers and in most cases do not have the funds to create the portfolios for the models, so what they do is they send their girls to photographers who cold call or cold email them if they appear to be a good fit and it becomes a win win situation all the way around. The model gets the portfolio that she needs and the photographer gets the images they need to update their portfolio. There are some guidelines you may have to follow if you decide to use these photos for advertising (on billboards and such) or if you sell them, but that is as simple as contacting the agency to determine what the best course of action is.
Here are some of the Facebook responses that I got. I spent about a week collecting these answers from various groups with only posing the phrase that I mentioned above.
"Some have facebook groups that trade work, photographers, models and makeup artists(mua or ma) theres usually a trade for pics agreement (tfp). Might check your area. If you do use models, make sure to have them sign a release and make sure to list what the trade off is in the relase, like said number of digital photos for their modeling services."
"Make sure you have solid contracts AND model releases. Be 100% clear about what is included with your call and what is NOT included. Know exactly what you want to shoot, and why you want to shoot it and don't just take the first person who volunteers (unless they're exactly what you're looking for).you'll want to call them somehitng like "discounted portfolio building sessions" so you can still charge for them, but grow as well. I wouldn't offer to do them for free. Still make sure you have a good contract and release"
"Have a contract in place. Mine specifies thst if they rescind their permission to use the photos they owe me whatever the cost of that particular session is at the time they change their mind. I give digitals, so they only get 3 digital images, and they have to do an in person viewing to select them, no gallery is given. They can select more if they want. I also try to put the word out what I'm looking for by word of mouth rather than posting on fb"
"Prepare a list of criteria so you know who your ideal client would be. Create an online application for ppl to complete if they are interested and state that you will only contact those selected and who meet the criteria. This will save you tons of time and ensure that you get the most out of your casting call."
" Make sure to describe your ideal candidate. If you want a fashionable senior - ask them to send a picture that shows off their personal style! Or, if you're looking for an adventurous, in love couple, ask them to send a photo of them doing something they love. It tells you A LOT about them and you can choose accordingly!"
"Collect a retainer fee that is refundable when they attend the model call, to ensure attendance. Otherwise you may end up with no-shows."
"I have the best success with model calls when I plan the style I want, along with location etc. So they are images that showcase my style well for my website. I communicate lots with them a couple days before and then send a good morning text the day of and have had no problems with no shows"
" I do 5 digitals and I make the selections. They have the ability to select more if they like. Mine actually does go out via Facebook, on my biz page, you can look through if you like. But I may refrain from doing that in the future and offer it as a complimentary shoot to my friends/their friends and try to imply value/awesome gift for them more so than portfolio building/etc."
"I require models to give model release or if defeats the purpose. And I pay my models rather than giving them images, it seems to work better to deter flaky people. They can purchase images if they choose to but they're not included in the deal at all"
After getting all of these responses I thought it was great. I felt like this is something that I could do, and it was even better that I was able to get some advice from people that had done them before and learn from their mistakes or the things that worked best for them. All of these answers that I received made sense to me, and for someone who has never done a model call gives a guideline of what I need to be preparing myself for.
1. Pre planning the shoot and what I want so that I can be up front with models with what my expectations of the shoot and of them are and I can also put it in writing.
2. MODEL RELEASES AND CONTRACTS! This is something that I would have never considered before considering the fact that this is a "we are working together" situation. I would have never thought to have a contract that was specific about what the model was going to get and also making sure that I had the model release, considering the fact that this is a model shoot it is something that in my head is implied. So much for being a trusting person.
3. Be picky about your models. This is something else I would have never considered. My thought initially would have been if they applied then they meet the criteria, but to stop and evaluate them as a whole and make sure that they are going to represent me as a photographer and my brand. That is something that to consider.
4. Require a retainer fee. This was a new one. Who doesn't love having free photos done? So if you know they are free why wouldn't you show up? I found out that this is actually a thing. Models opt to not show up. That just blows my mind. IT IS FREE!!! So in realizing that not all models are serious a refundable retainer fee now makes a lot of sense to me.
How do you feel about model calls? Are they worth it to you? Let me know in the comments! Or you can always add your email to our email list and join in on discussions, make suggestions for up coming posts, or even be a guest poster! I look forward to hearing from you all!
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