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BONDAGE UNIVERSITY |
INTERVIEWING MODELS, PREPARING FOR YOUR SHOOT Let’s look at the preparations that lead up to a shoot. Let’s say you’re just starting out, and you don’t have a lot of references. Therefore you have to earn trust. You contact a potential model (let’s call her Darla, shall we?) and offer a set rate for a set number of hours or positions. She expresses hesitancy about working with someone who isn’t established. You arrange an interview or lunch at her convenience. (Lunch is business. Do not ask models to interview over dinner.) At the restaurant, bring your portfolio of previous work and sketches of future work you’re planning. (If you have no work to show, bring sample photos of the kind of bondage you want to do, and let her know you didn’t shoot it.) Being careful not to display the folder to the waitress or other customers, Darla looks through it. Encourage her to ask questions about the work. The two of you converse through lunch and you thank her for her time and pick up the tab. She still seems uncertain so you tell her that she can bring a boyfriend to observe the shoot if it would make her feel more comfortable. Darla decides she will agree to a session. A date and time is set. At this point, ask to see her identification to verify that she is an adult. The day before the session, call her to verify the time once more. Use this call to re-state the work parameters. Agree on a safeword. Make it clear that she’ll have the option of stopping the shoot at any time if she doesn’t want to continue. In that situation she will be paid for the completed scenes only. Let her know what clothing to bring. If she doesn’t have something you need, you must buy it. (Don’t be too quick to give it to her after the shoot. You might want to put it on other models in the future.) Remind her that she’ll be doing her makeup and hairstyling on her own time, so she can either arrive at shoot-time fully made up, or she can arrive early and prepare in your restroom. Now I’m sorry to say it, but some models will show up late to your shoot, take 15-minute breaks in the restroom between each scene, make a few long phone calls while you wait, and then tell you they have to leave early for a job interview. So tell the model what pace you expect before the actual shoot day. If there’s any doubt in your mind as to what minutes you’re going to pay the model for, here are the industry standards. THE MODEL’S OWN TIME: THE MODEL’S PAID TIME: True Story: Sheena Loveland once waited four hours for a photographer to get ready -- and at the end of the day he tried to dock her pay! Nyet! The night before the shoot, go over your checklist to make sure everything is ready. Here’s a sample checklist for a video session: SNACKS -- Some models overdiet and need to be encouraged to eat before a session; grapes, cracker-bits, and other small foods that don’t muss lipstick are ideal. True Story: I have one model who ALWAYS arrives hungry. Once she ate my whole box of Ritz Bits. Another True Story: One model got faint in a standing position. After she was untied she admitted she hadn’t eaten all day. DRINKS & ICE -- Drinking straws will protect her lipstick. PHOTO FILM -- Don’t go too cheap; the Gold series are a good choice. If you’re using indoor lights, you’ll need to buy "blue bulbs" that give off sunlight light, or you’ll have to use a flash. Always have more film than you’ll possibly need. Decide beforehand where you’re going to put finished rolls during the shoot. I suggest you drop them in your camera bag immediately upon taking them out of the camera. True Story: At one of Jon Woods’ first shoots, we permanently lost one whole roll of tied-up photos; I lost track of it in the huge, cluttered studio. Another True Story: After a Darla Crane shoot I was missing two rolls for several days. Was I glad to finally learn that my assistant had put the finished rolls back into canisters -- unaware that I keep only unexposed film in my canisters! PHOTO CAMERA -- Avoid "vacation" cameras that have telephoto or excessive zoom, or you’ll end up with the fish-eye effect -- a model who looks like she has a huge head and tiny feet. VIDEOCAMERA -- Don’t forget to charge all batteries the night before. If you rent, check it in the store before getting home. True Story: I modeled at a shoot where it turned out the rented vidcam could not auto-focus. VIDEOCASSETTES -- Get pro high-quality grade or you’ll regret it. Low grade can have drop-outs. True Story: One producer tried to submit a master videotape that had been recorded over his football-highlights tape. TRIPOD -- If you don’t have the steady hands of a surgeon, you’ll need a smooth-and- sturdy tripod. Sorry, but this will be one of your more expensive items. Make sure you get one that is approved for the weight of your videocam. ROPE & BINDING ITEMS -- Before the shoot starts, sort them into separate piles for each scene; it will save you valuable time later. GAGS -- If they don’t look clean she may challenge you on it. Place each gag in a ziplock plastic bag beforehand, and she’ll trust you when you bring them out. Don’t clean ballgags with bad-tasting mouthwash -- the taste lingers and nauseates the model. (We do want to gag the model; we don’t want the model to gag.) ATTIRE -- Hosiery tends to get ruined during bondage, so you should supply the scene hose, or give her new hosiery at the end of the shoot. SHOES -- If you like high-heeled stilettos, she may not have what you want. It’s up to you to get them. If you don’t live in a big city, buy them through the mail from Frederick’s. SCRIPT -- Don’t keep everything in your head; write it down or sketch it. At the very least, have a list of what you’re going to use in each scene. A model will view you as unprofessional if you’re not consulting something on paper once in a while. True Story: A model once said to me about another producer: "Sometimes I get the feeling he’s just experimenting on me; he’s not really sure WHAT he’s doing." LAMPS -- At the beginning you might get away with using a bunch of house lamps, but you’ll need at least four of them pointed her way. You CANNOT put a lamp WITHIN the shot. Your vidcam will use that light source to set its levels, and the gal sitting next to the lamp will wind up looking exessively dark. Ditto don’t shoot toward a bright window. Sad But True Stories: Seated in front of glaring windows, many beautiful models have faded almost to black, eliminating all detail. MODEL RELEASE -- Available at your local camera store. Current federal law also requires that the model release include a copy of the model’s driver’s license or other proof of age. If you have a great camera, take a photo of her holding the license up by her face (birthdate focused and readable). Otherwise, have her bring a xeroxed copy of the I.D. to the shoot. True Story: One mid-30s model, sensitive about her age, tried to record on the release that she was 28. Is this illegal? Yes. And if there’s a records check, who goes to jail? The producer -- for not correcting the record! CHECK -- If she requests a cash payment, ask who will see her home safely with all that money on her person! ENVIRONMENT -- If you haven’t run the air conditioner or heater lately, test it and make sure everything’s working. Your model’s comfort will be more important than your own. (If she sweats and her makeup drips off it will look gross in the video.) Also check the sturdiness of any furniture you plan to use. True Story: Some models are so enthusiastic and energetic that they wriggle until your chair starts to come apart. Keep an eye out! Okay! So it’s the night before Christmas and all through the house, you’re scurrying and hurrying and chewing your fingernails off as you worry about the big shoot! Don’t worry yourself sick about it, but on the other hand, don’t hold on to any illusions -- I rarely achieve an ideal shoot myself. The important thing is to try. :)
~~Lorelei |
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