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$20 Casting calls
Hey all. I have a serious question. Lately I've been seeing more and more casting calls "paid" in the amount of about $20-30 or $20-30/hr. My question to the photographers who post these castings is who is you're target market for these castings? Is it hobbyist models who are excited to get any kind of compensation for a shoot? Are you looking for serious models who can give you the images that you are looking for? Do you get a lot of responses for these castings? Would it be more beneficial for you to post the casting as TFP with a small stipend for gas/travel then insert the $20-40. In my opinion, paid assignments are for those looking to get a particular result, have the ability to use/sell for whatever they want, and not HAVE to give model images unless stated (whether you do or not is your preference). That being the case, do you believe that $20/40 dollars is enough to buy out images or is that the reason you get models harassing for images, asking for discs, concerned about what you are later doing with the images. Not venting at all. I personally ignore the castings but would like to know the train of thought you all have when posting. I look forward to hearing what you all say! Edit: 20/hr for 2 hr shoots Jun 22 12 08:33 am Link I'm going to guess that they want someone who is an experienced model but they either a) can't afford to pay her regular rates or b) just don't want to spend a lot of money on a shoot. Personally, I skip over those castings as well because that $20 doesn't even come close to my rate. Jun 22 12 08:36 am Link Tiffiney C wrote: $20 is a LOT of money, actually. Jun 22 12 08:39 am Link There's always somebody who needs the money, even $20 per hour. It's a lot better than minimum wage, or nothing. I'm guessing that's the general thinking behind these castings. Just my $0.02 Ciao Stefano www.stefanobrunesci.com Jun 22 12 08:41 am Link I generally tend to skip those, unless it is someone who I'd otherwise be willing to trade with. Jun 22 12 08:43 am Link The photographers that are offering low rates of pay may be doing so to improve the odds of models showing up. There have been plenty of threads about models flaking and it's always mentioned that in the case of a TF shoot there is no real incentive for the model to show up. Perhaps these photographers hope that by being willing to pay the models something there is a better chance the model will not flake. Of course there's also the possibility that these photographers simply cannot afford to pay anymore. There are plenty of good photographers out there that simply can't afford the rates most models charge. Jun 22 12 08:44 am Link J Jessica wrote: I hope you are being facetious. I guess $20 is a lot of money if your job pays $8/hr, or you live with your mom, or you don't have to provide clothing, shoes or wardrobe for the $20 comped shoot. Not saying that you are any of the above, but do you think that $20 is worth 2-4 hours of your time? Jun 22 12 08:44 am Link Paige Morgan wrote: Or this Jun 22 12 08:45 am Link $20 to $30 an hour (untaxed) is a lot more than a lot of people make at their day jobs. Granted, it won't be suitable for everyone, but for the right person a few hours at that rate could totally be worth it. Lots of MM models don't get paid opportunities very often, let alone the high paying opportunities that the more popular models get. For them, landing a casting like this might be thrilling. It's all relative.  Jun 22 12 08:47 am Link There are many excellent non-professional photographers on MM who simply have very limited funds. As a non-professional myself, I judge who I work with by the quality of their work, not by how much they can pay. Just my opinion... Jun 22 12 08:47 am Link There are a lot worse jobs out there that pay a lot less than 20-40 an hour. You can get a university degree and you won't start at much more than 20 an hour. Jun 22 12 08:48 am Link Top Gun Digital wrote: That's true. But it could also backfire. The model could wake up an say "I don't feel like it, it's only $20 anyway". I frown upon people who cancel after agreeing to a shoot but the incentive isn't that great. With that being said who are they marketing to again? Hobbyist, professionals, etc? Jun 22 12 08:48 am Link I have started to offer $60 or $80 dollars sometimes for an entire photo shoot plus images. Here is my thinking behind it. I'm not really making off my modeling work like I do with my other photography work.So, I don't have the funds to really afford to pay a model a $100.00 an hour. I'm not expecting the really experienced models to be interested in my casting. But looking for models that still have experience and would like to make a little and receive images for their portfolio. To me it boils down to budget. I pay what I can afford. it's up to you take take the offer or not. Jun 22 12 08:50 am Link To answer the simple question as of why such a small amount of money... Something that is ignored about most photographers is, a lot of us don't get paid for our work. We spend thousands in gear, cameras, lighting and such and don't have the money to shell out a hundred bucks an hour all the time. I understand as a model that you want to make money, but let me ask you this, how many people out of the industry do you know that make a hundred bucks an hour. I'm not complaining and understand models will charge what they feel, but sometimes we just can't afford to pay that much, being we still have car payments, bills, house payments and all that, and for probably many of us, this is a passion, but also a hobby. Jun 22 12 08:50 am Link Sita Mae wrote: I completely agree. So is it the hobbyist models that are marketed? Jun 22 12 08:51 am Link By offering a rate of 20-40 they can't expect to get a professional, published model... Unless they are unaware of the industry standards. Jun 22 12 08:51 am Link $20 an hour is a lot less than my usual rate. However, I would take that if: - I was going to get some photos I could use out of it (to make up for lower rate) AND one or more of the following were true - the photos I was going to get would be really awesome - there was a good MUA involved - I was getting wardrobe out of the deal - there were live animals involved OR - I would somehow get exposure or be published - it was a test shoot that would lead to better paying work Jun 22 12 08:53 am Link MCPHOTO wrote: Thank you. This is what I was looking for. I understand a little more now. Jun 22 12 08:53 am Link CRUIKSHANK PHOTOGRAPHY wrote: I agree but then some castings with these rates ask for basically industry standard girls. Jun 22 12 08:54 am Link As someone who has posted a "$20/hr" casting call, I will simply say this. It usually comes down to budget, and in my particular case I was looking for a model that would show up after having several TF shoots canceled or flaked on last minute. In reality I didn't even want to pay that $20/hr, but since I was having such bad luck with TF I was trying something different. I am a part time student, and stay at home dad. My fiance works and we live off of about $1500 a month, we both also get student loan stipends once every 3 months. I simply don't have the money to afford the $100/hr+ rates that a lot of the pro models charge. Even $20/hr is a stretch for me, but I have done it and it was rewarding. To answer your question about marketing. In my situation atleast I did not care who was responding to the casting, I just wanted to shoot and was happy to get any responces. I suspect that in a lot of cases that is similar. Jun 22 12 08:57 am Link From my personal stand point - Is the $20 an hour shoot clothed, lingerie or implied? Then I'd still be interested, seeing as those are things I often will shoot for TF anyways. Twenty an hour is still doing way better than any day job I ever had. Or is it a photographer I'd love to shoot with, anyways? If I'm likely to get shots that I will love in my port, then of course I'm willing to take the $20. That's just a bonus. However, if it's a photographer I wasn't previously interested in shooting with and they are stating that it's a nude or fetish shoot? Then my apologies, but I'm not the droid you are looking for. Jun 22 12 08:59 am Link Tiffiney C wrote: Models can flake even when being offered an industry standard wage and I can say that based on personal experience. Jun 22 12 09:02 am Link I'm not sure why you're surprised. Models do shoots for cookies or sushi or other foods all the time. I once posted a question in the critique section asking if any models would do nude shoot with me in exchange for I think it was a steak dinner, and quite a bit of girls were interested. A few of them were normally $100+ an hour models, but I won't mention any names. Jun 22 12 09:05 am Link Dark Shadows wrote: I'd shoot for sushi. I'm not even gunna lie. Jun 22 12 09:08 am Link Top Gun Digital wrote: Everyone flakes. It all boils down to professionalism. And I understand the concept of a trade shoot with the right person/ for the right thing. The question was moreso to the photographer who "never pays more than $30/hr regardless of the model" type person. Jun 22 12 09:09 am Link Dark Shadows wrote: Not surprised, just wanted to understand the photographers mindset. Jun 22 12 09:11 am Link They may simply feel that no model is worth more than 20-40 bucks an hour. Jun 22 12 09:14 am Link $20/hr is about $40k per year, just below the median household income in the US. $30/hr is about $60k per year, just below the median household income in Manhattan, This is also usually unreported income (over 2.5 times minimum wage) So factor in a US fed tax rate of at least %25 and I fail to see how that is low pay. Yes there are jobs that pay more and many of our have been truly fortunate in our lives. Jun 22 12 09:14 am Link Honestly, I believe the general mind-set would be "I'll take what I can get, and you never know I may land an awesome model. Otherwise, at least it was cheap." It's probably hobby photographers who are just offering what they can afford, and therefore don't really care if they get a gorgeous professional model and are happy to have a model at all. Jun 22 12 09:15 am Link Tiffiney C wrote: No, not everyone. There are a lot of good people that wouldn't even dream of being that unprofessional. Jun 22 12 09:18 am Link Sita Mae wrote: It'd be relative if we were comparing 8 v. 20 dollars an hour and bother wages came from a steady schedule of full-time employment. But we aren't. Modeling is doesn't offer constant cash-inflow for most people, so those twenty bucks spread pretty thin. Jun 22 12 09:20 am Link I expect these photographers have experienced the sad reputation that has been placed on models on MM of no show/no calls for TFP. They offer $20 because they figure those who would do TFP would be more likely to show up for $20 and hour. Jun 22 12 09:20 am Link AJScalzitti wrote: That's working 40 hour weeks. I doubt the photographers are paying for the entire 8 hour day or every day of the week for that matter. In retrospect it's making $40 in a day ($5/hr) by keeping that day empty for a shoot. Even doing 3 shoots that day (which I tend to do when traveling) will amount to $120, still less than the $40k average. Modeling is no comparison to a 9-5. Jun 22 12 09:21 am Link It could also be an off set to some llamas (many with little or no experience) who think they should be paid $200 - 300/hr. I've got a decent paying job, but paying $100/hr, along with studio rental, is still kind of tough. That's one reason I don't shoot more than once or twice a month. I don't really have a space at home to use and since I shoot a lot of nude llamas, a studio is usually a must. Jun 22 12 09:21 am Link Chain Reaction wrote: I didn't mean everyone to be every single person. I meant everyone as in photographers, models, mua's hair, etc. Last time I cancelled I was in a car accident and sent pictures of my bloody face to photogs for proof, everyone doesn't take it that serious. Photographers just say models cancel as if they do not. Jun 22 12 09:24 am Link This thread is a good demonstration of how many reasons there are both for offering certain types of shoots, and for accepting or not accepting them. The great thing is, with over half a million active members on MM, it's usually possible to find someone with whom you can agree on terms. Jun 22 12 09:26 am Link Blonde Pony Photography wrote: That's understandable. Most models are willing to negotiate rates because of that reason but would you make it $30/hr because you have to rent a studio? Jun 22 12 09:27 am Link I don't understand the entire concept from the photographers point of view. Isn't a casting call to determine if you are even interested in hiring the person? Why would you pay a model to show up for an interview. And if they're paying $20 for an actual shoot, it's not a casting call. Or is it a casting call offering $20 compensation for the shoot. I'm confused. I can't imagine this is a very profitable venture for the photographer. And if the photographer is so desperate to obtain models I can't imagine the product of the shoots is very beneficial to the model either. It seems incredibly desperate and, if I were a model, I'd be asking myself "Do I really want to shoot with someone who has such trouble finding willing collaborators that they have to pay them?" Then again, if I were a hobbyist model and not being offered paid work, perhaps none of that would matter and any amount of money is more than I'm already being offered. So maybe that amount is considered gravy. Still confused. Jun 22 12 09:29 am Link Tiffiney C wrote: Agree...Also from a photog standpoint, no guarantee of income from images most of the time Jun 22 12 09:30 am Link Michael Pandolfo wrote: I'm pretty sure she's talking about casting calls posted on MM which offer a shoot rate of $20 or $30 per hour. Jun 22 12 09:31 am Link |
