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What is a model's 'manager' supposed to do?
I recently discussed a nude photoshoot with an iinterested model, and she stated that she would bring a 'creative' person like a make-up artist or stylist with her. I told her that was fine. Now the model said that she plans to bring a "manager." I found this a bit odd, particularly since this model has very little experience and her portfolio isn't exactly professional looking. Then she mentioned she actually has two managers, but would only bring one with her. I don't know how to interpret this unless it's a sign of naivete or being misguided. I don't really care. But I told her that if she'd like to have a 'creative' person to help with styling, that would be fine, but my role as a photographer isn't to accommodate a manager. The whole thing seems basically silly to me. Is that fair of me to nix the manager aspect? Oct 04 12 06:44 am Link Very little experience + No real portfolio to speak of + Not one but TWO managers = NEXT! Oct 04 12 06:54 am Link Maybe she's trying to get around the whole "escort" thing.. I'd be curios how she met these managers and how she feels they benefit her. Yes, she sounds like she's a bit misguided. Oct 04 12 06:58 am Link A manager is supposed to f*** up a models chances for working. They should get in the way and act jealous of anyone who is looking at "their" model. It's key they are possessive and controlling otherwise the model could become aware of their ability to function as a human. They could start to want to think for themselves and may even realize they traded way down for that last boyfriend... err I mean manager. When the manager isn't trying to control his model he has to make sure he is telling everyone about his model, how hot she is, how she is his, and did I mention how hot she is? P.S. this is not the same as a momanger, totally different Oct 04 12 06:59 am Link You can nix any factors that distract from getting the right results. Extra people hardly ever make any useful contribution to the shoot and can easily be a distraction or worse. I usually choose not to work with models who need baby sitters. Oct 04 12 07:19 am Link She has a problem ---no reason to share it  Oct 04 12 07:24 am Link OP, in case you haven't guessed from the reactions, model managers aren't real welcome here on MM. They're supposed to generate & find you work & guide you in the direction that you the model want to pursue. To often, those so-called managers limit ones job opportunities either by quoting ridicuous rates &/or not even forwarding those job requests &/or placing demands on your behalf that are just plain laughable. Oct 04 12 08:24 am Link J Welborn wrote: +1 Oct 04 12 08:30 am Link The "Next" attitude is fine - if there's a "Next" model who is just as good. If the model has something you want, but comes with baggage, then you have to decide if the baggage is worth the hassle. In many cases, it is. As noted in one of the more thoughtful replies above, maybe the model is scared and wants to bring a friend for reassurance, and, while the "Next" knee-jerkers are bound to jump in, maybe you could discuss this aspect with the model, either with a view to getting her to change her mind, or to finding a way you can accomodate her wishes. It's odd that she claims to have two managers - they both can't be jealous boyfriends! Oct 04 12 08:45 am Link Run Forest Run!!!! Pass on this one shes got more baggage than a cargo ship Oct 04 12 08:52 am Link Alan John Images wrote: Tell her that her manager helped her clicked on the "NEXT" button.. Oct 04 12 08:55 am Link "Wow...TWO managers? You must be really really good!" That might work if the person on the other end of the discussion with the model is five years old. What is a model manager? A term her possessive boyfriend has demanded she use to make him feel better about the fact that he's just another jealous boyfriend with no purpose who has an issue with his girlfriend doing photo shoots with men he doesn't approve. It also feeds into her true Diva nature so it's a win-win for the dysfunctional couple. Doesn't "manager" sound much better than Svengali, Sluggo or Jealous Douche? Oct 04 12 09:05 am Link Alan John Images wrote: Some possible responsibilities for a manager, especially an on-site manager: Oct 04 12 09:06 am Link ESR Photography wrote: +1,000,000 Oct 04 12 09:13 am Link First, she wants to bring a creative person. Now she wants to bring one of her 2 managers. This girl is full of it.....Run as fast as you can. Oct 04 12 09:23 am Link Alan John Images wrote: seems fair to me. Oct 04 12 09:30 am Link call police! sounds like a pimp (oops, sorry, a "manager") is in the total control of her life, and she does not have any informative decision or choices to make up her own mind. Oct 04 12 09:50 am Link Scrap the shoot. Oct 04 12 10:35 am Link Looknsee Photography wrote: so .. why does the manager only come in after the appointment was made? Oct 04 12 10:48 am Link I once did a shoot with two models from omp (OMP allows managers) who had a manager (same manager, actually a couple working together). They arrived with their manager's release for me to sign (not previously discussed), but it was only a TF shoot, they both had a good look and they were the ones that had access to a very cool location, so I signed it. I also had them sign my standard model release, even though there were several conflicts between the two documents. The models didn't know much about releases. They had just been given the form to have signed. The models had paid a fee to the manager to help direct them and find them work. Both were fairly new to modeling. I did have a couple of email contacts directly with the managers prior to the shoot. There was originally going to be 4 models there (all same manager), but one was sick and one had some other conflict that I don't remember. It turned out that the photos and the manager's release never made it back to the managers, as they had to leave town quickly due to the police closing in on them for some unrelated illegal activity. So it turned out that we effectively worked off of my standard release and all 3 of us were very happy with the shoot When browsing omp, I have noticed that a fair percentage of models from the Youngstown area have managers. I'm guessing that there are a couple of managers there that actively recruit beginning models and use omp to promote them. Oct 04 12 10:59 am Link What does her manager manage? Wannabees are a pisser... Oct 04 12 11:07 am Link Tell her that if she wishes to bring a makeup artist or hair stylist that would be acceptable, but you don't allow unnecessary people or audiences on your shoot because it's too distracting. If she doesn't agree to that, politely decline to shoot with her. KM Oct 04 12 11:09 am Link "Manager" is usually a red flag for me. Often they are inexperienced would-be agents. And that's the good ones. Other times it's just a word for domineering boyfriend. omp used to encourage them, which is one reason I'm no longer active there. If your state licenses agencies there's a good chance a "manager" falls within the requirements. Usually it covers anyone who takes money in return for attempting to find work for a model. If that's the case you can ask for their license number. Oct 04 12 11:12 am Link I had a (male) model here want to shoot with me. Begged to bring along another male model. Okay, could be some hot stuff there, I wasn't thrilled but said fine. Whenever that happens it seems the quality falls considerably. Then he said he had to bring *their* "manager", as (with no portfolio at all yet) they weren't allowed to go ANYwhere without her. Uh, lol. I told him 4 on set's a crowd and I wasn't comfortable with that. Apparently no one else was either, as his profile is gone. Oct 04 12 11:20 am Link OP, as mentioned previously here not only are Model Managers not liked or welcome here on Model Mayhem they are not allowed. If this person is on Model Mayhem they are breaking the site rules and should be reported via CAM. Oct 04 12 11:26 am Link Ask what I always ask if a llama wants to bring a "professional" with them; "What are their qualifications?" Oct 04 12 11:26 am Link There is a guy in my area who charges models $35 a month to be their "manager." He then takes over their MM port and doesn't let them read their messages or respond to them. Which is against the rules here on MM, as I understand them. I only know this because a model who turned him down told me his terms. The other "managers" I have encountered were all controlling BF's or controlling photographers. My policy is to not ever deal with managers. However I did shoot a model a few years ago who had a manager, he was professional and helpful. I asked her why she had a manager and she told me she had a fulltime job and was carrying a full night time college class load and just did not have time to schedule things. That made sense. So one out of 25 might be real managers for a real reason. But I still don't deal with them as a rule. Oct 04 12 11:30 am Link my experience is that a manager in these cases is usually just a wanna-be player who tries to sign up as many naive models as he can. the model is not in on it. they think they just took the first step towards making it - but it's more a case of the fox guarding the henhouse. btw - whenever i've tried googling these "managers", nothing has ever come up - which is not a good sign. maybe tell her you'll be happy to say hello to him before the shoot but after that it's a closed set. (although he will probably tell her that that's a reason not to shoot with you, and she'll take his word over yours). or you could say you only work with legit managers so please have them send their business info and website. Oct 04 12 11:30 am Link Looknsee Photography wrote: ColourFool wrote: I'll add some highlights to my original post. These are activities that occur after the appointment is made. Oct 04 12 11:44 am Link I wonder how each sluggo (oops, I meant "manager") feel about sharing her with the other. Oct 04 12 11:55 am Link If a model won't shoot without a make-up artist, stylist or another model, then obviously photographers shouldn't take this personally, perhaps the model is just aiming to get the best possible use of her time and the best pictures. If a model starts talking about a "manager", in my experience this is pretty bad news for the photographer. I'm willing to learn and willing to teach but both are fairly impossible with the "manager" scenario, it's an uphill struggle to "fix" people's work ethic, attitude and coachability. I employ models not managers. I like to speak to models not managers, is this unreasonable? Bands, performers etc, it's slightly different, managers are either the client or perform some actual use during the production. The problem is models advertise, then suddenly announce a manager. This isn't business. A real manager will do the advertising and if people feel they would prefer to use agencies or model management, then they will. Sometimes it is the case, I prefer to employ someone I know could lose their contract if they don't turn up. Oct 04 12 06:11 pm Link Farenell Photography wrote: And for a very good reason I might add Oct 04 12 06:15 pm Link Nude shoot + "manager" = jealous BF or insecure model; either way, it will impair the images. Oct 07 12 03:35 am Link Managers are like travel agents. They were more necessary in the pre-Internet days but today are often unnecessay middlemen. Oct 07 12 03:38 am Link I chuckle when I read these threads. To the OP, just turn and walk away. It is nonsense. You are talking about a sluggo, not a manager. That said, it is clear that few here understand what a legitimate manager does. The better ones, are some of the most powerful people in the business, far more powerful than agents. Some will take on a newbie, most will not. In Hollywood, they say that a "good manger is worth his weight in gold." Alas, this is the net and not the mainstream. Managers serve no place here. Oct 07 12 04:25 am Link Walk away... quickly. In fact, running might not be a bad idea. As has already been mentioned, you're going to wind up dealing with a sluggo. Most likely, it's going to be her husband (or boyfriend) and one of her other "friends". Hell, she might be bringing along two people to better help haul your gear out of your studio while you're unconscious on the floor. Oct 07 12 04:29 am Link Model managers do as they always do. Nothing of any consequence other than destroy any chance of the llama being generally accepted. Oct 07 12 04:30 am Link The day before a shoot I had a new model mention they would be arriving with their manager and managers assistant. It was a 2 hour drive to my studio. I cancelled the shoot. I told them if they had asked if it was ok to bring a friend since it was a long drive, would have said ok. Since they were already playing drama queen, I had no interest in working with them. Oct 07 12 04:50 am Link "What is a model's 'manager' supposed to do?" Butt out & get lost! Oct 07 12 02:41 pm Link Ken Marcus Studios wrote: This. Oct 07 12 06:40 pm Link |
