Paramour Productions wrote:

LOL, thanks.  I've actually thought about it, but it would be a very large undertaking and I'd need to raise in the low six figures to do it right.  The money isn't as insurmountable as the time it would take.  I may revisit the idea in a few months, as I can source funding.  The upside is, I have all the production resources needed to film, edit and grade the footage, and have access to a post-production audio house to do the mix.  We'll see.  I'm slated to direct a short film in the spring.  After that who knows.

Good. This looks like too difficult a project.





(Maybe I'll do it first!)

VisiFoto wrote:

Why do people do anything if they're not a paid professional?

I've seen people spend $250,000/year playing an amateur sport (in 1980s dollars), just for a shot at hopefully someday going "pro". These are very smart people who work extremely hard at their "hobby", and after years of experience become extremely talented, perhaps better than most "pros".

Why do college athletes risk life and limb (and permanent disability or death) to play a sport for sub-minimum wage? Some go pro and get rich, 99% get a real job after they graduate.

From what I've seen of MM, it falls into that category. Except some MM models earn nearly $100k/yr gross.

This movie appears to tell that side of the story, with boobie$.

That's fine, but if you're telling the story of those amateur athletes spending $250K a year on their sport/hobby, the same rules still apply.  You need a compelling story, i.e. conflict, with a dramatic arc made up of smaller character arcs.  This isn't anything new or applicable only to some films.

That would actually be an interesting story if told right - many, many are.  Even the most interesting stories can die a slow (or fast) death if told wrong.

studio36uk wrote:

There is one in the can that was to be shown in the UK but because of the Jimmy Savile / BBC scandal is temporarily on TX hold. Apparently it closely examines the wannabe "industry", in Japan in particular [but, not having seen it I don't know if it is limited to Japan], where particularly young wannabe model girls are brought to Japan from other countries, promptly chewed to bits by the "industry" then spit out faster than yesterdays sushi. A cautionary tale, I gather from the publicity, about being careful of what you wish for... and unhappy outcomes.

Studio36

That documentary is called 'Girl Model' and is about agency modeling in Japan, not about internet modeling.

AJScalzitti wrote:
Well showing nude models may get some donations but the whole premise is flawed.  The internet is replacing agencies?  The clients are hobby photographers who may pay a couple hundred dollars, sorry that isn't the world agencies and commercial photographer work in.

Internet modeling and this whole phenomenon is a new thing and as soon as people realize it has nothing to do with traditional modeling the better.  Accept it for what it is

Which would make a great compare and contrast, but, as I said in my first post, would only serve to upset many here...

Patchouli Nyx wrote:
Being a LA type, I would keep pitching this to HBO or Showtime (or some other cable) late night as part of their sex/adult entertainment offerings.  Especially if the angle the film maker emphasizes is about nude models being shot by guys who want an expensive spank bank or who are more into meeting and seeing naked girls than building a professional portfolio.

(that means though that they would have to drop a couple of the photographers though and pick ONLY ones who want to appear on camera as desperate for girl flesh.)

And, quite frankly to do an actual documentary on e-models, one would probably want to give a historical nod to the camera clubs of the 50's...which is ostensibly what a huge part of MM and internet modeling sites are modern versions of.

I don't see it (as others have said) as being a doc about internet models replacing brick and mortar agencies until Loreal starts regularly booking talent off MM (which
is about likely to happen as MM becoming a stable site!)

Without question, in fact that would essentially be the premise.  The only reference you would even make to the latter would be one of delusion - which would be interesting to show.

I think you and I even discussed this once. I figured it would take a year of full time work - not including finishing work (final edit, color, audio mix, etc) and festival/marketing/distribution work...

Erick Prince wrote:
http://vimeo.com/48486876

Looks fairly promising.

Exactly what made it "look promising," the fact someone may do it? Thee is no real info there, only solicitations for $.

Patchouli Nyx wrote:
Being a LA type, I would keep pitching this to HBO or Showtime (or some other cable) late night as part of their sex/adult entertainment offerings.  Especially if the angle the film maker emphasizes is about nude models being shot by guys who want an expensive spank bank or who are more into meeting and seeing naked girls than building a professional portfolio.

(that means though that they would have to drop a couple of the photographers though and pick ONLY ones who want to appear on camera as desperate for girl flesh.)

And, quite frankly to do an actual documentary on e-models, one would probably want to give a historical nod to the camera clubs of the 50's...which is ostensibly what a huge part of MM and internet modeling sites are modern versions of.

I don't see it (as others have said) as being a doc about internet models replacing brick and mortar agencies until Loreal starts regularly booking talent off MM (which
is about likely to happen as MM becoming a stable site!)

Paramour Productions wrote:
Without question, in fact that would essentially be the premise.  The only reference you would even make to the latter would be one of delusion - which would be interesting to show.

I think you and I even discussed this once. I figured it would take a year of full time work - not including finishing work (final edit, color, audio mix, etc) and festival/marketing/distribution work...

exactly.  a WHOLE lotta work.  which would be better if hbo was funding it.


as an actual documentary...the teaser was interesting but I'd cut it differently with intersecting arcs and again, a couple of the photographers would have to be dropped.   

I'd probably pursue it with 6-8 characters

chloe  The new model. does she stick with it. can she handle nudity. her first creep.
Burt  The photographer whose girlfriend/wife hates his hobby and does he give it up.
Fawn  the model who is an artist herself and sees what she does as pure art.
Joe Bob  the sleezester

etc

The problem as I see it, is that many people are now used to reality TV shows with their 47 minute story arcs that having a 90 min documentary without a bunch of conflict and drama would be a big yawn and hard sell to many consumers--even if there are lots of tits and ass being shown.

that said though, crowd sourcing if adequate would be a great way to pursue the project without having to narrow it's focus and allow it to have a bit more of a cinéma vérité flow and narrative.

DennisRoliffPhotography wrote:

studio36uk wrote:
There is one in the can that was to be shown in the UK but because of the Jimmy Savile / BBC scandal is temporarily on TX hold. Apparently it closely examines the wannabe "industry", in Japan in particular [but, not having seen it I don't know if it is limited to Japan], where particularly young wannabe model girls are brought to Japan from other countries, promptly chewed to bits by the "industry" then spit out faster than yesterdays sushi. A cautionary tale, I gather from the publicity, about being careful of what you wish for... and unhappy outcomes.

Studio36

That documentary is called 'Girl Model' and is about agency modeling in Japan, not about internet modeling.

And you think Internet modelling is somehow fundamentally any different, really, or any better? If anything it is even more chaotic and unpredictable than the bricks and mortar industry.

Studio36

Erick Prince wrote:
http://vimeo.com/48486876

Looks fairly promising.

I think that it would work as a short episodic web documentary. He seeks tax deductible donations to fund this project. I think that this documentary could be successful, and like some of the cable documentaries, I see how he would score some
DVD sales as well.

As many products as models, photographers and other industry professionals buy, I would think that funding of that kind would be possible from individuals and businesses to expand the project to make and more episodes.

studio36uk wrote:
And you think Internet modelling is somehow fundamentally any different, really, or any better? If anything it is even more chaotic and unpredictable than the bricks and mortar industry.
Studio36

Internet modeling and traditional commercial/editorial/fashion agency modeling are not fundamentally different, they are completely different. The two, while both viable markets (one a niche market the other quite broad), are separate and distinct. I sometimes see MM members make references that are directly related to agency modeling and equate them with internet modeling as though the two were interchangeable. They are not.