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the import scene
who here is involved in the import industry? im seeing alot of glamour/fashion/goth models and posts, but basically nothing on import models or even cars at all. nothing wrong with other types of modeling, but im more into the whole racey looking girls/jdm/trade shows and whatnot... and im also bored  May 29 05 05:37 pm Link Well I know many....worked with many... Import modeling really is a meat market here..... What do you want to know.... or maybe just email me the questions... May 29 05 05:52 pm Link Hi Tina, I see that you were born in San Jose, CA so take a look at my images because I love shooting downtown SJ! So you'll recognize a few locations in my portfolio! About the Import scene ... Brent is right, it's quite a "meat market" but there are a couple photographers I know personally who I'd recommend you check out right here on ModelMayhem. Search out Dave Bang #1152 and KC Johnson #708 on MM, they both shoot the Import scene in the Bay Area around here. Check out http://www.importmotion.com It just so happens that a woman in the state of Washington is the main organizer of the HIN events. Also I know some models you should check out too! One successful model is Sara of http://www.AsianDime.com where you can see her website and schedule. Then I know some others who I will communicate with you about on MySpace since they are on it too. I've hung out on the edge of the Import scene to see what it's about. My first experience with a model who came out of that scene was interesting because the photographers had taught her cheesecake pin up style poses. I start laughing and she got mad at me! LOL She and I did talk about the poses and we continued working from there. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the pin up style! But if you only work in that style, you get into a frame of mind that is hard to break when you need to be versatile! Honestly, it is a meat market environment. I'm not impressed by the harassment and abuse in general that the women seem to take in the Import scene. If you are going to make an income in this area of modeling, you pretty much need "thick skin" while selling your signed 8 x 10's and posing with all sorts of guys for digital snapshots! (Umm .. including me if I'm there! LOL) If you can deal with a huge crowd of people around you for most of the day, loud music, and the many other discomforts that can happen at these sorts of events, then you'll be alright. One model I am working with lives in San Francisco. Robin has been asked to attend an Import show. Although I'm sure she would be popular, she passed it up after deciding that the crowds were not for her. Robin and I are working on a website for her since she is interested in the control she would have selling from the 'net. I hope this is useful information for you! We can message each other on MySpace if you like? May 29 05 06:42 pm Link well thanks for your guyses input, but i was only looking to see who else is involved. i already am, so theres not much more i need to know, but thanks again ill be in san jose june 30-july 6 if you wanted to set something up, but i do require that you allow me to bring one or more other girls who will also participate in the shoot and just so im not alone on shoots with first time photographersMay 29 05 06:50 pm Link someone once told me that i would be a good import model...but i am more hispanic and a lot of the girls i see are asian. How do you think i would/would not fit in? any other advice? Aprille May 29 05 11:53 pm Link 16 year old import model...interesting. May 30 05 12:20 am Link Posted by Aprille: Well, I would really like to be an import model as well. As you can see in my profile, I am not hispanic, and no where near asian. Aprille, I think if we both met up with the right people in that aspect of modeling we would have a pretty good chance. There arent' that "many" of us..so we really gotta make it count girl! May 30 05 12:27 am Link its not like a race thing. i know alot of successful import models that arent even part asian. HOWEVER, there is the philosophy of imported cars=imported models.. but no one will not hire because of race, unless theyre racist losers or its like an asian event/asian company or whatnot, but variety is beautiful. im casting a calendar shoot for an import calendar, but im including girls of all races. most just happen to be of asian decent because they just happen to be personal friends as well. but seriously, dont let something as small as what race you were born stop you from persuing what you want. miss hot import nights for the year 2005 is korean german and native american, however she looks straight caucasian, as well as miss hin for 2004. and yeah, Tommy. i am 16. although half the companies out there wont hire me because of my age, i figured id get a head start, learn the business, and get my name out there so im ready for the future. and? May 30 05 01:12 am Link "Import Modeling" sounds a lot like another term for promotional work. Interesting... May 30 05 01:23 am Link well its like.. parts modeling? alot of local auto body shops that work mostly with jdm parts (japanese domestic market) parts and imported cars hire models to promote them, hence the term import models. at carshows, tradeshows, model expos, etc. import models are half the reason why people attend. its a really huge industry, but its so underground that alot of people dont know much about it. we dont really call ourselves IMPORT MODELS. just models, but there are so many different types of modeling, that MODEL is such a brain cramp. you guys seem pretty interested, so here are some fun sights hotimportnights.com importculture.com importtuner.com babebblvd.com purehotmodels.com you can find info on import car events all around the country, models, whatever. enjoy or just google the words import models and see how long it can entertain you all May 30 05 01:30 am Link Models in the import scene that are here at Mayhem are Cherie Roberts, former miss hot import nights. Models Luana Lani, Mia X, Kat Gutierrez attend quiet a few events. The top model in the scene is francine dee who is called the queen of the import scene. You can view a photo of her in my album. Check out www.HoImportDaze.com Its the next import event that i'll be attending. May 30 05 01:44 am Link DEFINATELY the top models would be sasha singleton, tila nguyen, kimloan duong, and a few others.. but these girls are all over the place. check out pmgirls.com im not on there, but that is one group of girls that definately have some notoriety in the business. May 30 05 01:46 am Link i'll tell christine mendoza and natasha yi that they didn't make your list lol! May 30 05 01:56 am Link Generally speaking, some import models come across looking trashy rather than pretty or beautiful May 30 05 01:57 am Link Posted by Jose Miguel: i SO agree! i guess thats because this is a more social world. you meet your fans face to face and youre not considered a total superstar, except the few girls on top, but no one really has a big head. we all consider ourselves normal people, which is why you find that many models spend their time on myspace and importculture.com forums, getting to know everyone and networking themselves at the same time. May 30 05 02:03 am Link Exactly. To quote Mean Girls... Some girls are just PLASTIC. Personality wise and physically speaking. May 30 05 02:09 am Link Hmm. I've done import modeling before for Nissan, etc. I found it to be...yeah...meat market. It was fun and all, but it was rather disparaging. I'm black/asian...but I guess it really doesn't matter as long as you have what they are looking for... May 30 05 02:41 am Link I never knew doing promotional work at a car show was modeling. I guess I was a model when I sold cars in college. May 30 05 03:00 am Link it depends what the work is.. obviously, if youre modeling a car, company, or yourself, youre MODELING. keep your smart comments to yourself, thanks May 30 05 03:04 am Link As soon as I think of something smart to say, I'll stop posting, but I think there is a difference between modeling and doing promotion. May 30 05 03:13 am Link aw, youre fucking cute  how great do you feel arguing with a 16 year old? just stop now. May 30 05 03:15 am Link I argue with the old farts around here that are full of it too. May 30 05 03:18 am Link i love photographing cars, and i was really into it for a while -- you bring in a pretty girl and things get difficult. it's a lot harder balancing the 'eye candy' in that type of shoot, and things can get distracting, so i havent even attempted it -- though im open to trying it sometime.  May 30 05 04:03 am Link ah you MUST have read my post in favorite commercial/article/whatever it was.. thats why i LOVE import tuner. they have that.. ahh, just read my post May 30 05 04:18 am Link Posted by Tina Lee: i actually didnt see that -- what a coincidence May 30 05 04:28 am Link the best import models usually end up... naked. May 30 05 04:49 am Link Posted by XtremeArtists ®: Lol... May 30 05 04:57 am Link being an import model means you model imports. import cars, import parts, import shows. IMPORTS. how is this unclear? May 30 05 05:12 am Link Posted by Tina Lee: It's unclear because you don't model a car unless you are using Miya or some other 3D program. May 30 05 05:42 am Link XtremeArtist does have a point. You are there not to model a car per say... but to PROMOTE the car. And it is true. Alot of the early HIN "models" pretty much all became porn content provider. If anyone think you can become a runway model doing promotional work at HIN, you are definately wrong. If you want to become "bombshell asain" nude model, than you are heading for the right direction. If you really want to be in HIN...find yourself a car crew. If they like what you got to offer they will let you model for their cars. May 30 05 05:53 am Link Posted by Tina Lee: But generally the models wear bikinis right? I mean, is their any other acceptable dress code? I'm just wondering, because I've noticed a similarity between ring-girls and import models. Basically, hot chicks in skimpy bikinis. Not too much complexity there. Hey, sounds like a fun way to make a few bucks and get some exposure. I'm up for it! Oops, I need a tan first though. May 30 05 05:56 am Link check out some sites with carshow coverage. autoimportcraze.com you wear what you want, unless the automotive group has a uniform (usually being shirts with their logos). also check out www.mskimloan.com she is one of the top import models in the business and she does not do porn, or even pose nude. who are you to criticize a line of work you are unfamiliar with? May 30 05 06:12 am Link Posted by XtremeArtists ®: I didn't know that it was called "import modeling." May 30 05 06:27 am Link First off Tina, as a person who is currently getting ready to start his car show tour next week, I say that chances are VERY slim that you would get to do import modeling. The reason simply being that you may very well be too young. Most companies won't even talk to anyone under the age of 18. IT usually wont, nor will pasmag. So you've possibly got another couple of years to go before you can even realize your dream. Mostly as was explained to me is that it has to do with the legalities, of having a minor scantily clad in a national magazine. And you couldn't get into any of the parties to promote the magazine. For us we couldn't have minor spokesmodels at the show for insurance reasons. Having you there would drive up our premium by about 5,000.00. Not worth it. And I just checked with the International board of modeling and Import Model isn't a catagory due to be added to the list for some time yet... LOL May 30 05 06:53 am Link DJ, she is involved already and knows more than anyone else in the thread... Posted by DJ Foothill: May 30 05 06:58 am Link Posted by XtremeArtists ®: You know I got that the second time around. But she still doesn't know that "Import Modeling" At car shows is still PROMOTIONAL modeling. Or that Francine Dee is like the Grandmother of "Import" modeling. May 30 05 07:05 am Link Posted by * Visual Mindscapes *: Which is why I was wondering about her age in this type of "promotional modeling." May 30 05 09:01 am Link Posted by * Visual Mindscapes *: hahahaha May 30 05 02:06 pm Link Posted by DJ Foothill: Posted by XtremeArtists ®: You know I got that the second time around. But she still doesn't know that "Import Modeling" At car shows is still PROMOTIONAL modeling. Or that Francine Dee is like the Grandmother of "Import" modeling. oh, i love sarcasm. you all are too cute. and yes, i do know its all basically promo work. May 30 05 03:21 pm Link Posted by Rob Ryan: Its Ok she forgot Natalie Keen also - Last Years Miss HIN.. and someone I can say is awsome to work with.. May 30 05 04:23 pm Link |
