TAMPA
BAY SHOOTS
MODELS
We welcome all
professional models to submit their information to us so that they may
be considered for paying jobs at our photography events and industry
workshops. These jobs are contracted on a case by case basis, and the
model would be considered an independent contractor, and not an employee.
Models are not obligated, or coerced, in any way, to buy anything in
order to be considered for any of our jobs. That said, we do need the
following to consider models for our jobs.
1.
Information
We require models to send us a current composite card, a resume,
and a cover letter. Obviously, if you have a composite card,
you have a modeling portfolio to show your range of looks and experience,
and that at least one of those looks is a good fit for one of our jobs,
with no professional conflicts.
Although we may waive the requirements for a composite card, this is
an exception, and not the rule, and we would have to personally waive
it; unsolicited submissions require these items, and remember that there
is a lot of competition for our jobs; you probably will not book any
of our jobs when professional models are submitting composite cards,
resumes, and cover letters if you are not submitting these items, as
you will not be able to compete with those models.
Additionally, while we may consider agency-represented models whom are
being submitted by a modeling and talent agency or where models are
forcing the jobs that are trying to book to go through their agent,
where the agent is used to screen jobs, keep in mind that a lot of professional
models now cut out the agency middleman when finding and booking work,
which saves them from paying the agency commission, and that they are
more attractive prospects in business sense because they save us from
paying commission fees to agencies. Also, when you keep the agency in
the loop, you are doing their job for them, as the agency is supposed
to find you work, and in such cases the commission paid should be open
to negotiation.
Please
send composite cards, cover letters, and resumes to the following address:
Tampa Bay Shoots
P.O. Box 1224, Riverview, FL 33568-1224
You must include contact information with your cover letter,
which includes a daytime telephone number where you can be contacted,
a backup telephone number where you can be reached, an email address,
and your web site domain name. This information will be kept confidential.
We will only contact you if we are considering you for our
modeling jobs. Upon contacting you, we will do a telephone
interview, and, if that goes well, we will then schedule you for an
evaluation photography session. You MUST participate in an evaluation
photography session in order to be eligible for the consideration of
any of our modeling jobs, and must be able to go to the Tampa Bay area
and make the time to participate with the session. There is no pay for
these evaluation sessions. There IS PAY, later, for our modeling jobs
at our other events and workshops, IF you book one of those jobs and
work it.
2.
Evaluation
Evaluation photography sessions are
held in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, and models are responsible for
travel costs and lodging expenses to participate in these sessions.
Participating in these evaluation photography sessions are a part of
being considered for our modeling jobs, and do NOT guarantee that you
will book a modeling job, although electing not to participate with
one of these sessions WILL DISQUALIFY YOU from consideration. Costs
incurred by models, which includes costs incurred by models fulfilling
the obligation of following through in the commitment of working one
of our modeling jobs, are not compensated, especially as this is considered
a cost of doing business, and it is offset by any pay that the model
earns. Additionally, models are required to be evaluated under a liability
waiver; the same kind of liability waiver that they work under when
booked into one of our modeling jobs.
All evaluation photography sessions are done, officially, under our
Strobe Modeling Photography Shoots
agreements, waivers, and releases, as these events are specifically
formatted to evaluate models for future consideration of booking into
our modeling jobs at our other events and workshops. There is NO PAY
for the evaluation photography session, as it is not a modeling job,
and we do not make money from these sessions, either. Pay will come
later if the model is booked into a modeling job at one of our modeling
photography event sessions or workshops where we have paying clients;
if we make money, so do the models.
In order to be able to work one of our events, models must agree to
a no-cost, no-charge evaluation photography sessions where we can evaluate
the model and where we can obtain photographs which we own the copyrights
to so that we can market the model. Under no circumstances will
we allow any model to use photographs from any other photographer whom
is not affiliated with Tampa Bay Shoots in their marketing for our events.
These evaluation photography sessions are at no cost to the model, nor
is the model compensated in any way. They are also seldom one on one,
and will probably be with other models whom are being evaluated. Models
are only paid if they are contracted to work a photography session where
we are being paid, and the pay is a percentage, and not a set hourly
rate. Models are REQUIRED to participate with a minimum of one
evaluation photography session before they are eligible to be booked
for any of our paid modeling jobs at any of our photography
events and workshops, and we may require more. Additionally, evaluation
is part of the consideration process, and any model whom is evaluated
in an evaluation photography session, or sessions, is NOT guaranteed
to be booked in any modeling job.
We work very hard to make sure that the photographs taken in evaluation
sessions are professionally useful, however, and models are permitted
to use pictures from our evaluation sessions for their portfolios and
composite cards, as long as the photography company is credited. Additionally,
our photographers or photography companies are also permitted to use
those pictures for marketing, their portfolios, or for projects, but
are NOT permitted to sell those images to any second or third party,
and are NOT permitted to use those images in any commercial project
where they directly make money from the project unless the model is
compensated (this will be explained in the agreement that the model
reads and signs before they agree to do any evaluation session or anything
else). Other career assistance may also be available at no charge to
models whom pass the evaluation process and are officially on the roster
for being booked into one of our paying modeling jobs, and we will let
models know if they are in that roster.
3.
Working Deposit
In some cases, a working deposit is not required. In other cases, it
is. The model will be informed of the deposit requirement before they
agree to any modeling job assignment, and refusal of any modeling job
over the deposit will not make the model ineligible for future modeling
jobs, although a refusal to work events which require a deposit will
limit the events which a model is eligible for.
A deposit may be required for models booked for a modeling job at one
of our events or workshops if the models are being heavily marketed
in that event and their participation is critical for the success of
that event; events where we expend considerable expense marketing the
event and where the booked models are a selling point would require
a deposit. This may be a requirement for modeling photography events
or workshops where the number of models booked is smaller and where
the loss of a model can create problems for the event; on the plus size,
events which have fewer models often pay more. It may also be a requirement
if the model has never worked one of our events before.
The amount of the deposit varies depending upon the risk of the event,
and models will obviously be informed of the amount before they agree
to work any modeling job.
This deposit is not a fee, and is given back, in addition to the pay
that the model earns, upon the completion of the job or of the event
is a success and the model can demonstrate that the circumstances which
prevented them from participating was unavoidable.
Deposit requirements for events which require a working deposit from
models may be waived if the model demonstrates that they are dependable,
but that waiver will become a bill charged to the model for the amount
that the deposit would have been if the model does not participate because
of an un excused absence or if their conduct costs us money; if the
model’s actions lead to monetary loss, they may be held legally
liable for damages exceeding that of the usual amount of the deposit.
If a model forfeits a deposit due to an unexcused absence or because
their actions caused a monetary loss, that deposit may be used to compensate
our clients.
Deposits which are returned to the model are returned in full, only,
and the deposits are not due any interest, as interest is not earned
on deposits. Deposits are not an investment, but rather a guarantee
that the model will follow through on their commitment. As this is a
business with money involved, the name of the game is to ensure profitability
for both us and the participants while minimizing risks, which includes
risks of monetary loss.
That said, we
need to discuss the terms of pay for models.
1.
Pay
Models are contractors. They are not employees. Because
models are contractors, we do not withhold taxes on pay, and the model
is responsible to withhold those taxes from their pay and to pay those
taxes when they file every quarter.
If the model gives us a deposit, that deposit will be returned to them
along with the pay which is owed them when they are paid. We usually
pay at least one week after the event is completed and all money is
collected from the clients. If over 50% of the clients pay with checks,
then there could be a delay in pay up to 10 working days, as those checks
have to clear their banks, and we have to free operating expense money
in order to pay the models. No interest is earned from delays in pay,
as accounting time is not interest earning, and we do not earn interest
on any held money from operating accounts; models make money only if
we make money.
We seldom negotiate on model payment amounts, which are a set percentage
of what the event or workshop is balanced for. We worked very hard to
make sure that the models are paid a good amount for their work, and
in some cases, we even give up some of our profits to ensure that the
models are compensated fairly.
05/12/15/1004
- 05/14/15/0955