Notes: For the New Face
Model Etiquette & On-Set Conduct
Punctuality, the model bag, and the professionalism that gets you booked again.
In short: Model etiquette and on-set conduct: punctuality, what to keep in your model bag, and the professionalism that gets you booked again.
Punctuality and preparation
Being easy and professional to work with is one of the biggest, most controllable factors in whether someone books you again. Arrive around 15 minutes before your call time, and message immediately if transport delays are going to make you late. This alone puts you ahead of a large number of people.
Worth having in your bag on any shoot:
- Nude and black seamless underwear
- A basic, clean pair of heels
- A strapless bra and nipple covers
- Clear lip balm and basic touch-up supplies
Looking after the wardrobe and yourself
Avoid eating, drinking anything but water through a straw, or sitting down while wearing client wardrobe. Leave hair and makeup untouched once it's been applied, unless specifically asked to adjust something.
These aren't arbitrary rules, a marked or damaged garment, or hair that's been touched and now looks different from continuity shots, creates real problems for everyone else on set.
How you treat people
Treat production assistants, runners, stylists, and makeup artists with the same respect as anyone else on set. This is noticed, and it's a large part of how a reputation for being easy to work with gets built.
Keep your phone off during active shooting, and respect any embargo on unreleased collections or confidential campaigns without needing to be reminded twice.
Nobody remembers the model who was merely on time. Everyone remembers the one who was a pleasure to have on set, and that's who gets called again first.
Diva mentality is a fast way to get ignored
This industry is smaller and more connected than it looks from the outside. People talk, someone always knows someone, and a reputation for attitude follows a model around far faster and further than a reputation for good work ever does. Treating anyone on set as beneath you, being demanding, dismissive, or difficult over things that don't matter, is one of the quickest ways to stop getting called back, regardless of how strong the images turn out.
At the end of the day, no one on the team is more important than anyone else. Everyone is there to make the same thing work. The one exception is the client, who is the priority within reason, since the whole shoot exists to make them happy, but that doesn't mean a client gets to disrespect you either. Being professional runs in both directions, see Photographer Green & Red Flags for what that looks like from the other side of the camera.
Metty's written more on this directly: What Makes a Great Model (And Why It's Not Just About Height).
Nobody remembers the model who was merely on time. Everyone remembers the one who was a pleasure to have on set, and that's who gets called again first.
A Few Questions