Surviving a
Fitness-Infomercial Shoot!
Congratulations! You’ve booked an infomercial…one of the most publicized and
well-paying fitness modeling jobs you can land to include national
TV exposure and possibly your gateway to hosting and other promotional gigs!
While a national magazine cover is about the best you can hope for in print
media for prestige and exposure, it is still can’t touch the exposure or
showcase your physique like film or TV can, and the pay doesn’t even come close
to that of an infomercial. In fact as many of you may have encountered by now a
magazine cover may only pay $300! You’ve worked hard for this moment: training,
dieting, networking, auditioning against colleagues at the top of their game,
and now finally you’ve booked it! It is time to enjoy the reward for all your
efforts!
So what then
do I mean when I say “SURVIVE” a fitness-infomercial?? I just want to give you
a heads-up on what booking an infomercial can encompass: Basically you need to
have the entire day blocked out and be prepared for anything and everything the
producers want, ESPECIALLY, if you did not book the job through an agency who
will negotiate for your rate and limitations, for a fee of 20% of course. So
good on you if you were able to get booked without an agency, but now you’re on
your own – you need to know what to expect!
‘Day-rate’
does mean (all) DAY long – officially for a non-union infomercial ‘day-rate’
means you are booked for TEN HOURS. If you go longer than 10 hours, you are
entitled to ask for pro-rated overtime. This is where an agency can really come
to bat for you, because as you smile while cordially saying your goodbyes on set
(exhausted at midnight), without having to address money issues, your agent is
handling your invoice on your behalf. However, in the fitness industry many
production companies prefer booking the model directly and blatantly dislike
working thru agencies. This is something to consider: An agency will always
professionally negotiate the highest rate possible for you and they are well
informed of the industry standards, however, many casting directors avoid
agencies altogether. It can be really uncomfortable trying to negotiate your
own rate especially if you don’t know what the other models are quoting. Also,
depending on whether you are booked as an exercise model, lifestyle model, have
a speaking role, or are a host, these rates can vary significantly. Do you know
what ‘buy-out’ means? How about ‘residuals’ or other media use? Do you
understand the ‘talent-release’ you will be required to sign? A licensed agency
takes care of all these details and it can be nice knowing you have a trusted
expert looking out for your best interest, (for their fee of 15 to 25%).
Like many other colleagues of mine I use all the tools at my disposal, in a
professional and ethical manner: I have agencies and an assistant who look out
for me in different states in counties, and also rely on my own networking to
book jobs. Ethics are important: Whoever submits you for a job first is the one
who should get credit for it and get their percentage. And legally, you can
only have one entity representing you within each county. It is ultimately your
reputation that is on the line so be honest and fair, and if somebody refers
you, thank them! If you’re greedy or arrogant you’ll negotiate yourself right
out of a booking. Research standard day rates and stay within the ball-park
($600-$1200 is the average range for ‘day-rate’ for non-union, non-speaking
fitness models for infomercials.) Keep in mind that you getting national TV
exposure for a reputable exercise product can be ‘priceless’. (This same
philosophy applies with a magazine cover appearance.)
So
you have your rate negotiated and you are all set for your 10 hour day on
location or in the studio in Los Angeles. There is a entire checklist you
need to consider the day prior and I won’t go thru them all, but here are a few
important considerations: It all starts with the ‘Call Sheet’. This
has all of the critical information to include: location, directions, call-time,
wardrobe, and contact info of all the major players for the shoot. Get
your directions printed to back up your GPS and plan for rush-hour traffic
delays commuting to Los Angeles. More considerations: Are you tan
and shaved? If your tan is airbrushed is it going to come off when you
sweat? Do you need to carbo-load, or sodium-deplete? Do you need to
‘dry-out’? What wardrobe have you been asked to bring? No matter
what the stylist provides ALWAYS bring swimsuits and fitness clothing that fit
your body best as a back up – especially you girls. On that note,
occasionally some low-budget productions provide NO make-up or stylist, so bring
your own skin and hair products too. What kind of work-out should you do
the day prior? This is a huge decision actually: Do NOT show up sore,
depleted, and fatigued to ANY fitness shoot, especially an infomercial!
Most likely you will be doing some form of exercising throughout the day. Just
flexing and posing alone over a 10 hour period can be very demanding. As a
guy we are fortunate to be able to carbo-load prior to our shoots to fill out
our glycogen stores causing our muscles to volumize nicely and provide us good
energy at the same time! Some girls are able to do this while other female
models I know are so concerned with bloating that they do not eat the night
before or the morning of and they end up struggling on set and trying to get
thru the day with energy drinks and caffeine which can lead to cramping, spasms,
bonking and mood-swings. Personally, I just recommend cardio the day prior
for a good sweat and some practice posing to tone the muscles and really assess
my conditioning.
Pack
a cooler of your specialty, must-have foods and supplements. Trust me: You
never know what Craft services will provide on set, but usually it is junk food
or laden with sodium. Remember, you don’t want to eat anything strange on
shoot-day, so bring foods you know work well for you and do not cause bloating.
When the catered lunch rolls in, everybody on set breaks and eats. Are you
going to eat the 4-course meal being served or remain disciplined?
Seriously consider if it will have a negative impact on your physique or energy
levels. Bloating and food-induced coma can be bad. Personally I like
cinnamon rice cakes with all-natural peanut butter and honey and dark chocolate
on fitness shoots, especially if there is a lot of exercise required.
Careful if you have been using any diuretics or drinking a lot of coffee,
because you can set yourself up for cramping or spasms on set – I have seen this
happen to others and this is not professional! Nobody likes a whiny model
who is supposed to be FIT, and NEVER be the one to make the camera stop rolling.
Potassium is a good electrolyte to replace your depleted sodium levels via
banana, prunes, or supplement form.
So you now
you’ve made it to the set location on time and are fully prepared for a long,
but fun day. You’re excited and you walk into a huge, fancy set in an amazing
studio with cameras and lights and Grips and Macs everywhere – and nobody seems
to notice you. You’ve just made your grand entrance and everybody is so busy
that they barely even say good morning to you…don’t they know who you are?!
This is normal and do not take it personally. Not only is everybody very busy,
but chances are they are already behind schedule and the stress levels are
rising fast! Setting up the lighting alone is a major under taking. Just find
the make-up artist and wardrobe first, as they will dial you in and point you in
the right direction. There are so many people involved on a major infomercial
production including the producers, directors, cameras, editors, lighting,
sound, set design, stylists, wardrobe, product-client, talent, craft services,
studio-owners, etc. Such extravagant productions are great opportunities to
meet interesting industry people and network, so bring plenty of comp cards to
hand out. In fact you may show up on time, (which is definitely being noticed
by somebody), and then end up waiting around for hours before you even get seen
by make-up. During this time you can politely explore the set and slowly get to
meet everybody. But just in case, have something to do – most studios have
wireless broad band now
and it is totally okay to bring your own laptop. I even
bring my own camera along to snap some fun behind the scenes shots. Just ask
first and you may need to disable your flash so you don’t trigger any lighting
devices.
So back to
the concept behind a ‘DAY’ booking: Remember once your there the clock starts
on your ten hour day, but, you are now their hired talent. You are their
employee and be prepared and happy to whatever they ask of you, whether you are
sitting around feeling forgotten about, or standing in for lighting set up, or
doing your 20th set of push-ups while smiling. This is no time to be
a ‘prima Donna’ or have ego issues, or ask for a Starbucks run. Again, nobody
likes a whiner…ever. Always smile and offer to help and before you know it, you
will become one of the client’s go-to, trusted models. It is nice to have a
heads-up about when and what you will be shooting, and a good point of contact
is the stylist and wardrobe folks – make friends with them early. They probably
already have a shot-list you can peek at. You can also find a PA to give you
key insight. You’re better off just taking off your watch and stop looking at
the clock. Forget about time for the day and just enjoy yourself – you are a
star!
Finally it
is your time to shine in front of the camera, center stage on set. Whatever it
is they have you doing, the important thing is to realize that this is your
moment – your chance – in the spot light, literally. This will be on national
TV: Time to do what you do best! ALWAYS smile and project good energy. You can
never have too much energy…ever. And if you do get a little hyper they’d rather
rein you in a bit than keep asking you to step it up. If the director asks you
to adlib or get creative, you’d better have some poses ready to go that work
best for your physique and have a solid knowledge exercises and muscle-anatomy.
If a director ever needs to talk you thru poses or expressions, than you need
more practice at home in front of the mirror. Don’t just stand there like a
robot. When he says “action”, perform non-stop until your hear “cut”. Never
stop until you hear cut, ever. Sometimes the stress levels build when it gets
late and time is crunched. The crew can get grumpy and of course don’t mean
anything personal with off the cuff remarks. The director, whether he is behind
the monitor or behind the camera, is the boss. I almost dare say the director
is God-like while on set. Just do what he asks and don’t take anything
personally. He has to be direct in his communication after all! Which
means you should also know your place as the talent, and not attempt to direct
the shot. If the director wants any input from you he will ask you for it.
Seriously, not to sound militant, but really while in front of the camera you
should be completely silent and simply follow directions with great attention to
detail, unless spoken too. You will know when it is okay to be more proactive
and helpful with suggestions but you need to build up a certain level of trust
first. Even the product client goes thru the director on set. It should be
your goal to connect with the director and make him love you, especially if you
want to be booked again and again – it is small world in fitness. Put aside any
aches, fatigue or personal issues and overwhelm the entire set with positive
energy and a spectacular performance. If you’re just there for a paycheck, you
are not really an artist displaying your talent and should find another line of
work.
That is what
your release says and what your title is on set: ‘Talent’. Fitness and
your physique is your artistic craft and in front of the camera is where you
unveil your hard work. Take pride in yourself and maintain the highest level of
professionalism all day long - except nothing less from yourself. You are being
paid to not only look good, but also to perform well too. What is your level of
physical conditioning? Be FIT: Be prepared to shoot a 10 hour day, get 4
hours of sleep, and come back and do it again with another 7 AM call-time. In
my mind I’m not just a fitness-talent, I’m a well-conditioned athlete and nobody
is going to outlast me on set, or we’ll at least have fun trying! If you do not
love fitness and exercising, perhaps you should reconsider your chosen area of
talent. Soap Operas might be a better place for youJ
Lastly, when
the production is done, say your “thank-yous” and goodbyes, pass out your comp
cards, collect their business cards, and then when you get home, send another
‘thank-you’ note via email. Also, if you booked the job directly, you will need
to officially invoice the production company based on the agreed rate. You will
also need to fill out a W-9 for tax purposes. They will have 30 days to pay
upon receipt of your invoice. If they don’t pay, without an agency you are on
your own! (My agency once went to small-claims court on my behalf to get us
paid!) This should go without saying, but if it is your agency that is not
paying you, (within 60 days), fire them! Network with the other talent as they
can be a great referral source – again the fitness industry is not that big. If
you bumping egos with the other talent on set, something is wrong…is it you??
The production company is in no way obligated to supply you with tear-sheets or
any other media with your image, or even tell you when or where the infomercial
will air. However if you were professional and likeable and you politely keep
in touch, then they will be more likely to share this information with you or
send you any images, candid or commercial, not to mention book you again or even
refer you!
Sincerely,
Max Wettstein
“Optimum health is a
method of life.”