How to find models
An aspiring producer asked me for advice on how to find models for shoots. I am going to give some advice based on my past experiences. Your results may differ.
Craigslist had more open listing options back when I started to produce. They had an “Adult Gigs” section that was used by sex workers, producers, photographers, etc. I was able to contact potential models when I was a new producer because established models are sometimes hesitant to work with new producers.
The no show rate was 90+% with Craigslist but I had few options as a new producer. For me Craigslist was full of wannabes. Women who liked the idea of modeling, but when it was time to show up got scared or never planned on showing up at all. They enjoyed the attention. I’m sure that some were catfishers also.
Despite all that I did meet most of my original models from Craigslist including: Kitra, Mariah, Kimmy D, Nicole, Krystal, and Rebekkah. I ended up working with several of them for years before I moved. People still use Craigslist to advertise for models.
Fetlife:
Fetlife is a fetish social media platform. It has millions of members and there are numerous model/producer groups where you can network with models and post casting calls. When I became a little more established as a producer and had enough content to open up a clip store I could now refer potential models to samples of my work. This made it much more easier to establish myself and easier to book models.
I would definitely recommend Fetlife to producers looking for talent. In addition the model/producer groups are full of really good advice and people who will answer your questions about producing which is invaluable when you’re starting out.
The only downside from a producer standpoint is that there are so many groups with thousands of members and dozens of posts that your post can get lost. I would post needing a model for a paid job and would get no responses at all.
Model Mayhem:
Model Mayhem and One Model Place are modeling sites where models and photogs/producers can interact with each other for shoots. To join you have to have your portfolio approved before you can open a profile. They have a lot of filters to narrow down your search. You can filter demographics like age, height, weight, geographic area. The free membership limits the amount of daily communication that you can use, I had a few bookings from Model Mayhem and I still check periodically to see who is local to me but I haven’t booked anyone from MM for at least 10 years.
Sexy Jobs:
I haven’t used SexyJobs, but it looks interesting. You have to register to be on it and you then have a fairly extensive menu and filter system to browse and communicate with talent. What I like about SexyJobs without using it is that everyone on that platform is a sex worker so they’re less likely to be offended when a producer reaches out to them. On Model Mayhem there are tons of models who don’t do erotic or fetish who may become offended when contacted by a fetish producer.
Social Media:
This is the best way to interact and hire models. Start following models and you can see their travel schedule and the type of content they produce. You can find links to their stores, websites, booking forms, modeling rates. Start to post your content or some ideas so that models can start to know who you are. Get tons of good advice from fellow producers and models. I wouldn’t use Facebook because they don’t allow much NSFW(Not Safe For Work) content. Also Instagram seems somewhat arbitrary in what they deem violations of their TOS. You could lose your IG account for no apparent reason.
Right now my model communication is mostly through text messages and Twitter DMs with an occasional email or IG DM.
