Hand Model Adventures

Out there at the end of my slashes - actor/teaching artist/voiceover/on-camera/hand model - is the one that provokes a lot of giggles. At least for me anyway.

I'm a hand model.

Genetics plays into this tremendously.  I've got long thin fingers, strong fingernails that don't break, and that are so white at the tips, that manicurists have thought I was already seen by someone else who gave me a french manicure.

Hustle plays into this too.  Before I had a hand modeling portfolio, I had a 3 quarter headshot with my hands in frame.  This photo was enough to book me my first hand modeling job - which was for an instruction manual for a medical device that was kind of like an asthma inhaler, but had these removable parts that needed to be cleaned in a very specific way.  I found that job on Craigslist, and I made sure I kept the photographer's contact info so that I could get a copy of the finished product.

I used those photos to start a 'portfolio' and booked another hand modeling job, also from Craigslist.  This time, my hands stood in for the hands of some fictive super hero character, and I pointed at the 2 DVD's you'd get for free if you bought a certain video game.  Again, I made sure I got copy.

Around this time, I signed with an agency in San Francisco.  Although I initially went in for their on-camera and voiceover divisions, I let the print division know that I'd done what I've learned is called 'parts modeling' and gave them the photos I'd collected so far.

After taking a look at other peoples' portfolios on my agent's website, I realized that I could ask a photographer friend to shoot some additional photos and round out my portfolio.  I brought some props - a camera, a bowl of fruit, a notebook and pen, and we took some additional shots of my hands holding things.

Throughout this time, I've got on auditions/modeling calls for my hands.  The basic formula of these calls goes like this: show up in the right place at the right time, hold something, someone takes some photos of it.  Sometimes, there's video involved.  For one audition, I was shown how to work a fancy-schmancy juicer and filmed doing that.    Doing hand model auditions has really helped me get over a lot of audition baggage.  You either book it or you don't.  There's not a lot involved beyond that for the auditioner.  It's entirely about the client making a choice between the available options.

When I book hand model work and I'm not the only talent for the project, it's always a weird experience.  For most of the people on site, I don't look like the talent (who are in wardrobe and makeup), and I'm not crew because those folks have all been there for hours.  Someone will inevitably want to introduce themselves and reach for my hand, and I usually can't shake because I've got makeup on. "I'm the hand model" I say, and hold up my hands for them to look at. "Oh, right" is the typical response, and they've get a satisfied look on their faces because they've figured it all out.

A few other goofy hand model things: since hand modeling is rather far down my list of slashes, I'm not in elbow length gloves all the time, like this woman is.  But I do think about sunscreen and hand tan lines, use a fairly high end hand cream on a regular basis, and wear gloves when I ride my bike.  When I schedule a job, I usually don't do any dishes for the few days before I do it, and get really paranoid about cooking burns and paper cuts.

On the day of the booking, I spend as much time as possible with my forearms vertical, elbows down, hands up, to minimize the size of the veins in the back of my hands.  This used to mean funny looks on public transit as I sat like a surgeon about to go into the OR, until I realized I could just stand and hold the rail or strap.

In the end though, I get paid for the work I do, and getting paid for a few hours of holding things while someone shoots photos or video keeps the roof over my head and food on the table so that I can take on the acting projects that may not compensate me as well financially, but feed me artistically.

Super-hero Work

A sudden thought this week - being an actor is at times like being some kind of double agent or super-hero.  You're at the day job or somewhere in the middle of the daily routine and the call comes in, often w/a great deal of urgency and a significant amount of money on the line.

"Tomorrow morning, be at x address at x time.  Dress like a career woman.  Be ready to speak these words." (on camera industrial audition)
"By 5pm today, send me digital pictures of your hands, fronts and backs." (hand modeling for a SAG National commercial)
"Record these words and email an mp3 by x o'clock." (voiceover for a regional radio spot)

Somehow, you've got to immediately fold this incredibly urgent task into the next 24-48 hours.  You've got to always be ready for it.  You never know when the next summons could come or what it will be for. 

So the actor skill sets need to stay sharp, the mom sweater needs to always be clean, the recording equipment & camera need to be in good working order, and the communication devices are up and running.

I am so thankful for the understanding people in my life - friends, family, loved ones, and employers and work colleagues.  Without them, none of this would be possible.

Me and my agents: auditions

More thoughts about agents in the Bay Area, this time a bit more personal.

So this is my agency.  They've been my agents for about 3 years, and represent me for on-camera work, voiceover, and print.

Looking back through my audition tracking spreadsheets, while I've had some dry spells, it averages out to about 1 audition every 3 weeks. This past week I had 4 auditions through my agency - 2 voiceover, 1 print, and 1 industrial.

My agency sends audition information via email.  For an on-camera audition, they send me the time, location, character/wardrobe, sides to prepare (if there are sides), potential callback dates, and shoot dates.  Sometimes there's additional character description or direction.  Usually the email comes in the early afternoon and the audition is the following day, and the email has a specific appointment time.  Sometimes, if there is a lot of text to prep, it'll be a day or two before the audition.  But it's up to me to keep my schedule flexible enough that I can fit in those auditions.

For a voiceover audition, I'm expected to record it myself, using my own equipment.  The email they send has a lot of the same info as on-camera does, but instead of telling me when I need to audition and where, it tells me where I'm supposed to send my sound file, how to name it, and when I'm supposed to send it in by - usually I've got 24-36 hours to get it done.

For print auditions I get a similar amount of notice as for on-camera auditions, but sometimes I get a range (show up between 10 and 12) instead of a specific time.   Every once in a while, especially with the hand modeling stuff, there's not even an audition, just a call or email checking if I'm available for the shoot date.  This doesn't mean I've booked it, but that I'm being considered, based on my portfolio.

If I'm not available to do auditions, I 'book out' with my agents.  This means that I let them know I won't be available for auditions between day x and day y.  Usually this is because I'm out of town, but sometimes it's because of a tech or shoot schedule for another project, and every once in a while for an intensive teaching/directing project.  I probably book out between 1 and 3 weeks total per year.

Being available for auditions means keeping track of a lot of things.  I've got to keep myself and my audition wardrobe looking good - regularly scheduled haircuts and other grooming appointments, keeping my business suits clean and making sure they're not at the dry cleaners at the wrong times.  I need to be able to juggle what I've got scheduled for the day - I'm thankful to have employers who understand this part of an actor's schedule, and a day job that's around the corner from a casting agency, which makes it easy to pop out for a half hour, do the audition, and then get back to work.  I need to be able to absorb new material fast - for one of the auditions this week I had 3 hours w/the audition sides before the audition.

I remember asking at a Q&A panel with agents several years ago something along the lines of "what are some of the mistakes actors make after they've signed with you?"  And the answer that they all agreed on was when actors are consistently not available for auditions because of other commitments.