This is true. I had one model with an annoying boyfriend. Did a few scenes with her and he always wanted to be present in there, behind the scene. He is more excited and involved in the job than her , loves getting his girl on the scene and watching her being fucked by others. He texts and calls me often asking for any video jobs for her. I keep telling them, I would only talk to HER, not her "manager" as I am not interested in him. Doesnt help at all.. :Oh crap

So you try to hire serious models for a shoot without talking to them on the phone? Lol.. How do you know they are for real? Do you tell them to come to your office and talk to you personally? Only 1 out of 10 that were interested would be serious, I cant imagine I would do business with them this way.

This - like half of new amateur models are pushed into it by their "managers" who then act like the controlling confrontational assholes they are. When you talk on the phone, you can assess both the model's willingness to do business and her character.

I have never booked a girl (or guy) via an agency ever.

Has anyone here actually had some random dude use a plane ticket they thought they were buying for talent? I find it very hard to believe this is a regular issue and one which can only be combated via yakking on the telephone.

It isn't about the plane - see above posts it is about she has no idea what "she" agreed to. Also, not all talent flies to a location. I agree that flying safer in this regard (because Crush or D'Fwan can't afford another ticket so they don't show up on set unexpectedly) but how can you invest thousands in an enterprise where you have no confidence in the veracity of the principle actor?

In the Internet age I have not had a guy use a ticket purchased for a model. After 9/11 and security changes thats hard to do.

But, before the Internet age - when I went to a normal travel agency and purchased the ticket and mailed it to a model I have had the girl, or her and boyfriend, turn the ticket in for cash. Later I insisted that the travel agent (late 80s / early 90s) add "Refund to Purchaser Only" to the bookings.

I have also had a model book a trip for a shoot she never intended to do. Her boyfriend was going to the University of Colorado and she lives in Portland. Booked the shoot, flew to Denver late one evening, we got her checked into the hotel and next morning when we try to call room there was no answer. Eventually got hotel to open the room and she was gone - never slept in the bed. Just a planned ripoff.

Another issue, slightly off topic, is fake photos. These days I insist on up to date photos. In 2009 I twice had girls send older photos and show up weighing much more than expected. So much more that the outfits that had been pre-selected based on her sizes (lies) couldn't be used. In 2010 I had a girl show up that didn't look at all near the photos - she had sent her cousin's and tried to convince me that "everybody says we look like twins". No way did they look related, much less like twins.

In hard economic times, or in drug induced thinking, some girls can be devious as hell and it is a challenge to weed out the real deal (profitable, fun to work with) girls from the money wasting losers.

All the stories of a crazy business that often attracts crazy people.

It may just be that my situation is different because I am a known quantity i.e. it is unlikely that anyone who fit my shoot criteria would be 100% unfamiliar with me or what I do. I am not seeing indications of what many of the folks in this thread shoot.

I still don't get how you decide to book someone at all, when you know so little about them that you are iffy on their gender. How are you selecting talent and what are your criteria for who makes the grade?

Exactly..

I am also not going to go back and forth in text on exactly what NUDE is.
Some girls think nude is implied.
Implied Nude
Nude Playboy
Nude Hustler (erotic)
Glam Nude
Art Nude
and I am sure lots more.
Not going to pay several hundred dollars on a flight to find out we had miss communication.
(I don't shoot fuck videos)
So I deal with the girls who think they are real models.... ha
Or yes I will shoot lingerie, get them here, they can be FULLY covered in Lingerie and Oh that pose is to Sexual.
I also tend to judge if I need an early or late flight for the model.
Also use the call to judge if they will show up or not, and burn the ticket.
Many Many factors involved.

To the person about buy tickets that match the ID, I have lots of female ID's want to waste some tickets on some fake Models????
Why do people do it I DO NOT KNOW..

Uh yeah that's not it.

happened to us it's a dude. Dont shoot with them
ds

Maybe I'm reading this wrong but IMHO your response appears to say:

"I am famous - no one in my field doesn't know who I am.
Things are different for you unknowns.
I can verify identity and character through text and email, because of my fame. "

Do you know what gender I am? You might assume I'm male (and you'd be correct) but you have no proof. When I contact someone via email or text, I have the same lack of proof that I am corresponding with the person that I believe I am hiring. I'm not sure how being a luminary like yourself changes that.

In pro-am, or ama, you work with unknown and/or newbie models sometimes. In some cases they are so clueless that they wouldn't even know a VIP like yourself. These newbies and unknowns may not have actually decided independently and fully to enter this field - they may have a "manager/BF" or "agent" who is pushing them. These guys may post ads, answer emails, texts, etc. They may agree to shoots, ask for funds, etc, then, when the shoot happens, the models either a. flake (costly) or b. Say they weren't told about or didn't agree to X (costly and risky) or c. Show upon set with "Manager/BF" (drama)

A simple phone call fixes all that. Mitigates risk. Increases productivity. Reduces stress. Maybe fame does all that stuff too, but, as you point out, I wouldn't know.

I also see at least 10 other responses that agree that a call is a good thing. NaughtyRob, Duke, Paul Markham - these are well known folks - hell Paul was on Reddit :thumbsup. Maybe fame means you don't have to explain yourself. David Bowie will explain fame for us:

For goodness sake, no need to get your panties in a bunch. I genuinely do not understand how a phone call can help more than a text or email. I feel like I asked a bunch of questions about how you book that anyone would have this problem and I don't think I've really seen a lot of answers.

My point was that talent would be unlikely to apply to shoot with me, without being familiar with what I shoot. Also, there would be likely to be at least a bit of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon in terms of people known in common. So maybe my experience is different. I have shot an awful lot of people without once worrying that the person applying for a girl shoot was secretly a dude.

Maybe I did not ask clearly enough: How are you booking that the talent is likely to be either trying to trannie trick you or unfamiliar with what you are trying to shoot or both? If someone is seriously trying to scam you, why would they be more honest on the telephone than email?

Really it is a generational thing. A lot of younger people today have never once had a *business related phone call*. Phone calls are for "chat", not business or organisation therefore.

The way you communicate, organise, arrange, discuss is all via text.

It's going to make todays teens ill-equipped to join the business world of global teleconferences! :-)

Those same people that hate talking on the phone usually don't think twice about jumping on Skype or ooVoo.

Yup, I'm just cancelling a small shoot I had planned for next week, 5 new girls I tried to get in, I didn't want a regular face we all use over here in the UK for this small shoot (they always end up being the most stressful to organise).
None would give me their phone number yet they ask loads more questions by mail, which I understand, I have tried to be patient but it's their loss.
I'm paying above average so they can go find another bdsm or spank producer in my line of work.
No time for their bullshit :(

I was trying to inject some humor ................ :(

We are miscommunicating - you are asking about trannies and I am talking about "agents" posing as talent.

I was just ribbing you about the fame thing - it probably does make a difference because agencies might not want to piss you off.

Ribbing accepted :wetkiss

I've seen a new boyfriend come in and try to renegotiate a deal for someone I've been working with for years (while being totally ignorant of, not only what is standard or average, but also what the deal is). I don't think I've ever had an existing suitcase pimp type email or text me before I ever worked with someone though. I guess I wouldn't know, unless talent seemed totally clueless about our conversations at the shoot. Knock on wood that it doesn't happen.

Thats what I was thinking, stay away from shady girls or end up like Johnny Clips

I guess to become like you you would have to loose your nuts and learn to quiver. :2 cents:

Are you booking them on Twitter or through an agency?

Wow.. that is 165-330 text messages daily. I couldn't imagine having to do that, I probably average 10 txt messages per day at the very most these days. That is mind blowing.

Average Teen Sends, Receives 60 Texts a Day

No wonder the kids are always driving themselves off cliffs and what not.