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Thursday, May 5, 2005
SHOPTALK: John Rolfe
Modeling agency taps into pool of local talent
Copyright © 2005 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. | ||||||||||
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Also on this page: CARON BRYAN | |||||||||
Q: When did you start modeling? A: In high school. My first agent, the woman who "recognized" me, was from Paris. Her name was Ann Pozzy - she'd moved to Bangor against her will, after she met a gentleman in the service from Bangor and ended up moving here. She had done high fashion in Europe and decided to start an agency, and taught modeling. Q: You went to high school at . . . A: Hampden Academy, where Stephen King taught briefly. I went to college at Farmington and earned a degree in secondary education. I taught high school English for a year, and I managed a bridal boutique for six years, but I've always worked in fashion and modeling, and I'm still passionate about the whole business. Q: What kind of modeling were you doing when you started? A: In television commercials, for things like restaurants, fashion runway shows, promotions. . . . One summer during college I got a contract with a race car driver in the area, and another girl and I traveled the country promoting the vehicle - a big coup for that time. Q: How old are you? A: That's an "E True Hollywood Secret." In the model and talent business, we never disclose our age. Q: How tall are you? A: 5-8. Q: How much do you weigh? A: 128. But they never ask that in the modeling business! On model comp (composite) cards, height, coloring as in eyes and hair, clothing sizes and measurements are listed. Q: How do you stay model-fit? A: I work out at least four nights a week. I jog or walk the East End Beach path, and go to the gym three nights a week.
Q: How many models do you have? A: I have over 200 - models, actors, musicians, pro hockey players . . . Q: To coach? A: No, getting them movie roles, taking them to acting classes, like Peter and Chris Ferraro. . . . And local celebrities, like Zoe Zanidakis from "Survivor." I was representing her when we went to New York City for the final airing of the show and met all the finalists. Q: Where do you get your models? A: When I started out, obviously I had to get my name out there, and I did that by word of mouth and networking. I'd go out and give out my card. . . . Now, every day my mailbox is filled - people all over the country and the world who want to be models or actors. Some of them have been in L.A. or Miami or wherever and they're tired of the hectic lifestyle but still want to develop creatively. And sometimes they can get more work in Maine - in L.A. there are 50,000 wannabe actors. I've never really had to recruit models. I do still hold monthly modeling calls. Q: Are your models local people? A: Many are, but about half are from out of state. The work is about one-third in Maine, one-third in Boston and one-third in other parts of the country. Like, an ad agency will call from Newport, R.I., as one did recently, for couples in their 20s, 30s and 40s, and they shot for two days at the Red Jacket in North Conway (N.H.). James Devine, a boy from Gorham, and Sasa Cook and Katrina Peterson are now in the Red Jacket and Fox Ridge vacation planner brochures. Q: Do you turn people down? A: You have to. We get snapshots in the mail every day, and some you know you can't market. The Web site makes clear, if we can market you, we will get back to you.
Q: Do you want models to be, like, "perfect"? A: I handle a variety of people. We have what we now call "real people" and the high-fashion models. I get calls for everything - I even have dogs, Port City Canines, and kids. I don't think any other agency around here does. I've had callers say, "I need a bald gentleman who is overweight." Q: They don't say, "I need a fat bald guy"?
A: They say "plus-size model." It's also all ages, contrary to what people think. I always need more people of a certain age. The greatest number of jobs call for people in their 20s and 30s. We do financial investment brochures, hospital brochures. . . . They often want people 40 to 50, male models with graying hair, so it's all different types, unless you're trying to be a runway model in New York. We do L.L. Bean and Timberland catalogs and, of course, they want the outdoorsy-looking people. For speaking parts, most can't have an accent, though - I had a model turned down because he had a slight Maine accent. Q: How do you get paid? A: Model/talent agents generally receive a 20 to 25 percent commission (industry standard) of what we negotiate for the model, paid by the client (which is not a lot). Typically, agents receive 10 percent of the negotiated talent fee, as well. . . . I have two models doing a high-end jewelry catalog/ad campaign shoot, starting tomorrow in Boston, and I've been hired to be the set stylist for the two days. After this interview, I will be spending about five hours shopping for wardrobe for the shoot. The models will be paid $150 an hour for the eight-hour-plus day, and as the stylist, I will be paid a separate day rate. Q: What's hard about your job? A: Getting local clients to realize that we have a great talent pool right in their back yard. We have a very talented, very professional pool of actors and models in Maine and New England. Q: Are you getting rich? A: We're continuing to grow, and every year I'm revamping the business plan. My biggest obstacle is time. Q: How many hours do you work a week? A: Um, well, I go to bed at 2 and get up at 7. Q: You do everything yourself? A: Pretty much. I had a business partner, but I bought her out some time ago. Q: Where can people see your models? A: That's a long list, but, for example, Chris Whitney is in Timberland's catalog and will be in Metro's summer fashion issue. Shawn Gove appeared in Cosmopolitan magazine. John Frothingham and Kristine Boardman had L.L.Bean bookings, and John is on EMC Solution's brochure. Two models, Katrina and Tina, are on the posters for the Liquid Blue Night Club in the Old Port. Linnea Burns, the girl from Rumford, has done magazine ads for Nike and Skechers. Philippe Juneau is on a Bose brochure and also appeared two weeks ago on AOL's home page in an article on auto dealerships. Julie Bannerton was in an ad for Nokia cell phones, and she was on the cover of the Improper Bostonian. She's a very talented entertainer - she sings as Julie Steel for Jaded, a Boston band. One of the first jobs I did when the business was new, eight of my people, including Julie, were in a Godsmack music video. We rented a house on the ocean in Cape Elizabeth to film it. I have stacks and stacks of videos of commercials and things. . . . I was in the movie "Mystic River" with two other models, a tiny, nonspeaking part. It was when Tim Robbins was running down the street to pull someone out of a car, near the end of the movie. He came over and chatted and gave us handwarmers between takes, because it was so cold.
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