Sail away with me

There are jobs, and then, there are experiences that become more than a job!

When I get a little 'ping' in my pocket, the one telling me I've received an email, I'm always hoping that it will be from my agent. Every time I hear it, my mind jumps to castings and the wonder of what I'll be casting for. I've spoken often about the variety of jobs that could come my way, and unfortunately the emails don't often give much away. I may get a brand name, or a production house, sometimes an indication as to the type of work and occasionally a wardrobe request. Way back in June, I had such an email come through to my phone, not much more than a time and place. I rang my agent and he mentioned something about an album cover, my ears perked up straight away. I headed down to Putney Bridge, grabbed my usual casting treat of a Milkybar and a strawberry Ribena, and headed to the studio. First to arrive, nothing unusual there, I headed inside and met the lead producer for the project who spoke extremely cryptically, when I quizzed her on the band/artist that the cover was for. More guys began to arrive and conversation turned to more familiar topics (football, TV shows, films, girls). Eventually called in to cast, I was introduced to the creative director who told me a bit more about the project. After a short debate with the producer he revealed the band to me. My jaw dropped. I was very familiar with them, and couldn't quite believe what I had heard. When I lived in Spain, one of the band albums had become an almost anthem for me. I have so many memories of tranquility in Barca, and getting lost in their music. Obviously I was quick to say all this in the casting! So, cast I did. And carry on I did, as usual, as if the casting had never happened. I learnt a long time ago that no matter how good I feel coming out of a casting, or bad for that matter, there is no upside to getting excited about a job until it is booked. Thankfully two weeks later, thats exactly what I did. Im not sure Ive ever been more excited for a day of work than I was that day! I was reunited with the aforementioned producer and creative director and a fantastic team around them. Needless to say, everything went perfectly and everyone was extremely happy with the final result. Even in that early stage, we really felt we had created something special. Which was a good thing as we were one of three teams presenting an image to the band. Again, carry on as usual. It must have been at least three weeks until I received confirmation that our image had been chosen. My agent called me to let me know, the feeling that I felt in that moment, its almost indescribable. I was excited, and then the magnitude of the whole thing settled in and I'm not sure what I was. I began to realise just how big a deal this was when I rang up my Dad to tell him the news. Its not often that my Dad goes crazy for me about a job, but this one had him more excited than I was. Life felt good...it was about to get even better. A month later I was lying in bed one morning and received a call from an unknown number. A London number, meaning it was likely from an office. I answered to a woman asking about my connection to the album cover and asking my availability to shoot a corresponding music video. My availability!! I would have cancelled any plans I had. As it turned out I was very available as a consequence of breaking my collarbone (see last post). We shot the music video. The production team that took control were responsible for some of the greatest covers ever created, and I say that with absolutely zero exaggeration. The band that this whole thing is about have had some of the greatest covers in history. 

The album was released on the 7th November 2014, the bands first in over 20 years. Upon writing, it is to be their last. The music video was released four days later on the 11th November. To have been a part of this project, to be in any way connected with this band is such an unbelievable honour. 

If you haven't listened to 'The Dark Side of the Moon', by Floyd, choose an evening, put it on, start to finish. Thank me later. 

As cheese as this may sound, I think the best part of this whole experience as been the way I have been able to share my success with my family and friends. I've done many jobs were I have felt proud of myself, where I have felt a real buzz inside of me. When, first, the album cover, then the video were released, the amount of love I felt from everyone around me was, just...overwhelming. Seeing the looks on their faces when they realised it was me, the way in which my friends have been showing off my success to anyone and everyone who will listen. My uncle had a count down going to the release date of the album, literally reminding my Dad most days. As I said at the start, some jobs become more than just a job. Im going to struggle to top this one...oh wait, no I won't! I will use this as momentum to take me higher and further. 

The next stop for me on this crazy adventure called life is Cape Town. I leave in five days, landing in CT on December 1st, just for the three months! Yep, three! As pleasant as that sounds, this is very much a work trip. My agency over there Full Circle, has put faith in me, in their desire to have me in town, and I intend on repaying that faith. Like when I upped and moved to Barca, Cape Town is going to change my life for the better. I just hope they're ready!

Six weeks of nada

I've spoken often of the many challenges that my industry brings me. Work can be thick and fast one month and a slow trickle the next month. This is all part of the game that I am trying to play. Its tough...to go from such highs to lows all the time, it can be mentally exhausting. I genuinely believe it is this roller-coaster that sorts out the players from the fakers. You could have every attribute to make you a top model, or a respected actor, but, lack the mental strength to deal with the tumultuous ride, and you won't last long. 

Dealing with these challenges is never easy, but it is something that you have to expect and anticipate if you are to succeed. Something that in not so expected, yet can quite simply put you out of work for a period of time, is an injury or an illness. Unlike you guys, if I get ill to the point of bed-ridden, theres no 'taking a couple of days off from work', there is no 'fall-back plan'. If I am ill and can't work, then my life comes to a stand still...its as simple as that. As a result, Ive often worked with colds, headaches, coughs...I did what I could to ensure my health never affected my work. As I currently write this, I am sat in my dressing room just off set, with my face in a lemsip and eating strepsils like candy! Yesterday, I was sat at home terrible, today all of that goes out the window and I endure. Sadly, there are some injuries which one is simply unable to get around. Six weeks ago, I broke my collarbone playing football. In the weeks prior to the breakage, I had been doing ecomms work left, right and centre (see last post) as well as having a number of other projects lined up and scheduled to shoot. Then I fell awkwardly in training, landing on my face and shoulder. I knew straight away that I had done something bad. The pain in my arm was excruciating! I remember standing up straight away and being unable to walk in a straight line. I slowly made my way to the side of the pitch where the local leisure centre staff met me and began taking me through their procedures. I passed out! Yep...serious amounts of pain! An ambulance was called, the first time those wailing sirens have been for me, and I was taken straight to the hospital to get checked out. I don't remember a lot about the actual incident...I think the impact of hitting the floor muddled me up a bit. What I do remember extremely clearly is also a little hard to explain. After I initially fell and made my way back to my feet and to the side of the pitch, I can remember the feeling of panic I had. Genuine panic. My heart was beating faster, my mind was working in overtime, I obviously had great pain in my face and my shoulder. I was quite inconsolable. After 5-10minutes of the staff checking my shoulder and the rest of my body out for any other damage...I was able to check for myself. This for me was the strangest moment of the whole incident. Still panicking, I reached over and felt my shoulder for the first time. Almost immediately my body calmed down. My breathing deepened, I stopped shaking...my heart no longer felt like it was trying to jump out my chest. Now, this certainly wasn't down to any good feelings I now felt, if anything it was the exact opposite. Having felt my shoulder myself; having felt the way in which my bone was resting compared with my knowledge of how a collarbone should rest in a shoulder, I knew 100% it was broken. And therein lies the source of my calmness - clarity. Up until this moment I didn't really know what was wrong, I was just in pain. Maybe it was an element of shock taking over, but as soon as I knew for certain it was broken, my mind and body relaxed. It was a strange sensation, one that I can still recall now. 

So, what does a model do when they break their collarbone? the answer: not a lot! I had to cancel work that I had lined up. I wanted to try and work through the pain on a couple of projects, but being the honest person I am, I felt a responsibility to make my employers aware of my injury. Unfortunately, non-surprisingly, insurance rarely covers people who have an existing broken bone. My projects were lost and given to other people. I have literally worked one day in the last six weeks. Now, some of you may be sat there thinking, "What is this guy complaining about? 6 weeks off from work - that sounds great!" Well as so often in life, it sounds a hell of a lot better than it is. If you had six weeks off, I expect you would still be making some kind of money in that period, even if it was less than a usual monthly rate. As I said, Ive managed one day of work, which means Ive had one paying day in the last six weeks. If you had six weeks off, I would expect you to come back to a job that is ready and waiting for you. In some cases you might have even been missed! In my line of work, momentum is as important as anything else. I was on a role six weeks ago...now? Now, I find myself out of favour with clients who I was just beginning to build real relationships with. Now, I'm literally making videos of myself waving my arm around, in an attempt to show my shoulder is back to full fitness, in the hope that clients will be reassured I am up to the task again. These six weeks off, have been anything but great! 

Thankfully, the healing period is done. I am back and will be getting myself stronger than ever in anticipation of Cape Town in december. Today, as I mentioned, I am back on set. Nothing would make me happier than to tell you guys the project I am working on...it is quite simply the best job I have ever done. The sort of job, and I say this with no exaggeration, that if I do nothing else in my life, I could probably die a happy man! Today I hope to be immortalised. Yep, thats right...I said immortalised! I have signed a number of non-disclosures preventing me from going in to any detail, but Im hoping in about a month, all will be revealed and I won't need to say a damn word! The truth is, yes, I would love to shout from the rooftops what Im working on today, but for now, the personal satisfaction is more than enough. My hope is that I can take the energy of the next two days and dive straight back into this world next week. 

When bad stuff happens in life, I feel it is in our nature, as humans, to look at ways in which we can change ourselves to prevent the negative existing. When you get a setback in my industry, it can be very easy to spiral downward; to allow that negativity to cloud your judgement and what it really is that you want out of life. My judgement will never be clouded. I know what I am meant to do with my life...at least I believe I do...and I will not stop until I have realised my dreams.

A summer of E-Comms

One of the biggest struggles a model faces at the start of their career, is consistency of work. I've always said about the modelling (and acting) industry, once spotted there are two ways your career will go. Someone big in the game sees you, loves you, and launches you in at the deep end, leaving you to either sink or swim. Alternatively, you are recognised as a talent, but you have to pay your dues. This route involves taking a hundred castings and getting booked twice. It means countless test shoots, improving your book. It means getting a part time job, to keep your dream alive. It means dealing with rejection, more often than not with no explanation as to why. It means making sacrifices, and turning your back on other areas of your life. This is no easy route. But just because it isn't easy, doesn't mean it isn't possible. For four years, I've travelled down that second path. I still am. I have literally given myself to my dream. Everything I do, every decision I make, I do so, because I believe in myself. Since I began this journey, I have had zero doubts about continuing it. Ive mentioned before that it is all about setting goals, achieving them, and then setting some more. Well, I set some goals when I came back from Barcelona to London. A lot of them were to do with acting, and I continue to work tirelessly to achieve them. On the modelling front, the goals were more simple. Achieve the level of work I was doing in Barcelona, over here. Obviously, London is one of the biggest and greatest cities in the world. I like to think of it is as the city of opportunity, but with a price tag. Living in Barcelona and Cape Town, I would wake up and decide whether to go to the beach, climb a mountain, incredible experiences just by stepping outside. In London, I step outside and already money is being taken off my oyster! Herein lies the reasoning behind one of my goals, money-earning. Now I'll say straight off the bat, I am not a person who is dictated by money. Both my parents have worked tirelessly throughout my life to provide an incredible upbringing for my sisters and I. Looking back the fact that we went on holiday as a family of six every year is an incredible feat. I have grown up without wanting but never being spoilt, and I feel that is how I am now. I have no desire for an over the top lavish lifestyle, I simply wish to be able to provide a good life for my family and loved ones. However, as I said living in a city like London, you have to think about your earnings and if I want to maintain the lifestyle of my friends, all of whom have fantastic jobs,in all manor of industries, I have to be hitting a certain level of jobs in my industry. The fact is, I will never have a monthly wage. Its one of the few things I am actually jealous of people for. So it is important to find jobs in the modelling world which come with a level of consistency, 'the bread and butter' as my Dad likes to say. Thankfully, thats exactly what I did. 

One of the most profitable and consistent jobs for a model, is e-comms work. This means the photos you see on online stores advertising the clothes. It involves going into a studio and putting on clothes, posing, taking off clothes. Not the most challenging work, but one which happens every day, all year round. Upon getting home from Cape Town, I was casted by boohoo.com for a trial day. They are based up in Manchester, which is cool for me as I get to see my fam who live up there. The trial went really well and after a nervous couple of weeks of waiting to see if they would use the photos of me, I clicked on to the site to see myself staring back at me! Pretty surreal. Im up there again on wednesday next week, Its been fun getting to know the whole crew who create a lovely environment to work in. 

Next, came a message out of the blue. My agency in Barcelona have expanded, opening a brand new office in Madrid. I got a call one day saying that El Corte Ingles, the biggest department store in Spain with over 500 retailers, wanted to use me for their website. Obviously, I said yes. I flew to Madrid and spent a week there, working Mon-Fri. I have to be honest, by the fourth and fifth day of posing I genuinely felt like I needed some sort of challenge, thankfully, no one in the studio spoke English so I was constantly being tested on my knowledge of Spanish. Little update - I am still only 'ok'. Im hoping to be taken back out to Spain soon for another weeks work. 

Finally, and something that has only happened this week. Ironically, 2 weeks after I told a friend I was done trying to work for them, as I had boohoo and El corte, ASOS asked me in for a casting, my fourth casting. This is why I had previously been bitter to a friend. I had cast with ASOS three different times with three different casting agents. This, my fourth, went really well. I got on immediately with the casting agent and had some quick photos and measurements taken. They liked what they saw and called me in on tuesday afternoon to shoot, putting my photos up on the site the next day. Now, ASOS, is obviously one of, if not, the biggest online store. When I think about the amount of people who may stumble across a photo of me, now that, that is surreal!! 

Im hoping to bring you an update on the acting front soon. Even more hopefully Ill be able to show you some footage as well!

One Love

Yes I x

An Actors first steps

Next Thursday, the 22nd May, I will watch what is effectively my film debut as a lead role. Admittedly it is a short film, and a student project, but I have always known I will have to start this journey from the bottom and work my way up. The film is called Playing Around. It is the final year project of director Chris Goodson, a student at University of West London. It was written by his friend Javed Sohrabi, a tale about a couple and essentially how distrust and secrets can ruin a relationship. Running 10minutes long, it is the sort of project I am trying to get involved in as much as possible right now. 

The filming process was incredibly fun, once again I felt at home on set. Chris, Javed and I got on immediately, to the point that Chris rang me hours after I had finished my audition informing me I had the role despite him still having guys to see, that was how confident he was in me being able to bring his character to life, in the way he wanted. The whole team was full of like-minded people, and as such time on set was extremely harmonious. The film was set around my girlfriend and I spending a long weekend in the countryside; Chris had found a picture perfect white-picket fence cottage tucked behind a block of flats in north London. Literally you would never guess it was there, I was amazed when we turned through these rather ugly flats to reveal this quaint little cottage. It was perfect. Katie, the actress playing opposite me, and I had had numerous rehearsal days where we had gone over the script with Javed and Chris. These were vital to Chris who was keen for the two of us to really get into the script, and in fact change it where we saw fit; where we felt the speech didn't quite roll of the tongue, he was happy, if anything insistent(!) on us working alongside him to develop it. I feel this led, to us being as comfortable as possible on set. Speaking of which, on set, as I said, was where I felt my best! I just enjoy it so much! I love the focus that has to be present, from everyone involved. When you know a script, and you have confidence in yourself and your performance, there is nothing better than finally having the opportunity to give it. I genuinely live for those moments right now. 

So yeah, next thursday, I will have my first real indication of whether the acting world is for me! I have seen myself on screen before, I did a 45min film at school and a short film at university. But I really see this as my first step on the acting ladder. This is a film I sourced myself, auditioned to strangers, and shot with an overwhelming feeling of a job well done. Im going to sit in the cinema next week with as much judgement as possible. I really hope I walk out with the smile I carried throughout the whole experience still firmly sat across my face.

Despite spending the last six weeks in Cape Town (more on that to come), I have managed to arrive back in London and have two more short films on my plate. Next week I shoot another student project titled Torpor, a horror short, and in June I'll be shooting an independently funded project, again revolving around the issues of relationships. This is all work I am finding myself, either through casting sites StarNow and CastingCallPro, or simply word of mouth. My plan at the moment, is to obtain as much experience and time in front of a camera, similar to, initially, the music videos and commercials I was shooting and now the short films I am becoming involved in, with the intention of making a showreel with which I can hopefully find an acting agent with! Its as simple as that!! To be honest right now that plan seems logical and achievable, and once it is done, I will set out the next plan, make some more goals, and that is how I shall continue for as long as I can. 

Peace x

Commercial: SHOPCADE.COM

I was contacted around the start of the year by Anda Teglas from This is Insomnia production house asking over my interest and availability to star in a commercial for a new up and coming retail site/app, called Shopcade.com. Its a clever site that essentially incorporates big online stores into one place, under clearly categorised groups, whilst allowing each individual user to showcase their own styles and tastes. 




As always I throughly enjoyed my time on set. You know, the more work I do, the more time I spend in this environment...its like a vindication of why I chase this dream. I literally feel alive on set; I feed of the energy and enthusiasm of others. once again I was surrounded by a great team of hard working individuals. Im always impressed by the roles that everyone plays on set, and the eagerness of how they attack those roles. As an actor on these projects, I obviously have a large impact on the final product and the quality of it, but as I do more jobs I am beginning to understand just how important everyones role is, from the director all the way down to the runners. Without everyone being on their A-game, and with a precise and well organised plan prior to shooting, things would simply fall apart. One of the themes of my jobs, and I feel very lucky for it, has been the quality of the teams I have been a part of. 

The months keep on rolling and the work keeps on coming :)
step by step, I will achieve my dreams
Wease x

MUSIC VIDEO - 'Don't Click' by 'THE TIGER ROSE'

Another day, another video.

The second shoot I did in January was for 'The Tiger Rose's' first music video for her track 'Don't click'. This was another job I had found and applied for myself through the casting site StarNow. The brief that was posted on the casting captured me immediately. The director that Rose had found to create her video had come up with a film noir style concept, seen clearly in the video below. I was excited by the idea of effectively creating a mini film. Again, I was blessed to be working with a fantastic cast and crew.



I hope you like what you see

Thanks for watching

Wease x

Music Video - #illjustsayit (I Love You) by MOSA

January was a good month. Over christmas and new year, I had literally been chomping at the bits to get back into work, to find projects, to get roles and generally just smash it :) 

The first of such projects was this video for up and coming R'n'B singer MOSA. It is one of the first projects I have worked having applied through the casting site StarNow. 

The day went extremely smoothly, continuing my luck at working with a fantastic crew. I found Mosa to be a creative, thoughtful artist. He had a great idea of what he wanted to create and had organised the team around him to make it happen. 

Call me biased but I think the track is awesome...it certainly stuck around in my head for a long time!

I hope you enjoy watching this as much as I did making it
x

Photoshoot - Aiden Jordan

Just before Christmas, I was contacted by a photographer, Aiden Jordan, on twitter (first time twitter has been of any real use to me!). He had found my profile page on the casting site StarNow and wondered if I was interested in doing a photoshoot with him. I was only just returning to England at the time and so was very eager to get some fresh images upon my arrival. The shoot was held in Guildford, which I kind of knew had some nice spots about it, but had no idea just how beautiful some areas were. I was Aiden's first model shoot, he had previously worked taking photos for magazines and papers, but now wanted to branch out into the world of fashion photography. I have to say, if he hadn't have told me, I would never have guessed. He provided the clothes which fitted pretty much perfectly, and when it came to the locations for each photo, he had written down various different spots seemingly having already taken the photo in his mind, and only needing to now place me in it. I was very impressed with his professionalism and of course his creativity. The shots you are going to see are all one time shots. Aiden worked with film not digital, so we weren't taking thousands of photos (that number isn't an exaggeration for a photoshoot) and checking them all as we go. Aiden got me where he wanted me, trusted me to do my thing and well, that was that :) 

It's something a little different to my usual photos

I hope you like the results, I certainly do.

The link below will take you to Aiden's page where you can see the full shoot

Aiden Jordan Photography

London calling

A new year, a new city. Or rather, and old city. In december I returned home to London. it was quite a change from sunny relaxing Barcelona. London is so fast-paced. There is so much going on, and so much you can do. Opportunities are literally around every corner. At least thats how I feel. 

So I mentioned previously that I have signed to a new agency in London, that would be Bookings Models. Similar to when I was in Hamburg, I went around to every agency in London, and similar to Hamburg, my height got be turned down from all of them. When I started modelling in London, I was signed to Oxygen models back in April 2011, a boutique agency based on Kings Road. I signed with them because of one reason, Mark Rowley, the mens booker at the time. He was the one agent who actually saw me as a person rather than a marketable product. I like to think he saw my potential from the start. It was an exhilarating experience to have someone really pushing you and who seemingly believed in you almost as much as I believed in myself. Well, Mark left Oxygen in September, I followed suit a few weeks after. He moved on to bigger and better things, revamping the mens board at Bookings making it clear to me that I always had a spot with him; we have undoubtedly developed a friendship that goes beyond simply model and agent. I was honest with him about checking out the other agencies, he knew it was something that I felt I had to do. I wanted to see where I stood in terms of the London modelling scene. I wanted to see if I had progressed from the boy who walked into every agency back in 2011. Despite the knock-backs I suffered (please someone give me 2 inches on my height!) I was very happy to sign with Mark again, and Im looking forward to get back in the London modelling scene, testing myself in this far more competitive market.

More than just modelling though, London has provided me with the opportunity to get in the acting game. So far in my posts Ive shown you guys various photoshoots, video shoots, campaigns, commercials...all sorts from the world of modelling. These are all jobs I have got as a consequence of being signed to Trend Models, and them touting me and sending me out on castings. However, its a totally different ball game Im playing now. 

Acting is something I have done from a young age, always enjoying being on stage. This feeling has only been reciprocated through the various jobs I have done since embarking on this modelling journey. Maybe it sounds funny to you, but I feel my most exhilarated when I am on set, when I have a camera or two on me, a script to play with or even just an idea. I literally feel alive! In Barcelona, I was limited in what I could do to try and push this dream forward. I found an English Drama School out there, and attended classes every week to maintain my skills, and of course hopefully learn a thing or two more, but that was it. Since I have come back to London, I have found there is actually a lot I can do without an acting agent, or even a very good idea on where to begin. I have signed up with a couple of casting sites: StarNow, Casting Call Pro, and have been applying and getting auditions for all sorts of different roles, in different types of productions. In the six weeks since I have been home I have found myself and been casted in a short film, made by ex and current students from the University of Westminster, as well as two self-funded music videos. All footage that I look forward to sharing with you guys. Im thoroughly enjoying the new challenges that are presenting themselves to me. When it comes to casting for model jobs these days, I have to say, I don't feel nervous in the slightest. I know what my strengths are and essentially with these jobs, it boils down to the way I look and simply if I match the image that the client has in their mind for the position. With the acting auditions, like I said, different ball game. I certainly feel the nerves, excitement too, but nerves definitely. That being said, I do feel at home when Im casting. I know that there isn't a thing on this planet that I would rather be doing. Its quite a special feeling to think that everything you do, everything that I have already done, is leading me to a place that is literally something out of my dreams. Yes this is hard and challenging and highly competitive, but I know myself very well, and this lifestyle I have chosen, and it is a lifestyle not just a career, is one I believe I can achieve great success in. It doesn't come without its price though. 

From my childhood days, I have a very close group of brothers. I say brothers and not friends because I think thats really how we are. Thinking about it, there are quiet a few of us who don't actually have brothers, myself included, so its no surprise we are as close as we are. The point I was getting at is that obviously being at home, I am immersed into their lives again, I am witness to their everyday routines. It makes me aware of just how different my lifestyle is from theirs, but not only that, its when I look forward at the uncertainty in my future, and the stability they find in theirs, well, it can be daunting at times. I was imagining the other day what it would be like to have a salary...it was a nice thought! I guess all I'm trying to say is that there are pros and cons to every walk of life. Im proud to say I have an amazing group of friends, who constantly impress me with their achievements in such a variety of fields. When you work in a world that often gets swept up in itself, I think its incredibly important to constantly remind yourself of everything else going on outside that world. 


Thanks for reading,
Weasel out x

Campaign - Philpark clothing A/W

Back in October, I posted after a day in the studio with the boys from Philpark, telling you that we had previously shot the campaign out and about in Barcelona. I really like the collection that the boys have put together and proudly wear a lot of Philpark garments. OK, thats enough from me, Im going to let the pictures do the rest of the talking. 

Philpark Clothing

Merry Christmas y'all 

Peace and joy

x

Music Video - Oscar Martinez/Coolway

Being back in London has been a real change of pace. After an unbelievable 10 months in Barcelona, I am back in my hometown and looking forward to tackling the New Year. As good as Barcelona was, there are so many pros of being back home, not least of course seeing my family and friends. More than that though, London feels like a city of opportunity right now. I have signed up to a new agency, more to follow on that soon, and am auditioning, and getting cast, for various acting projects, which makes me especially happy. Looking ahead to 2014, acting is certainly the area where I am looking to make the most strides. 

All that being said, last week I was flown back to Spain, this time Madrid, to shoot a music video for Oscar Martinez a Spanish radio DJ, in a  production sponsored by Coolway. Some of you may remember that in June I shoot the Coolway F/W campaign, and I am grateful to them again for choosing me for this project. This is the first time (2013 really was a year of firsts) that I have been flown from one country to another specifically for a job, and I have to say I enjoyed the thrill of it all. Sad to say I didn't get a chance to see much of Madrid, but then again I was anticipating I would. I was the male lead for the shoot, of a cast of around 16 young people. We took over a little nightclub called Bora-Bora, and created the illusion of a busy party. The concept of the video revolved around "my girlfriend" and myself and two nights that we spent at the nightclub. One night we were together, and the other we were separated and I came across her with another guy. In the end, all was forgiven and the enjoyment of the night prevailed. I had so much fun shooting this project, and feel that we created a really enjoyable, happy atmosphere which I certainly think Oscar was looking for in terms of his track, and that I hope is clear for all to see in the final cut. 

That is the dark blue sky of a 6am start :)

I love watching the camera guys do there thing. They have such technical knowledge and can change the smallest things in order to create the biggest changes and make the end product that much better

 One of the guys dropping some moves...very cool (Though he may have almost kicked someone in the head!)

It was fun being the lead, I felt very loved and wanted!

 Action shot!

Oscar Martinez official twitter

Coolway

Photoshoot - Huw Jenkins

Huw and I were introduced through a mutual friend. One simple purpose, to get work for our portfolios. There are lots of stories of young girls and boys being scammed out of money for photos, whilst being fed dreams of grandeur. Thats not the way it should work. Photographers need to constantly update their portfolio just the same as models have too. In this way photoshoots are invariably to the benefit of both the photographer and the model.

I met Huw at his studio a couple of weeks ago. I say studio, he was working out of what I think is called an artist's commune. A big building with rooms for 8 artists, as well as big open spaces for studio work or whatever they may have in mind. There were numerous displays showcasing their work; all in all a very cool location. We tried to make the most of our surroundings and what was available to us, and manipulate it into the photos. I met up with Huw a few weeks before, setting a relaxed tone from the start. the fact he was English and I was able to actually converse with the photographer probably helped as well! Im extremely happy with the results.

Huw Jenkins

TV Spot - Oral-B Toothpaste

Every job usually has at least one stand out factor. In August I was cast as a drummer in an advert for Oral-B toothpaste. Now I've never played the drums and thank fully I wasn't required to here. I along with two others formed the band for the Oral-B Spokesperson...Shakira! I'm a twenty-five year old guy, I grew up watching Shakira's bum shake! Can you imagine my delight upon being cast in this advert! Filming consisted of a three scenes. Firstly we, the band were simply walking down a corridor behind Shakira, as if walking backstage in a stadium on our way to the main stage. Second scene was a copy of what we're told Shakira does every time before she goes on stage, a team huddle. Final scene was us on stage in the background with Shakira at the front. 

Th place was set up as if Shakira was actually performing of course, including 40 or so screaming fans, to add to the effect

I think I made quite a convincing drummer

Needless to say, this was one hella day! I actually had a chat with Shakira, brief but awesome! She asked what I was doing in Barcelona, I of course told her all my hopes and dreams! Just a really great day!

Thats the advert then. I know what you're thinking, I wasn't in it that much! well you would be right, a side from the first scene I didn't get any screen time really. Just another example of how you are constantly challenged in this industry, in this case mentally. For me, i'm just grateful I had any air time, and besides, being on screen at the same time as Shakira, even a split second...has got to be equal to pretty much everything else Ive done!

Making-of - Shakira Oral-B

Above is the link to, obviously, the making-of video, you can see just how much fun Shakira had :)

I mean, I think we look good together

Family Tales...

So here's a tale for you, one which Im going to tell to the best of my knowledge.

My Grandfather was one of ten children. Not all together that odd for families of the early 1900s. What made my Grandfathers family a bit special was that he was the youngest and all his elders females. Yep, nine sisters. Two of his sisters were twins, a trait that I actually share with them; I have a twin sister. Anyway, the elder twin, had a child, and for whatever reason was forced to give up said child. Only the eldest girls were aware of the situation, meaning my Grandad was none the wiser. The elder twin passed away maybe ten years later, but it was not for another thirty-forty that the lost child would have contact with the family again. She rang up one of the younger sisters proclaiming to be the elders' child. Obviously the younger had no idea and had to get confirmation from an older sibling. As a consequence my family tree grow a little arm. Also on that arm, is the child's  daughter and my third cousin Kate, and her son Oscar, who, by the pure coincidence of life happen to live a 15minute walk away from me in Barcelona.  

Kate, Oscar and I get together every week that I'm here. Its strange how quickly you can build ties to people because they're your family. I mean when I met the two of them, they were just strangers, but within a half hour I genuinely felt a connection to them both. You only have to look at photos of Oscar and I to know we're related. As for Kate and I, I think we were happy to have somebody we could talk freely and honestly too. As exciting as it is being out here in Barcelona, its inevitable that I go through serious bouts of loneliness. By finding family here, we have both found someone to remind us of home. 

Sent this photo home after our first meet, my family couldn't believe the similarities

We like Superheroes, but both agree that Batman is THE superhero!

 Practising our Spidey-webs just to show we like variety :)

 We're all kids, just some of us our bigger than others

A family of Superheroes!

The upside...

Today was a good day.

Quite simply leaving the clouds of Hamburg...

...for the blue skies of Barcelona 

Blanket of clouds to golden seas.

That's enough to put a smile on anyone's face

Ich bin ein Hamburger :D

Well, I've had two days in Hamburg, and I sit here with mixed emotion. If you read tuesdays post then you know my reasons for coming out here, and you would know that I arrived with very high spirits. Today, I have to be honest, I feel pretty deflated.

This is my first time in Germany, and I have to say on the whole I am extremely impressed with Hamburg. I landed around 4.30 local time, giving myself around 10 minutes before the sun went down. By the time I was off the train and into the heart of the city, it was five o'clock and Hamburg was on its way in to night-time. My hotel is very close to the main station, Hauptbahnhof, in the St Georg region. Im sure the majority of the world has a warped perception of the life of a model. Of course the boys and girls at the very top of the industry get extremely well looked after. Rightly so, if a client is spending maybe tens of thousands on a shoot then the model should be treated accordingly. Im not in that top bracket and as such have to take care of myself. That means all the money I earn, goes straight back into the progression of my career. Not wanting to shell out fortunes, I went for a pretty basic option. 

Hotel BeeFang - Private room

That's my room, in its entirety! The bathroom is on the floor below. Please don't take this for criticism by the way. Ive actually had a very comfortable stay here; I really am a man of simple pleasures. 

I ventured out on on that first night just hoping to get a feel for the city. Hamburg is extremely spacious. The roads are wide, the pedestrian streets are wide. The majority of the city appears to be no higher than six, maybe seven floors. With the river running through it and various little parks scattered around, Im often being reminded of English towns when walking around. 

A small canal in Nikolaifleet, a particularly tranquil spot

On my first night I went and found an Irish Pub, first point of call for any travelling Brit, in the hope of watching my footy team, Manchester United, on TV. I ended up at the Shamrock and quickly made friends with the owner, a lovely guy called Richie from England, and the barmaid Carolina, from Chile. I have to say, within 5 minutes I felt at home here, I really don't think I could have chosen a better first outing! Watched the footy and then slowly made my way back to the hotel and eagerly to sleep, in anticipation of the next days plans.

As I stated previously, I had two meetings on the first day. Numero uno - Modelwerk. This did not go exactly to plan. If you read my post about rejection the other day then you may see a similar pattern emerging here. I know my height is a hindrance, but I thought that the agencies I was seeing would be aware of my height and still wanted to see me. That was not the case, instead I had flown 500miles to be told that, despite my great look, I was simply 2cm too short. The meeting was over within minutes, and Im not embarrassed to say I had a real struggle to maintain my emotions once I was outside. 2cm! If i was turned away for my look, if I wasn't suitable to their market then I could deal with it; but to be shunted because of 2cm, having flown all this way and spend money that I really don't have to waste, well that was hard. And of course the worst part was that I had another meeting which I simply knew was going to go the same way as this. I started to sense that this trip was not going to go the way I wanted it too. However, I headed over to SPIN with as positive an attitude as I could muster (still pretty darn positive!) This one was a little better, by which I mean I was in there for more than 3minutes, and they even took some polaroids, but still the general consensus was that I am to short for the German market. I was not a happy weasel. I came here with real aspirations and excitement, and within an hour on my first day I felt ready to cut my losses and leave. I exchanged a few messages with my agent, and thankfully had my family and one friend in particular who cheered me up. I decided that i would enjoy the rest of my day in Hamburg and wake up the next day with a fresh mind and a list of other agencies in the city to go and visit. I was determined that if this was to be a wasted trip, I would have at least given it my all. So, I took a walk, I grabbed some food, and I headed back to Shamrock t watch Arsenal beat Borussia Dortmund. (By the way, if you ever wanted to know how to silence a German pub, just watch an English team beat a German team, you'll soon be the only one talking!)

Ok, so day number two. I fired my images around to five or six agencies on the previous day, in an attempt to arrange meetings. Three came back with an apologetic no, but thanks to my effort and that of my agent, I found myself with three agencies to see: Kult, Louisa Models and MGM. The first two ran along the same lines as the day before, but MGM felt slightly different. That isn't to say I was greeted with open arms and signed on the spot, far from that, but I did get to sit down with three agents and given the opportunity to sell myself, something I feel I've grown quite competent at doing. They didn't even mention my height until the very end of the meeting (that had to be better right?!?). I had some polaroids taken and then sent on my merry way. 

Hamburger Rathaus (Town Hall), seen on the left of the picture

Its been a tough few days here, but informative nonetheless. As the saying goes, "hindsight is a wonderful thing", and at the end of the day, as my father pointed out to me, if I hadn't come here to try, then I probably would have just been sat at home wondering. I might be sitting here now, feeling pretty down and literally cutting my losses (screw the ten days in Hamburg, Im going back to Barcelona tomorrow) but if I hadn't have tried then I wouldn't know what I know now. I imagine some people are reading this thinking, "when will he get the message that he is to short for this industry". Well what I have learnt is that whist I know I can work in the modelling world, I think my portfolio of jobs says as much, I have to look at where that work is going to come from and exactly what type of jobs they will be. In the last two days, since these agencies started going down the pot, I have spent serious hours researching acting opportunities in the UK. I have two weeks in Barcelona, before hitting London on the 21st November. Yes, I will be looking at modelling still, I haven't lost all my paths in that regard just yet, but I do aim on auditioning for anything and everything I can find, be it big or small, in an effort to get the ball rolling in that field too. The true tests in life are those that come out of adversity. I have had a lot of good fortune this year, and now I am being challenged. 

Just wait and see how I come out the other end.

Weasel out x

I get Planes, like others get Trains

Today is a big day for me. The start of what I hope will be new representation in a fresh market. One of the great aspects of modelling is that it is a profession that you can pretty much do all over the world. What this means is that whilst the majority of the industry works out of the big cities (London, New York, Paris, Milan) there are smaller markets that, for the right model, at the right time, can prove to be just as prolific and exciting. Barcelona is one such city. Not known worldwide for its modelling industry, there is an awful lot of commercials set and filmed out there due to pretty much yearly good weather and the beautiful backdrop of the city. Today I flew to Hamburg, in an effort to get myself involved in another european market and hopefully get more work and experience under my belt. 

Tomorrow I have two meetings set up with two very good agencies, Modelwerk and SPIN. For those that don't know the ins and outs of the modelling industry, let me try and explain this idea of multiple representation. Every model will have what is called their Mother Agency. For me this is Trend Model Management in Barcelona. They are my main agency and as such have a large say over the future of my career and indeed any success I get. A year ago, when I first came to Barcelona, I was made aware of some interest in me from Modelwerk, however as Trend were not my mother agency at the time, there was little they could do in terms of progressing this. As such, the momentum of the interest slowly waned, and, as the work began to roll-in in Barcelona, talk of Modelwerk fell completely by the wayside. Around a month ago, maybe a little longer, I changed my mother agency from Oxygen in London, to Trend in Barcelona. Giving more control to the guys at Trend was an easy decision for me, I have a fantastic relationship with everyone in the office there. As I signed on, I had a chat with the two top-dogs in the agency, Joan Tornay and Omar Enfedaque, and expressed my desire to get representation in other commercial markets around Europe and hopefully (fingers crossed) the world. With both the fact that Hamburg is a very good commercial market, and that I had already received interest from an agency here, albeit some time ago, we decided that this would be my first trip. My first destination!

In absolute honesty I am a little nervous. Let me clarify that. Coming out here on my own, that doesn't make me nervous. Being in a city where I know maybe three words of the language, that doesn't make me nervous. What does make me nervous is the idea that trips like this will lead to nothing. I know there are many models throughout the world who are lucky enough to have these opportunities thrust upon them, without raising so much as a finger. I refuse to let the fact that I am not one of those models stop me or even hold me back. I have a real determination to succeed in this world and eventually transition that success into acting. But I am fully away that that dream will not just be handed to me. I am aware that if I am to achieve all the things I want to achieve in life, more often than not I will have to go and get it myself. I hope that people meet me and see there is more than just a pretty face there. Often models get branded as dumb or stupid, well here I am trying to change that perception. I don't think I am your average model. I got in to the game later than most, something I feel is to my benefit, as it allows me to have a (hopefully) wiser head on my shoulders. As I said in my post earlier this week, Im not 6'1" and strutting down catwalks. What I am is someone who knows their strengths, who knows how to use their body and voice to hopefully stand out in a crowd. That may sound a touch arrogant, but in a world where people can be quick to dismiss you, a world where judgements can be made quickly and seemingly on very little, I think it is imperative to have personal confidence and belief.

I have ten days here in Hamburg, and if tomorrows meetings do not go well, they are going to be a loooooong ten days! Obviously I'll keep y'all posted....

until then, peace and sweet dreams internet :)