Photo Shoot: Ten days and counting...

Last Edit October 29, 1999

Life gets stranger and stranger.
My son has his ups and downs and is watching this whole process. He turns up the TV whenever I call Troy on the phone. Logs onto the internet when I need to send him e-mail.
Of course, my son is drafted to shoot the photo shoot. And is pleased and annoyed both at the same time.
And I am drafted to do an article for Romantic Times. Well, I suggested one.
The Contract
My model (Troy Sutter) and his agent and the photographer and I are about to bless the contract.
This is good because the shoot is about 10 days away and counting down.
The contract has been faxed all over the place, and has been iterated to protect me, to protect the model and to protect the photographer. Troy and I could do it on a handshake but it is better to keep it on a professional level. The IRS thinks so too.
Basically, you need unlimited rights for the photo chosen for the cover since you don't know how many softcover books or eBooks you will produce and don't want to renegotiate.
And we are doing another pose - for the Centerfold in the May 2000 issue of Romantic Times. And it will run again in the back cover of the June issue of Romantic Times. And we may blow that up as a poster.
I think so.
The second shot is shirt-off! Muscles! And he has them! Steam Heat ladies!
The Setting
My photographer (Ron Jones, Phase Infinity) has rounded up the studio - not the first one he wanted, but another - and it is located near my house in San Diego! Too bad I am not living there!
It has rocks - because you can't just stand the model up against a white screen (or blue or whatever) and shoot. That would be boring. He has to be posed.
So we will balance Troy on rocks. For four to five hours.
While holding a gun.
A big gun.
My photographer tells me that you get really great shots, "When the model is tired." Or you get the great shot first thing and then all the rest are excess. You never know!
The Plant life.
Let's see. If we overlay foliage with PhotoShop it will look like it, so the front bushes should be real ones.
So, the photographer rounds up jungle growth.
Note that my photographer is doing a lot of extra stuff for me (can't wait for his bill!) because he knows me and we have done things before. When I was Director of Marketing at AMCC in San Diego, we did a lot of photo shoots. I've been in a bunny suit in a clean room.
And he gets my mind's processes. This is a key to a good situation.
I was lucky.
My planet is a jungle-swamp combo, my hero is supposed to be cresting a hill, looking ahead to danger, leading the space ship survivors to safety.
And he has to look like we'd follow him anywhere while doing this.
We think Troy can look like that. Does look like that.
We debate a water fall.
For $350.00 I can have a 7' waterfall.
Hmmmm.
Maybe not.
Doesn't fit my planet.
Don't overdo the bushes.
Emphasis should be on the model.
We have debated the plants over e-mail (since I am 500 miles away). This raises the virtue of shooting close to home. Or making occasional visits.
Unfortunately, throughout all this, I have a day job.
Email. Fax. Late night phone calls.
The Costume
I gave up getting a military black vest (too dull) because the Chrome Digital people will drop in a stock shot of angry sky behind him. So he can't be only in back. He'd vanish! He can keep the black leather pants and boot, his. They look just fine.
But we need a pop of color on the page.
So I am sewing vests, a red velvet, a dark red velvet shot through with metallic stuff, and a blue-green (medium saturation) vest. Military hunter style. Pockets. Stuff with things. Square things. Soft things. Whatever.
My photo
It turns out that I need a photo too. For press. For book jacket. OK.
But I don't think a gray sweater is on my list!
A make-up person is hired - $350. For a half-day. She is supposed to be good.
She can do both of us in that time. Make up that is.
The gun.
My older son has a friend who, as luck would have it, is just completing a model of the Laser Canon from Aliens, Halloween being this weekend.
So, I expect I need to tell the airport that we are coming through.
Travel
I've been to the auto club - and I have tickets for Troy to fly in from Florida. And tickets for my son and I to fly down to San Diego and meet him. And a hotel. Two rooms - but my son is asking for his own so I need to fix that.
I will get a car - one car - and spin us all around where we need to be.
Basically, I have to take care of the two of them (food, shelter).
But I won't dance on the table.
On second thought....