Emma HaarsmaEmma (our healthy recipe guest blogger and international fashion model) is back! She is currently in Seoul for modelling. Do you have plans on going there for modelling as well? Follow Emma’s monthly update on how modelling works in Seoul, on her jobs and of course crazy Asian food.
In this article Emma shares her fist Seoul modelling experiences and tells us about her arrival in Seoul, her first job and agency guidance.
Arrival at the Seoul model apartment
[dropcap]E[/dropcap]mma: at this very moment I’m in Seoul for a month already and I’ll be staying two more months. This is my first time in Asia and I didn’t know what expect of the country, the culture and of course I what to expect of the castings, jobs and
the modeling agency!
To be honest it scared me in the beginning, because I have heard negative stories around me about modelling in Seoul and modelling in Asia general. These negative stories did not deter me though and I decided to go for it. I certainly have no regrets so far!
I arrived at the airport on a Sunday evening after one and a half day travelling without sleep. Someone from the agency picked me up at the airport and brought me to my apartment. My modelling agency told me that I had already booked a job – which was a cover shoot for a hair magazine – for the next day! Surprised, happy and tired at the same time, I settled my stuff.
Guidance to castings and modelling jobs
So we’re at my first morning in Asia; the day of my first job in Seoul. Again after a night without sleep, looking like a zombie because of my jetlag, I went to the agency. Someone of them will be coming with me to my job to guide me; that’s just the way it works here in Asia. Someone of them will always be with the model whenever he or she has a job or castings.
My second Korean job: shooting Luxury magazine
That’s a big difference if you are used to modelling in Paris, Milan, New York or anywhere else where you need to go to jobs and castings by your own and find out where everything is and how everything works by yourself . Many people here in Seoul don’t speak English and you can’t read the street names, so it’s impossible for models to find the castings and jobs by their own. Therefore, in Asia models really need guidance by their agency.
Taking a bow
Someone from the agency came with me to the magazine cover job. On arrival at the job I soon was exposed to the first cultural difference: I’m used to shaking hands with clients, tell them my name and chat for a bit. But here in Seoul and Asia in general they don’t shake hands; they say hi and take a bow.
Furthermore: the client didn’t speak English, so there was no communication. They brought me to a chair and started doing my hair and make-up without even one word said one . It appear strange to me, as sometimes I wanted say something, but couldn’t, as they won’t understand.
Manager tells me how to pose on the job
So I just sat in my chair while they did my make up an hair. The team worked really fast; they know what they want and when we start shooting, the client tells your manager what they expect from you in terms of poses and atmosphere. So now it’s not the photographer who’s saying what you need to do, but your manager, which works fine.
Strickt working hours
This job was a half a day job, which are 5 hours working. They really work on time here and you know what time you finish your job. It can happen that you have to work a little bit longer, but then you have overtime.
Modelling in Seoul means to me …
I’m really happy that I made the decision to go to Seoul. My agency is great and I think that is one of the most important things if you go somewhere far away for modelling.
For me working as a model in Seoul means less stress compared to working in Europe or the US, as you don’t have to worry about being on time at castings or even about how to get there. That’s all up to your agency, because they are guiding you by car. Last but not least: modelling in Seoul means no worries about bad weather and getting soaked, haha!
Stay tuned …
Last month I had great jobs! Stay tuned, as in my next blog I will tell you more about that.
