China g taipei modeling agency fmi. How to work in China and get more than a manager in Russia? More or less tall

(Guangzhou / Shenzhen).

Do not panic, everything is solved?

The Bookers who promised to meet me did not meet me in the end.
Do not groan and gasp, every second model can tell you about such a situation. Without panic, we catch wi-fi at the airport, we write, we agree to send a driver. In China, this is common, be prepared.

Do not be afraid to tell the motherboard about your problems. After I was not met, the news followed that I would live in an apartment with the guys for a week, but in a single room. I didn’t see a problem in this ... until I saw the room.

Square 2 * 2 with a bed "Do it yourself" - a piece of iron, a piece of wood and a mattress. And dirty linens to boot. It got colder in the evening (15 degrees), and it turned out that the window in my room had never been closed, and there was no heater or warm air conditioner.
What does it mean that it never closed - it just dried up: D.

My Greek neighbor immediately helped me with the linen, who, when he saw it, gasped, and after a minute from somewhere he got me a new and sealed one. In the evening, he also helped me close the window at least a little. Just thank you.

On that day, I was very puzzled by the question: do I have such poor living conditions, or do all models live like that, and I'm just not ready for a modeling life?

When the mother agency wrote to ask how things were going, I thought for a long time whether to write about all this or not to write. Still, I came to work, not to rest, and I’m not supposed to have any hotels here. Was - was not, wrote, threw off a photo of the bed and went to bed.

In the morning I woke up with my first ever cold on my lip (I slept in leggings, socks, two sweaters, under two blankets), but from a message in WeChat: "Honey, we just remembered that in our girls' apartments a single room is empty, and tomorrow the girl from the double is leaving. You can move there."

Then I immediately realized that my agency quickly resolved this issue while I was sleeping. I finally moved into a normal bed, in a nice room with a closed window and my own heater. Thank you!

The Chinese are often wise and deceitful, even in good agencies, be prepared to communicate with the motherboard.

Take note of Booker in advance with good English. Are you friends with him?

In China, not all Bookers have good English. When I ran out of mobile Internet, I wanted to go to the first one I came across and ask to sort everything out, to which another girl - the model asked me: "Do you really want to ask her to do this? I understood the meaning of these words later, when this Booker could not simply explain model, why she has a job, when and how much they pay.
Note the English-speaking Booker at once, for all problems - only to him.

Fastidious - do not meddle?

All good agencies have apartments in both Guangzhou and Shenzhen. At least once a week, girls from Shzh come to Gzh, and girls from Gzh come to Shzh. If a girl gets a job in another city, she comes to spend the night in the apartments of this very city.
Be prepared to sleep on linen that someone has been sleeping on for a couple of months, and if you are going for a few days, then also move from bed to bed, depending on which girl is "not at Home" today.
Be prepared for the fact that when leaving, a girl comes to your bed. This always happens.
In most cases, the bed linen that you come to have not been washed for several months, because in these cities everything dries for a very, very long time due to high humidity, and the linen will generally dry for a week and a half - two.

Be prepared to kill a day shooting and only get paid in a couple of hours. In China, they like to work on a timer. At my job, I got paid for makeup and for shooting, everything.
The fact that the photographer set up the light for about an hour (also on me) is not paid. Toilet, drink, eat - the timer always stops.
We even had a girl who spent three days in a neighboring city, but from each day she was paid only 3-5 hours.

Is it possible to go to China without English?

Although everyone says the opposite, they say, you will learn on the spot, but no. You need to know a little more about the base for sure.
In China, a lot of work and castings take place in neighboring cities, you travel by train on your own, get to the train and from the train to the place of work.
Without knowing English, you simply will not understand how you need to get there.

Don't forget to install a VPN, but know?

The best vpn client is Betternet. I have no complaints about him.
VPN is better to turn on only in apartments and in places with free wi-fi, because it eats a lot of traffic, and mobile Internet in China is very, very expensive (45 yuan for 500 mb - I pay that kind of money in Russia for unlimited calls / sms and 4 GB of internet per month.

Work without VPN: Whatsapp, VKontakte. The contact also eats the Internet a lot, so during castings and works it is better to limit yourself to WhatsApp and Chinese WeChat, and even with this use, be prepared to leave 45 yuan per week for the Internet.

Learn the basic Chinese words you need. For example, until I learned "Buyao ro" - I took rice with meat, separating the pieces. And yet I still suffered with my stomach. No "know mit, know Chicken" - they simply won't understand you.
You can ask Booker to throw you the hieroglyphs "without Meat" in Wechat and show them to everyone. I did that the first time. Rolled.

Immediately ask the agency to give you a leaflet with all the addresses (apartments, agency, train station, airport.

Taxis are everywhere and inexpensive. But without an address in hieroglyphs, it will not take you anywhere if you suddenly get lost or something else. You should always have a leaflet with you, even the elementary words "Airpot" and "railwaystation" no one knows.

Medicines. Take any medications you are not used to. For the nose, for the eyes, for the lips, antibiotics.
It so happened that the boy who flew in with me one day caught an eye infection the next.

As for me, I encountered the first cold in my life on the lips and Zayeds (not those that are just from pineapples, but those that are bacterial. Although we talked with the girl in the pharmacy for a long time through Google translator, she gave me anyway which did not help.As a result, I was cured only in Russia, with tetracycline ointment.

For the stomach, from temperature and pain in China, you can certainly find something, but be prepared for the fact that there are very few imported medicines, everything is Chinese and it’s not a fact that it’s suitable for you to spend you will have your own cash money on it.

I also advise you to take sedatives, they will not interfere.

Clubs. All models are aware of this topic. For those who do not know, I will write: in clubs there is nothing that many people think about. No sex and debauchery.
This is just a PR stunt. Girls are paid to stay in the club for a certain time, the Chinese see European faces, in particular models, and the club rises in their eyes =.

It's about modeling jobs in China. The article is intended primarily to help girls, but there will be a couple of reservations for the male half of humanity who would like to work as a model in China. I must say right away that in the future I will call both of them with one word - laowai, which means foreigner in Chinese. Let's get used to this word, after all, you are now on the site Let's Laowai!

1. Requirements for modeling work
2. How does a modeling audition work?
3. Types and prices of modeling works (prices for Wuhan)
4. The pros and cons of the model
5. Risks
6. Minimal terminology

So, you're a laowai in China and you want to get into the modeling business. Let's look at the points, what to you for this you need:

1. More or less tall

Girls: 170+

Guys: 180+

Blond and blue or green eyes are the most valuable, but even with brown eyes and dark hair color, you will be snatched up with hands and feet, as they say. For the Chinese, we are all incredibly beautiful princes and princesses, just because we have high, as they say, noses, big eyes and eyebrows that are not like theirs.

And believe me, even if your eyes are statistically not at all big, for the Chinese they are huge, and our eyebrows just grow differently with them and the shape is different. They also really appreciate miniature bow lips, and NOT chubby cheeks. In general, their tastes are of course quite specific, but the mere fact that your skin is whiter than theirs works 100%.

1. model card

A model card can be riveted in a hurry using the photos you already have and the collage program on your phone. The quality may be deplorable, but for the Chinese, even this can work.

Another option, more time-consuming and possibly money-consuming, is a professional photo session and a model card made on a computer using Photoshop. For such a photo shoot, it is not necessary to hire an expensive photographer, you can simply ask your photographer friends to help you. In addition, the card will pay off after the first work.

For guys, the first step is the same. Make a model card.

A model card for both boys and girls must include at least one close-up portrait so that you can see the face and a few full-length photos in different poses. Ideally, the map should be made from working photos and be your portfolio, but if you are just starting to break into the modeling business and you don’t have any, we improvise and just take beautiful photos to present yourself favorably.

The model card must also contain the following information:

For girls: name (you can use a pseudonym), height and volume of the chest, waist and hips or weight, you can also add the size of the legs and clothes, eye and hair color. It's the way you like it. To lie about your height by a couple of centimeters or slightly reduce the actual waist is considered normal, but do not abuse it!

For guys: the name and height are quite enough, the rest is to taste, as they say.

1. Connections

Perhaps there are other ways, but since the article is written on the basis of personal experience, we will consider how most people make their way into the modeling business. When looking for a job, connections are always important, and finding a modeling job is no exception. The more people you know, the easier it is. The people, of course, should be associated with the modeling business. In my case, I met girls who already worked as models and asked them to add me to the working groups of the WeChat social network or simply throw off the work when there are any. WeChat is very widely used in China. It can be used from a computer, but most know it as an application on the phone.

You have your own page where you can post whatever you want, there is a list of contacts you can write to. You can also create or join groups to communicate on various topics. About them further and will be discussed. Over time, I accumulated a large database of such groups, I began to understand agents, I knew who usually has a higher rate and who works more with what types of modeling work. If you are lucky, then you will find "your" agent, with whom, for some reason, you will make friends and he will invite you to work. This option is best because you are at less risk, you no longer have to look for work so hard yourself, and the work itself is more pleasant when you work with your people. However, this takes time, but for now your next step is to monitor these same working groups and agent posts for model work.

1. Group monitoring

The more often you are online, the more chances you have not to miss the next announcement, and friendship also helps. If you work in pairs, it will be easier for you to get a job by throwing ads to each other, as well as giving two cards at once for yourself and for a friend. This is what I did with my friend: what I don’t see, she sees and vice versa. The chances, you understand, are twice as many, and again, if two are chosen, work is much more fun.

1. Go to work and wait

And now you are lucky, you finally came across an ad about another modeling job in one of the groups. Add an agent (the one who posted the ad) or the specified contact and write to him. Usually it is enough just to say hello, mention the date of work you are interested in and throw off your model card. And yes, it is quite normal if there is no answer in the next couple of days or even never at all. Agents do not bother about this, and it makes no sense to be offended by them because they are alone, and there are many of us, and perhaps they simply do not have enough time and concentration to write to everyone. Thus, they most likely will not write to you that you were NOT chosen, and they may not even write if you were CHOSEN. When if you were chosen you will simply be added to the working group in the name of which will be the date of work and possibly the place or type of work. It is also possible that according to the model card you will be chosen on casting for work. Recently, this has become an increasingly common practice. If so, they will write you the time and place of the casting. Of course, you have the right to refuse, or go to try, as they say, happiness.

How Model Castings Work

Model castings can take place in a variety of ways and in a variety of places, from just the street to shopping centers or special rooms with a stage. It is advisable to always come to the casting with make-up and dressed up according to the figure, you can take your heels with you and put them on on the spot. For boys, it is advisable to wear a suit and black shoes, or at least dress neatly and presentably. Unfortunately, even if an awesome dress is hidden under the jacket, sometimes you will not even be asked to take off your outerwear, but simply put in a row, take a picture and maybe even immediately say you, you and here you are. Time at time is not necessary, as they say. Sometimes they will be asked to take off their outer clothing (jacket) and line up in height with or without heels. Perhaps the highest level of casting is when you are asked to prepare (put on heels) and walk one by one model walk in front of the jury.

And yes, a jury of 4-5 Chinese can really sit there, who, moreover, can still film you on phones or even a camera. Usually, before such a penetration, everyone is given a number that you either hold in your hand so that it can be seen, or you attach it to your clothes in a conspicuous place. They shoot you for the most part in order to then look at your penetration again and finally decide on the choice, and also in order to post on WeChat and boast that they saw Laowai today (I'm not kidding). Then, by these numbers, they recognize you and choose you, and the agent is given the numbers of the chosen laowai, so it’s worth remembering yours.

Model Work Types and Prices (in Wuhan)

• Etiquette 800-1000 yuan

• Penetration/Catwalk 1000-1200 yuan

• Bikini/Bikini 1200-1400 yuan

• Photo shoot 500 yuan per hour

• Mermaid/Mermaid 1000 yuan

• Autoshow / Carshow 1200 yuan

I must say right away that the prices are indicative, they vary, depending on the agent, boss, time, place, etc. Also, the work is divided into in Wuhan and not in Wuhan. And not in Wuhan, which means that the work can be in another city or in another province. When working in another city, tickets are ALWAYS paid by the agent. If the work is for several days, the hotel is ALWAYS paid by the agent. Meals during work are also USUALLY paid for by the agent. For a full day of work, you must be fed at least 1 time.

Payment is almost always made through Alipay wallet 支付宝 or WeChat 微信

food at work

Pros of Model Work

• 1. Good salary. Agree, earning about 100 or more bucks a day (or 1,000 yuan) especially without straining is very tempting. There may be several jobs per week during the season. Total count yourself.
• 2. Interesting experience. Trust me, you won't get bored working as a model in China. You will have time to be both a mermaid and a samba dancer and the face of some Chinese brand at a real advanced show, if you're lucky.
• 3. Emotions and impressions. Whether it is positive or negative emotions, they will be present in any case. It's not a boring office job, and it's not even a job as an English teacher in a kindergarten. Everything is much more entertaining and informative if you have not done this before.
• 4. Free travel. If work is not in your city, then you have to go on a mini-journey, even if work is its main goal. But you will definitely enjoy the picturesque views from the window and maybe even try some new food.
• 5. New acquaintances. Working as a model in China, you will first of all get a bunch of friends and acquaintances who work just like you. Lacked communication with non-Chinese? Now there will be more than enough! But you can't get away from the Chinese either. You will communicate with agents, as well as with bosses and the audience. Do not underestimate such communication with the Chinese. So you can find new jobs and new friends.
• 6. Increase self-esteem. Now you are a model. What no, but still a model. You are paid for your appearance, and how you perceive it, be proud or not, is your choice. I propose to treat this cool, not to let yourself be snarky, but also not to think that this is somehow worse than office work or the same English teachers. Working as a model, you can learn a lot and learn a lot! The main thing is not to miss the opportunity and believe in yourself!

Cons of Model Work

• 1. Salary is sometimes cut or not paid for a very long time. About a month may pass from the moment of work, and there will still be no salary, while agents usually pay on the day of work. They can also make deductions, for example, for meals or if you suddenly refuse to go to the podium more times than was originally agreed.
• 2. Bad organization. Usually you have to wait a very long time, because they often bring to work very early. It's common practice to pick you up at 5am and start the show at 10am and also say that at 5am you should be in makeup and all ready to go. Also, everything usually changes 10 times a day and everyone answers questions differently, which is sometimes very angry and annoying.
• 3. Nerves. Take care of your nerves if you are going to work as a model in China. After all, the Chinese do not spare foreigners. For example, if, having already agreed or not yet agreed to work, you will ask at least some questions, you can simply be replaced by another person, saying that you ask too many questions. Questions are usually not answered. Information before work is the bare minimum, and in the process, as mentioned above, everything usually changes. It will be easier if you just deal with it.
• 4. When working in another city, often inconvenient the most economical transport. For example, a bus rather than a train when traveling to another province that has 11 hours of travel one way. Or a passenger car for 5 models, not including the driver, and the journey is not 1-2 hours, but much longer. Also, very early departures and night arrivals will become common for you.
• 5. Over-attention Chinese. Someone will probably enjoy it, so to speak, bathing in complements, but usually I can’t stand even the most persistent daffodils. They will take pictures of you, they will stare at you, they will try to touch you, feel, etc. They can also give you their children to take a picture of them with you, and it doesn’t matter that the child bursts into sobs from fright - the main thing is that he will have a photo with a lava!
• 6. Poor nutrition. Often you will be fed very late and not at all what you would like. You'll be lucky if they ask you if you can eat spicy or not, and if you're really a VIP, then what kind of meat can you eat if you're not a vegetarian.
• 7. Decreased self-esteem. Yes, along with an increase in self-esteem, it can also decrease. How? Yes, very simple. After all, you have competition, and there are also auditions where you are closely examined. And what is most unpleasant, the Chinese are not shy in expressions, and this is where not knowing Chinese will serve you as a plus, because you will not hear that you are not thin enough, the wrong hair color, too big cheeks, short height, etc.

The Risks of Modeling in China for Laova

So, the main risk of such work is that it is illegal, because there is no work visa for models. Work visas are available only from a club or theater, for example. These are the closest options. But even if you have such a visa, you cannot work on it at different part-time jobs. You can only work for the club that gave you the visa, or for that theater, or for that agency. Another thing is that the agency, for example, may come to an agreement with different employers and will take you, so to speak, through cities and villages, as a touring artist.

But if you:

a) student
b) you are already working somewhere on a contract on a work visa
c) came with a spouse on a family visa
d) came for no matter what reasons and for what purposes on a business visa
…………….then you are an illegal model.

I hasten to reassure you, in China there is a lot of illegality with visas. But! But still, this is illegal and there is a chance of being caught. There are roundups of cops when they unexpectedly show up at an event and demand model passports. Under no circumstances should you give out a passport! The simplest thing you can answer in such a situation: The boss is my friend and I just help him on a voluntary basis. Sometimes the bosses are dumb, sometimes the agents are dumb and all sorts of embarrassment happens, like when the models are locked in a room and outside the agent, the boss and the cops are trying to resolve the issue. You have to be ready for anything and stay vigilant. It is better to work with "your" verified agent and girlfriends.

Minimum required terminology in Chinese

• Catwalk 走秀 zǒuxiù
• Bikini
• Waidi （work outside the city, in another city） 外地 wàidì
• Heels
• Dress 衣裙 yīqún / 礼群 lǐ qún
• Laobang 老板 lǎobǎn
• 火车 huǒchē train
• 酒店 jiǔdian Hotel
• Tickets 票 piào
• Makeup

Tell your friends:)

To date, there are several main areas for working as a model, namely: Europe, America and Asia. In this article, we will try to consider in detail some aspects of the work of the Asian direction.

So, what is the difference between the Asian model market and the rest of the world.

The Asian market is very extensive and includes such countries as: China, Taiwan, Thailand, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Turkey, Japan, and Vietnam.

Of course, every self-respecting model dreams of going to work in Milan, Paris and, of course, New York. But we all must clearly understand that this is a highly competitive and selective market, where thousands of models from around the world come every year. Successfully work and receive highly paid advertising companies, as a rule, only experienced models with a strong beech.

But where can you gain this experience and make yourself a good quality book, and even be able to earn money? To start a modeling career, there is a great option - working as a model in Asian countries.

Susanna Trizno, director and owner of the modeling agency Susanna Models Professional:

I am a supporter of telling the models who come to our agency the situation as it is, without embellishing it, so that they know what awaits them on the modeling path. And the Asian market is a very good start for us, as it is very large, there are many countries, with different requirements, and the model can always find a job in accordance with her external data and experience.

About model requirements:

Asian agencies have general standard requirements for models:

• proper facial features;
• baby face type for China, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam;
• type fashion, strong face for Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Indonesia;
• type commercial for Turkey, India and also Thailand and Indonesia;
• height from 174 to 180 cm;
• parameters close to 90-60-90 for girls.

Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, for example, a model with a height of 170-173, but with perfect facial features and a strong beech, can be approved for work in Korea, China or Japan.

If the model has parameters slightly higher than 90-60-90 (the so-called plus-size models) and commercial appearance, then there is an opportunity to get a job in Turkey (Istanbul) and India (Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore).

There is work in Asia for models that are too tall (over 180). They are in demand in local fashion shows, where tall girls always go.

An important point is English. If the English is bad, the model can go and work it out in practice, but you need to imagine how much effort you will spend trying to understand the booker and the client or convey your information. And the level of English will significantly affect the level of earnings.

Which Milan since 171? No and never, but such models can go to Asia and can earn money there.

If a girl has a height of 171-175 and she has a very beautiful face and good shape, then she will be in demand in catalog shooting.

If a girl’s face is far from Milanese standards, then in China she can also be accepted with a bang, there are completely different ideas about beauty.

Does age matter? If the data is good, then they will take both at 19 and at 25.

About modeling work and different markets:

A significant advantage of working as a model in Asian countries is a real opportunity to replenish your portfolio with various publications and covers of famous magazines such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmo, Elle, etc. It's no secret that these publications make the model's portfolio more solid and attractive to Western agencies.

It is also worth noting that the market is constantly evolving, especially in China, where in addition to the well-known cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Ginseng, new cities such as Chengdu, Chongqing, Shantu have entered the arena over the past few years. The advantages of these cities are that, as a rule, 2-3 modeling agencies work in them, and, accordingly, the competition among models is not as great as, for example, in the capital of China. Working in such cities is very well suited for the first trips of aspiring models who need to gain experience and replenish their portfolio. In these cities, no less high-quality pictures (photographs) are taken than in the famous cities of China.

China is a very interesting, developing country that sets itself the goal of catching up with Europe and the USA with its standards, so there is a huge model market there, since China sheathes the whole world, they produce a lot of things there, so there is something to show, there is something to advertise.

The Indian market was also a discovery for us. It seems to me that it is very interesting both from a creative and from a universal point of view.

In addition to modern fashion, national shootings are often held there, for example, Sari catalogs. And this national flavor greatly enriches the experience of models.

And the second aspect of traveling to India is the opportunity to get in touch with the Indian film industry. Dive into Bollywood. Models are often in demand in India in the film industry: in extras and episodes in films

About Agencies:

Of course, it is best to get into the Top agency, which initially has a clientele that will allow you to earn good money. But if 7-8 years ago these agencies were ready to consider many different novice models, now they prefer to work with well-known models. Or, if these are new faces, then the standard ones are almost the same as in Paris and Milan.

At the show in India, model Galia I. (Susanna Models Professional)

If a girl does not have a good model beech, then you need to understand that she will not get into the Top Modeling Agency.

If you are not approved by strong and popular agencies, you should not give up, it makes sense to try out for smaller agencies. If an agency is not in the top five, this does not mean that it is bad and unreliable. Often, most castings for large projects (for example, for Fashion Week) coincide with both strong and medium-sized agencies.

Among modeling agencies, there is a constant and continuous reshuffling of personnel in the administration of agencies. An agency that was once strong can easily become weak and, conversely, agencies that are just starting out can rapidly gain momentum. This is due to the constant change in the composition of managers, directors and bookers of the agency, which naturally affects the work of the agency. A fairly common situation is when an experienced booker leaves a strong agency and opens his own. These circumstances are able to track experienced parent agencies, which are in close contact and constant communication with Asian agencies and other parent agencies.

From CosmoGirl magazine (Indonesia), model Daria P. (Susanna Models Professional)

About conditions:

• Contract term - standard contract 3 months;
• The host pays for the model's round-trip flight;
• The host party provides the model with housing, model apartments, their cost is specified in the contract. (the cost is most often overpriced, but this is the norm, since this is another part of the agency's income.)
• The host party meets at the airport and takes to the place of residence.
• Models are provided with a car with a driver who takes them to the casting in the morning and back in the evening. This happens everywhere except in Thailand, where the models go to work themselves.
• Every week the models are given pocket money (pocket money) for expenses and food, usually about $50 per week.

During the contract period, the receiving Agency spends about $ 3400-3500 on the model:

• Ticket - about 1000 $
• Apartment rent + driver - about $600 per month*3 months - $1800
• Pocket money - $600 for 3 months
• And some small money for printing composites, etc.

This amount will be deducted from the model's earnings based on the results of her work. But the models do not carry risks: if they have not worked off this money, no one will demand this money from them or from the parent agency. These are always expenses and risks of the receiving party.

About earnings:

China, model Alina B. (Susanna Models Professional)

Based on the results of the work, the receiving agency-employer sends a report to the parent agency, which lists all the amounts that the model received from the client and that were spent on it. Of the total amount that the model received from the client, 10% goes to the parent agency. The remaining 90% (unless otherwise agreed in the contract) are divided as follows:

• 40% to the agency to the employer;
• 50% model;
• From these 50% will also be deducted all expenses incurred by the receiving agency (about $ 3400-3500);
• The rest is the model's earnings.

There is a lot of work in Asia and you can earn quite good money. But you should remember when you go for the first time, you should not roll out your lip that you are going to earn money. The standard contract is 3 months, the first 2 weeks are adaptation. Models at this time should get acquainted with the country, understand how to behave at castings, with bookers, clients and other models. A girl who adapts quickly will be successful. English is very important for good earnings. On the first trip, the better the English, the faster the model adapts, gets involved in work and communication, and the faster it starts earning. Therefore, it is clear that girls with little English have much less chances to earn money on their first trip.

And all cases are individual.

I always say, you never know when your client will come to you. The term of the contract is 3 months, and at any moment a client may appear who will say: "This is our model, we want to work with it." This happens often, but it can happen both at the beginning of the contract, and then the model will earn a lot, and at the end - and then the earnings will be much less.

And there is a banal common truth that the model should keep in mind: while you are at the casting, you need to try as much as possible to please the client.

About cheating:

All business is built on the human factor. This is a business that is impossible without communication with people. The model constantly spins in communication with agents, bookers, clients, photographers .. everywhere people, people, people.

Of course, not without a little cheating. Interestingly, in each country they cheat in their own way. The Hindus have their tricks, the Chinese have theirs.

An important tip for girls, as soon as she arrived, she should keep a record of her work herself. And clear. And in the end, be sure to check with what the agency will offer.

On the last day of the Chinese, it happens that you find out that there is no such catalog in their report, they did not make such and such a show. Those. part of the work was simply not taken into account.

Moreover, the girl has an excellent relationship with the bookers, but this does not help. If you tell them, they blink their eyes and say: “Oh, they forgot!”. They didn't take into account $1000, they forgot about $2000.. and for some reason they never "forget" in the direction of the model.. This is a Chinese way of cheating.

In India, another deception is popular. But, unfortunately, it cannot be proven. Very often, girls there understand that the agency gives them different prices than the client pays. And this time after time. But there is no way to prove this.

About penalties:

As for the Chinese, they are uncritical and picky. What is the story in Europe? I arrived with a waist of 62 cm and you just won't fit into designer clothes. Who needs you then? And in Asia, everything is easier.

I have been traveling in a cramped bus to another city for four hours now. And I'm actually going to work. Yes, it is illegal to work with a student visa in China. But this does not stop many of the students, because you have to live on something. Somehow your conscience does not allow you to get money from your parents, and you already feel like an adult, you still live separately, and even in another country.

So here part time job for students this is mainly shooting in the extras of films or TV shows, working as a model, performing in a dance or musical ensemble, rarely anyone goes to the waiters. Of course, the list is not limited to this, it all depends on the person. I work as a model here.

How did I find an agent? Back in Russia, I planned to earn extra money as a model and contacted a girl I know who has been living in Nanjing for 3 years. She told me about groups in WeChat with work, including modeling, gave contacts of agents, for which I am very grateful to her (Ksyusha, thank you). Then I wrote to the agents myself, sent them my photos and a model card and told them what period I would be in Nanjing. When I arrived, I already had agents who were ready to give me a job. That's all, it only remained to find a job suitable for me in time and pass the casting.

What are wechat groups with work? In China, the WeChat social network is very popular, without which no Chinese can do. Everything is there: shops, tutors in different languages, you can get a wallet there and forget about cash, the electronic passport function has recently appeared. There are also numerous chat rooms that can be accessed by inviting a friend or by scanning the chat QR code. I am in chats with any work for foreigners, modeling work, chats with model agents, chat with Russian-speaking people living in Naning and a few more chats needed for study.

What is the work of the model in China? Basically, this is work at exhibitions and similar events. European faces are needed to attract the attention of buyers. Models simply stand next to the product or walk around the mall with it. There is work on the set, as well as shows.

How much does a European model earn in China? For one work at the exhibition, you can get from 800 to 1000 yuan. There is also bikini work, which is usually more expensive than 1,000 yuan. Holiday work is paid twice as much. There are agents who pay little and only arriving students who do not yet know the rates agree to this price, because of this, the rest may also have a reduction in payment.

In most cases, agents or customers themselves agree with the police that foreign models will work at the event, or they know in advance that the police will not appear at the given place. This ensures that models can work with such agents without fear and there will be no problem with a visa.

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From meningitis. Recently, she complained to her mother about her well-being, but did not go to the doctor - she did not have medical insurance. The girl continued to work 13 hours a day.

Models from Russia are in great demand in China - designers, clothing manufacturers and online stores need European faces. How dangerous is this job? Model Svetlana Khokhlova, who, like Vlada Dzyuba, began her Chinese career in Shanghai, told about her experience to The Secret.

On the death of Vlada Dzyuba

I don’t understand how a 14-year-old child who had just received a passport ended up in Shanghai for a modeling job. Of course, it was difficult for a 14-year-old girl to tell managers: "I'm sick, so I won't go to work."

Unfortunately, in Russia, girls become models too early. Modeling schools accept even 12-year-olds. I myself started working at 16 - and even that is early.

Now sometimes I say to myself: “Sveta, probably, something was wrong with your head.” Recently I went to an international competition and turned out to be the youngest participant. I'm 22, the rest - 26-27. I have been in the modeling business for six years, and some of them are just starting.

How models from Russia get to China

I first came to China in 2012. I studied at the Youth Fashion studio in Kostroma, through which I contacted Moscow agencies that conclude international contracts. One of them approved my application and found me a contract in Shanghai for three months.

Usually, agencies offer to conclude a standard contract. The dates of arrival and return departure, parameters, what you will do (shows, fashion weeks, opening or closing boutiques, shooting for catalogs or TV stores, etc.) and how it will be paid are fixed.

The contract says how much your reservation is for three, six or nine hours. Separately, it is stipulated how much overtime will cost - work over nine hours. The amount depends on the complexity of the work. They pay more for shooting for a catalog, less for shooting for glossy magazines.

Models arrive in China in the red. You need to work out the cost of living, pocket money, transportation costs: air travel and taxis around the city.

Jobs are already being sought in place - you have to go to auditions. Whether you find something or not depends on how much your face is in demand in a particular region. For example, I am in great demand in Asia. I can get work for the next week during the first casting week.

Medical insurance

I myself have never been seriously ill in China. I didn't have insurance. At international competitions, it is always there, in China - no. Probably, now I would ask myself this question, because medical care in Asia is fabulously expensive.

When I first came to Shanghai, I called my mother every day in the morning, afternoon and evening. If I got sick, my mother, I'm sure, would say: "Stay at home, get treated, don't go to work." As I said, I didn’t have insurance, but I had a huge first aid kit.

You can always refuse to work. In the worst case, you will have to pay a penalty.

I do not advise you to try to get sick on your feet. You usually arrive at the show at eight in the morning, leave at eight in the evening. At the same time, you are not paid for 12 hours, but only for the time that you spend on the podium. On the set for catalogs, overtime also happens. Depends on how fast you work and how much they want to shoot on you. Usually the organizers try to keep within 12 hours, but it does not always work out.

How much do models earn

In three months - this is how long a contract usually lasts - in China you can earn both 10,000 rubles and a whole million.

A million rubles is a very real amount. When I was an aspiring 16-year-old model with acne on my face and no portfolio, my nine-hour work day cost $1,000. 50% - to the agency, 50% - to me.

I made good money in China, but eventually gave up this occupation, because the work did not leave a chance to get an education. In the best case - a zachka. But what kind of education can be at the correspondence school?

And in general, contracts go one after another: I flew home, rested, flew back. As a result, you completely drop out of life. No family, no relationship. Even friends-girlfriends scatter while you are away.

Domestic issues

I have not heard of any of the models in China not being paid. China is a tough country. You can go to the police station or the embassy and say you haven't been paid and people will be in serious trouble.

Living conditions are specified in the contract. In the apartments in which the models are placed, there are several bedrooms, a kitchen, several bathrooms. I have always lived either alone in a room or with another girl. You don't need to clean it yourself - the cleaners do it.

There is, of course, the risk of running into a bad agency. I know two model girls who were settled in the Shanghai slums. They had cockroaches running about five centimeters across the room.

For girls from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, the main problem is the language barrier. Sometimes they cannot even understand how much, when and for what they will be paid. Once I worked with a girl from Lviv, so she did not know either English or Russian. I tried to help, but it didn't work.

However, if there is any misunderstanding (especially in terms of money), the Chinese immediately “forget” English. To work in China, it is important to be beautiful, but you also need to be able to count well and find a common language with different people.

harassment

In Russia, there is not the best idea about models, modeling work and our entire industry. Like, it's shame and disgrace, and we are also raped and killed. But no one ever approached me personally.

Let's be honest: many men in the modeling business are not interested in women. They may be picking on boy models, but definitely not on girls.

If something bad happens, you can blacklist the agency - there are special sites. You can also complain to the embassy so that the girls are not sent to work with a specific agency, they are not given work visas.

Career and prospects

Models have a saying: in Europe - career, in Asia - money. Plowing on 13-hour shoots for incomprehensible catalogs, you won’t make a career in the modeling business. Maximum - your photos will be posted on AliExpress.

To become a top model, you need to be in the right place at the right time or have rich famous parents, fans who can promote you.

With the participation of Daria Kushnir

Cover photo: Mark Nolan / Getty Images