Etc.: Model Interviews PART 2

From: Amanda Brower

To: Nightjar Team

Date: October 24, 2009 5:30:45 EDT

Subject: Model Interviews/Cool Stuff Part 2

Hey All,

Been talking with more of the models throughout the day. Here are some more findings:

Myea, from Brooklyn, along with several others, expressed huge satisfaction at getting to do a shoot with a backstage element, which was a concept new to most everyone.

Frey liked Nightjar’s emphasis on transparency, too. It keeps with his own commitment to being himself and maintaining authenticity. And as for Sand County, he gave such an astute take on it, commenting on how it succeeds in selling a less than pretty vision of the future (and a stark reality we should all really begin to confront, and work together to fix), by pairing it with beauty, so people can relate (who doesn’t appreciate a lil’ bit of beauty?) and will feel compelled to investigate the shoot’s message.

Justin, who found our casting through Craigslist, studies capoeira on the side and is, professionally, a stuntman. Later this week, he’ll be flipping over a burning car. And yes, if you’re wondering, he does get scared.

Patrick, a student at Hunter College, loves to model, but also has a real soft-spot for his professors’ lectures and reading. For a lot of the downtime at the shoot, he was buried in Milan Kundera’s THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING - one of my favorites. He’s finding it amazing, but he hopes to finish it soon; its honest portrayal of humanity is just making him feel down.

And Parker! I had so much fun talking with her. She was a model for the day, but thinks of herself as a photographer, foremost, on any other. She’s currently working on a photography experiment that’s already lasted for four years. It emphasizes collection, found objects, and collaboration with the audience. Sound familiar?

And last but not least, there was Rachel T., who comes from quite the fascinating world. Check out her band, Supercute!, and her family’s wacky musical act - Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players - which looks like more than an act. It’s her life! One to follow.

That’s it for now!

-Amanda