RachelRose53
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- Sep 18, 2013
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I am back to post another research question for my novel-in-progress. This time I am working on the arc of my character’s career. I’d like to map out what I am thinking would be his possible career arc and see if it makes sense in real-world terms. What sounds right to me might be completely unrealistic. Hoping some of you can help me.
In the beginning, my character is making his living doing weddings and other events. He is also doing his own “art” photography. He has had one small show of this personal work, and it was well received in that he sold a number of pieces. He will continue to do personal work, but it is his paid career I am trying to work out.
His first “break” comes he does a wedding for a couple who are amenable to his doing some less conventional photos – black and whites, less formal poses, etc. A close family friend who owns three shoe stores in NYC is intrigued by the photographer and asks him if he would be willing to shoot an add for his store which would appear in New York magazine. (This is in 1982). It is a spec job, so there is no pay, but it interests the photographer and he does the shoot using a model he finds by calling an agency in NYC and asking about working with one of their “new faces” or development models. He finds makeup and hair stylists through a local beauty school. Everyone is paid in photos, so it costs him nothing. The client loves the photos and runs one in New York magazine and asks the photographer if he would like to do a series of four ads, to run every month, this time for payment. The photographer says yes. So that is his first foray in to commercial advertising photography.
Through the model, he comes to the attention of a young designer just starting out, who asks him to do her lookbook for the season. Pay is minimal if at all (don’t know which), and he uses the same student stylists and the designer acts as the general shoot stylist. This is his first experience with fashion photography. Even though a lookbook is basically catalog work, it does give him a start in working with fashion.
In the meantime, the editor of New York magazine takes note of his ad campaign for the shoe store and is impressed with his work. She asks him if he would like to shoot a four page editorial story for the magazine. No guarantees that it will actually run, and no pay, but very good exposure if it does run. Question: Could this actually happen? Would the editor of a major magazine (at least in New York) tap someone with so little experience, simply based on liking what she sees? (The editor of New York Magazine at the time was Anna Wintour, and I would like to be able to use this plotline because she soon after - - - in 1983 - leaves New York magazine to become creative director at Vogue. By 1985 she has left the US to become editor of British Vogue. But she will return in 1987 and within a year become editor in chief of Vogue here in the US.
I see my character getting more commercial/fashion work after his fashion editorial appears in New York magazine. Question: What kinds of work might he be offered? Maybe he does a few more shows of his personal work (is this reasonable?) and he is now starting to make his name. I think having him offered editorial work for Vogue at this point is unrealistic since he is still an unknown.
I want to have him gain enough exposure and success (and not sure what kind of work this would be) that eventually Anna Wintour asks him to do editorial work for US Vogue when she becomes editor. That would not happen until the late 1980’s, and at that point he and my protagonist are no longer together, and she will hear of his success from afar.
Sorry for the lengthy post. But I need to chart this character’s arc and so I have to move from the technical to the business end of thing. Any comments or suggestions or corrections or thoughts on any of the above would be very greatly appreciated.
In the beginning, my character is making his living doing weddings and other events. He is also doing his own “art” photography. He has had one small show of this personal work, and it was well received in that he sold a number of pieces. He will continue to do personal work, but it is his paid career I am trying to work out.
His first “break” comes he does a wedding for a couple who are amenable to his doing some less conventional photos – black and whites, less formal poses, etc. A close family friend who owns three shoe stores in NYC is intrigued by the photographer and asks him if he would be willing to shoot an add for his store which would appear in New York magazine. (This is in 1982). It is a spec job, so there is no pay, but it interests the photographer and he does the shoot using a model he finds by calling an agency in NYC and asking about working with one of their “new faces” or development models. He finds makeup and hair stylists through a local beauty school. Everyone is paid in photos, so it costs him nothing. The client loves the photos and runs one in New York magazine and asks the photographer if he would like to do a series of four ads, to run every month, this time for payment. The photographer says yes. So that is his first foray in to commercial advertising photography.
Through the model, he comes to the attention of a young designer just starting out, who asks him to do her lookbook for the season. Pay is minimal if at all (don’t know which), and he uses the same student stylists and the designer acts as the general shoot stylist. This is his first experience with fashion photography. Even though a lookbook is basically catalog work, it does give him a start in working with fashion.
In the meantime, the editor of New York magazine takes note of his ad campaign for the shoe store and is impressed with his work. She asks him if he would like to shoot a four page editorial story for the magazine. No guarantees that it will actually run, and no pay, but very good exposure if it does run. Question: Could this actually happen? Would the editor of a major magazine (at least in New York) tap someone with so little experience, simply based on liking what she sees? (The editor of New York Magazine at the time was Anna Wintour, and I would like to be able to use this plotline because she soon after - - - in 1983 - leaves New York magazine to become creative director at Vogue. By 1985 she has left the US to become editor of British Vogue. But she will return in 1987 and within a year become editor in chief of Vogue here in the US.
I see my character getting more commercial/fashion work after his fashion editorial appears in New York magazine. Question: What kinds of work might he be offered? Maybe he does a few more shows of his personal work (is this reasonable?) and he is now starting to make his name. I think having him offered editorial work for Vogue at this point is unrealistic since he is still an unknown.
I want to have him gain enough exposure and success (and not sure what kind of work this would be) that eventually Anna Wintour asks him to do editorial work for US Vogue when she becomes editor. That would not happen until the late 1980’s, and at that point he and my protagonist are no longer together, and she will hear of his success from afar.
Sorry for the lengthy post. But I need to chart this character’s arc and so I have to move from the technical to the business end of thing. Any comments or suggestions or corrections or thoughts on any of the above would be very greatly appreciated.
