Blast from the Past

Speaking of MAO, remember this casting video that got MAO the Dove campaign?

I just found it and had it uploaded in better quality to Vimeo.



Don't worry MAO, it's not google-able!

:-( :-( :-( :-( :-(

from MAO [mao@gmail.com]
to DK [eggfury@gmail.com]
stardate Thu, May 14, 2009 at 5:11 AM
subject Fwd: Skincares

s-a-d

---------- Forwarded message ----------

from: Susun [susun@starzhk.com]
stardate: May 14, 2009 11:06 AM
subject: Skincares
to: Anne [MAO@gmail.com]

Hi Anne,

I'm so sorry to tell you that. The client confirm another model. So you can to releasings your schedule. I'm so sorry. Thanks you did a lot of casting for the job. Hope we can working next time. Thanks!

Best Regards,

Susun
Manager
Starz (HK) Ltd.

Despite our tremendous effort and a stellar performance by MAO (and me, if I may say so myself, as the Mexican Supervillain), Anne did not get the job.

I still have hopes though that the model they chose might get eaten by the horse or something during horse training next week. Cross your fingers!

Anne's Action Video

Alright guys. Here's MAO's video which we shot this weekend.

Please keep in mind we received VERY specific instructions which I think we followed to a T.

Here they are again:

Hero woman

slate by telling us your full name and where ur from

do a full body pan from head to toe with a full turn

Please remember this is very film and very real audition. Cinematic!

Start off sad and then the box in presented. She takes the box maybe looks at the box and who's giving it to her.

She opens the box and the sadness melts to a happiness read only in the eyes.

She is in love.

Suddenly bad guys are after the ring.

She runs around in a full circle ending up in the corner with her back to us she quickly turns around cornered. She knows she cant get out. She's trapped. She looks at the criminals and her ring and then throws it into the river.

She looks a smile in her eyes.

then we cut to her modern day sliding the same ring on her hand and a slight smile.

Please keep the entire audition very real and believable!

And here's the video!




Who would have ever thought I'd make such an awesome villain?

Funny to think all the (insert skincare company name here) executives might be all gathered in a room right now watching our silly little video.

www.dkheadshots.com

MAO's new campaign: Round 2

So MAO's new casting video was a success and she has advanced into the next (and perhaps final?) round of consideration for an extremely lucrative skincare campaign.

Now we have to make a very specific video tailored to this particular commercial.

Below are our instructions:

Hero woman

slate by telling us your full name and where ur from

do a full body pan from head to toe with a full turn

Please remember this is very film and very real audition. Cinematic!

Start off sad and then the box in presented. She takes the box maybe looks at the box and who's giving it to her.

She opens the box and the sadness melts to a happiness read only in the eyes.

She is in love.

Suddenly bad guys are after the ring.

She runs around in a full circle ending up in the corner with her back to us she quickly turns around cornered. She knows she cant get out. She's trapped. She looks at the criminals and her ring and then throws it into the river.

She looks a smile in her eyes.

then we cut to her modern day sliding the same ring on her hand and a slight smile.

Please keep the entire audition very real and believable!

Make sense?

You're right if you think it sounds retarded. Retarded...but FUN!

Oh...also there is a very detailed illustrated storyboard.

Here's a frame from it.



from MAO [mao@gmail.com]
to DK [dk@gmail.com]
date Fri, May 8, 2009 at 9:09 PM
subject my new look
mailed-by gmail.com

I just looked at the script and storyboard for inspiration. we should have bought that party dress from the HK market



We shoot tomorrow morning!

Will post the end result.

Anne's New Casting Video

MAO's agency asked us to create a new shorter casting video for hair and skincare because our original one was a little long.

The campaign we're trying to score calls for "Crystal clear fair skin that glows with health. A long feminine frame and an attractive slim figure. Must be beautiful but not model-like flawless beauty and not over-the-top glam. We are interested in aspirational beauty. A bit of character behind those good looks. Very importantly, she is attractive from most angles and is versatile in front of the camera. She should be energetic, and cheerful and lively. She should behave like a married woman. Must have expressive personality, and optimistic."

I'm not sure about the "behaving like a married woman" part, but Anne has the rest down for sure.

The agency gave us a couple examples to copy.

First there was the video featuring the incredibly cheesy and robotic Lamelani...




(If you care, there's an additional video featuring silly hair blowing and stuff.)

And more recently we received one starring the creepy-smiled slightly-orgasming Celina.




Personally, I think our video blows them both out of the water personality and beauty-wise. Even though the production value of ours is monky-turds.



What do you think?

Do you love her?

Do you want to go out and buy soap and skincare products?

More international superstardom!

MAO got an exciting email from our Hong Kong agency this morning.

Methinks she is about to land another big campaign!



from Anne [MAO@gmail.com]
to DK [DK@gmail.com]
date Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 5:44 AM
subject Fwd: Hi Anne

"3) Do you know how to ride horse?"

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sussie! [sussie!@starz.com]
Date: Apr 22, 2009 9:17 AM
Subject: RE: Hi Anne
To: Anne (mao@gmail.com)

Hi Anne,

How are you? I have some question asking you. It's for
(insert major skincare line here)'s TV Commercial. Thanks!

1) I want to check your schedule on 19 May - 31 May for the (insert major skincare line here) shooting (Shooting days around 7 days) ?

2) They may shoot in Shanghai. Do you need apply China visa to go to
China? If need to apply how long for the process? How much? (Please
check it for me, thanks)

3) Do you know how to ride horse?

4) Where will you depart if the shoot confirm?

Thank you so much.

Best Regards,

Sussie!
Manager
Starz (HK) Ltd.

Epic Beauty Battle: MAO vs Kaiulani

So the impetus for Anne's visit this past week was this funny little email we received last week from a new Thai agency:

Dear Anne

How are you ? hope you doing fine. I have many project will purpose you . but still need good materails of casting for Skincare and haircare . pls see follow of this email , need you to do exactly the same follow casting and snaps of Kaiulani. may be you can try for profesiional casting somewhere . it's will be halp me so much for good presenatation with client . let me know any question . need asap!

Thank you Anne
Somchai

In case you don't understand Engrish, basically they wanted new cheesy Asian photos and sent a bunch for us to copy.

Sensing a big campaign in the works, MAO finished final exams, packed her bags, and headed out here to LA for two fun-filled days.





We also shot a video, currently being edited. More on that later.

I'm too lazy to post every single picture up on here, so if you want to see an album from the whole shoot please click below.

Keep in mind these are unretouched.

My little cash cow prize pony is just that pretty.

Beauty Battle Photo Shoot ------> CLICK HERE
Beauty Battle Photo Shoot ------> CLICK HERE
Beauty Battle Photo Shoot ------> CLICK HERE
Beauty Battle Photo Shoot ------> CLICK HERE

MAO's TV Commerical - World Premiere

Anne gets home from her Germany shoot today. Yay!

We go to New Orleans tomorrow. Super-yay!

Her first commercial which she filmed over the summer is finally online.

DARE TO TAKE THE HAIR FALL TEST????



I'm a little irked that the lesser Asian model tried to give her bunny ears ON-CAMERA.



What a frickin' bitch.

Ummm....whaaaaaat?

So...this is Anne's official Asian billboard.



Sure she looks pretty as she always does.

But the hair....looks so.....WEIRD. And FAKE....

And the head tilt and body position are weird.

And she looks pasty.

And the hair color is totally whack.

And her face is SHINY!

ACK!

There really is no reason why I am not shooting these Asian billboards and making a billion dollars.

I could do a better job in about 26 seconds. Seriously.

Just gimme one....

....second...

....let me pick out a new picture.....

....photoshopping it in....

Voila!



(Shaking my head in disgust.)

MAO Germany

So Anne's ad campaign will be on billboards across Asia any day now. (If you see one, please take a picture and send it along.)

Last week when I was in NYC, we took some new photos...



...because today, the company (a soap company, rhymes with "Glove") is in talks about whether or not they'll be calling her back for a new campaign, shooting sometime over the next few weeks...in Germany!

Düsseldorf to be exact.

That would be a fun blog entry.

I have a pretty good feeling about this...

MAO's BIRTHDAY | Crazy Asian Photos

Today is Anne's birthday.

Send her some love.

....................

Anne wins at life.

She is special. Smart. Beautiful. Hilarious. And will destroy you with her ability to rip apart your brain psychoanalytically. (Sucks at Scrabble though.)

Annie, I love you. Happy Birthday!



................................

And now... long-awaited photos from the crazy asian photoshoot that in a few short months is going to make her the new face of beauty in Asia.

Guest Blogger: Crazy Asian Photoshoot

Guest-blogged by Anne

The campaign was so interesting.

Day 1 - fitting for 8 hrs (after travelling for 24 and NOT checking into my hotel).
The other models are very nice. One, Toon, is a flight attendant on Thai Airways. Remember those pretty purple outfits! I commented that her uniform was so nice. She rolled her eyes. Her English is not very good. Maybe something was lost in translation? Hmm.

The other model, Roberta, is Brazilian and now lives in Kuala Lampur, but planning on returning to Brazil. She is a dentist there, but doesn't work in Malaysia. Yay dentists!!! I love going to the dentist. Probably because I never have cavities. This is genetic and probably helped by our first-world-fluoride-in-the-water, but no matter. Having no cavities makes me feel very proud of myself.

The production staff are really great. They are: Ricko, Cristina, Amanda, Kim, Yen, Penny, James, and Alfred the director.

Day 2 - Go to hair salon. It's very chic and I am very excited. They play crazy Asian bouncy remixes and I am full of caffeine. It is glorious. Get hair dyed. Just before they put the noxious smelling paint on my head and wrap me in saran wrap like a deli sandwich, I hear one say something about 'henna' to the other. I should have known. Henna must be red in every language. They add something to the wonder paste.

Wind up with a yucky fuschia mess an hour later. Everyone is at lunch. Start to cry. Realize this is a teensy bit immature. Wait to see what the client thinks. The client says it's not natural enough. This is a major understatement, but Asians can't be mean. So it goes. More noxious paint.

An hour later I am a weird burgundy-brown and have undergone TWO hair treatments so cannot have more. The stylists tell the hair salon they can work with it, I wonder if I can. My mother suggests hats for when I return home. This is a good option.

We have dinner with the TV production house crew and director. Stinky tofu is still gross, but funny to see people try it.

I wash my hair that night. In the shower, when wet, it feels remarkably like hay.

Day 3 - meet at 6.30 am for the first day of TV shooting. The studio is on Broadcast drive! Makeup is fun, hair is hurting b/c of all the extensions. Video is hard. So many things to remember and only a few takes to get it right. There are a bunch of extras there. 2 male models, and a few women to set the scene of the studio.

The Chinese have this culture of staring. They stare and stare- I look back sometimes with my best: 'what are YOU looking at?' face. They stare, unfazed.

So, that culture combined with being the center of attention in a room of 40 people means everyone is staring at you all the time. Every minute. All day. They stare, and they talk about you. Then they comeover and fix something. Hair mostly but clothing, body position, face, hands etc. Sometimes they just look at you critically, point, discuss and don't do anything. So awkward.

Thank goodness I don't understand Chinese.

Roberta is really fun. We laugh all the time. Yay for Roberta :) i'd like to visit her in Malaysia.

In my solo takes Alfred, the director, gives me direction on the attitude he wants me to have. His English is great but still it's a foreigner's english. 'Look confident' then 'Look like you know everything' I'm supposed to be smiling of course.

Okay, so he wants me to look smug. I put on my best smiling smugly face. It is 9pm. I am so tired. It is 9am in NYC and I look/feel like I pulled an all-nighter. The camera rolls. Alfred says: 'That was okay, bu I need you to be more confident, you know? You are so happy and confident' and then it comes: 'look like you are happy you did something mean to someone'. I stared at him blankly. He wants me to look evil? I have never felt this attitude nor do I think I can even conjure it up. Plus I need to smile? So weird. He saw my face and said: 'Eh, let's try something else..."

Anne Update: Part 2

On Thu, May 30, 2008 at 4:03 AM, O. Anne wrote:

Okay noone likes it.

More coloring!

Updates from Anne's Shoot

I'm in Rome.

It's beautiful.

Got some email updates from Anne from her shoot in Hong Kong.

On Thu, May 29, 2008 at 8:03 PM, O. Anne wrote:

Herro!
So, hong kong is more fun with you guys. I arrived yesterday (thurs) and had a fitting until 8pm. Today I get my hair colored and the Sat & Sun we shoot for two days. Craziness!

It has been good so far, there are 2 other models and it's video. I have to do a little part on my own- in print & video that the other two won't do. Yay! Makes me special but also just means I will work harder.

On Thu, May 29, 2008 at 2:03 AM, O. Anne wrote:

By things are 'good' I meant my hair was still a normal color.
NOT THE FUSCHIA MESS IT NOW IS.
I look like a weird asian ashley simpson.

MAO's first gig

You might have blinked and missed it because I mentioned it super briefly, but over New Years while we were in HK, I brought Anne into my modeling agency and they took one look at her and knew Asia would love her.

Well...I said it wouldn't be long before she ended up on some random Asian billboard... and I was right.

She just landed a gig as the face (head/hair) of major hair product brand in Asia. (Probably shouldn't disclose the name until ads come out.)

She flies back to HK this week for the three-day shoot.



Soon she will be a celebrity throughout Asia and we will roll around in money and free hair products.

Did I ever post the casting video we made?

It's great.

Anyone else want me to manage their career?