Santa Monica Pier Outing. Image © Jamie Williams
Last fall, I worked with Tucson photographer Jamie Williams on a new campaign for promoting the California Travel and Tourism Commission. Jamie is featuring some of the California images on her website as well as sending out a series of email promos with behind-the-scenes antidotes of our project. Here is what she wrote in her email today about one of our locations:
California Tourism: Behind the Lens
20 days, 30 locations, 1500 miles, 12,000 images
Santa Monica was probably the most challenging location for this project. At 9:45 pm the night before our 5:00 am call time – one of the models canceled. In 20 years of being in this business I’ve never had that happen. My amazing producer had a new model booked within 15 minutes.
That situation was incredible, and I got a lucky break. We had just returned from dinner and I decided to check email. Jamie didn’t mention that this was on ELECTION DAY! And we were staying at THE hotel in Century City hosting the celebration party. The place was mobbed and the Fire Department was on overload. Obviously, the model we had booked (I had reconfirmed with her around noon that day) was out celebrating Obama’s win! She didn’t even have the decency to call or text but instead sent a brusque email: “Sorry, I can’t make the shoot tomorrow, my agent has me booked on something else.”
I called Jamie in her room and she couldn’t believe it either. I know better and should have had back-up talent on stand-by, but I didn’t this time. I went back to my casting files to look at the other final candidates for this scene. I closed my eyes and said a prayer asking for help to choose the perfect replacement. At 10PM with a 5AM call, this beautiful Goddess Walking the Planet, Mylinda Royer, answered my call and arrived to save the day :-). It was one of those happy-ending crisis. Jamie had the best day with Mylinda and Sharif, as you can see here!