Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Cedar]

Hey guys, my friend (very pretty!) has sent out her photos and gotten some bites, but when they ask her how much, she has --no idea-- what to say. What do foreign models charge in this country.... day, hour,??? Not as an extra, but as a principle. What about differences between pay for people in TV vs. print advertising... anyway, any info you've got would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[Shutterfly]

Hello Cedar! Does your friend have the proper visa for modelling/entertainment? If not I would be very careful. Immigration tends to fine and deport more foreigners in that business than the illegals in the ESl industry. I suppose because it is easier to catch them?

Best of luck!

[Penelope]

How do you get your license to work in entertainment? What if I end up singing in a band? Does that count as something that would be filed under entertainment that I would need a work visa for?

[JongnoGuru]

[periwinkle]

She should get at least 400,000 for a half day, and 800,000- 1 mil. for a full day. She needs to watch out, because they set a date, then change it at the last minute. This happens consistently. For example- we can't shoot Friday- it's suppossed to rain. Can you do Monday? If you have a full time job, it's not easy to work with their schedules.

[periwinkle]

[Penelope]

How could I do this legally? I am coming over to Korea in a month (yay! Living in Jamsil) and I just sent a signed contract that stated i wouldn't work anywhere else. Could I talk to my boss at my hagwon or is singing and possibly modeling considered low class, especially for a teacher? i mean, I don't have any leads yet, but I have modeled a bit before... of course for singing I don't speak any Korean, and that could be a problem...
How many ex-pat bands have/want singers with experience, but sing only in English, I wonder? I hope it's a good market.

So I just need to have the proper documents ready for a c-2 when I get over in case I run into someone who wants to sponsor me?

Thanks so much for your help. I really appreciate everything I have learned on this forum.

Pen

[periwinkle]

I would tell your boss that you are interested in doing some part-time entertainment work, and have a clause put in your contract saying that he is allowing this. If you are really serious about finding this kind of work, and he says no, I would find another school to work for that will give you its blessing (just check out the job board- you could very easily find something else if this guy says no). If you work for a school, you can have an additional workplace added to your visa, but you have to have your boss' approval. If you want to work for an agency, you have to be on an entertainment visa (C3), and you cannot be on an E2 teaching visa. I only know of a couple modelling/acting agencies (Hwarang and Dobe Entertainment). Dobe would probably be willing to sponsor you, but they won't work with you if you are on an E2 visa. To get contacts, my best recommendation is to work on MBC's "Surprise" (it's a tv show that uses a lot of foreign actors, and you don't, um, need a C3, really ). A lot of the people on the show have current contacts and could help you out. MBC will also also sponsor you on a C3 if you really want one, btw.

[Ya-ta Boy]

[periwinkle]

U so Silly, Ya-ta Boy!!

[Ya-ta Boy]

[komtengi]

you actually need an e6, c3 is for a one off gig. ie: one shoot. there have been many people that have been fined for working without and most in the ballpark of 3-6 million. deportation is another issue, and if you look at foreigners caught working illegally entertainment provides a hell of a lot more than teaching. the other consideration is if you do get a visa with you, they will hold it over you. so you work when they tell you to, pay you when they've got money. doing shows like "suprise" expect to spend 20 hours out on location, and get paid about 200,000. they are very disorganised and generally do all there planning once you have been called out. so a 3pm start might mean that you actually starting shooting at 6, cause the photographer or crew havent started setting up till you get there, and they haven't worked out any shots.
the final consideration is that these agencies will all demand 50% of the actual fee, which in reality you will never know. so if you get paid 400,000 for a full day they take at least 400,000 possibly more because they will only tell you the fee you will take home.
I was offered an ad the other day, but they turned around the day before and told me that it was a 5am start, then at 12pm they'd take a 4 hour break cause the other location wasn't free till 4 and then shoot for another 4 hours all for the initial price of 400,000 which was for a 7 hour shoot. obviously I told them they need to pay me more (knowing they wouldn't) and didn't do it.

beware they'll make the hard sell, then you get there and you'll waiting around for hours to do something for 10 minutes. or it will take twice as long as they told you. the only format that doesnt screw you around is radio.

[Maserial]

[Penelope]

[Ya-ta Boy]