I have had a casting call up for 2 weeks, non-nude at $100/hr in LA

It has received over 100 responses in this time period, from models within LA as well as several hours away. 99% of them are very talented, no new "myspace photo" style profiles.

Granted, I did not post strict model requirements, but as my requirement about none, some tattoos did not result in alternative models avoiding response I don't get the impression that stricter requirements would help.

I've had several shoots from this casting. Although no flakes, the rate isn't weeding out attempts at rescheduling, or surprise conditions. People really just don't have their life together. Gives me more of an impression that its really just desperate out t/here.

Either way, I don't need this many models. This suggests that the rate is too high, but we'll see.

With this level of response I am going to filter for rarer traits such as tall/lean/nude-optional as opposed to availability.

Noteworthy that it will also end up at amount of skin shown even, but all the rates people are really willing to respond to are probably almost half of whats mentioned on in this thread.

if you look at the other casting calls in LA, most of them are flat rates like "100" not "100/hr", for indeterminate time spans. And the ones with higher dollar figures are often for 4-8 hours of the day, if you read the casting call, once again matching something closer to $50-75 per hour, $90 when nude. I don't know what level of response those people are getting, but I will ask them.

My conclusion is that I don't think inflation is a main or relevant factor to consider when determining rates or choosing whether to accept or ignore someone else's, at least in LA. LA is oversaturated. We don't need traveling models here, not suggesting to exclude them, I am suggesting that even if their own operating costs are higher, LA just doesn't need to be part of their circuit, they want to be in LA or say they were, just like many other people. To the people in small markets, models aren't avoiding the pandemic, they just left to a bigger economy.

Reading through this thread I feel like a lot of folks are overthinking this.

A model's compensation is based on the models experience & what people are willing to pay for their time. It's a market so basic rules of supply & demand apply. If a model develops a solid portfolio the model will get booked more often and get booked on bigger projects driving up their prices. So there isn't really a standard price for a model, as no two models are the same.

The idea works in reverse as well, let's say you as a photographer have 10 offers to shoot a project around the same time; You're going to pick the project(s) that is paying you more for your time.

The idea that it's the photographer that sets models prices is the wrong way to look at it IMO.

Also I disagree with anyone that thinks there's a shortage of Models in LA after the pandemic.