Indochine's Top Shelf

Alysha Young in Maria Claire, Vogue, etc.

UPDATE: This blog post has been updated. Alysha sat down today to talk in detail about how she landed this job, for all those aspiring models who want to know...

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--How did the Walmart ad campaign come about for you (e.g., starting from how you got with the agency that booked you for the job, providing one of your agents booked you)...

I got the Walmart ad through my agency, the Daniel Hoff Agency. Getting an agent is necessary and I got mine through submitting headshots and resumes to all agents that looked like we could benefit each other. You can get a list of all the agencies and what talent they are currently looking for at Samuel French Bookstore. After I sent out my packages I heard back from less then 1/4 of the agents. I went in to do a test read of a script, got a call back offering me representaion.

--Was this job a buy-out, do you get residuals, etc.?

The job was a buyout I got about $2,000 for internet and print usage during Summer 2010. If Walmart decides they want to use the images longer than the summer then they have to pay me again. Also, there's an exclusivity clause - while this ad is out I can't do a similar ad campaign for stores like Target or K-mart.

--How long ago did you actually shoot for this ad, to give people some idea of how long projects like this can take to come into fruition...
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I shot this campaign in the beginning of April 2010. They had me "on hold" for a week, meaning I was told to keep my availibility open just in case they wanted me (ahhhhh the suspense, lol)

--When you shot for it, did you have any idea of how you would be featured in the ads, if at all?

After I shot for the ad I had no idea where it would actually be used. They don't tell you. All I knew was it could be used for print and online, whatever that means. No one tells you the actual relese date. I didn't even know it was out until you told me Winking. Sometimes I never get to see the final result, it's only in the Midwest. Sometimes they don't even use you... at all Sad.

--What advice would give to aspiring models out there who wanna dip their foot into urban modeling but not foreclose opportunities to do an ad like this?

My advice is to know exactly where you want to end up in the industry and be selective with your work. If you want to be super sexy and that's the work you book, it'll probally open more doors to be super sexy, but there's the risk you will be pigeonholed to that. You have to remember your overall objective and stick with a plan that will keep you versatile. Don't get "caught up." KEEP FOCUS.

Congrats to Alysha! celebrate (Click to enlarge.)

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