News From The Booking Desk: October
written by
Jessica Tracey
The ground floor of our building is home to the Sandra Reynolds team of bookers and is always a buzzing hive of activity... Each month we share a little bit of news from the booking desk, so read on to find out what we have been up to in October!
This month is an exciting one, featuring a glamorous campaign for our models with gin brand Tanqueray, Halloween plans and some exciting "Daisy & G Spill The Tea" news...
We have been listening to: We’ve enjoyed a variety of genres this month, one of our favourite playlists being "Born in the 90s", we just love a throwback!
We have been reading: Working Hard, Hardly Working by Grace Beverley.
Favourite brands we’ve worked with: Ford, Nintendo, Photobox, TUI, Adnams, Tatler Magazine, Virgin Atlantic, Marriott Hotels, Fortnum & Mason, Soap & Glory.
What's next for SR: We've loved brainstorming ideas for the SR TikTok this month, stay tuned for some trending dances, a before and after of our new office and some "Daisy & G Spill The Tea" teasers.
TEAM UPDATES
TRICK OR TREAT!
During October we really started to feel Autumn settling in... the days got shorter, the winter coats came out of hibernation, and of course, Halloween arrived!
It’s always nice to have a reason to get dressed up and celebrate (even if it was a Monday night)… Bookers Poppy and Daisy dressed up for a night out, Head of New Faces Katie spent Halloween with her family trick or treating, and everyone else had their own way of celebrating.
We hope all of our talent enjoyed celebrating Halloween too. We’re sure you’ve seen our new behind-the-scenes video on our SRJ socials, but if not, we wanted to make sure you got the chance. Our junior models were at work shooting for Haven’s Halloween campaign and not only did they all look incredible in their best Halloween costumes, but they did a fantastic job and had so much fun on set – which is what it’s all about.
Check out the video on our Instagram page and let us know what you think.
Click here to view our families
OFFICE DOG UPDATES
Our office dogs are a big part of the team here at Sandra Reynolds Agency, each one having their own individual personality. Some are small, some are big, and all of them are incredibly sweet and well-behaved – and they add a lot of character to our office. This month we joked that Grace took on a new role as second-floor “manager”, Grace keeps an eye on what’s happening around the office and makes sure that Location Agent Rhiannon’s seat is kept warm while she’s busy in meetings… keep being cute Grace!
We also have a new puppy joining the office very soon... So keep an eye out on our socials for a sneak peek.
CAMPAIGN SPOTLIGHT
ALL THE GLAM WITH GIN BRAND TANQUERAY
It was all about glamour and vintage nostalgia in our recent work with gin brand Tanqueray on their “Make It a Martini Night” campaign. Our models, Ocean Navarro and Sharon Morrison were booked for this exciting campaign which featured American actor and filmmaker Stanley Tucci. Ocean and Sharon were very excited to work alongside Stanley on this campaign and we were all looking forward to seeing the final cut video, which was released this month.
We spoke to model and actor Sharon to get the inside scoop on the campaign, here is what she had to say:
SR: When you first heard about the Tanqueray campaign, what were your thoughts?
Sharon: “As soon as I received the treatment for the Tanqueray gin commercial, I knew I was going to be involved in a very different kind of shoot. This was an American production starring actor Stanley Tucci, who is not only a Tanqueray ambassador, but a renowned cocktail maker, cookery writer and presenter, so it was perfect casting. I knew none of this when I made my self-tape tape and had a Zoom call-back but, once we were in a ‘go’ situation, things moved very fast. First, I received the treatment late on a Friday night and I’d never seen anything more inspirational and odd! The concept creator and director was Daniel Iglesias Jr. I had no clue who he was but spent a couple of hours Googling everything about him. He’s insanely talented and his forte is in the music video genre and, after seeing quite a few of them, it was clear this ad for gin was going to look quirky, stylish, and totally OTT.”
SR: How many of you were there on the day?
Sharon: “Apart from Stanley (no, we’re not actually on first name terms), there were 15 of us in the film, eight were in the dinner guest scene and seven in the bar scene, so the wardrobe fitting in Whitechapel was crazy as we all had a 12-noon call time. But I had fun meeting all my colleagues which made the following two shoot days much easier.”
SR: How did this campaign make you feel?
Sharon: “I was delighted with my wardrobe choice and with the hair and makeup style that Daniel had chosen, but now I just wanted to get on set. I’ve been modelling and acting for eight years, and I cannot tell you how excited I still get when I see the lights and cameras; I’m an adult, but feel like the luckiest child in the world and, when I see someone who’s clearly bored with the proceedings, I really can’t understand it… or am I not working enough to be bored?”
SR: What was it like to work alongside Stanley Tucci on this campaign?
Sharon: “On the first day, we were shooting a number of scenes in which Stanley wasn’t needed; but my jaw was dropping at the amazing scene the set designers had created. The shoot location was the Andaz Liverpool Street Hotel, which was dressed to look very exotic and unexpected. In truth, much of the magic at my dinner table was designed and implemented by a hugely talented food stylist. It was a feast for the eyes! On the second day, Stanley was due on set, and I was looking forward to seeing him in action. But I had to wait as Stanley had a stand-in to do his scenes while the camera angles were agreed. Once done, Stanley arrived complete with his own glam team. As you’d expect, he was word-perfect and such good company. We were at the dinner table shooting this particular scene for a couple of hours, then it was time for tea. Later, once all our scenes had been shot, and we wrapped, I was just about to leave when I saw that Stanley was still shooting; I wanted to hang around and watch but decided to be a grown-up and leave him to it.”
Click here to view our classic women
“SPILL THE TEA” PODCAST
FIND US ON SPOTIFY & APPLE MUSIC
It’s now even easier to gain an inside scoop into the commercial modelling industry, because “Daisy & G Spill the Tea” can now be found on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
October saw the launch of our fourth episode of “Daisy & G Spill the Tea” where the hosts were joined by ‘real’ model, Anita Krishnan. Anita joined Sandra Reynolds earlier this year and has already been booked with some great brands including Liz Earle, Nintendo & Sainsbury’s. Both Daisy & G loved filming with our industry guest Anita - if you would like to enquire about a feature, please find our contact details at the end of this post.
Here are some highlights from episode 4:
- After sharing her insights into a Primark menopause campaign, Anita explains why we should all be talking about menopause more openly.
- Anita shares how she got into the commercial modelling industry and her advice for anyone wanting to do the same.
You can watch the full episode via our blog post and on our YouTube channel. Follow us on Instagram (@sandrareynoldsagency) to stay up to date with release dates, teasers & outtakes of all upcoming episodes.
NEW EPISODE
This month we filmed the fifth episode of 'Daisy & G Spill The Tea'. For this episode, we asked our followers on the SR socials to send in their commercial modelling industry questions for the hosts to answer with the special guest on the episode, our Head Booker Jessica Tracey! Jess has been with SR for over 10 years and is a very important part of the team. As well as sharing her SR journey with you all, Jess and the hosts also answer surprise questions from the booking desk team such as, "who is the loudest booker?" and "who has the best dance moves at SR?", so if you want to know what it's like working for a busy model agency then stay tuned for episode five!
OUTTAKES!
October has been a great month for SR, filled with lots of inspirational campaigns for our talent! As we move into November, we look forward to planning our Christmas events and watching “I’m a Celebrity, get me out of here” (which is always a big talking point at the booking desk). Two birthdays this month... Our Social girl Jodie celebrated hers by attending a Stranger Things-themed tea party (unfortunately, she didn’t dress up in an 80s style), and the team organised a lovely meal for her at Yard. And Actors Booker Ellie celebrated her 30th with friends and family and enjoyed an amazing cake at her office birthday party. We also took on some lovely new faces our casting days this month and look forward to introducing them to you very soon.
Get in touch with the booking desk today
[email protected]
020 73987 5858