Indonesian models enter cyberworld

By Agni Amorita

JAKARTA (JP): Watch out! After the millennium bug, there will be another attack on your Net. But this is not as scary as the bug because the latter comprises beautiful faces of Indonesian models at www.modelatnet.com designed by PT Sarana Model Netrada, which you will be able to visit after Jan. 1, 2000.

Over 100 portfolios from five leading modeling agencies will be available for surfing. Male, female, runway and photo models, as well as actors of all ages will be displayed with their latest photographs and personal details. They are for hire by both local and international customers for various modeling assignments.

According to PT Sarana Model Netrada director, Kris H. Sulisto, this site will help Indonesian models go international because clients from New York to Timbuktu in Africa will find no difficulty in hiring an Indonesian face for their business needs.

"We are considered late in doing this," said Sulisto, previously known as an entrepreneur in the gas and oil industry. "I love to surf," he said, "and there I found a similar website for overseas models. Even our closest neighbors, like Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia have developed such things in various ways."

Together with his niece, model Cindy Fattah, who then assigned as office manager, he bought the domain modelatnet and they spread their business wings.

"I only spent Rp 100 million on this business and hopefully I am sure to have it back a year into production," he said. "This assumption is based on the fact that our prospective clients will be those who are familiar with the Internet. This business is not for the surfing mass but only those from advertising agencies, production houses and, of course, modeling agencies. And these three elements have been contacted already," he added.

Sulisto's optimism is also known from his fixed plan to open branches in six other big cities in Indonesia: Bandung, Semarang, Surabaya, Medan, Yogyakarta and Denpasar, Bali.

To maintain the fragile assets of modelatnet -- the model's photographs -- Cindy Fattah said she has hired an antihacker.

"He has equipment to protect every picture from, say, being mutilated," she explained. Cindy Fattah believes that it has to be done because her portfolios include Indonesia's best faces. "For example, we had first-class actors provided by Blantika Modeling Agency, like Sophia Latjuba, Sarah Azhari and Inne Febriyanti. And top models like Mariana from Portfolio Agency and Nien Indrawati of Expose Modeling Agency."

Two other agencies are Okky Asokawati's Cosmopolitan and Chitra Darwis Triadi's Image Modeling Agency; both are considered the most popular in the country.

For Darwis Triadi, and Ratih Sanggarwati, owner of Expose Modeling Agency, the website means a big help.

"We are talking about Indonesia here, where printing a model's photograph in portfolio form -- which is the most important tool in marketing your model to clients -- cannot be done unless you print over 2,000 issues. We are not like American or Singaporean agencies which only need 50 pages by printing from their laser technology." said Ratih Sanggarwati.

"Sometimes I have to provide the latest photo of a model by cutting it from a magazine." added Adjie Notonegoro, owner of Portfolio Modeling Agency.

Models exposed in modelatnet.com are charged Rp 100,000 for three month of service. Color photos are provided with their best achievements.

Although this will reduce auditions -- considered as the most important thing for searching for a model -- some clients are upbeat about its effectiveness.

Osella T-shirts' promotion manager, Cahya Rustiadi, said: "Time is very expensive. By searching for models on the Internet, I will cut my audition times, which used to cost me a lot."