So, you’ve come up with your next killer idea for a shoot. Now, you need to know how to write a casting call to find models.
So, what do you do? Your casting call needs to excite, it needs to inspire and relay your vision to the reader so that they start to understand exactly what it is you’re trying to create. That’s not easy to do! But to write a good casting call you need to include as much information as possible.
The worst thing you could do is post a casting like:
“I’m looking for a model for a few ideas I’m working on”
It tells everyone who reads it very little and requires them to do all the leg work in finding out more about the casting that’s been posted. You’ll end up repeating the same answers over and over and find the whole process frustrating.
Really, you should be looking to include the following information as a standard:
- Where is the shoot to be held?
- When is the shoot to be held?
- What levels will the shoot be at?
- What’s the expected shoot length?
- What other models, if any, are involved?
- What other creatives are involved?
- Make up
- Riggers
- Stylists
- Remuneration – paid, TFP?
- What’s the desired output? For example, photos for X, video for Y
- Is the shoot stills, video or both?
- Any references to existing images that could be used as inspiration? Or mood boards?
- Any physical requirements in the model?
With this information, everyone who views the casting will know exactly what it is you’re looking for and all critical organisational information about the shoot.
It may take a little longer for you to write your casting call, however the quality of the replies you’ll receive to your casting will be significantly better in return, meaning that you get to shoot your killer idea quicker!
You could even go a little bit further in writing the best casting call. If the casting is for video, then you could give information around the plot, or you could provide some character bios so that people can start imagining themselves as your ideal model.
The key to writing the best casting for models is simply adding as much information as possible. Put your self in the readers' position, what would you want to know at this stage of engaging in a shoot?
Good luck in writing your newly structured casting calls!
