Castings or Go Sees - a Neon models Guide

Ideally, the client will contact the modelling agency with their requirements, the agency will select the best model for the job, and that’s that. Unfortunately, it’s rarely as simple as that. There can be many stages involved in selecting a model for a job, and a model has to be responsive and prepared at each stage to avoid missing out.

The Go See or Casting

This is the first stage of potentially getting a modelling job. It’s critical to respond to the casting call as quickly as possible, because jobs are sometimes cast within hours, and the client may simply select the first model to respond.

Before you respond, you probably want to find out if you even want the job – this may seem like a no brainer, but its worth double checking when and where the shoot is, how much it pays and what the requirements are. You may discover it clashes with another job, or that the pay is simply too low to make it worthwhile.

However, if you decide you do want to attend the casting and try to win the job you’ll need to find out how you should be dressed, who you need to talk to, and how best to approach it. Keep in mind that your agent may to have time to have a long discussion with you about it, but they should be keen to give you the best information to give you a good chance of getting the job.

You should check and adjust your portfolio to match the job, making sure there are examples of the kind of thing they want – i.e. sporty of businesslike or sexy.

Being shortlisted

Remember that far more models go to castings than are needed for actual shoots, so don’t be disheartened if they say ‘don’t call us, we’ll call you’ and you never hear from them again. That’s the nature of the business.

However, hopefully sometimes you will be shortlisted, or put on ‘hold’ or ‘option’. This is good news, as it means the client liked you, but it doesn’t mean that the job is secured.

At this point there are three things that may happen. They may still decide against you, they may ask you for a callback, or they may book you.

If you are on hold, it means that you should keep that time of the shoot available for the client, until they decide either way if they’d like to use you or not. If they haven’t decided and you get a call from a different client offering a job or casting, then your agent should contact the first client to ask them to make a decision and either release the ‘hold’ or confirm the booking.

If the client decides they want to book you, it’s time to celebrate! Once you accept, you are both obligated to the job and cancellation fees will apply if it doesn’t go ahead.

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