That skincare ad you scrolled past on Instagram, the one with the model laughing on a Brooklyn rooftop, involved a 47-email thread, three rounds of casting, a creative brief that went through six revisions, and a 14-hour shoot day. It looks effortless on screen. It isn't.
I've worked this process as the photographer and as the agency submitting talent. Here is how model hiring works in NYC, step by step.
The brand brief
Every campaign starts with an idea. A brand, whether a global fashion house or a local Brooklyn boutique, defines its audience, mood and look. Is it edgy downtown, Upper East Side polish, or the relaxed creative feel of the West Village?
Then it writes a brief, a detailed document that covers:
- Concept and mood: What's the story? What should the model make people feel? Mood boards matter here.
- Model specifications: Age range, ethnicity, hair color, body type, and specific skills such as dancer, athlete or actor. Sometimes it's very specific, like "natural, freckled, girl-next-door type."
- Usage rights: Where will the images run? Print ads, social media, a website, billboards? For how long, and in what territories? This directly affects the model's pay.
- Budget: What's set aside for model fees, travel, per diems and so on.
- Shoot dates and location.
Contacting agencies
Once the brief is settled, the brand, or more often its ad agency or casting director, contacts modeling agencies. Dante's Models receives the brief and works out what the brand wants. We don't send a random selection. We put together a package of models from our roster who fit, both in look and in professionalism.
Casting
There are a few ways this plays out.
- Digital submissions (packages): For early rounds, especially on larger campaigns, agencies send a digital package of models. It includes comp cards (composite cards), portfolios, digitals (unretouched photos) and sometimes video clips. The brand narrows down its favorites.
- Open castings: Less common for established models, but brands sometimes hold open calls, often in studios around the Garment District or Chelsea. Models come in, walk, take quick digitals and maybe answer a few questions. It's fast, and you have seconds to make an impression.
- Go-sees: More targeted. Models meet the client directly, at their office or another location, so the brand can see their personality and how they move.
- Callbacks: If a model makes the first cut, they're called back. That may mean meeting the creative director, trying on wardrobe, doing a test shoot or a short interview. Here you show your personality, take direction and prove you can carry the brand's message. Looking good isn't enough. You have to connect.
Negotiation and booking
Once a model is selected (often called "on hold" or "penciled in"), the agency negotiates the final terms:
- Day rate: The fee for the shoot day or days.
- Usage fees: Often the biggest part. They follow the usage rights above: how long, where and how prominently the images appear. A Times Square billboard for a year is worth much more than a small social post for a month.
- Exclusivity: A brand may want a model to be exclusive, meaning no work for a competing brand for a set period.
- Travel and expenses: If the shoot is out of town, who pays for flights, lodging and a per diem?
When everyone agrees, contracts are signed and the model is booked.
Pre-production and shoot day
Models get a call sheet with the logistics: call time (often before dawn for a sunrise shot), location (a loft in Dumbo, a rooftop in Midtown or a studio in Flatiron), wardrobe notes, and hair and makeup details. On set, be professional, be on time and keep a positive attitude. It's a team effort.
Post-production and launch
After the shoot the brand edits, retouches and finalizes the assets. When the campaign launches, the model is paid through their agency.
What aspiring models need
- A strong portfolio that shows your range.
- Professionalism on and off set.
- Reliability and a good work ethic.
- A personality and the ability to take direction.
- A good agency, like Dante's Models, to guide you, advocate for you and connect you with opportunities.
- Brands: To discuss your casting needs, contact Dante's Models at dantet9.com/contact.
- Aspiring models: To join our roster, submit your application at dantet9.com/submissions.
- Everyone else: For photos for a personal brand or portfolio, book a photoshoot with me, Dante T9, at dantet9.com/book-a-shoot.
Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Pexels
