How far in advance should I cast?

Two to three weeks is comfortable in most South African cities. Cape Town's summer production season from October to April books out sooner.

Do I need an agency to book a model?

No. You can contact models on VELA directly and free, and agree the fee between you. VELA takes no commission from either side.

What if the model doesn't look like their photos?

Ask for recent unedited digitals before confirming — every serious model has them. It's a standard request, not an insult.

How to cast models for a shoot in South Africa

6 min read

Casting well is mostly about being specific early. Most delays in South African productions come from briefs that leave out usage, dates or budget, which forces three rounds of messages before anyone can say yes.

Write a brief that gets answered

Include six things: shoot dates, location, the product or brand category, what the images will be used for, the territory and duration of that usage, and your budget per day.

Say what you're looking for in plain terms — city, age range, category, and any specific requirement such as height, size or a language. Vague briefs get vague replies.

Send the same brief to a shortlist rather than one model at a time. Availability changes daily.

Budget usage separately from the shoot day

Quote a shoot fee for the model's time and a usage fee for where the images run. Combining them into one number invites disputes later.

For a twelve-month South African digital and print campaign, expect to pay materially more than a catalogue day rate. For broadcast or global usage, expect a different order of magnitude.

Put travel, accommodation, parking and wardrobe on your side of the budget, not the model's.

Shortlist, option, confirm

Shortlist on measurements and recent photographs rather than on portfolio styling — the portfolio shows what a good photographer did, not what your product needs.

Place an option on your first and second choice for the dates, and release the second choice as soon as you confirm the first. Holding models indefinitely damages your reputation with them.

Confirm in writing: names, dates, call time, location, hours, fee, usage, payment terms and who to contact on the day.

Questions people ask

How far in advance should I cast?: Two to three weeks is comfortable in most South African cities. Cape Town's summer production season from October to April books out sooner.
Do I need an agency to book a model?: No. You can contact models on VELA directly and free, and agree the fee between you. VELA takes no commission from either side.
What if the model doesn't look like their photos?: Ask for recent unedited digitals before confirming — every serious model has them. It's a standard request, not an insult.

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