How to Find Commercial Casting Calls (and Spot Fake Ones)

Most people who search for "casting" are looking for TV shows. Commercial castings, for ads, catalogues, e-commerce and brand content, are a different world: shorter, more frequent, and usually looking for real-looking people rather than a specific runway look.

Here's where those castings come from, how to respond, and how to avoid the fake ones.

Who casts commercial work

Behind almost every ad shoot there's a chain: a brand, often a creative or advertising agency, a production company, and a casting director or the production team handling talent. Castings reach talent through:

• Talent and modeling agencies, which receive most briefs directly and propose suitable people.
• Casting directors and production companies, which sometimes post open calls on their websites and social accounts.
• Casting platforms and job boards, which aggregate open calls, some free, some paid.
• Brands themselves, especially for social content, which increasingly cast creators directly.

Open calls exist, but much of the paid commercial work is filled through agencies before it is ever posted publicly. That's one of the practical reasons to have representation.

What to send

A commercial casting team decides in seconds. Make it easy:

• Two to four recent, natural photos: a clear headshot and a full-length shot, little makeup, plain background. No heavy filters.
• Basic details: height, location, languages, and sizes if the brief asks for them.
• A short video introduction if requested: name, location, a few seconds of natural movement.
• Availability for the shoot and fitting dates in the brief.

Answer exactly what the brief asks, in the format it asks for. Following instructions is part of the test.

How to prepare a self-tape

Many commercial castings now start with a self-tape. A good one is simple:

1. Film in natural light, facing a window, in front of a plain wall.
2. Keep the phone steady at eye level, horizontal unless the brief says vertical.
3. Start with a short slate: name, height, location.
4. Do the requested action or lines naturally. Commercials usually want relaxed and believable, not dramatic.
5. Check the sound, keep it short, and name the file as the brief requests.

Signs a casting call is fake

• You have to pay to apply, to be "registered" or for a mandatory photo shoot.
• No production, brand or company is named, and nobody can tell you who the client is.
• The fee is unrealistically high for a vague, unnamed job.
• They ask for revealing photos or a private meeting outside a professional setting.
• They want documents or bank details before any offer or contract exists.
• Everything happens through a personal DM, with pressure to answer immediately.

Many of these overlap with agency scams. We cover them in detail in modeling agency scams: red flags before you sign.

Casting for content creators

Brands now cast creators for their social channels and ads in much the same way they cast models, but they look at your content samples as much as your photos. If that's your direction, read how to become a UGC creator and build a few samples before you apply.

Keep a simple log

Note every casting: date, brand or production, what you sent, and the outcome. Over a few months it shows you which kinds of jobs you're a fit for, and it's useful information if you decide to work with an agency.