How do you book a model for work?

If you’ve completed the first stage in becoming a Models Direct model, you’ll want to know how we book models for jobs.

It’s a fair enough request. We’ve never shied away from informing our clients and models how we conduct our work. A level of transparency is beneficial to a sound working process, so we’re happy to tell others how we book models for all assignments.

We initially receive a brief from our clients, asking for the models we think will serve the client’s needs the best. These briefs usually come by email. We receive several of them daily, as our loyal client list is the most extensive in the UK. A client’s brief can be as simple as “Male model wanted for commercial shoot”, or as detailed as “Mature model aged 65 years – 75 years required for short video as part of a government advert in the EC2N area of London.” A lot of briefs give the specific dates the shoot will take place on. We gave London as an example, but it’s important to know that we operate anywhere in the UK, Ireland and in other countries farther afield – see the fabulous photo of our model Darin, who packed his passport and was whisked off to Spain for a sunny photo shoot.  

After reading briefs, it’s over to our team. We consist of experienced booking professionals who know exactly what our clients need for successful marketing assignments and commercial adverts.

Our team study registered models, gathering their looks, geographical locations and ages, all of which match the brief. We’ll then recommend them to the client in question, which includes giving them access to a model’s all-important portfolio.

The client will then spend time perusing our recommendations before telling us which model (s) they’d like us to contact with the good news. We’ll get in touch with models to offer them the assignment. At this stage, any model can accept or refuse the assignment. We understand that circumstances change, so the timing of the assignment might not be convenient for some models.

When models accept the job (and in most cases they do), we’ll tell our client and arrange all the necessary booking details at our office. This includes informing the model:

  • The client’s name and chief contact on the day.
  • The location of the assignment.
  • Timings of the assignment.
  • Any necessary details, e.g. specific clothing to take.
  • Their fee (which is paid to all models within 5 working days upon completion of the job)
  • Our booking agent’s details.
  • That we keep in touch with models prior, during and after their booking.

Key points for all models to know are:

  • If you haven’t been offered work sooner than you’d expect, don’t give up. Modelling is competitive, so keep your portfolios updated with current photos.
  • We have a sixth sense in knowing what types of models our clients are looking for, but it’s always our client’s decision which models are picked.
  • If you refuse an assignment once chosen, we won’t treat you any differently when looking for future bookings.
  • We’re always available to speak to for advice, tips and help.

Both clients and models respect our booking process for being straightforward and effective.

It’s proven to be successful for decades. We look forward to booking you as one of our next models, whether it’s part of a film shoot in Devon or a photo session in Scotland. We cover all corners of the UK, giving models better opportunities to shine on assignment.