Today I got to break up the monotony of my office job to head to San Francisco for a casting for a Verizon print ad. Luckily, the photography studio where the casting was being held was right on the outskirts of the city and right next to the freeway. That meant no crazy maneuvering within the city and plenty of free parking!
The great thing about this casting was that no appointments were needed...all I had to do was show up anytime between 1pm-5pm so I gave myself plenty of time. I made sure to arrive a little after 1pm, and sat in my car for a few minutes to apply my lipstick and add a touch of powder to combat any shine.
Because Verizon is a very commercial product, I kept my outfit business casual: black capri slacks, peep-toe heels and a short-sleeved, emerald green shirt with a scooped neckline. I didn't apply any eye shadow, just mascara to give my lashes length and a subtle pink shade of lipstick with a tiny touch of gloss.
I signed in and filled out a contact sheet form, where I also had to list my measurements/stats. Once I filled that out, I turned in my form along with my headshot (never go to a casting call without a headshot--even if your agent doesn't tell you to bring one), and the casting director gave me a dry erase board with a number on it. I greeted the photographer and he told me to keep it simple and cheery but not cheesy. Lol.
First he took a medium shot with me holding the number card then I tossed that aside and he took a full body shot with me standing at a 3/4 angle. Then he took a final medium shot of me with my hands displayed in front of my chest, which was so crazy to me because right before I left work to head to the casting I had been looking at my nails and decided to give myself a quick manicure. I cut the longer nails down, filed them, cleaned them and applied a light coat of clear polish. Man, I must be psychic because if I hadn't paid attention to that small detail, my grimy nails and hands may have cost me the casting! So yes, the little details do matter!
And that was it! Three shots and I was outta there in less than 5 minutes flat (the majority of castings are like this. This isn't an actual photoshoot so you've got to be photogenic and show your best in only 1-3 photos. If you feel rushed, don't take it personal, that's simply how the process works). As I stepped outside, I saw a very attractive older woman walking in my general direction. So I decided to pay her a compliment.
As she got closer, I told her I thought she was gorgeous and she returned the compliment. It turned out she was there for the casting as well. We talked briefly about how crazy it was that we drove 30-45 minutes to get to a casting that only took 5 minutes and how dedicated we were to our modeling careers. She asked me what agency I was with and when I told her that I was with Ford, she said that she was, too! What a small world.
She was an older lady, maybe in her 40s but man, she looked great! She was Caucasian, with light blonde hair that was cut kind of short and she had a great smile and complexion. The perfect lifestyle/commercial print model. We gave each other thumbs up and best wishes and I headed back to my job.
The Verizon gig shoots in about two weeks and I really hope I get cast. This particular one day shoot for Verizon is paying $1,300.o0...man, I love commercial/print gigs!
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