JohnEnger wrote:
Hello peeps,

I am wondering how you guys prefer that people apply to your castings? Would you prefer a short "Interested", or would you like the applying person to write a short and sweet presentation of themselves?

I ask because I like applications with a little information in them, and quite a few of those applying serve just one-liners or worse.


J.

Good luck with this on MM.

IMO castings are a waste of time.  I prefer to use the search & contact girls via a pm I'm interested in shooting with

JohnEnger wrote:
Hello peeps,

I am wondering how you guys prefer that people apply to your castings? Would you prefer a short "Interested", or would you like the applying person to write a short and sweet presentation of themselves?

I ask because I like applications with a little information in them, and quite a few of those applying serve just one-liners or worse.


J.

If someone replied to a casting saying just "interested", unless their avatar was enough to get me to take a closer look at their portfolio and there I was blown away, I'd be quickly clicking to the next response.

Of course, I'm probably old fashioned that way or something, because I don't like when people reply on craigslist and just say "call/text me ###".

It just comes across to me as lazy and someone who is more likely to flake than someone who actually invests some time and thought in responding.

Orestes  wrote:
They actually read it and write something about the castng instead of copy pasting an entire wall of text that i know for a fact they do to every paid gig without ever even reading the ink

This is my experience too. I'm trying to be polite and answer people that apply to my castings, but I'm spending a lot of time describing assignments, locations, and rates over and over again, to the same persons, and it takes quite a lot of time. I am just wondering if others are experiencing the same? If that's the way it is and the way it's supposed to be, I'll just have to accept that...


J.

Danielle Reid wrote:
I could write you a 5 page essay on why I think I'm a good choice over the other girls that apply. Or I could just say

There is quite a bit between a comment stating "Interested" and a 5 page essay... Just saying.


J.

JohnEnger wrote:
I'm spending a lot of time describing assignments, locations, and rates over and over again, to the same persons, and it takes quite a lot of time. I am just wondering if others are experiencing the same?

To avoid this problem I personally include instructions in the casting on how to reply ... ie: "If you're interested please send me a message via model mayhem with the subject 'Spring Fashion Casting' and please include your email address and a contact number."

Generally that weeds out those who are 1) bad at reading and 2) too self important to give out any real contact info

JohnEnger wrote:
I am wondering how you guys prefer that people apply to your castings? Would you prefer a short "Interested", or would you like the applying person to write a short and sweet presentation of themselves?

I ask because I like applications with a little information in them, and quite a few of those applying serve just one-liners or worse.

I would prefer that respondents supply some relevant information, particularly if I have asked something specific in the casting such as compensation requirements.  I had a casting call up a few weeks ago and it was very clear that the shoot would include nudity.  Several models responded that had no nude work in their ports and their profiles said they did not do nudes.  I immediately dismissed them as not meeting the qualifications that were necessary.  If they do in fact do nudes even though their profile says they do not as is the case many times they lost an opportunity.  In general, one word answers such as "interested" don't get my attention.

Danielle Reid wrote:
I could write you a 5 page essay on why I think I'm a good choice over the other girls that apply. Or I could just say

Hey, I'll be in your area XX/XX-XX/XX. Please let me know if I fit the look.

And if I have questions about the casting I would ask.

This would work for me (the brief reply).

Or I could say

This is my agent's number in Vegas. Call him to discuss details...but he's probably high right now so forgive him for talking slow.

But this not so much. If your agent is going to get in the way (and if he's high I expect he's going to get in the way) I don't want to talk to him, because I just don't want to spend the extra time required. If you send me to him, you're not ever going to be the right person for the job.

James Jackson Fashion wrote:

To avoid this problem I personally include instructions in the casting on how to reply ... ie: "If you're interested please send me a message via model mayhem with the subject 'Spring Fashion Casting' and please include your email address and a contact number."

Generally that weeds out those who are 1) bad at reading and 2) too self important to give out any real contact info

My problem is that in a lot of cases make about 50%.

My castings are quite detailed and yet I have questions asked that are answered in the casting. If I supply too little info I get very few applications and all the ones that apply ask for more info. If I write the info in the casting few read it. It's a bit of a dilemma...


J.

Ken Warren Photography wrote:

Danielle Reid wrote:
I could write you a 5 page essay on why I think I'm a good choice over the other girls that apply. Or I could just say

Hey, I'll be in your area XX/XX-XX/XX. Please let me know if I fit the look.

And if I have questions about the casting I would ask.

This would work for me (the brief reply).
But this not so much. If your agent is going to get in the way (and if he's high I expect he's going to get in the way) I don't want to talk to him, because I just don't want to spend the extra time required. If you send me to him, you're not ever going to be the right person for the job.

Yeah...it was a joke...

JohnEnger wrote:

There is quite a bit between a comment stating "Interested" and a 5 page essay... Just saying.


J.

What about a 2 page essay with cover page and "Works Cited" page?

Danielle Reid wrote:
Yeah...it was a joke...

I figured, but I actually got a reply like that once: "Yeah, I'd maybe be interested. Talk to XYZ, but he's kinda slow getting back to people sometimes." I didn't follow up.

Ken Warren Photography wrote:

I figured, but I actually got a reply like that once: "Yeah, I'd maybe be interested. Talk to XYZ, but he's kinda slow getting back to people sometimes." I didn't follow up.

Well it's good you made it public knowledge

JohnEnger wrote:
Hello peeps,

I am wondering how you guys prefer that people apply to your castings? Would you prefer a short "Interested", or would you like the applying person to write a short and sweet presentation of themselves?

I ask because I like applications with a little information in them, and quite a few of those applying serve just one-liners or worse.


J.

If they just say "Interested",  I won't be.
Especially if they leave the message as a publicly visible tag.

When people apply for a regular job, they do it in private.  It shouldn't be any different for a casting or a gig.  Some commercial shoots may even REQUIRE non disclosure so that their competitors won't know that anything is happening, and/or their may be a 'surprise' factor involved when the ad is displayed.

Jennifer Haggerty wrote:
I'm ok with an "Interested" unless I stated in the casting call that I need X information in your inquiry. I usually ask for availability and this is often ignored but not a big hangup, a message that reads "Interested and available on [insert date]" is all I need to look at the portfolio, see if the model's look fits then go into more detail as needed.

Unless you ask for the information, how can you expected them to be elaborate in a message? When 20+ models are responding to a casting call, do you really want to read through a lengthy message?

Flip the coin, if the model is applying for 20+ casting calls DAILY (unlike a job resume, this will be done the length of her career, not to land the one job) would you want to personalize each response? They might not just put "Interested" but I can understand copying and pasting your stats.

Of the two, I personally prefer "Interested".

I'll admit I copy and paste responses when applying for castings. I usually do about 10-15 daily when traveling. I will had a few words to make it look personalized such as asking a question about something they posted in the casting.

I'm not going to look at all the profiles to mention something in the casting reply. I guess I could say "Hey I see you've been shooting for 37 years, you must be really old!"

JohnEnger wrote:
Hello peeps,

I am wondering how you guys prefer that people apply to your castings? Would you prefer a short "Interested", or would you like the applying person to write a short and sweet presentation of themselves?

I ask because I like applications with a little information in them, and quite a few of those applying serve just one-liners or worse.


J.

I assume people who just write "interested" replied to everything posted.  People who dont even type the whole word, even worse.

Danielle Reid wrote:
I'll admit I copy and paste responses when applying for castings. I usually do about 10-15 daily when traveling. I will had a few words to make it look personalized such as asking a question about something they posted in the casting.

I'm not going to look at all the profiles to mention something in the casting reply. I guess I could say "Hey I see you've been shooting for 37 years, you must be really old!"

At least that gives me a clue that you actually read the casting that you are applying to, which is important to me. Good!

Some don't read the castings and have no clue what they are applying to. And after a lot back and forth, answering stuff that is written in the casting they applied to but did not read, you get a response like "Oh, I'm sorry, I did not realize it was topless... I don't do topless..." or similar.

That's why I find it important to understand that the applicants have read and understood the casting.


J.

IrisSwope wrote:
I assume people who just write "interested" replied to everything posted.  People who dont even type the whole word, even worse.

+1

JohnEnger wrote:

At least that gives me a clue that you actually read the casting that you are applying to, which is important to me. Good!

Some don't read the castings and have no clue what they are applying to. And after a lot back and forth, answering stuff that is written in the casting they applied to but did not read, you get a response like "Oh, I'm sorry, I did not realize it was topless... I don't do topless..." or similar.

That's why I find it important to understand that the applicants have read and understood the casting.


J.

This I totally get and it is appreciated that if anyone responds to a casting (with "interested" or more text) that they've read and understand what is expected of them. It's happened to me before and it is rather annoying when it's day of shoot and I ask them to do what was detailed in the casting call and they back out having not read it -_-