How to Behave at Castings

A casting, or model audition, is a fundamental part of a model's work – you could fairly call it the modelling job market. At a casting, models looking for work meet potential clients: foreign model agencies, advertisers, company representatives and so on. Every model who wants to find good work has to attend castings. The first audition a model faces is the one to get accepted into a model agency.

Every year model agencies tour Lithuania in search of new faces. Each agency publicly announces when and where its castings will take place. A girl or boy who wants to become a model simply needs to come to the nearest audition venue. Information about upcoming auditions can be found on model agencies' websites and social media accounts, in the press, on noticeboards and in other usual advertising places.

Models represented by an agency are regularly invited to castings, which opens doors not only to the Lithuanian market but also to the international one. A representative of a foreign agency who looks after their agency's interests at castings is called a scout. The scout gathers material on the models they are interested in, takes it back to their agency and, after careful consideration, gives the prospective model an answer.

If the answer is no, don't be discouraged – you may well succeed at the next audition. Model agencies often "grow" their models: at every new audition their scouts watch how a model is developing. You may also be turned down if you do not match the type of model the agency is looking for at that moment, or the body requirements.

How to behave at castings

1. Make sure you meet the basic requirements, which are usually given in the audition description. However much you want to become a model, there is no point wasting your own and other people's time if you do not meet them. It is better to look for another field where you can fulfil your potential.
2. Work out which feature is your most beautiful and try to emphasise it. If you have long, beautiful hair, it would be a big mistake to twist it into a bun. A model audition is a highly competitive contest in which you need to present yourself as well as possible and highlight what makes you unique.
3. Dress appropriately. Choose close-fitting clothes: skinny jeans, a simple top and high heels of at least 10 cm. Go for a stylish outfit, because your clothes represent you – but remember that a casting is not a fashion show where the point is to display the contents of your wardrobe.
4. Stay natural. The model photos you see in magazines do not reflect reality. Stylists and make-up artists work on the image, and the final photo is retouched in graphic design software. Even so, under all this "processing" there has to be smooth, healthy skin, well-kept hair, neat nails, unplucked eyebrows and a beautiful body. Do not hide your natural beauty under a thick layer of make-up – just bring out your best features!
5. Take care of your hygiene: clean hair and clean nails.
6. Bring a good mood. A pretty appearance that meets the requirements is not everything. An audition will not go well for a girl who is unpleasant to talk to or very shy. A model has to know how to present themselves, be communicative and interesting, and radiate positive energy. Good communication skills can make up for physical shortcomings.
7. Prepare yourself mentally. At castings you will be turned around, looked over and measured, so at times you may feel like a product. If your desire to become a model is strong, you need to learn to set such thoughts and negative associations aside.
8. Be patient. Lots of girls and boys who dream of becoming models may turn up at a casting, so you may have to wait in a queue for more than an hour.
9. Don't be late!

A model audition is one of the most important moments in a model's work. When you attend castings, you need to look your best and think through every possible situation. Nobody will notice or remember a sullen, slouching girl or boy. A model is not just a pretty picture but a personality, so a casting is the place to show the best sides of your personality and hide any shortcomings behind a broad, warm smile.

Imagine yourself in the chair of the person running the audition. How would you pick one or a few models out of all the girls and boys who have turned up? Remember that most of the models who come to an audition meet the required appearance standards, but not every candidate can become a model. The best chances go to those who stand out in some way – striking, memorable models.

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Missed the model audition in your town? If you are 13 or older and at least 170 cm tall (girls), or 16 or older and at least 183 cm tall (boys), we look forward to seeing you at the agency. Register now!