DXC MODELS | CLIENT & CASTING GUIDE

How to Write a Model Casting Brief: Template for Brands & Agencies in 2026

A good model casting brief tells an agency exactly who you need, what the model will be doing, when the job is happening, how the final content will be used and what budget is available.

Unfortunately, many casting requests arrive like this:

That is not really a casting brief.

It is the beginning of a conversation.

Because before an agency can properly recommend talent, there are still many unanswered questions.

What kind of campaign is it?

What exactly will the models be doing?

What age should they appear?

Does height actually matter?

Is it photography, video or both?

Will the models speak?

Where will the campaign be used?

For how long?

Is the content running as paid advertising?

Does the client require exclusivity?

What is the fee?

What Is a Model Casting Brief?

A model casting brief is a document or message that explains the type of talent required for a campaign and the conditions of the job.

It helps the agency, casting director or talent manager understand:

• Who the client needs
• What the models will be doing
• What skills are required
• Where and when the job will happen
• How the final content will be used
• What compensation is available
• What restrictions may apply

A casting brief does not need to be twenty pages long.

It simply needs to contain enough useful information for the right people to be shortlisted.

Why “Send Us Fine Models” Is Not Enough

“Fine” is subjective.

And attractiveness alone rarely explains what a campaign actually needs.

A commercial campaign may require someone who feels:

• Relatable
• Trustworthy
• Energetic
• Premium
• Youthful
• Professional
• Sporty
• Warm
• Bold
• Elegant

A good casting brief describes the communication need, not simply the client’s personal idea of beauty.

1. Start With the Campaign Objective

Before describing the model, explain the project.

For example:

Weak:

“We need two female models.”

Better:

“We are producing a digital campaign for a Nigerian skincare brand launching a new facial cleanser targeted at young professionals.”

That single sentence already gives the agency useful context.

2. State the Brand or Product

Where possible, tell the agency what the campaign is for.

This matters because the same model may not be suitable for every category.

Examples include:

• Beauty
• Fashion
• Banking
• Telecommunications
• Food and beverage
• Fitness
• Automotive
• Hospitality
• Bridal
• E-commerce

3. Specify the Number of Models Required

Do not write “a few models” if you already know the approximate number.

State it clearly.

For example:

Required talent: Three female commercial models and two male commercial models.

If the number may change, say so.

4. Describe the Model Category

Different projects require different strengths.

You may need:

• Commercial models
• Runway models
• Beauty models
• Fashion models
• E-commerce models
• Fitness models
• Curve models
• Kids models
• Mature models
• Hand or parts models

If you are unsure which category you need, describe what the person will actually be doing.

A professional agency can help determine the most appropriate talent category.

5. Give an Age Range or Playing Age

Sometimes the important factor is not the model’s exact age but the age they can convincingly represent on camera.

For example:

Playing age: 25 to 35.

This gives the agency more flexibility than unnecessarily restricting the search to someone’s exact birth age.

6. Include Gender Only Where It Is Relevant

If the creative concept specifically requires a male or female model, state it.

But do not add restrictions simply because they are habitually used in casting briefs.

Every requirement should have a reason connected to the creative concept, wardrobe, character or campaign.

7. Do Height and Measurements Actually Matter?

Sometimes they do.

Sometimes they do not.

Height can be particularly important when:

• Casting runway models
• Working with pre-made sample garments
• Creating a lineup where proportions matter
• Producing fashion content with specific sizing requirements

For many commercial campaigns, height may be much less important.

Do not automatically request 5’9 models for a campaign where height has no real effect on the job.

8. Describe the Look and Personality

A useful brief might say:

“Warm, confident and approachable. Should feel like a young professional rather than a high-fashion editorial character.”

Or:

“Strong fashion presence, confident body language and comfortable with directional posing.”

This is far more useful than:

“Very beautiful model.”

9. Explain What the Model Will Actually Do

This is one of the most important parts of the brief.

Will the model:

• Pose for still photography?
• Appear in video?
• Speak on camera?
• Act?
• Walk runway?
• Demonstrate a product?
• Interact with another model?
• Dance?
• Perform sports movements?
• Create social media content?

The required performance affects who should be submitted.

10. Still Photography, Video or Both?

Specify whether the project involves:

• Photography only
• Video only
• Photography and video

A model who is excellent in still photography may not automatically be the strongest person for dialogue-heavy video.

11. Does the Model Need to Speak?

If there is dialogue, tell the agency.

Include:

• Whether the model speaks on camera
• Approximate amount of dialogue
• Any accent requirement
• Whether acting experience is preferred
• Whether a self-tape will be required

12. Decide Whether You Need a Model, Creator or Influencer

These are not automatically the same service.

If you need someone to appear in your campaign, you may need a model.

If you need the person to create their own social content, you may also need a content creator.

If you are paying for access to their audience, you are entering influencer territory.

Do not surprise a model on set by suddenly expecting them to create three TikToks and post them to their personal audience.

Those deliverables should be discussed in the brief.

Read our guide on models vs creators vs influencers.

13. Give the Shoot Date

Do not wait until the shortlist is ready before revealing when the job is happening.

Models need to know whether they are available.

Include:

• Shoot date
• Call time if known
• Expected finish time

14. State the Location

At minimum, provide the city.

For example:

Location: Lekki, Lagos.

If travel is required, explain who is responsible for transport, accommodation and other travel-related costs.

15. Mention Fittings and Rehearsals

Some jobs require the model before the actual shoot or show.

State whether there will be:

• Wardrobe fitting
• Runway rehearsal
• Makeup test
• Camera test
• Callback

Also include the dates and expected duration where known.

16. Explain the Wardrobe Requirements

Who is providing the clothes?

Will the model need to bring anything?

For example:

• Black heels
• White sneakers
• Nude underwear
• Basic black clothing
• Specific accessories

Do not leave important wardrobe requirements until the night before the job.

17. Hair and Makeup

State whether hair and makeup will be provided.

If models are expected to arrive camera-ready or handle their own grooming, that should also be clear.

18. State the Number of Looks

Will the model wear:

One outfit?

Three looks?

Twenty e-commerce garments?

This affects the workload and time required.

19. Give the Expected Shoot Duration

“It is only a quick shoot” can mean very different things to different people.

State the expected booking time.

For example:

Expected shoot duration: Six hours.

If overtime is possible, clarify how that will be handled.

20. Explain Usage Clearly

This is one of the most important parts of a professional model booking.

Usage means where the client’s final photographs or videos will appear.

Examples include:

• Instagram
• TikTok
• Website
• E-commerce store
• Billboards
• Digital advertising
• Television
• Print advertising
• Packaging
• Point-of-sale materials

21. State the Usage Duration

How long can the client use the content?

For example:

• Three months
• Six months
• One year
• Two years

Open-ended or perpetual usage should be discussed clearly before the model accepts the job.

22. State the Territory

Where will the campaign run?

For example:

• Lagos only
• Nigeria
• West Africa
• Africa
• Worldwide

The larger the territory, the broader the exposure of the model’s likeness.

23. Will the Content Be Used for Paid Advertising?

If the model’s image will appear in sponsored social media posts, digital ads or other paid placements, include this in the brief.

Organic posting on a brand’s Instagram page is different from using the same image repeatedly in paid advertising.

24. Mention Exclusivity

Exclusivity can prevent a model from working with competing brands for a particular period.

For example:

A telecommunications campaign may restrict the model from appearing in another telecom campaign.

A beverage campaign may restrict competing beverage advertising.

If exclusivity exists, state:

• The product category
• The restricted competitors or category
• The territory
• The duration

This should never appear as a surprise after the model has already agreed to the job.

25. Social Media Posting Requirements

If the model is expected to post campaign content on their personal account, say so.

Include:

• Number of posts
• Platform
• Stories
• Reels
• TikToks
• Posting period
• Approval requirements

This may affect the fee, especially when the client’s request goes beyond modelling into creator or influencer services.

26. Content Deliverables

If the talent needs to create content personally, specify what is required.

For example:

• Two TikTok videos
• Three Instagram Stories
• One Reel
• Five raw vertical clips

Do not simply write “social media content.”

27. State the Budget

If the budget is approved, include it.

It saves everybody time.

The model’s fee may depend on:

• Shoot duration
• Performance requirements
• Usage
• Territory
• Exclusivity
• Experience
• Social deliverables

Do not compare a six-hour website shoot with a nationwide campaign running across billboards, television and paid digital media.

They are not the same booking.

28. Include Travel, Meals and Welfare Where Relevant

If the production is long or requires travel, clarify:

• Transport
• Accommodation
• Meals
• Travel days
• Call times

Clear logistics help models arrive prepared and help production run more smoothly.

29. Explain the Casting Process

Will the client select from photographs?

Or do you need:

• Self-tapes
• Introduction videos
• Runway walk videos
• Physical casting
• Callbacks

Tell the agency what material is needed.

30. Give a Submission Deadline

“Urgent” is not a deadline.

Use an actual date and time.

For example:

Submission deadline: Thursday, 17 September at 4:00 PM.

This allows the agency to organise the casting properly.

Bad Casting Brief vs Better Casting Brief

Bad Brief

Problems:

• No age direction
• No campaign information
• No performance requirement
• No location
• No shoot duration
• No usage
• No territory
• No budget
• No exclusivity information

Better Brief

Now the agency actually knows what it is casting.

Copy This Model Casting Brief Template

What Should You Send the Agency With the Brief?

If available, send:

• Campaign moodboard
• Reference images
• Wardrobe references
• Storyboard
• Script
• Brand guidelines
• Example expressions or actions

References help communicate what words sometimes cannot.

Do Not Turn the Casting Brief Into an Impossible Wishlist

A detailed brief is useful.

An unrealistic brief is not.

Be careful about combining too many restrictions unless they are truly essential.

For example:

“Must be exactly 5’10, age 23, size 8, have waist-length natural hair, play professional tennis, speak three languages, have 100K Instagram followers and be available tomorrow.”

The more restrictions you add, the smaller the talent pool becomes.

Ask which requirements are genuinely necessary for the campaign.

Follower Count Is Not a Casting Brief

If audience size matters, say why.

Are you buying:

• Modeling performance?
• Content production?
• Audience distribution?
• All three?

These are different services.

Read our guide explaining why follower count is not a casting brief.

Give the Agency Enough Time

Sometimes genuine last-minute jobs happen.

But unnecessary urgency reduces the quality of casting.

With more time, an agency can:

• Check model availability
• Review current photographs
• Confirm measurements
• Request self-tapes
• Search beyond the obvious options
• Resolve scheduling conflicts

“We need five models tomorrow morning” immediately reduces your options.

The DXC View

Need Models for a Campaign in Nigeria?

DXC Models works with brands, advertising agencies, production companies, fashion businesses and creative teams sourcing talent for campaigns, commercials, e-commerce, fashion productions and events.

You can also read our guide on how brands can book models for campaigns in Lagos.