Hire models for video shoot, product videos and brand commercials
To hire models for a video shoot, post a casting that lists the role, the shoot dates, the hours, your rate and exactly where the footage will run, ask applicants for a short self-tape, then book the people you pick on an agreement that already covers video usage, overtime and the model release. On ModelContracts that whole path sits in one panel, and the agency fee is shown before you confirm anyone.
Models for video shoots, from a 15 second ad to a full product series
A photo model and an on-camera model are not always the same booking. Video asks for movement, timing, a natural read of one or two lines and the patience to repeat the same action twenty times while the crew resets focus and sound. Brands that cast video from a photo portfolio usually find out on the day. A casting built for video asks for motion up front, so the shortlist already shows how each person moves and sounds.
- 01 Product demo videos for ecommerce product pages and Amazon listings
- 02 Paid social spots for Meta, TikTok and YouTube, in 9:16 and 16:9 cuts
- 03 Brand commercials and launch films with a director, crew and a shot list
- 04 Lifestyle b-roll for websites, email headers and retail screens
- 05 Music videos and campaign films that need featured talent or background extras
Cast on motion, not on a headshot
Every video casting on ModelContracts can ask applicants for a self-tape. You write what you want to see: walk to a mark and turn, pick up a product and use it, say one line to camera, react without words. Models upload the clip with their application, so you compare movement and delivery side by side before anyone travels to a callback.
- A short self-tape prompt written by you, with up to three actions
- Speaking or non-speaking role marked in the casting, because it changes the rate
- Wardrobe notes, hair and grooming requests and any no-go items listed in the brief
- Separate roles in one casting, for example a lead, a partner and three background people
- Height, sizes and skills such as driving, dancing, cooking or a sport, filtered before you watch a single tape
Production company, agency, casting board or ModelContracts
A brand can find on-camera talent in several places. Each route has a cost somewhere, in money, in time or in risk on the legal side.
Finding talent
- Production company casting
- Included in the production quote
- Traditional agency
- Booker sends a package after an email brief
- Open casting board or social
- You post, sort replies and chase answers
- ModelContracts
- Post one casting, verified adults apply with self-tapes
Rate
- Production company casting
- Built into the production budget
- Traditional agency
- Day rate plus a client service fee
- Open casting board or social
- Negotiated one by one
- ModelContracts
- You set the rate, agency fee of 10% to 20% shown before booking
Video usage rights
- Production company casting
- Usually in the producer's paperwork
- Traditional agency
- Negotiated separately
- Open casting board or social
- Rarely written down
- ModelContracts
- Media, term and territory picked in the usage rider
Overtime and cancellation
- Production company casting
- Set by the producer
- Traditional agency
- Agency terms
- Open casting board or social
- Often unclear
- ModelContracts
- Written into every booking agreement
Model release
- Production company casting
- Producer collects it
- Traditional agency
- Varies by agency
- Open casting board or social
- Often missing
- ModelContracts
- Signed with the booking and stored
Age and ID check
- Production company casting
- Producer's job
- Traditional agency
- Done by the agency
- Open casting board or social
- Your responsibility
- ModelContracts
- Every model verified as 18 or older
Best for
- Production company casting
- Big broadcast spots with a full crew
- Traditional agency
- Recognizable faces
- Open casting board or social
- Tiny budgets and one-off clips
- ModelContracts
- Brands and in-house teams that film every month
If your spot is a union commercial, the producer has to be a SAG-AFTRA signatory and book union performers under that contract. Most product videos, social ads and ecommerce clips are produced non-union, and that is the work ModelContracts is built for.
From shot list to signed booking in four steps
1. Write the brief. Concept, roles, speaking or not, location, dates, call times, hours, your rate and where the footage will run.
2. Post the casting. Verified adult models who match apply with photos and a self-tape, and you can invite people you already like.
3. Shortlist and book. Watch the tapes, hold a callback if you need one, then book each person. The agreement is generated with the rate, hours, overtime, cancellation terms and the usage rider.
4. Film and pay. Approve the actual hours after the wrap, the model is paid and the signed release stays on file with the booking. The full clause list is on the modeling contract page.
Footage for your website and footage for paid ads are different licenses
Video gets reused more than any other asset. A clip shot for a product page ends up in a Meta ad, then a retailer's screen, then a trade show loop. Each of those is a separate use, and a model who agreed to one has not agreed to the rest. In the usage rider you pick the media (website, organic social, paid social, connected TV, online video ads, retail screens, broadcast), the term (6, 12 or 24 months, or perpetual) and the territory (US, North America or worldwide). Your marketing team then knows what it can publish without a new negotiation.
The model release form signed with every booking covers the likeness, and model usage rights explains how term and territory change the fee.
- 01 Website and product page only, for demo videos and listings
- 02 Website plus paid social, the usual choice for direct to consumer brands
- 03 Online video and connected TV ads, for performance campaigns that scale spend
- 04 Broadcast and out of home, for launches that run on TV or public screens
What a video shoot costs on ModelContracts
You set the rate per model per hour, the model accepts or declines, and the plan sets the agency fee: 20% on Starter, 15% on Studio, 12% on Agency and 10% on Enterprise, paid by the brand and shown before you book. Models never pay anything. Speaking roles, longer usage and paid media placements usually justify a higher rate than a non-speaking product clip. A simple example: two non-speaking models for a six hour product video at $90 an hour each come to $1,080 in rates, plus a 15% fee of $162 on the Studio plan, so $1,242 in total. Our cost to hire a model for a photoshoot guide lists market day rates and usage add-ons if you are building the budget from zero.
Built for the person who has to deliver the footage
If you also shoot stills for the same collection, cast both on one brief with our ecommerce models roles, or see hire models for clothing brand for apparel lookbooks.
- 01 In-house content and social teams that film product clips every week
- 02 Ecommerce managers who need demo videos on every product page
- 03 Small production companies and video freelancers casting for brand clients
- 04 Agencies producing paid social creative for several brands at once
- 05 Founders filming a launch video without a casting director on payroll
FAQ
How do I find models for a video shoot?
Post a casting with your roles, dates, hours, rate and where the footage will run, and ask for a short self-tape. Verified adult models apply with photos and a clip, so you can compare movement and delivery first, hold a callback for your top picks and book them on a signed agreement.
How much does it cost to hire a model for a video shoot?
You set the rate. Non-speaking product clips usually pay less than speaking roles, and paid media usage raises the price. On ModelContracts you add your plan's agency fee of 10% to 20% on top of the rate, and the total is shown before you book, with overtime terms written into the agreement.
Do I need a model release for a video shoot?
Yes, if the footage promotes your brand. Product videos, ads and social posts are commercial use, which needs the model's written permission to use their likeness. On ModelContracts the release is signed together with the booking agreement and stored with the booking, so it is there when a platform or retailer asks.
Can I use the same footage in paid ads later?
Only if the usage you booked includes paid ads. Website use and paid social or connected TV are separate rights. If you are not sure, book website plus paid social from the start, because extending usage later means a new agreement and usually a new fee.
What is the difference between a model and an actor for a commercial?
A model is booked mainly for look and movement, an actor for lines and performance. Many brand videos need someone in between. Mark the role as speaking or non-speaking in your casting, ask for a self-tape that shows the skill you need and set the rate to match.
Can I hire models for a music video on ModelContracts?
Yes. Music video producers post a casting with the roles, dates and rate, and verified adult models apply. Featured talent and background roles can sit in one casting, and every booking comes with its own agreement and release, which labels and distributors increasingly ask to see.
Cast your next video shoot on contract
Post one casting, watch the self-tapes, book the people you want and keep the usage, overtime and release signed in one place. See how to hire a model step by step or compare model booking platforms before you start.