Open call in modeling: meaning, example and tips

How it works

At an open call an agency is looking for new faces. Candidates come without make-up, in simple fitted clothes; they are measured, a few plain pictures are taken and there is a short conversation. It all takes a few minutes.

Open calls are held live, with a date and a city announced, or run all year, when you fill in a form with pictures and measurements on the agency's website. You may wait a few weeks for a reply; silence usually means "not right now".

A no is not a verdict: an agency is looking for a particular type for a particular market, not judging a person's beauty. Another agency, or the same one a year later, may decide differently.

In practice

An agency announces an open call on Saturday from 11 am to 3 pm. A few dozen people come. Each fills in a short form, is measured and photographed from the front, in profile and full length. With a few candidates there is a longer conversation. Two weeks later three of them get a call inviting them to a second meeting with their parents; the others receive an email.

What to watch for

No make-up, hair tied back, plain fitted clothes.
Know your height and measurements.
An open call is always free.
Minors come with a parent.

Related terms

Agencies and representationModel scoutA scout looks for new models for an agency: on the street, at events, in schools, on social media and at open calls.How a job happensCastingA casting is the selection for a specific job: the client sees anything from a few to dozens of models and picks the one who fits the shoot, the advert or the show.Portfolio and materialsDigitals (polaroids)Digitals are plain, unretouched pictures of a model without make-up that show what the model really looks like.Requirements and looksModel measurementsA model's measurements are height plus bust, waist and hip circumference, together with shoe size, hair and eye colour; agencies and clients use them to decide whether the clothes will fit.Agencies and representationNew faceA new face is a model at the start of a career: signed with an agency, but still without experience, a full portfolio or regular clients.

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

01Do you need professional pictures for an open call?

No. Simple daylight pictures are enough: a portrait, a profile and a full-length shot.

02How is an open call different from a casting?

At an open call an agency chooses models to represent. At a casting a client chooses a model for a specific job.

Open call