Diary of a model
Castings are rare things
Sometimes you get a behind-the-scenes look at a casting on HNTM. It always looks fun and easy, but actually, castings are rare things. Today I will tell you about different parts of a casting that you don't see on TV.
The endless waiting times
If there's one thing models are good at, it's waiting. Just take a look in a model's bag. Besides a portfolio and heels, every model always has something with them to keep themselves occupied. Some have a book, others a phone with games, I used to bring a sudoku puzzle book and I've even seen someone playing with a Rubik's Cube. It's completely normal to have to wait longer than two hours. Sometimes there are a lot of models in front of you in line and you have to join at the back. At other castings, there aren't that many girls, but they want everyone to try on clothes, and that can take a long time. Or it can happen that the casting directors are just having lunch. Tough luck if you walk in just then, so everyone grabs a book, sudoku, or gameboy and prepares for an hour of boredom, while the delicious smells of lunch reach the hungry model noses.
The charming waiting rooms
Because the waiting rooms are often small and crowded, you have to be able to fold yourself into the smallest corners as a model. If the chairs are full, a table can easily be transformed into a bench for four thin model bottoms, and four curled-up girls can fit under the table. The floors are often also packed, except for a small path from door to door. The stairs are also popular among the models. With a bit of luck, two girls can fit on each step.
The stress of arriving on time
You almost always have to wait at a casting, but being late is really a no-go. This can sometimes be tricky because a previous casting has run over, you took the metro in the wrong direction with your silly model brains, or because you were stuck on the bus. The solution: run! A little later you storm in with a red face the casting , where you see ten colleagues catching their breath on the floor.
The shoe switch
Often, the intention is that you walk into the casting in heels, but going up and down metro stairs is quite difficult in stilettos. Every model runs around in sneakers and switches to heels outside on the sidewalk (very chic). Then they walk into the casting with a nonchalant look as if they always look so flawless and stylish, only to put their sneakers back on after the casting. Of course, out of sight of the casting directors, because they must not find out.
The meat inspection
Generally, you usually have a nice chat with the casting directors, show your book, walk back and forth, and take some photos. But sometimes you experience strange things. For example, I was once sent in with a group of ten girls at a time. We had to line up at the end of the catwalk with bright lights on us, our hair in a low ponytail and without shoes. The designer, together with the casting director, looked at each girl to see if they liked her, and it went like this: ‘No, no, you turn to the side… No, no, you stand over there, no, no, no, turn to the side… No, no. K, bye.’
The goal of the castings? To book jobs. The average success rate of castings? 2%. Do we all keep doing it obediently because we have to? Yup!
xx
