Are models out of fashion in advertising?
Is the age of the size-zero pin-up over for TV commercials? The Eye Casting's Jody Furlong answers our questions on the best-dressed ad stars.
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How has casting for fashion-based advertising changed over the past few years?
The main change is what is considered a 'Fashion model' the aesthetic was always super tall, super skinny girls but that has completely changed now.
With the rise of social media all brands have to be a lot more diverse and while the traditional idea of a fashion model may still be the dominant one, there is plenty of room for different, body types, ages ethnicities etc
What are some of the unique challenges of casting for fashion-based films compared to other types of films?
The perennial challenge is finding models who can perform. Just because someone looks gorgeous in a photo doesn't mean they have the ability to perform on film.
Just because someone looks gorgeous in a photo doesn't mean they have the ability to perform on film.
We often get feedback that the models couldn't act, so we'll go down the actor's route and they don't have the right look.
We have to explain that people with supermodel looks, and good acting ability are probably in Hollywood or, at least, not available for the fee 😆
How do briefs differ for the variety of fashion-based categories (i.e. high street fashion, premium/fashion films)?
High fashion is still more likely to require a model of 'traditional model size' as they only have samples in limited sizes. UK street fashion caters for all sizes and will always want to represent that in their ads.
Gone are the days when a client would ask for just one curvy girl in a campaign.
Most times these days, high street fashion wants to see a wide variety of models in all sizes which reflects their customers
How do you balance the need for models who can showcase clothing with the need for actors who can deliver lines and perform dramatic scenes?
It can be a struggle.
Gone are the days when a client would ask for just one curvy girl in a campaign.
Clients really have to understand that while models need to be good performers that is a big leap to being an actual actor which is definitely an additional skill
What are some of the boldest casting choices in fashion-led films you've seen recently?
The first thing that comes to mind is the Jari Jones Calvin Klein spot.
We've come a long way since Kate Moss and Marky Mark
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Above: Trans model Jari Jones in a striking Calvin Klein advert. "We've come a long way since Kate Moss and Marky Mark."
Can you give an example of a particularly challenging casting experience for a fashion-based film and how you overcame it?
I once cast a film for a VERY well-known, VERY high-end fashion brand.
They requested that I street cast in one weekend, but all their references were 90's supermodels (Kate Moss, Amber Valleta, Nadja Auermann). I had to explain that if I could street cast these kinds of models in a weekend, I wouldn't be sitting in my Shoreditch office; I'd be sipping Piña Coladas in Mauritius. We eventually agreed that I could cast new faces from model agencies. They informed me that everyone would only have one line to say, so despite my advice, they chose to cast people solely based on photos.
I had to explain that if I could street cast [supermodels] in a weekend, I wouldn't be sitting in my Shoreditch office; I'd be sipping Piña Coladas in Mauritius.
On the day of filming, models were scheduled throughout the day as they would only be needed for an hour each. At 4 pm, I received a panicked phone call asking me to cancel all the remaining models for the day. Despite working since 9 am, they had only managed to film two models. It turned out that instead of having just one line each, the models had been given a really complicated, full page of dialogue that had been translated from French and made no sense at all. The assumption was that everyone would be able to learn it on the day!
We rearranged some of the models and I ensured that they all had a copy of the script to at least become familiar with overnight. The second day went much smoother, but the experience taught the client to always be upfront with everyone involved about their plans.
