Throughout my time as an active member on Model Mayhem, I have seen many questions in the MM forums about how to properly use the casting and availability notice section. People are always wondering what the difference is, who is being paid and how to effectively use that section of the site in order to receive the most value out of their membership. Posting an availability notice, a travel notice or a casting call is a great way to get noticed by other members and find people to work with. However, it must be done correctly in order to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts which may arise.
Model: Aviva; Photographer: Philipe
Casting call
First, let’s talk about casting calls. A member can post a Basic Casting Call at no cost if he or she is looking for someone to work with. If you want to have a higher response rate for your casting call, give as much detail about the gig as possible. Definitely tell members the tentative date when you are planning to shoot, where the shoot takes place, who else could be involved in the shoot (makeup artists and hair stylists, wardrobe stylists, other models, etc), how long the shoot will be and whether the people that you’re looking to work with will be paid or if it is a trade shoot.
If it’s a casting call that’s labeled “paid” then that means that you are looking to hire someone and pay them money for their services. If you post a “negotiable” or a “TF” casting call and ask for payment from the members responding to you, then your casting call will get flagged for removal. Please do not post your request for jobs for which you want to get paid in the casting section and instead use the availability notices or travel notices (whichever applies) sections.
Sponsored Casting Calls appear at the top of search results but require a payment. Members receive discounts; Basic/Legacy 10%, Premium 15% and VIP members get 20% off. Sponsored Casting Calls also allow non-members to cast for MM talent.
Availability notice
If you are available for gigs in your local area, then it is best that you post an Availability Notice. Your availability notice is a way for you to let other members know that you are available for projects being done locally, which means that you should not have to travel far to get to the location of the shoot. You must indicate if you are a model, photographer, hair stylist, makeup artist, etc. Indicate the date/time that you are available, as well as what type of shoots you are willing to do (fashion, nude, etc). Also, if you mark the availability notice as “paid”, it means that you are looking to get paid for your work and you should also let people know how much you charge per shoot/hour, etc. So, if you are looking for paid work, meaning you want to be paid, then this is the section to post in. If you post a TF availability notice, then that means you are accepting shoots where money is not exchanged.
Model: Aviva; Photographer: IMS Photographic
Travel notice
Lastly, if you are traveling to an area outside of where you live, you should post a Travel Notice letting members know that. Just like with an availability notice, indicate whether you are a photographer, model, makeup artist, etc. Then, let members know your travel dates and the location where you are traveling. Additionally, your travel notice should indicate what types of projects you are looking to do and what your limitations are. Finally, if you post a “paid” travel notice then that means you are looking to get hired and would like to be paid for your service (modeling, photography, etc). You are permitted to ask for transportation and accommodation in exchange for shoot time or for reduced rates when you post a travel notice.
To summarize, when you post a paid casting call that means you are looking to hire talent and pay them. If you post a paid availability notice or travel notice then this means that you are looking for work and would like to get paid. I hope this article was helpful in clarifying the difference between castings calls, availability notices and travel notices. When used correctly, this section of the site is a great way to find people to work with and even get some paid work.
Wishing you all the best!
P.S. If you have any other questions about the use of the site or some of the features, please feel free to post them in the comments section below.