Commercial modeling guide: tips and tricks for a successful shoot
hello. Spotlite is the one place to find talent that aligns with your brand.
Before we knew it, Spotlite's got over 1400 professional models from around the world. Some models specialize in a particular field, while others are multi-faceted. One type of model that is in high demand in Asia, including Korea, is commercial models, who promote products or services through commercials, brand campaigns, TV ads, and print materials. Commercial models are exposed to the public through various media and visually demonstrate the advantages of various products, mainly fashion, beauty, health, household goods, electronics, automobiles, etc. Choosing a good commercial model requires practical judgment and preparation. In this article, we'll show you how to effectively source commercial models and how to make your shoot a success. Read on to learn how you can better communicate your brand's goals and message.
Practical tips for hiring commercial models
1. Find an image that fits your brand
The first and foremost factor to consider is brand and model alignment. You want to find a model that naturally expresses the feel and values of your brand. For example, if you're a naturalist brand like a pool attendant, it's important to choose a model with a harmless and pure image. On the other hand, if you're a luxury brand like a high-end residential brand, a model with an elegant and sophisticated look is perfect.
Pro tip: Try matching your brand's target audience with your models.
Clearly define who your target audience is, and choose a model's look and stylethat they can relate to.
2. Check the expressiveness of your model
In commercial photography, models need to be more than just pretty or handsome, they need to have natural facial expressions and emotions. This is to visually convey the features and benefits of the product or service in the ad. The model shouldn't be more prominent than the product. It's important to see how you can convey your message through different facial expressions and movements.
Practical tip: If possible, check out the model's previous commercial work.
This will give you an idea of what style the model has and how well they express emotions in commercial shoots.
(Left) Model Minhye Kim Learn more > (Right) Model Jakub Learn more
3. Find validated models on the platform at once
The most time-consuming part of the modeling process is actually finding and vetting models. We need to find models that match our brand and image, check their real-life experience, and make sure their work is as close to life as possible. This is where a professional modeling platform like Spotlite comes in. The platform gives you a bird's eye view of a model's experience, portfolio, and even social media activity, which can significantly reduce your search time. You can also filter by your preferences (looks, shoot environment, budget, etc.), making your model search faster and more accurate.
Pro tip: Make sure to utilize the filters feature to quickly find models that fit your brand's concept.
You'll be able to compare multiple options within your budget, giving you even more choices.
On-location know-how for successful commercial shoots
Set a clear concept
It's hard to work with models if your concept isn't clear from the start. Clarify your brand's goals and messagefirst, and share them with your model. If the model fully understands the concept before the shoot, any styling or facial expressions required on location will come more naturally and the process will go much faster.
Practical tip: Before your shoot, prepare a simple image reference or moodboard. Sharing this with your models and crew will make it easier to set the tone and direction for the shoot.
Rehearse unconditionally
Rehearsalsare essential to ensure that everything goes smoothly on the day of the shoot. Rehearsals allow you to go over your model' s poses, movements, and movementsin advance to reduce unnecessary reshoots on location.
Practical tip: Unexpected things can happen in the middle of a rehearsal, so have a Plan Bready. Flexibility is key when you're on a tight shooting schedule.
Be proactive
The key to a successful shoot is good communication between team members. Close collaboration with the photographer, stylist, and makeup artist is key. The model is also an important part of this communication, so the entire team needs to be on the same page.
Practical tip: Why not have a quick briefingwith your team and model before the shoot starts? Make sure everyone understands the concept and goals of the shoot, and you'll have a smoother, more efficient shoot.
Matching products and models
The key to a commercial shoot is for your product to blend in with the model and stand out. You'll need to give your model specific instructions on how to handle the product and how to stage the scene. Explaining the product's usage and features to the model before the shoot will make it more natural and effective.
Pro tip: Letting your model know in advance about any special poses or staging techniquesthat will highlight your product during the shoot can help you showcase it more effectively.
Hiring commercial models is an important part of effectively communicating your brand's message to your audienceand can make or break the success of your campaigns and ads. To ensure that your models accurately represent your brand, you need to carefully consider their experience, expressiveness, and fit with your brand image. A professional modeling platform like Spotlightcan help you find models faster and more efficiently.