Modeling Through the Web: The Internet Casting Experience

Well, recently I applied to a job on Craigslist and it was a reminder of WHY I don't usually use Craigslist, I must have emailed the guy 5 times!! and I still didn't know what the job was, and the details. Then I get a voicemail saying it was the photographer and he wanted to share his idea with me. I never even told him to call me and he didn't ask if it was ok to call. It was "my bad" that I had my email included in the email....and I suggest taking off personal information attached to yoru email like your address or phone number until you are comfortable with the job and the person on the other side of the computer screen.....Anyways let me be the first to say, Craigslist is amazing and I used it to build my modeling portfolio and it helped me to approach and get a modeling agent with credits from Univision, tearsheets from catalogs, shoe companies, and great test shoots, among many more which all later lead to bigger things. Craigslist is amazing, but like all things on the web, you have to always be careful and cautious! The biggest thing is to ask questions. Any casting you apply to on any Internet casting site comes with the baggage of knowing " this could be bullshit." So take into account these things:
1. Sending your photos and just meeting some random person at a cafe or his apartment isn't the best way to launch into modeling or try to get work because usually it leads to BS.
2. Be picky about the jobs you submit your photo to and ask yourself "how will this modeling job bring more work to me, and improve my portfolio?"
3. Send a photo that matches what the casting is looking for. When the job says Shoe model, don't send yourself in a thong.
4. This is SOO SOOOOO important: Just because the job title and the description sound good, That ALONE ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH, you need to ask questions.
What is the job, what is it for, is this print, is this for an all day shoot, what does it involve and what does it pay?

This is good for a couple of reasons.
1. Sometimes posts say they are paying one thing and end up paying something else, this confirms the rate.
2. You can also get a better feel for the job, if you really want to sign up for it, and if you want to go to the next step which is meeting the casting director, photographer, ect.
3. It is also important to ask questions because you want to be able to later go back and have the address, the job, everything on file and your email account can be a great reference should something go wrong. Safety!
4. There are great opportunities out there, you just need to approach them with a great attitude and also a serious interest in getting ALL the information ahead of time.

Doesn't waste your time and no one elses!

Goodluck!