Hire models for a video shoot and brand video ads
To hire models for a video shoot on ShootModel, enter your shoot date, city and hours and pick the Model talent type. You see verified adult models who are free that day, with listed rates for your hours. Book one or several, pick the video usage you need and pay through the platform, with the agreement, release and usage license generated for each booking.
Models who can work on camera, booked for the day you are shooting
A photo model and a video model are not always the same person. Stills need a strong pose and a good face. Video needs movement, comfort with repeated takes, the patience to hold a mood for minutes and the ability to hit a mark without looking at it. Some models do both well, and many are better at one. That is why a video booking starts with reels, not just a portfolio.
ShootModel is built for US brands, agencies, producers and in house marketing teams that have a shoot date and a budget. You filter by date, city and hours, compare real rates and book. It does not run a casting call or audition process for you, so for a speaking role ask for a short self tape. If the role is a performance with lines, the hire actors page is the better start.
Match the model to the kind of video
Pick the talent type from what the footage has to do. Booking lengths below are common options, not promises about how long your own shoot will take. Your shot list, setups and location moves decide the real hours.
Product or e-commerce video
- Who to book
- Model, hand model for close ups
- Typical booking
- Half day
- What to check in the reel
- Clean movement with the product, consistent takes
Fashion or lookbook film
- Who to book
- Model
- Typical booking
- Half day or full day
- What to check in the reel
- Walking, turning, fabric movement, steady expression
Paid social ad or UGC style spot
- Who to book
- Model or UGC creator
- Typical booking
- Hourly block or half day
- What to check in the reel
- Natural talking to camera, energy that feels unscripted
Beauty or skincare video
- Who to book
- Model
- Typical booking
- Half day
- What to check in the reel
- Skin close ups, calm face, patience with retakes
Event or brand activation recap
- Who to book
- Promotional models
- Typical booking
- Full day
- What to check in the reel
- Hosting presence, comfort around a crowd
Background in a lifestyle scene
- Who to book
- Extras
- Typical booking
- Half day or full day
- What to check in the reel
- Wardrobe, continuity between takes
For hand close ups of products or jewelry, see hand models. For talking head social ads by creators, see hire content creators.
Book models for your video in four steps
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01
Search with the date and working hours
Open the search above, enter your city, shoot date and the hours you can realistically shoot, then choose Model. Results show who is free on that date with the listed rate for those hours, so you do not spend time on people who cannot make the day.
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02
Watch reels for movement
Open the profiles and play the video samples. Look for relaxed movement and expressions that hold up across several takes. If your video needs a specific skill such as cycling, cooking or dancing, ask before you book whether the model can do it on camera.
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03
Choose the usage for the video
Select where the footage will run: your website, organic social, paid social, connected TV or in store screens. Pick the territory and the duration. Paid advertising and a short organic post are different uses with different license terms, and the booking records exactly what you selected. The usage rights guide explains each option.
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04
Confirm and sign
Use instant booking where enabled, or send a request that the model answers within 24 hours. For requests, your card is charged only on acceptance. Both sides sign the generated agreement, release and usage license online. Keep the signed documents with the project so clients and platforms can see them later.
How much does it cost to hire a model for a video shoot?
Each model on ShootModel sets their own hourly, half day and day rates. There is no single video rate: the model, city, booked hours and usage all change the quote. You compare the listed rate for your hours, add the usage buyout for your release plan, and see the total before you confirm.
The booker pays the listed rate plus the usage buyout. ShootModel takes its 15% platform fee from the talent payout, so nothing is added on top of the quote at checkout. Payment is held until the shoot. The model rates guide explains booking lengths and how hours are counted.
Costs to plan around the booking
- 01Wardrobe, hair and makeup if you supply them
- 02Meals and water on a full day
- 03Extra hours if the shot list runs long
- 04Travel or parking where agreed with the model
- 05Extended usage if the footage moves into paid ads later
Price the schedule you can actually shoot. Two or three setups per hour is easier to budget than an optimistic plan that forces a second booking.
Release and usage for video and paid ads
Video travels. A brand film shot for your site ends up cut into a paid social ad, a retailer page or a trade show loop. Decide the likely uses before the shoot and select them at checkout, because extending later means going back to the model for new terms and sometimes new money.
Each booking generates the agreement, release and usage license with the terms you select. The model release form guide explains the consent to use someone's likeness. Do not present a model as a real customer, patient or employee unless the script and the license clearly allow it. If the video includes minors or restricted products, plan the paperwork separately, since ShootModel talent are verified adults.
Where to find models for a video shoot
Pick the route around how fixed your date is and how much casting help you want.
Modeling agency
- How you book
- Request a package, negotiate availability and rates
- Paperwork and rights
- Negotiated between you and the agency
- Where it works well
- Campaigns with a larger budget and a booker to manage
Casting call sites
- How you book
- Post a breakdown and review submissions
- Paperwork and rights
- Producer prepares contracts and releases
- Where it works well
- Searches with time to review applicants
Freelance marketplaces
- How you book
- Pick a seller and agree a scope
- Paperwork and rights
- Check the service terms and likeness permissions
- Where it works well
- Remote work and simple deliverables
ShootModel
- How you book
- Filter available adults by date, city and hours
- Paperwork and rights
- Agreement, release and usage license generated at booking
- Where it works well
- Paid on location video with a fixed date
To compare submission based casting in more detail, read the Model Mayhem alternatives guide and the Swipecast alternative.
Brief your models before the shoot
Send the call time, address, parking, wardrobe direction, a mood reference and a plain description of the video. Tell the model what the footage will be used for, since that shapes how they act and what they are comfortable with. If there is a hard skill, a spoken line or a product to handle, say so in the brief.
Name one person who approves takes on set. Video shoots stall when several stakeholders disagree about a reading. A short written shot list sent the day before keeps everyone on the same page, and the how to brief a model post has a template to adapt.
FAQ
01How do I hire models for a video shoot?
Hire models by entering your city, shoot date, hours and the Model talent type on ShootModel, then reviewing video reels and listed rates. Pick the usage that matches where the video will run, send a request or use instant booking, and confirm with the total shown before you pay.
02How much does it cost to hire a model for a video shoot?
The cost depends on the model's listed hourly, half day or day rate, the hours you book and the usage you choose. Each ShootModel model sets their own rates, so you compare real totals for your schedule. Budget separately for wardrobe, meals, travel and any extra hours.
03Can I use the same model for photos and video?
Yes, if the model is comfortable on both. Book the full block you need, tell them the video and stills uses up front, and select both in the usage license. Footage and photos can carry different terms, so list each use rather than assuming one covers the other.
04Do models need to sign a release for video?
Yes, get a signed release from every model before filming so permission to use their likeness is documented. A ShootModel booking generates the release with the agreement and usage license. Select the media and duration you need, including paid social if it applies, to avoid gaps later.
05Can I run the footage as paid ads?
Yes, if you select paid advertising as a use at booking. The usage license records the media, territory and duration, so paid social and connected TV are covered only when chosen. If you decide later to run paid ads, extend the usage before the campaign goes live.
06Where can I hire models for a video shoot near me?
Search your shoot city and date to see local models who are free. Los Angeles, New York City and Las Vegas have the deepest US pools, and you can start from the Los Angeles or New York pages. Confirm travel and call time with each shortlisted model.
Put your video shoot talent on the calendar
Search your confirmed shoot date, review the video reels against your shot list and book the models whose availability, rates and usage terms fit your project.
Your next shoot, booked today
Pick a date, a city and a budget. See who is free and book in one step.