Test shoot

A test shoot is a series of test photos used by an agency or production company to assess how a person comes across on camera: in the lighting, in motion, with and without makeup. The images serve for internal casting decisions or as the basis for a Sedcard. They are not production material and are not intended for publication unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Why phone photos are not enough

Even good application photos only show what you look like in a single picture. A test shoot answers different questions: How do you come across under studio lighting? Can you hold a position while the camera is readjusted? Can you follow directions without it looking staged? For a production, this is more important than a particular appearance because it saves time on the day of shooting.

The test shoot also has value for you. You get to know the working method, see how much repetition is needed even for simple shots, and find out whether you are generally comfortable in the situation. If you realize afterward that being in front of the camera is not for you, you have lost nothing.

Scope and clothing

You decide beforehand what will be recorded, not the photographer during the shoot. Common elements include portraits, full-body shots, and a few short movement sequences. Whether and to what extent you undress is an arrangement made before the appointment, and you may set stricter limits at any time. Sexual acts are excluded even during a test shoot; it is part of the casting process.

The casting rules continue to apply: a studio or booked location, at least three people, a support person permitted, and no costs for you.

Rights to the test photos

The most sensitive point is what happens to the images. Test photos show you too, and your right to your own image applies to them just as it does to any published photo. Therefore, clarify in writing:

• who stores the images and who has access to them,
• whether they are used exclusively internally for selection or may be passed on to productions,
• whether individual images will be included in your Sedcard or a profile,
• when and by what means they will be deleted if no collaboration takes place.

A signed Model Release for a test shoot should describe precisely this limited use. A clause granting comprehensive usage rights for all media does not belong in test photos.

What to pay attention to

Ask to see a selection of the photos at the end. You can have images deleted if you do not recognize yourself in them or if they were created against an agreement. Also make a note of who took the photos that day and where the images are stored. If you later want them deleted, you will then know whom to contact and which images you mean.

A test shoot for which you are asked to pay is not a test shoot by a reputable agency, but a sales pitch.