CASTING CALLS FOR ANIMAL MODELS AND ACTORS!
Animal modelling is a big business and it’s growing bigger. Over recent years, professionally trained animal models and actors, of all shapes and sizes, are becoming more and more important to advertisers in their commercials and campaigns. Animal casting calls for dogs, cats and other pets are also on the rise due to the increasingly popular role that animals now have in films, TV series and within newspaper and magazine editorials.
If you think your talented animal has what it takes to join these highly skilled animals in TV and film, we’d love to hear from you. Through the pet and other animal casting calls, our clients are always on the lookout for new, fresh animal talent to cast in their productions or place on the cover of their glossies.
ALL ANIMAL TALENT WELCOME
Our animal talent agency welcomes talented dogs, cats and any other kind of skilled animal onto our agency’s modelling and acting roster; no one species, rescue animal or ‘different’ pet will be discounted. Cat and dog actors are frequently needed, but we have even received requests for locusts and worms. For our animal casting calls, all we ask of animal applicants is that they are healthy, happy and confident. Kindly note we only work with handlers who engage in consistent positive reinforcement training with their charges and who prioritise the well-being of their animals off and on set.
Your animal star’s profile will be considered by many directors, producers, photographers and agents looking to cast an animal for their project and we always support you and your pet in your work from initial audition stages through to final production or print.
YOUR APPLICATION CHECKLIST:
- Demonstrate your talented animal’s ability, training and skills with video. In our animal casting calls, we can only accept applications from animal parents who have included video footage of their animal’s skills; this is because our clients need to see ability prior to hiring an animal. Kindly note:
- Whether submitting to casting calls for cats, dogs or any other animals, the animal skills should be filmed from a distance of 5-10 feet (around 2 metres) because you will always be behind the camera in the studio; and
- Videos should be shot in different environments, so that our clients know your animal is confident outside the comfort of their own home.
- Show your animal’s appearance and charisma with photos. Animal casting calls require quality submissions, so we only accept applications from animal parents who have given some thought about their animal’s images submitted, because these pictures will be shown to our clients. In this regard please also note:
- We need to see the animal’s face and full body, in both sitting and standing positions;
- We need to see the animal’s personality, so the use of props and clothes can enhance your photos. It’s also exciting to see pictures of your animal in action;
- We don’t need to see the privacy of your home, so think about what you’re happy to have shown online and to our clients. Objects in the back or foreground can be distracting, so try to keep the scene as clear as possible; and
- Please don’t provide filtered images as submissions to these animal casting calls; it’s important for our clients to see the animal in their natural appearance.
- Give your animal their best shot by providing as much information as possible, about both yourself and your animal. We love to hear anecdotes about dogs, cats and other animals needed to become actors and models as well as hearing about their backstory and their personality. You may well find that things you consider irrelevant are often the things that our clients are most interested in.
Contact us for more information on how to get your animal ready for animal casting calls.
FAQs
What's the cost of joining?
There is no cost to join.
What are the benefits of joining?
You will be paid for all the work you do with our agency whenever your animal star is selected for hire by our clients. Animal casting calls have different requirements, so respective fees vary depending on the specific brief for the job being offered.
Do you take a commission?
We take a commission from all the work that we source for your talented animal and this is discussed with you in our confirmation call, so you always receive total transparency throughout the entire booking process.
Will my animal be filmed at home?
Most of the animal modelling and acting work our talent performs occurs in professional filming studios and locations around the country. When animals like dog or cat actors are needed, it is rare that a production crew hiring your animal star will come to you.
Will my travel costs be covered?
After your pet has been chosen from an animal casting call, we ensure travel costs are covered for those selected and we are always transparent about the rates of remuneration for this prior to booking.
When will my animal get paid?
In line with standard practice in the entertainment industry, payment can take anywhere up to eight weeks after filming to complete. However, we pride ourselves on the fact that most payments are effected within five business days.
What skills do animal models and actors need?
This can vary depending on the client’s brief and the species of talented animal sought. However, when cat actors and models or any other animals are needed, all animal stars must be people-friendly and confident in busy and noisy environments (such as on a film set). As part of our animal casting calls, we also insist that all animal models and actors are happy to travel, because we need them to be happy in all aspects of their work when hired.
Does my animal talent need to be insured?
Yes, insurance to a level of third-party cover is always required. Health insurance for pets is preferred, but not always necessary as this is a personal financial matter for each handler.
Is The Animal Talent Ltd an exclusive agency?
No; for casting calls for dogs, cats or any other animal, we are happy to work with any animal model and actor who is also signed to other talent agencies and we regularly collaborate with other agents on multi-handler shoots. In our animal casting calls, we believe in optimising the opportunities available for every talented animal and representation exclusivity tends to thwart this aspiration; it’s unfair to you and unnecessary for us. There is more than enough work for everybody!
What happens if my animal is accepted onto the roster?
The Animal Talent Ltd will compile an online profile for your animal star and promote it amongst our clients who are looking to hire an animal model or actor. This will enable them to view his or her profile, including the biography, images and videos.
If your talented animal is selected for hire by our clients after the animal casting calls, we will call you to discuss the brief for the project before any commitments are requested from you; we always ensure you are fully informed and happy to proceed with every job offered.
How often will my animal model and actor work?
This definitely varies from animal to animal and we cannot give a definitive answer. Trends in species and breeds vary; the more skilled and confident the talented animal is, the more work they are likely to secure. However, we always promote your animal star and support you in your endeavours for continued training and enrichment.
Do I need an Animal Activities Licence?
The particularly pervasive myth to the effect that a licence is required for all animals generating a gross income in excess of £1,000 per annum, from their being kept or trained for use in live audience or recorded productions and/or print media, is incorrect. In fact, the contrary is the case; if an animal earns an income below the annual HMRC trading income allowance (presently set at £1,000), a license is not required for their activities and they can still participate in the animal casting calls. Conversely, if the sum earned is above this amount, a licence may be required in the event the activities are carried on in the course of a business.
In order to determine if the activity is conducted in the course of a business, the local authority will consider:
- Whether it is conducted with a view to making a profit or making any commission/fee; and
- HMRC’s nine so-called Badges of Trade
It follows that an individual’s requirement for a licence will always be assessed on a case-by-case basis. It is always a subjective test.
To learn more about the nine Badges of Trade and the Animal Activities Licence generally, please refer to the information on the Gov website. Licence applications can be made through your local authority.
Should you have any questions about this, or about dog, cat, other pets and other animal casting calls, or you are still unclear on the legislation, please contact enquiries@theanimaltalent.agency or fill in our contact form
