Frequently asked questions

Yes and no. Everyone is welcome at Modelwise, but if you're under 18 you can't hold your own account: your parent or legal guardian registers for you (or completes the registration with you), and their contact details go on the account. All job invitations, agreements and payments run through them, and under-18s never accept a booking themselves; that decision always goes through your parents.

Your measurements and, most importantly, your photos. Already working as a professional model or actor? Upload your professional material. If not, your best photos will do just fine. Either way, add a few polaroids: real, unedited photos without make-up, showing how you actually look. The more photos you upload, the richer your profile and the better we can match you. Then complete the rest of the flow (your skills, where you live, and so on); all in all it takes about 5 to 10 minutes.

Completely free. No sign-up fees, no membership fees, no "portfolio costs". Ever. We make our money on the client side of the booking, not by charging talent. One tip that goes for the whole industry: never pay an agency just to be registered.

Sure thing. We're not a traditional agency; think of us as a booking platform that connects you directly with clients. Whether you're a signed model, a signed actor or an independent freelancer, we'd love to have you on board. Do check your agency contract for exclusivity clauses, and you can indicate in your account in which countries you can work with us directly.

No. Modelwise works with talent all over the world, so it doesn't matter whether your country works with a chamber of commerce registration (like the Dutch KvK), a trade licence or nothing at all. If you're registered as a business, you simply invoice us after the job. If you're not, we provide a receipt form that works exactly like an invoice but uses your personal details instead of a company number. Either way you get paid the same way, at the same speed. You do remain responsible for reporting your own income (more under "What about tax?").

Almost no one, and that's on purpose. We run a fully closed platform: your profile is not public, not listed on our website and not browsable. The only way a client sees your profile is when they submit a casting request and you match that specific brief. Down the road, select brands that book with us frequently will get their own portal, under the same privacy rules. And we'll never use footage of you in our own communications without your consent.

We match you based on your measurements and, even more, on your photos, which we analyse in detail. The more (and more varied) photos you upload, the better we can match you: hobbies, skills, different looks, sports, anything. Seriously, a hundred photos is not too many. For video productions we also look at your acting background, your experience and your showreel if you have one, and sometimes we'll check your Instagram or TikTok to see how you look right now and what you can do on camera. The more you upload and share, the better we can match you.

Your first name, your measurements and your portfolio photos including digitals. If your digitals are a bit older, we might ask for fresh ones. Only if you make it to the client's final shortlist (on average the last 5) will we ask you for one casting video, never earlier.

Yes, and it pays off, because your photos are what gets you booked. Your profile picture should be a high-quality, colour, frontal headshot. All photos should be:

• JPEG or PNG, preferably larger than 1MB
• Sharp and high quality (no blur, no heavy filters)
• Recent and representative of how you look right now
• Free of logos or branding (magazine covers excepted)
• No selfies, mirror shots or screenshots
• No nudity or offensive content

Yes and no. You can't upload videos directly yet; that's coming later. What you can do is add links to your profile, including your showreel, so your profile points straight to your best video work.

We use your details to check whether you're a match for a client's brief, and your email address or phone number to contact you about jobs, your account or the occasional feedback request. We never sell your data or share it with third parties.

Absolutely, and please do: an up-to-date profile gets booked, an outdated one doesn't. Clients expect you to look like your photos. Log in, go to 'Profile', hit 'Edit' and save your changes. Our advice: update your profile twice a year, no more; more often is a waste of your time. The exception is a big change in your look, like cutting your hair much shorter or colouring it. Update your profile right away when that happens.

Yes. Send us a message and we'll pause all job invitations until you tell us otherwise. Your profile and photos stay safely in place for when you're ready to come back.

Send an email to info@modelwise.agency and we'll take care of it. We'd love to hear why you're leaving; it helps us do better. And you're always welcome back.

You don't have to. We invite you when there's a genuine match, by WhatsApp and/or email. No endless applying, no spam, no wasted time. That's a promise: we only reach out when it's worth your while.

• The brief. A client submits a brief and we match it against our talent pool.
• Shortlist. The client picks their favourites from our selection, sometimes along with a casting tape with a few questions.
• Job invitation. Are you one of their picks? Then you get the job details and the offer by WhatsApp and/or email, and it's your call whether you're in.
• Confirmation. The client confirms based on your recent photos, your availability and your casting video. Booked or not, we always let you know, by WhatsApp/email and in your account.
• Final details. We send you all practical shoot info as soon as we have it.
• Payment. After the job, the client pays us and we pay you. More on timing below.

We'll notify you by email and/or WhatsApp, and you can always check the status of any job in your dashboard.

As soon as possible. We depend on the client for the final details, and fair warning: most clients only deliver the call sheet the day before the shoot, around 5 pm, so expect it in your inbox around 6 or 7 that evening. We'd love to send it earlier, but it's not always in our hands. We'll always make sure you have everything you need in time.

Honest answer: that depends on how well you match the briefs coming in, and it varies enormously. Some talent get proposed thirty times a year, others once or twice, or not at all, simply because no brief matches. Someone proposed twenty times may never get shortlisted, while someone proposed five times gets shortlisted four times; there's no pattern to force. What we do see: certain faces simply click with certain commercials and shoots, and those people get booked more often. And keep in mind we're not a boutique agency with a small board; we work with a database of thousands, so for many talent this is an extra shoot a year, not a full calendar. Keep your profile complete and current; it directly increases your chances.

Before you're booked: you can withdraw, but please only apply when you're sure you can commit. After a booking is confirmed it's binding, for you and for the client. Cancelling is only possible in serious situations such as illness, an accident or a death in your close family. If that happens, let us know immediately: reply in the WhatsApp thread if you have one, otherwise call or email us right away so we can find a solution with the client.

First, the honest part, because we'd rather you read this now than find out later: the scale below comes from our own terms, and we push for it in every deal, but some clients work on their own contracts instead of ours. So we can't guarantee it in every single booking; what we can promise is that we always aim to protect you this way, and that we'll always look for the best solution together with you and the client.

The scale we push for: if the client cancels more than 72 hours before your call time, you receive 25% of your day fee. Between 72 and 24 hours: 50%. Within 24 hours (or once the day has started): 100%. Your day fee here means your fee for the shoot day itself, excluding buy-out and expenses; costs you've already made (like travel) are reimbursed on top. If the client moves the shoot at short notice, that counts as a cancellation, unless you're offered a replacement day within 14 days that works for you and you accept it. Moving a shoot well in advance is simply arranged in consultation with you.

Overtime happens; you should get paid for it. Overtime is compensated at 150% of your hourly rate (your day fee divided by the agreed working hours). Agree on overtime with the client on set before you leave, and let us know within 24 hours by WhatsApp or email. The client reports it to us too, and we add it to the payment.

It differs per country and per type of production. In the Netherlands, a standard day is 8 hours for a photo shoot and 10 hours for a video production; in South Africa, 12 hours is common. We simply follow the standards of the country where the shoot takes place, and if a job deviates far from those, we'll flag it to you up front. Anything beyond the standard day is overtime (see above). In doubt? Just ask us.

Travel costs are covered at almost every shoot; the job invitation states whether they are. The rate differs per production company or client and ranges from EUR 0.23 to EUR 0.45 per kilometre, and public transport costs are reimbursed too. So don't worry about it; so far this has always worked out. Do send us your costs (and receipts) as soon as possible, so we can invoice the client and provide proof if they ask for it. Other expenses are only covered when agreed in advance, so when in doubt, ask us first.

Your fee has two parts: payment for your time on set, and a buy-out, which is the compensation for the client's right to use the images. Every booking states exactly what that use is: which channels, for how long, and in which countries or regions. Wants the client to use your images longer or elsewhere? Then they pay an extension, and you get paid again. Your job invitation always states exactly what the buy-out covers, so you know what you're saying yes to.

Tell us straight away. Contractually this sits between you and the end client, since they're the one signing for the assignment, but we'll do everything in our power to protect you. Where our terms apply, the clause is firm: if the client stops within a week of notice, they owe a repeat fee equal to the buy-out; if they don't, a penalty of three times the buy-out applies (with a minimum of EUR 5,000 per breach). And in every case we'll help you take action, from drafting the legal emails to chasing the client until they pay and put things right. Your face is our reputation too. For the record: this has never happened with our own clients.

Nude shoots: no. We simply don't do them at Modelwise. Lingerie shoots do happen; they carry separate rates and are always clearly flagged in the brief, so you know exactly what kind of shots are planned before you say yes. Declining a lingerie brief never counts against you.

Not until the campaign is first published; that's part of every booking. Behind-the-scenes content is fine as long as no product, clothing or styling is visible. Anything beyond that needs the client's written approval first. When in doubt, check with us before you post.

We take this seriously. Everyone working with Modelwise commits to our Rules of Engagement: fairness, respect, empowerment, safety, professionalism and growth. If anything on set feels unsafe or inappropriate: call us, email us, DM us, whatever works for you. We always have your back and we'll act on it. Is it really serious? Then call 112 (or your local emergency number) first. Fortunately we've never had to deal with this, but one rotten apple is all it takes. Prefer not to contact us directly? We also work with an independent confidential counsellor: Karim Sahhar (info@karimsahhar.com). He is fully independent from Modelwise and shares nothing with us or anyone else; whatever you discuss stays between you. And you'll never be penalised for raising a concern.

Not without your explicit say-so. AI use is off by default in every Modelwise booking. If a client wants to license your likeness for AI-generated content, that only happens through a separate AI likeness agreement: licensed, paid and approved by you, per use. You always keep control, and you always get paid.

An Ethical AI shoot is a shoot without a physical shoot day: only your likeness is used to produce the photos and/or videos. That also means there's no day fee, just a buy-out. Why do we call it ethical? Because you're still the model being cast and paid, instead of being replaced by AI altogether, and we always aim for a fair buy-out that matches what a real shoot would pay. There's also a hybrid Ethical AI shoot: a physical shoot combined with content or visuals that are produced with AI.

In an Ethical AI shoot, a few things matter extra. Who gets to create the AI likeness (the training model), and who owns it? In every case, that's you, the talent. The client may only use that model with your consent, and only for the agreed shoot. That's always spelled out clearly: which shoot it is, how many visuals will be made, whether it's photos and/or videos, and a maximum number. A buy-out is attached to those visuals, just like at a traditional shoot, for a period of one or two years depending on the channels and the continents, countries or regions, so everything happens properly. On top of that, you always have the right to have the data deleted. And crucially: all of this comes back in the contract. That can be one main contract with annexes, or even several contracts when more parties are involved.

Consent works much like a normal shoot: you give permission for a set number of visuals, for a specific purpose, channel, campaign and duration. The difference: at a real shoot it's often unclear how many photos will be taken, while at an AI shoot we want the number of visuals nailed down up front. Compensation is tied to the use of the images or videos: just like at most traditional shoots, the buy-out kicks in the moment the campaign goes live. If the visuals never go live, the contract always includes an amount that compensates the time you spent supplying your photos; and at a hybrid shoot you receive your half-day or full-day fee. Either way, you're always compensated fairly for the time you put in.

Nothing out of your pocket. We take a 30% take rate on the total amount the client pays: if a client pays EUR 1,000, EUR 300 is for us and EUR 700 goes to you. That's how virtually every booking works, and the fee in your job invitation is always exactly what you'll receive. In exceptional situations, say management layers or a low-budget job where 30% would make the deal unworkable for everyone, we lower our share so the job can still go ahead. What never happens: charges, deductions or surprise fees on your side.

After the job you send us your invoice, or, if you're not registered as a business, the receipt form we provide (automated payouts are on our roadmap). Clients work with standard payment terms of 30 to 60 days; we ask for 30 days ourselves, but almost no production house or brand pays that fast. Our promise: once the client's payment is in, the money is in your account within 24 hours. We're not in a position to advance fees ourselves, but if you'd rather not wait, we offer an early-payout option through Duqu.io: a short-term advance at 2.9% per month, so you can receive your money right away.

Then we get to work. We chase the client, send the reminders, have the awkward conversations and, if it comes to that, put a collection agency on it, and we keep you posted throughout. Formally, the payment obligation for your fee sits with the client (we act as the payment facilitator, as set out in our terms), so your claim always stays intact. But the chasing is our job, not yours.

Right now, the simplest check is your bank account. When time allows we'll also send you a quick confirmation by WhatsApp or email, and as Modelwise grows this will all be automated. Want to know exactly where a payment stands in the meantime? Just ask, we're fully transparent about it.

Almost certainly. We can transfer to bank accounts worldwide, with the exception of countries that Dutch banks are not allowed to transact with (sanctioned countries). Just make sure the bank details in your account are correct.

All fees we communicate are gross amounts. You work as an independent professional, so you're responsible for reporting your income; we don't withhold tax and we're not your employer. That's true whether you invoice as a business or use our receipt form. Questions? Ask us, we're happy to point you in the right direction.

Yes, really. With every booking you can choose to convert a percentage of your earned fee, say 15%, 20%, 25% or more, into options in Modelwise. You deduct that amount from your invoice, note it on the invoice and let us know; we record it in our registry. At our next major investment round (Series A), your options convert and you receive certificates for your own piece of Modelwise. Your fee, your call.

Your feedback is gold. From highs to lows, send it to hello@modelwise.agency. It genuinely shapes what we build next.

Not an automated one yet. We do ask for reviews now and then, after sign-up or after a job. We'll always ask your permission before using your words anywhere, and staying anonymous is always an option.

Email hello@modelwise.agency or send us a DM on Instagram (@modelwise.official). Urgent matters get picked up as fast as we possibly can; for everything else, allow up to three working days. Is it urgent? Say so, and we'll make sure it's handled quickly.

Yes: find us on Instagram (@modelwise.official) and LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/modelwise-agency), and everything else lives on modelwise.agency. Subscribe to our newsletter for platform updates, tips and the occasional behind-the-scenes.

Send us your brief. The three things that matter most: what kind of talent you're looking for, your budget, and the usage (where and how long the content will run). Already know more, like dates and location? Great, send it along, but we know that in a production not everything is set from day one. We match your brief against our talent pool and send you a curated selection, usually within hours. You pick your favourites, we confirm availability, handle the agreement and the payments, and you shoot. One point of contact, no casting chaos.

Real briefs get real matches within 1 to 24 hours. We send you a longlist as fast as we can; you click your favourites and submit, and that becomes your shortlist. We then check availability straight away, chasing the talent by email, SMS and WhatsApp, so how quickly you have a fully verified shortlist mostly depends on how fast they respond. Either way: speed is kind of our thing.

Models, actors, presenters, dancers, influencers and UGC creators, across the full range of looks, ages and levels of experience. Because we treat talent well, the best freelance talent wants to work with us, and that shows in the quality of your shortlist.

Anywhere, really: we can deliver talent worldwide. To give you an idea, we once cast identical twins from Kyrgyzstan for a KFC commercial aimed at Central Asia, shot in Amsterdam. Whatever look, skill or nationality you need, our way of casting (call it our secret sauce) means we can find it. Just tell us what you need.

Submitting a brief costs nothing. Just want to see which talent fit your brand, like a fashion brand browsing our base? Then the shortlist is free too, and you only pay when you book. A dedicated casting, where we actively search for a specific look or role, carries a casting fee: EUR 250 as the standard for the Netherlands, and EUR 500 to 750 for a European or wider casting. Whatever applies, you'll know the fee before we start.

Your longlist comes with portfolio photos, digitals and key details; everything, really. For the final candidates we can request a recent casting video, so you can see and hear them before you decide. We only ask talent for videos in the final round; it keeps the best talent happy to work with us, and it keeps your process fast.

A 30% take rate on the total contract value, with the standard 20% agency fee already included in it. So: one all-in amount, everything covered, and you see one clear total before you confirm anything; there are never surprises on the invoice. We only deviate from the 30% when a production would otherwise become unworkable, for instance with management layers or real pricing friction. Everyone should be happy with their number, so in those specific cases we lower our percentage.

Simple: we define the exact usage per booking, in plain terms: which channels and distribution channels, for how long, and in which countries or regions. Wider or longer use is priced transparently up front. No usage matrices, no legal maze. Not sure what to expect budget-wise? We often receive the buy-out budget from production companies and give feedback on it, and we're happy to think along and consult on what's realistic for your campaign.

Just tell us, ideally two months before the current period ends, and we'll arrange an extension: 3 to 6 extra months costs 75% of the 12-month buy-out, 7 to 12 months costs 100%, and a full new 12-month period costs 110%. Three months is the minimum extension. Using content beyond the agreed scope without an extension triggers penalty fees under our terms (up to three times the buy-out, with a minimum of EUR 5,000), so a quick heads-up is always the cheaper route.

Nobody, and that's the point: all talent works freelance. Our booking agreement covers the working relationship, usage rights and compliance (including the Dutch DBA rules), so you get none of the employer obligations and all of the paperwork done for you.

The talent fee covers the agreed working hours on set. A standard working day differs per country: in the Netherlands 8 hours for a photo shoot and 10 hours for a video production, in South Africa often 12 hours. Overtime is charged at 150% of the hourly rate (fee divided by agreed hours) and settled through us afterwards. Travel and other expenses are agreed up front in the booking, so the invoice never surprises you.

You receive one invoice after the job, payable within 30 days. We do understand you may have your own payment terms on your side, and we'll try to work with those as best we can. We pay the talent within 24 hours of receiving your payment, which is exactly why the best talent works with us and shows up motivated for your shoot.

Life happens; here's how we keep it fair. Cancelling more than 72 hours before the call time costs 25% of the talent's day fee. Between 72 and 24 hours: 50%. Within 24 hours of the call time (or after the day has started): 100%. Direct costs already incurred (travel, accommodation, styling, location) are invoiced separately. Moving a shoot within those windows counts as a cancellation, unless the talent accepts a replacement day offered within 14 days; moving it earlier is simply arranged in consultation, at no cost. Production-specific arrangements (like weather calls for outdoor shoots) can be agreed in the booking up front; whatever is agreed is communicated to the talent in advance.

Yes, and we're one of the few places where you can do it right. Every AI likeness on Modelwise is licensed, paid for and approved by the talent, through a dedicated AI likeness agreement. You get legal certainty and usable rights; talent gets control and fair pay. AI use is never included in a standard booking by default, so if you're planning AI content, flag it in your brief and we'll set it up properly.

Because AI productions should be as fair as traditional shoots, and because unlicensed AI likenesses are a legal and reputational risk you don't want attached to your brand. With Modelwise, the rights are clean, documented and paid for. Your legal team will thank you.

Traditional agencies charge both sides, hide their margins and lack speed. We charge transparently, pay talent fast and fairly, and match on data and photos instead of gut feeling and phone tag. And because we're a matchmaking platform rather than a boutique board, the pool is on a different scale: over 5,000 talents of our own and around 150,000 in our wider network. One overview of the whole market, so through Modelwise you can find everyone. Better working practices attract better talent, and better talent means better work for you. That's the whole model.

Bas Gerritsen. He founded Modelwise in Amsterdam in 2023 after seeing friends who model and act run into the same problems over and over: late payments, big margins quietly disappearing, and agency contracts that brought them no work but did block them from working with anyone else. We're proud that by now we've worked with almost every brand at some point, including Nike, Adidas, McDonald's, ING, Philips, Albert Heijn, Expedia, Garmin and Upwork.

Email hello@modelwise.agency or send your brief straight through the website. We respond within 24 hours on working days, usually a lot faster. And when it's about a casting, we're quicker still: you'll have your first proposals within 24 hours.