Character model is a term used for individuals who are required to create a personality for TV commercials, advertising campaigns, promotional events and film extras. The characters desired can vary between clowns, animals or a punk rocker depending of the role available. To succeed as a character model it is essential to ooze confidence and have a certain amount of acting abilities. Clients will expect for you to dress up in the relevant costume and adapt to the mannerisms and accent of that personality. It is a fun role to accept yet ensure you have the confidence to embrace the opportunity as the employer will have high expectations of you. Giant brands such as Vodafone, Halifax and Kellogg’s may need a character for their commercials at some point; the niches are very varied!

Prior to attending the shoot you will be contacted to go to a casting where the organisers can determine whether you are suitable for the part. Many factors go into the casting process as particular characters have a specific height, weight or features. You may be asked to walk, move or talk like a certain character to ensure that the portrayal is realistic and convincing. There is nothing worse than an actor playing a part for a commercial with the accent completely wrong. You may be put on the spot yet just control your nerves and do your best. Remember the reason that you have been chosen to attend the casting is that you have a striking feature or ability to portray the character properly. Upon being picked for the role you will most likely be told the character that you are needing to play beforehand. Use this time wisely by rehearsing your role whether this is the accent, posture or facial expression that you need to perfect. It is important to impress the employer with your technique rather than arriving with nothing prepared.

Character models can not embarrass or shy easily as the outfits expected to be worn with confidence may be flamboyant, revealing or controversial. It is important to embrace the costume and not to complain if it is heavy, itchy or hot. It is more than likely that you will be wearing the outfit for a long time, which could potentially be uncomfortable yet it is important to remain positive and enthusiastic throughout. The photoshoot will be running to a tight schedule and it is important not to cause a stir due to an issue with the outfit, which may make the itinerary run behind. A negative, unenthusiastic attitude will not make a good impression, which may loose you work as you will not be asked to return for future roles. Depending on the character you may have to sit in hair and make up for a long time as face paint and a tricky hair style may be required to transform you into the personality.

It is a fun occupation with lots of variety as more than likely you will be playing different characters for each role. Practicing different accents and impressions is vital to your success as narrowing yourself to one particular personality may go against you. Even though the profession appears playful and lighthearted character models are serious about their craft. It takes dedication and commitment to perfect a diverse range of characters as some are easier than others. Research various animals, celebs or cartoon characters that you can easily adapt to. Watch their expressions and mannerisms and try to emulate them in front of a mirror or friend. This may take a while to master yet will be very worthwhile as once perfected you can add more characters to your CV and expand your reach. Also, be sure to keep your agency updated as they can then endeavour to promote your talent.