Glossary
The words, in plain language
Definitions of the terms used to book and pay talent. Vendor-neutral: this is how the industry uses them, not how one platform works.
- Booking confirmation
- The point at which a held date becomes committed, ideally evidenced by an accepted offer and a payment rather than a message saying yes.
- Booking inquiry
- A request to hire someone for specific work. A useful inquiry carries the date, the type of work, the location and the duration, which is everything needed to quote.
- Buyout
- A payment for broad or unlimited usage rights, often in place of a time-limited licence.
- Callback
- A second round of a casting, for a shortlist of candidates from the first round.
- Cancellation window
- The notice period within which a booking can be cancelled under stated terms, and after which a fee or forfeited deposit applies.
- Casting
- The process of selecting talent for a specific job, usually by reviewing profiles and often through an audition or callback.
- Chargeback
- A payment reversed by the client's bank or card issuer after it was made. Clear written terms and a record of what was agreed are the main defence.
- Commission
- The percentage an agency or platform takes from a booking. Who pays it, the talent or the client, varies by market and should always be stated up front.
- Comp card
- A model's summary card: a few key images plus measurements and contact details. The digital equivalent is a profile page with the same information.
- Coordinator
- The person who runs a job end to end: briefing talent, confirming logistics and keeping the client informed.
- Day rate
- The price for a full day of work, usually defined by an agreed number of hours. A half-day rate is typically more than half the day rate, because the day is still broken up.
- Deposit
- A partial payment made to confirm a booking and hold a date. Its practical job is filtering: it separates clients who intend to book from those who are still deciding.
- EPK (electronic press kit)
- A performer's package of music or video, biography, photos and technical requirements, used to pitch for gigs.
- Exclusivity
- An arrangement where talent may only be represented or booked through one agency, usually within a defined market or period.
- Gig
- A single booked engagement, most often used for performance work.
- Hold (date hold)
- A provisional reservation of a date before confirmation. A hold with no payment attached is a soft hold, and soft holds are the most common way to lose a booked day.
- Mother agency
- The agency that first signs and develops a model's career, and typically keeps a share when other agencies book them.
- No-show
- A client or talent who fails to appear for a confirmed booking. Deposits exist largely to make no-shows cost something.
- Offer
- A written quote for a specific job: what will be done, when, and for how much. Unlike a price mentioned in chat, an offer can be accepted or declined and stays on record.
- Payout
- The transfer of earned money to the person who did the work, after any commission or fees are deducted.
- Portfolio
- The curated selection of work shown to prospective clients. Curation matters more than volume: the weakest piece sets the expectation.
- Rate card
- A published list of services and prices. Its main value is doing the negotiating before the conversation starts, and keeping quotes consistent.
- Retainer
- An amount paid to reserve someone's availability over a period, rather than for one job. Common for ongoing or repeat work.
- Roster
- The group of talent an agency or network represents or lists.
- Split
- How a booking's money is divided between the parties involved, such as talent, agency and any referring party.
- Staffing
- Placing multiple people into roles for an event or campaign, usually at short notice and at volume.
- Tear sheet
- A page from a published piece of work, used as evidence of professional credits.
- Usage rights
- Where, how long and in what media a client may use the work produced. Priced separately from the shoot itself, because broader usage is worth more.
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