General
A model comp card has a front side with a full size portrait and a back side with a selection of representative shots from the portfolio — and the model's basic stats (see below) and contact information — printed on both sides of an 8.5" x 5.5" piece of card stock (12 pt stock) (US) or 15×21 cm (Europe, Asia).
Think of your comp card as your marketing tool. This will determine how you want to pose for it and which photos to choose. The casting manager will hardly look for Miss Congeniality with a big teethy smile. Neither is important how pretty you are. What is important is HOW GOOD YOU ARE AT MODELING.
Number of Photos
You need one good headshot for the front side and 4-5 photos for the back of the comp card.
Photo Size
Photo should be at least one Megabyte (=one Megapixel) in size for quality printing, especially the headshot for the front of the comp card.
Posing
Before the photoshoot, pick a dozen of poses you think you can imitate from fashion magazines and practice them in front of a mirror until they feel natural. Strike poses that show elegance and power.
Facial Expression
Some very good photos of you are only good for the family photo book. Nice smiley pictures won’t get you very far. You will not get booked because you are a nice person. Look at the glossies, the models there are all pouting or spot a faint smile. No big teeth smiles.
Make sure your face is not tense. During the photoshoot, close your eyes, think of something and then open your eyes. This usually does the trick.
Front Photo
For the front of the comp card, select your best ¾ portrait shot.
Back Photos
You’ll need 4-5 photos for the back of the comp card. Make sure that at least one photo shows you in full height.
Versatility
The photos at the back should show the different sides of you: glamorous, bohemian, sporty, sexy, grungy, country, business… whatever style you can master. This was you will present your true potential to get you bookings.
Model Stats
| For Men | For Women |
| Height | Height |
| Shirt | Bust |
| Waist | Waist |
| Shoes | Hips |
| Hair Color | Shoes |
| Eye Color | Hair Color |
| Eye Color |
Comp Card Design
Your comp card needs to have a pleasing, not to mention professional, look to attract the attention of the casting manager. This is like packaging for a product. Even if you are not so happy with the results of your photoshoot, your photos will shine when cropped for the maximum effect, or tilted, and nicely arranged in an elegant format.
Take it from the professionals. This comp card that we retouched and designed some time ago, was used in a television program in Canada as a sample of how to design comp cards that get you jobs.
We hope you find these tips helpful. Good luck!
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