E-casting, or electronic casting, is essentially an extended application of a model for a specific requested job and is the currently common process of model selection, especially for advertising jobs. It allows advertising companies to screen and select talents efficiently and effectively online. Typically, e-castings are self-produced videos by the model or actor but can also be understood as part of the role selection process within a modeling agency’s mediation activities. In the case of e-castings in the form of videos, they usually include a brief introduction and a performance relevant to the scene, reflecting some keyframes of the production. Besides self-produced e-castings, modeling agencies or casting agencies may also be tasked with creating casting tapes. These tapes are then provided to the client via file hosting services or e-boards in a pre-discussed format.

Example scene description, as might be produced by a casting agency:

Our main character, a young woman with radiant, healthy skin, begins her day in her stylishly decorated bathroom. As she prepares in front of the mirror, she receives a message on her smartphone. She reads the message, and a wide smile spreads across her face.

Keyframe: Hand movement, smile.