Journal | The Casting Director

October 14, 2024

From model to... actress in a Marilyn Manson music video

As you probably already know by now, The Casting Director takes in all kinds of talents. Meet one of them: Ilse De Vis. Ilse kick-started her career at 17 as a model, in the meantime landed a job as an actress in a Marilyn Manson music video — and is now a full time presenter at (amongst others) Kanaal Z, the Belgian royal house and at big brands such as Lexus, Volkswagen, Vlerick, BNP and Telenet. We gave her a call to find out everything about her versatile career, how she ended up at the Casting Director and… what she thinks everybody should do in order to record the perfect casting video.

Hi, Ilse! Tell us… how did you end up at The Casting Director?

Gee… that’s been a while! (laughs) When I was 17, I got ‘discovered’ by a modelling agency in Brussels. After that, it didn’t take long before I signed up at a casting agency as well. They arranged me my first job as a presenter: at first only digital at Belgacom TV, later other acting jobs for ‘regular’ television. And through the wonder of word-of-mouth-advertising (you know how that goes), I found myself at the door of Dag Castings. Thanks to his help, I went from VT4 to TMF — and from global commercials to a steady job at Kanaal Z. Besides that, I also had the honour to be one of the first users of the (first) The Casting Director platform. I got to experience the pilot, you might say! (laughs)

What do you think is the biggest advantage about the new and improved The Casting Director?

Well… Obviously the fact that the platform is open to all agencies, isn’t it? Back in the days, it was an unwritten rule to be ‘loyal’ to one agency. Because of this, you missed a lot of opportunities: you simply never even saw them! And that’s different now: agencies all over Europe can put their castings online — which results in more opportunities for the talents who’re looking for jobs. A big fat win, for both sides! Ehem. I have another advantage. That’s okay, right? (laughs) Because another BIG plus of the platform is the amount of time you save. You don’t need to travel miles and miles for a job — you’re not even sure you’ll have!

And today, you just need to record your video when and where it suits you best - and send it in with the click of a button. Easy as pie!

What was your most memorable assignment?

Mmm… difficult to choose only one! But if I have to? Then I guess it’d be the shoot for the music video “This is the new shit”, by Marilyn Manson. Everything was arranged down to the last detail, with tight timesheets and crystal clear briefings. The message was obvious: be at the right time at the right place — and do what you gotta do. As it should! Now, shooting the clip, that was super impressive to start with. I suited up and drove around the streets of Brussels in the role of Marilyn’s personal driver. Cool, but not the most memorable part of my day… Because the thing I’ll never forget, is how — or better: who — this famous man is besides his character. I got to see him without the makeup and even chatted with him for a while. He surprised me: he’s a true philosopher with whom I had some deep and interesting conversations. And on top of that, he bought me an ice cream cone in between shoots. In full make-up. I’ve honestly never seen someone so startled as that salesman! (laughs)

Any golden tips for recording the perfect casting video?

Well, first and foremost: make sure to have as little distraction as possible. You want the spotlight to be pointed at you — and you alone. Choose a white, grey or beige wall for a background — but make sure to pick a colour that matches your complexion. I can never choose grey, for instance, ‘cause it makes me look terribly ill! (laughs)

Next to this, record your video in a room where there’s plenty of natural light. The lighter it is, the better you’ll look. Also, make sure your shot has plenty of head space and that you have enough room for comfortably moving your arms. These are all obvious tips, of course. The thing that matters most to me? Your smile: so important for coming through as warm and welcoming! During a casting video, you have an average of 7 seconds to make a good impression. That’s it. During those first 7 seconds, you have to say ‘hello’, make eye contact and flash that dazzling smile. Always try to connect with the agency, even though you’re looking in your own camera. Did well? Then I believe your shots on getting selected will grow considerably. (smiles)