Turkey has a wide and underutilized talent pool for commercial casting. Istanbul in particular has a diverse range of faces, backgrounds, and ages that can serve both local and international briefs. The process, timelines, and cost structure are worth understanding before you start.
How commercial casting works in Turkey
The casting director
For most commercial productions, a casting director is engaged to run the process. They maintain relationships with talent agencies, model agencies, and acting communities, and they understand what the production market looks like in terms of rates and availability. They receive the brief from the production company and develop a casting strategy.
Casting call and submissions
The casting director circulates a brief to relevant talent agencies, specifying look, age range, and any specific requirements. Agencies submit candidates with profile photos, showreels, or model cards. The first review narrows the submissions to a shortlist.
Casting sessions
Shortlisted talent comes in for a casting session. For a standard TVC this is usually a one-day session with the director and client. The casting session is recorded. Talent is asked to perform specific actions or deliver lines. Chemistry reads between talent may be run if there are paired or group scenes.
Approval and contracting
Selected talent is approved by the client, then contracted through their agency. Contracts cover shoot fees and usage rights. Usage rights are a significant cost driver — territory, duration, and media all affect the fee.
Typical timelines
- Casting brief to first submissions: 3–5 days
- Shortlist review and casting session scheduling: 3–5 days
- Casting session: 1 day
- Client approval and contracting: 3–7 days
Total realistic casting timeline: 2–3 weeks from brief to confirmed cast. Rushing this process typically results in suboptimal choices.
Child actor regulations
Working with child actors in Turkey requires permits from the Ministry of Labor. Children under 15 need parental consent and a work permit. Shoot hours are restricted. A designated guardian must be present on set at all times. Productions that don't comply with these regulations face significant legal exposure. This is not an area where improvisation is advisable — confirm the regulatory requirements with your production company before casting children.
Usage fees
Usage fees are often the biggest surprise for brands new to production. The talent fee for the shoot day is one number. The usage fee — covering the right to broadcast or publish the footage — is a separate and often larger number. Usage is calculated by territory (Turkey only, Europe, global), media (broadcast, digital, OOH), and duration (6 months, 1 year, 2 years).
A talent contracted for Turkey-only digital use for 1 year will cost substantially less than the same talent contracted for global broadcast use. Confirm usage requirements before casting begins — choosing talent based on shoot-day fees and discovering later that global usage doubles the cost is a common and avoidable problem.