Hi All......
I was just wondering if anyone can explain exactly what spotlight is, and who can access casting info from there. My DS has been a member since late last year, but we have never had any correspondance from them. I thought we would recieve SOMTHING, even if it was only so and so has viewed your file. Is it only agencies who can recieve casting breakdowns from them? Or is there a performers section with casting info on. I know DS's agency dont use spotlight (ds was put on before we joined current agent) so I have no idea how it workd. We have 2 pin no's, one to view and one to update, but once I login theres not a lot I can access........
Just seems a bit stange
TIA.........Sully x
Spotlight
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sullyandmike
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Spotlight
Take care
Sully x
Sully x
Re: Spotlight
Feedback on Spotlight experience would be really appreciated! DD's drama teacher is keen for her to join and it would be nice to hear how peeps have found it before we part with the money! LOL!
Re: Spotlight
We get quite a good response from Spotlight, our agent only contacts us with ones she thinks is suitable. I think it is worth it and dd has had work via spotlight. You get quiet times as with most things but we wouldn't take her offsapphire wrote:Feedback on Spotlight experience would be really appreciated! DD's drama teacher is keen for her to join and it would be nice to hear how peeps have found it before we part with the money! LOL!
Hope this helps
Re: Spotlight
I can only relate from an adult actor's point of view which may be slightly different but:
Spotlight entry is regarded as essential for a professional actor. However, I don't have any idea how often my entry is viewed or who views it (though I'd quite like to know!). I think Spotlight has such a monopoly that it doesn't need to do all that much to keep the actors happy! If you are unrepresented (and are "care of Spotlight") then you do get some casting breakdowns, but these will be a fraction of those issued to agents via Spotlight. I rarely visit the Spotlight website and I cough up the fee every year somewhat grudgingly! I just know that every CD I have ever spoken to or listened to has emphasised the importance of Spotlight entry. Every professional CD is likely to use it and I always provide a link to my entry in any correspondence. Most CDs I've spoken to say that they never use any other directory...
Many submissions are made via the "spotlight link" so if you are not in Spotlight, you won't get a look-in. Most decent jobs my agent puts me up for are via the Spotlight link.
If I meet up with a potential (mainstream) employer, or if they happen to see my details or see me in something, then they will (if they are interested in finding out more) ALWAYS go to Spotlight. All they need is my name and then they will find my agent, view my showreel, see my CV, listen to my voice, look at my skill base etc. They MIGHT also find me (though probably won't) if they happen to be looking for someone with my mix of looks, skills, accent, experience etc. as they can do a very detailed search for specific criteria (one-legged, red-haired, scuba diver with fluent Norwegian). That's not me by the way. They probably won't be looking for me as they probably already know lots of more experienced white, middle-class, middle-aged, Middle-England, middle-aged-spread types so they don't have to seek me out. If you have special skills or looks though, and they happen to be seeking them, they can find them via Spotlight.
Being in Spotlight is like a plumber's entry in Yellow Pages. It's just where people doing the casting expect to find your details...
Spotlight entry is regarded as essential for a professional actor. However, I don't have any idea how often my entry is viewed or who views it (though I'd quite like to know!). I think Spotlight has such a monopoly that it doesn't need to do all that much to keep the actors happy! If you are unrepresented (and are "care of Spotlight") then you do get some casting breakdowns, but these will be a fraction of those issued to agents via Spotlight. I rarely visit the Spotlight website and I cough up the fee every year somewhat grudgingly! I just know that every CD I have ever spoken to or listened to has emphasised the importance of Spotlight entry. Every professional CD is likely to use it and I always provide a link to my entry in any correspondence. Most CDs I've spoken to say that they never use any other directory...
Many submissions are made via the "spotlight link" so if you are not in Spotlight, you won't get a look-in. Most decent jobs my agent puts me up for are via the Spotlight link.
If I meet up with a potential (mainstream) employer, or if they happen to see my details or see me in something, then they will (if they are interested in finding out more) ALWAYS go to Spotlight. All they need is my name and then they will find my agent, view my showreel, see my CV, listen to my voice, look at my skill base etc. They MIGHT also find me (though probably won't) if they happen to be looking for someone with my mix of looks, skills, accent, experience etc. as they can do a very detailed search for specific criteria (one-legged, red-haired, scuba diver with fluent Norwegian). That's not me by the way. They probably won't be looking for me as they probably already know lots of more experienced white, middle-class, middle-aged, Middle-England, middle-aged-spread types so they don't have to seek me out. If you have special skills or looks though, and they happen to be seeking them, they can find them via Spotlight.
Being in Spotlight is like a plumber's entry in Yellow Pages. It's just where people doing the casting expect to find your details...
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sullyandmike
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- Joined: Fri Jun 05, 2009 3:17 pm
Re: Spotlight
I agree with all that's been said - however I do feel it is a little odd that there is no audition or interview to join! How can they tell if you have any talent? It seems that having approximately £100 spare a year is more important than actually being able to perform well, a shame in my opinion. The only reason we haven't joined is the money. 
Re: Spotlight
Is there no kind of vetting for young people?
Adult actors can only be in Spotlight if they have trained on an accredited course or have had paid professional work (not modelling or background).
Adult actors can only be in Spotlight if they have trained on an accredited course or have had paid professional work (not modelling or background).
Re: Spotlight
Children have to be in a stageschool or with an agentpg wrote:Is there no kind of vetting for young people?
Adult actors can only be in Spotlight if they have trained on an accredited course or have had paid professional work (not modelling or background).
Re: Spotlight
Exactly! This just proves my point! Only those with money can go to stage school, and very few agents charge no fee (ours is one of the few that doesn't.) 
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aliceinwonderinc
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Re: Spotlight
Actually, all good agents don't charge a fee. If your agent is charging then they're not worth being with anyway.igloobabe wrote:Exactly! This just proves my point! Only those with money can go to stage school, and very few agents charge no fee (ours is one of the few that doesn't.) :x
If you think about it, almost all agents audition actors before they put them on their books, or else they will have seen them in something and will have picked them out because they have talent. And only talented children get into stage schools, so as one of those are essential to get into Spotlight, I suppose they think that everyone in will be talented.
And as pg said, if you're not in Spotlight, you basically don't exist to c.ds. It's annoying, but there you go.