Hi guys.
I recently became a member of Spotlight and was wondering if anyone has any insights on a few things. From other sites such as CastingCallPro, StarNow, Mandy, etc, I have a pretty good rate at getting auditions for things I apply for - do you find that you are similarly successful from Spotlight or are auditions more difficult to get due to the calibre of work? Also, lets say your agent submitted you for a specific job on the link board, how long on average is it until you hear about being asked to audition (if asked!), or does this vary? And also, are jobs posted on there during the weekend, or is it Monday-Friday? Really happy to be on there but, as it's not in my control to suggest myself for things like other services, I'd love to know a bit more about how it generally works.
Thanks!
Bebo
Getting auditions from Spotlight
Moderator: busybusybusy
Re: Getting auditions from Spotlight
In my experience there are many more paid opportunities that go through Spotlight, though (distressingly, in my view) there seem to be more and more unpaid jobs going through Spotlight now too.
Jobs are posted to Spotlight at all hours of the day and night, but of course if your agent is the one responsible for submitting you then that is only likely to happen during the agent's office hours. Do you have an agent?
I think the question about how likely you are to get auditions is almost impossible to answer. However, if you have a good hit rate from the other sites then I would say that this is encouraging. Have these been for paid opportunities?
Many of the opportunities that are cast via the Spotlight link will not go out to all subscribers, so there will be quite a number that you will never know about.
The other point about Spotlight is that it is the most-used directory in the business (by far). Casting Directors do use Spotlight to search for actors as well as looking at submissions from agents. Of course, if you happen to be in a "common" group (e.g. white, young, female, middle class) and you don't have a lot of experience and you have no showreel, then the chance of being noticed/called in by a CD is unfortunately very slim indeed.
The amount of time it takes before you know whether you have been called for an audition can vary considerably. If it's for a commercial, the turn around is usually very quick, if it's for theatre it can be a longer process and for film it can vary from a very short time (next day audition) to weeks or even longer. It depends on the production schedule and the nature of the casting (and the style of the CD sometimes). It also partly depends on where you are in the pecking order. If you are a newcomer, you are often assumed to be available at the drop of a hat so you won't necessarily have much notice of auditions. The hard truth is that newcomers' feelings, schedules, availability etc are given very little thought because if one newcomer is not available, there will always be another one that is...
Jobs are posted to Spotlight at all hours of the day and night, but of course if your agent is the one responsible for submitting you then that is only likely to happen during the agent's office hours. Do you have an agent?
I think the question about how likely you are to get auditions is almost impossible to answer. However, if you have a good hit rate from the other sites then I would say that this is encouraging. Have these been for paid opportunities?
Many of the opportunities that are cast via the Spotlight link will not go out to all subscribers, so there will be quite a number that you will never know about.
The other point about Spotlight is that it is the most-used directory in the business (by far). Casting Directors do use Spotlight to search for actors as well as looking at submissions from agents. Of course, if you happen to be in a "common" group (e.g. white, young, female, middle class) and you don't have a lot of experience and you have no showreel, then the chance of being noticed/called in by a CD is unfortunately very slim indeed.
The amount of time it takes before you know whether you have been called for an audition can vary considerably. If it's for a commercial, the turn around is usually very quick, if it's for theatre it can be a longer process and for film it can vary from a very short time (next day audition) to weeks or even longer. It depends on the production schedule and the nature of the casting (and the style of the CD sometimes). It also partly depends on where you are in the pecking order. If you are a newcomer, you are often assumed to be available at the drop of a hat so you won't necessarily have much notice of auditions. The hard truth is that newcomers' feelings, schedules, availability etc are given very little thought because if one newcomer is not available, there will always be another one that is...
Re: Getting auditions from Spotlight
Thankyou for your reply, yes I have an agent and have had some good, paid jobs before joining Spotlight - most of which I've found myself. Really appreciate the info you've given me
- It's been a long, hard slog just to get on Spotlight, so it's been a bit of a milestone, but now I'm on there, it's kind of a 'what next' type of feeling!
Many thanks,
Bebo
- It's been a long, hard slog just to get on Spotlight, so it's been a bit of a milestone, but now I'm on there, it's kind of a 'what next' type of feeling!
Many thanks,
Bebo
Re: Getting auditions from Spotlight
Yes, I understand the "what next" feeling!
I think it is a milestone, and the fact that you have had paid jobs before is very encouraging, but you probably do have to carry on as you have been doing: looking for opportunities yourself and being as proactive as you can.
Best of luck!
I think it is a milestone, and the fact that you have had paid jobs before is very encouraging, but you probably do have to carry on as you have been doing: looking for opportunities yourself and being as proactive as you can.
Best of luck!