What Makes a Great Online Casting Profile?

For professional actors, a casting profile is one of the key ways of presenting yourself to the industry. A great profile helps you attract more audition opportunities, bolster your reputation, and serves as your industry calling card. No matter what stage of your career, fresh to the industry or a veteran actor, there are a few guiding principles that will help you get your profile in top shape!

In this article, we’ll run a systems check on your online profiles to make sure everything is looking great, to help you secure more auditions and feel confident in how you’re presenting yourself to the industry!

A Quick Guide to Casting Platforms for Actors

There are a huge variety of casting platforms for actors. For example, there are open access casting websites like StarNow and Backstage. From there, the variety runs right the way through to more pro-focused platforms like Spotlight, Actors Access, and Showcast. For most professional actors, there will be at least one (and very likely more!) profiles that are active online. Depending upon where you live, and what filming market you’re in, there are different industry standards.

Below you’ll find a quick guide to the most used casting platforms in major film markets.

Top US Casting Websites

In America, there are a few major platforms used by professionals. We also have a deep dive guide of the top 5 reputable US Casting Websites.

• Actors Access. The gold standard for professional acting work in the States. For actors with an agent, Actors Access is the must have casting profile to get submitted for jobs theatrical and film jobs via Breakdown Services.
• Casting Networks. Casting Networks is also a professional platform, but is used more often for commercial casting calls than Film/TV auditions.

There are also casting websites that are more commonly used for indie or low budget casting calls. These are great websites for actors to build credits and even secure some paid work.

• Backstage/Mandy Network. A wide variety of indie projects, commercial work and audition notices. Mix of paid and unpaid.
• NY Castings. Exclusively New York. Similar to the above, with a range of paid and unpaid opportunities.
• Casting Frontier. Similar to Backstage/Mandy. Short film, student films, extras casting calls. Some paid work, some unpaid.

Top UK Casting Websites

We have a whole deep dive article on the best UK casting websites. In the UK market, there is one major professional casting site.

• Spotlight. Spotlight is the UK casting website for professional auditions for film, television, theatre and commercial castings.

There are also a variety of casting databases used by newcomers and pros alike.

• Backstage/Mandy Network. Also used in the UK, for similar purposes as above. Student films, indie, commercial and others. Both paid and unpaid acting work.
• StarNow. Indie short films, student work, and some commercial opportunities.

Top Australian Casting Websites

As above, we’ve got a whole deep dive on the Australian Casting Websites here. There are three major professional platforms

• Showcast. This is the platform in Australia, and a must have for professional actors. Most film and TV work is cast through it.
• Casting Networks. A mix of casting opportunities, leaning commercial but also some major film and TV work.
• Altai. A newcomer that is used by a few major casting offices in Australia. Watch this space.

There are also two major indie platforms.

• StarNow. Student films, indie, some commercial work. Mix of paid and unpaid opportunities.
• Backstage. Similar to StarNow, though with perhaps slightly fewer listings in Aus than overseas!

The Basic Elements of the Actor’s Casting Profile

There are three main sections of an actor’s casting profile. These remain consistent across the wide variety of platforms we explore above. The three main components of a casting profile are:

• Headshot. A professionally shot high-quality photograph of the actor.
• Credits and Training. A list of the actor’s experience and education.
• Footage. Filmed material of the actor’s work.

While all profiles will have some way of organising these categories, there is a huge variety in how actors represent themselves online. Below, we dive in to what takes a profile from basic to great, and how to tune up your profile!

What Makes a Great Casting Profile?

There is so much debate about the topic of what makes a great casting profile. Different agents, coaches, and casting directors have different opinions on the exact recipe for a great profile. The ingredients, however, remain basically the same!

In general, you want to make sure that a casting profile fulfills one main job. The main job of the actor’s casting profile is to give the viewer, whoever they may be, an aligned vision of who you are as an actor. You want to make sure that all of your materials are telling the same story.

Casting Directors will rarely spend more than a couple of minutes on your online profile. You can’t expect them to go digging online for every little detail about you. As the actor, it’s your job to spoon feed casting directors what you want them to see!  Show them, up front and centre, the best of the best. Make it easy for them to see who you are and where in the industry you fit.

Guide to Selecting Headshots on Your Casting Profile

First up, we have so many resources on what makes a great headshot. When it comes to what makes a great casting profile, your headshots need to be totally killer. This is true for every single actor whether you’re new to industry or a series regular!

Your headshot is your primary actor marketing tool. A great casting profile will have between 2 and 4 headshots. Your main photo should be this totally killer headshot. This headshot should give a clear idea of your actor type. The remaining 1-3 shots should show a slightly different energy or vibe, but still sit in your essential energy. Most actors include headshot variety because they want to be versatile. But actually, clarity is what gets you actually called in!

For example, an actor who is more bubbly, outgoing and vivacious may have a complementary shot that gives a more subdued and introspective representation. The same actor wouldn’t get much value out of having a shot that reads like a hardened criminal. Including such a shot would be confusing, and unaligned with the actor’s natural casting.

What Credits and Training Should I Include on my Casting Profile?

Casting looks at your credits and training more than you might think. Whether you’re a new or experienced actor, your credits tell a story. The important distinction to keep in mind about this part of your profile is that your credits detail your experience, while your showreel demonstrates your ability. So, if you’re a newer actor, don’t fret! While your credits will vary depending on where you are in your career, you can optimise this section no matter what.

Credits and Training for Newer Actors

Newer actors shouldn’t feel stressed about not having many credits. A new actor with talent is super exciting for a casting director to discover! A brand new actor may have no professional work experience, but some training under your belt. That training is perfectly legitimate information to include in your profile. List your most pertinent training, especially ongoing training at reputable studios or schools. 

While you may be tempted as a newer actor to pad out your experience section, make sure that you are honest about your credits. Casting directors look at actor profiles every day and will be able to tell if you’re trying to represent yourself inauthentically!

Credits and Training for Experienced Actors

As an experienced actor, you may run into an opposite problem to newer actors. There may be too many credits to include! With your experience, it’s not vital that you list every role you’ve ever played. Instead, think about to story you’re telling with your profile. Include your best credits and most relevant training. Only include credits older than 10+ years that are world class.

Remember that clarity is key. You may also wish to consider pruning your credits to align them with the type of work you’re pursuing, and roles that you’re best suited for!

What Footage and Showreels Should Be on a Casting Profile?

The showreel is perhaps the most confusing and anxiety-inducing section of a casting profile for actors. We discussed above that while your credits detail your experience, your showreel demonstrates your ability. Accordingly, you should only include your best work. One knockout demo clip is better than 4 or 5 sub-standard ones.

We have a plethora of amazing resources about what makes a great showreel. To be clear, there are a variety of opinions on the nitty-gritty details of what footage to include and the format of this footage. But casting, like acting, is an art and not a science. There’s no one right answer to which footage will work best for you. In general, though, here are some guiding principles that will help you select your demo clips.

Guiding Principles for Showreels

The first rule of a great casting profile is that you must have at least one demo clip. Before a casting director will invite you to audition, they want to see you act. This demo clip may be a professional showreel, or it may just be a self-tape scene of you acting.

For most new to developing actors, a great self tape or self tape reel is more than sufficient.

You can absolutely make a great profile with one knockout demo clip. In general though, showing 2-3 clips with some contrast in the material will demonstrate what you’re capable of. Don’t upload too many clips, and make sure that your work is high quality and accurately represents your current level of talent. 

The last thing to remember is that we are still trying to tell an aligned story with our material. Remember that we’re spoon feeding our casting directors what kind of roles they should send us auditions for. Lean into your type, and if possible use scripts from recent film or TV shows playing a role that you could realistically be cast in.

Side note: For actors using Actors Access, be ruthless with your footage. It cost $22 per minute to upload clips on Actors Access!

Final Thoughts on What Makes a Great Casting Profile

Hopefully this has given you some clear guidance on what makes a great profile, regardless of the platform. When you evaluate your own profile, ask yourself: are all my materials telling the same story? After going through this guide, you should have a clear idea of any areas that need a little work and the next steps to take!

When an actor’s materials are high-quality and telling a clear story, their opportunities multiply. So, go have a look at your own profiles and see what you can tune up today. If you need help with any of this, we work directly with actors on these questions every day inside our StageMilk Scene Club. Come give us a try!