©Michael Wharley
Casting has changed fundamentally in the web evolution of the last decade, but a good many actors and agents haven’t kept pace. How can they get better results from the ‘Net?
In my piece for The Stage (full article here), I set out to understand how the mechanics of casting have changed in the Internet era and discovered an accelerating pace of change.
The profession’s rapid movement onto the web in the last decade means that online casting – breakdown distribution, submission making, the pre-audition assessment of actors – is now the industry default. Sure, some casting is still done in the old-school, offline way, or simply replicates offline approaches online (I assess an average casting week in the piece).
However, players like Spotlight Link and Casting Call Pro have revolutionised casting by uniting breakdown information and performers’ details: photos, CVs, showreels and voicereels are now shared across the casting supply chain at the touch of the button.
Sound obvious? Perhaps, so. But the knock-on effect is a change in casting director habits and expectations. And my research showed that many actors and agents are hitting and missing as they attempt to keep up.
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Hit – Headshots: Being used successfully. The average Spotlight profile has four shots uploaded. - Miss – CVs: In the online world the CV is seen as a dynamic, not static document, so failures to update stand out. Casting directors bemoaned a widespread failure to update.
- Miss – Showreels / Voicereels: 72% of casting professionals regularly use online video resources, yet only 29% of Spotlight / 10% of CCP actors have video content online (audio is 23% and 10% respectively).
But take a step back and there’s something more profound going on, mirroring the rapid technological developments of recent years.
I asked casting directors to specify the most important resource for assessing an actor online before audition: 9% specified headshots, 28% said credits, and 21% showreels. The largest proportion, 41%, cited the whole package. As I reflect in the piece:
“Many are already using an actor’s online presence – predominantly on Spotlight – as a fluid entity, dipping in and out of the variety of resources.”
In other words, these professionals are using a Spotlight or CCP profile just like you or I would any other website: they want it to be flexible, multi-faceted, up-to-date and to give them what they need, exactly when they need it.
It’s a truth that has implications for everything from how a showreel should be conceived and produced, to the time and resources actors/agents should devote to maintaining a web presence, to the way casting might work in the future.
I write about all of those issues at proper length in the piece, so do read it.
What’s beyond doubt is that it’s no longer right for actors (or agents) to treat online as an afterthought. And if that means a whole extra lot of work, it’s got to be worth it for the potential rewards, right?
You can read, download and share a copy of the full article from The Stage here. Learn about my headshot photography work at www.michaelwharley.com.
MW 01/10/2010
| The Facts: |
| What’s most important when you assess an actor online?
Headshots: 9% Credits: 28% Showreel/Video content: 21% The whole package: 41% How much do you use showreels/video content when assessing an actor online?: A lot: 57% A fair amount: 13% A little: 28% Not at all: 0% Would you prefer to view showreels or separate, short clips of actors’ on-screen work?: Showreels: 28% Separate clips: 62% No preference: 10% (Conducted July 2010-100 predominantly CDG casting directors surveyed across TV, theatre, film and commercials casting.) |
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11 comments
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Richard
October 4, 2010 at 10:58 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Interesting, would love to read the article, but think you might need to change the document”s privacy settings on Google Docs as I can’t access it (requires a log-in)…
MW
October 4, 2010 at 11:19 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Thanks Richard! The permissions were right but I’d used the wrong link, so it’s all corrected and readily available now. Appreciate you pointing it out. People in online glass houses and throwing stones, eh?
MW
Paul Stevenson
October 5, 2010 at 15:59 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Hi Michael,
I read your article with much interest. I also agree that the industry is moving more and more online, yet at the moment I don’t feel that any of the websites or casting resources really address the needs of the industry.
There seems to be a lack of innovation and use of new technologies in the casting world, perhaps this has an effect on the updating of CV’s online. As an actor I have found the websites themselves cumbersome and rather frustrating. Another issue is that you have to pay more to upload your showreels and voicereels to Spotlight ontop of the annual fee. This with the cost of creating the voicereel/showreel, keeping them updated, having new headshots taken regualarly, brings the cost of promoting oneself online into the mid hundreds.
I heard something about a new company launching which may address some of these issues. If what they say they can deliver is true, then it could be interesting from an actors point of view, but until then I guess we wait and stick with static webpages and static out of date content.
Regards
PS
MW
October 5, 2010 at 20:26 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Thanks Paul – as far as I understand it, there could be some changes in store with the major providers that will bring them more up to date and easier to use, but I think you’re right about the resources themselves not quite being there yet
I’ve met with Spotlight and CCP recently, and I have to say I was very impressed by their commitment to improving service. CCP’s always been online, but Spotlight is doing a lot to make itself a fully web-based operation, rather than a print house that’s gone online.
Totally agreed on the cost of self -promotion though – the conclusion I came to was that the way casting directors are increasingly using resources now should make things cheaper for actors in the long run ie. don’t pay £300 for a showreel, just have short clips edited down to put up online.
Really interested to hear more about this new company, so drop me an email or post if you get a firm lead.
Thanks
MW
Banki
October 5, 2010 at 20:13 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
I am a frequent reader of your blog posts. I liked the recent one and other posts on your blog so much that I have subscribed to the blog’s RSS feed in Thunderbird. Even thinking of stealing some ideas and put them to work. Keep all the good work going by posting more informative posts. Thank you. Time well spent on this post.
MW
October 5, 2010 at 20:29 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Thanks Banki – glad you find it useful! I’ll be posting one article a week roughly, next one out later this or early next.
Let me know what you think and please do recommend to friends.
MW
ps. steal away, that’s what it’s there for!
Paul
October 6, 2010 at 10:12 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Hi Michael,
That is interesting about CCP and Spotlight doing more, I look forward to seeing what they come up with.
As regards to the new company, i don’t know to much. A friend gave me this link to a facebook page they have set up.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=108547961991&v=app_2373072738#!/group.php?gid=108547961991&v=wall
It appears they are in development still but atleast they seem fresh. I am intrigued as to what they mean when they say “More Interactivity and flexibiliy”.
I guess again we will have to wait and see what they will bring differently to the marketplace.
PS
Banki
October 6, 2010 at 21:50 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
I would like to stay in touch, What is your facebook page?
MW
October 6, 2010 at 23:46 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
No worries, it is: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Michael-Wharley-Photography/118088864873755.
Cheers MW
Janell Mars
January 12, 2011 at 13:29 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Great article. Waiting for more.
JohnBush
August 3, 2011 at 21:52 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Hello! Very good job(this site)! Thank you man.
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October 1, 2010 at 15:50 (UTC 1) Link to this comment
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Michael Wharley, Michael Wharley. Michael Wharley said: How Casting's Changed Online – blog post on the topic plus downloadable full-text version of my The Stage piece. http://fb.me/yIatiecg [...]