Spotlight connects performers with roles in theatre, television and film productions. Casting professionals choose Spotlight to cast their projects because performers on Spotlight are recognised as the industry’s best.
Perhaps you are currently training at full-time performing arts college and don’t yet know everything you need to know about Spotlight or maybe you have recently graduated and joined Spotlight or are considering it. Wherever you find yourself on your journey to your career, we aim to highlight some helpful information about Spotlight and joining.
JOINING
To put yourself in the best position to promote yourself to the industry as you complete your training you can apply to join Spotlight Graduates in the first term of your final year of professional training. You must check that your course meets their criteria to be accepted. Your college should know this and if yours does, your college will have a unique code that they will give you. There is also a deadline in January that you must apply by, and this is the only time during the year that this scheme is open. This scheme is cheaper and it is worth knowing that when it comes to renewing your membership, your first year after, is at this same rate.
- If you decide to wait or miss the deadline, please don’t worry. You can still apply as a Performer at the standard rate if you meet their criteria.
- Performers with a UK bank account can now join on a monthly direct debit basis if preferred rather than pay for the year up front.
- Spotlight is for UK and international performers.
YOUR PROFILE
Once accepted, you will need to create a great profile. This is the first impression someone has of you while looking through many profiles. Having a good photo is especially important. It should look professional, natural, representative of you as a performer and accurate to how you look. It is worth paying to have some pictures professionally taken and often you are given this chance during your training and you can use these for your profile. It’s good to include variety, maybe the job you are apply for needs a more serious mean look or another is for a happy Disney job. Your profile can be seen by hundreds of industry professionals who use Spotlight’s online services daily.
Please don’t be worried if you don’t have everything you would like to have on your profile to start with. When you are in your final year you may not have lots of photos, footage and experience, you can add to your profile at any time.
The skills section is an important part as casting directors can search anything. This could be aerial skills, singing, dance styles, playing an instrument, juggling, even scuba diving! If you are genuinely good at something include it! You never know what someone is looking for, but it is important to be truthful. Don’t say you speak Spanish if you can only count to ten and ask for the bill! You might have to read a script in Spanish.
- Include your native accent and others you can do but only if you can do them really well!
- Your appearance, put your true height, you might be just what someone is looking for based just on your appearance.
- It is important to keep your profile up to date. If you have brunette down for hair colour and are now blonde, make sure you change it on your profile.
- If you have just finished your latest professional contract add that and then look at your earlier experience and take off less relevant jobs. List them in chronological order, most recent first.
- Only add a showreel if you have a great one! See our section about showreels.
One of the biggest concerns that graduates and new performers have about their Spotlight profile is that they don’t yet have any professional experience. Please don’t worry about this. Include where you trained and what course you did. Good training creates good graduates and being fresh out of college is a good thing. You have just had the most up to date, relevant training from the professionals!
You can’t see other performers’ profiles but you can look and apply for jobs. If you have an agent, they too will advise you of jobs.
Your membership gives you exclusive access to Spotlight’s own support and advise. You also benefit from discounts on a range of sites and services, including cinema tickets, gym membership, family entertainment and high street shopping.