Back Stage 411 - Casting FAQ

A Video Overview of BackStage.com

In this short video, Assistant Casting Editor Sri Gordon walks us through some of the cool new online editorial sections, casting tools, and resume options now available on BackStage.com:

Manage Your Account on BackStage.com

To manage your BackStage.com account -- to update your name, password, email address, billing details, subscription options, etc. -- please choose from either option 1 or 2 below::

1) If you are a Subscriber (using Back Stage to view and apply to casting/job notices, read production listings, manage a multimedia resume, etc.), then click here to Manage Your Subscription Account.

2) If you are a Casting Director/Employer (searching for talent and posting notices), then click here to Manage Your "Find Talent" Employer Account.

Extensive Casting and Job Tools Now Available

With BackStage.com, Actors, Models, Performers, and Tech/Crew can:

• View an unlimited number of casting notices, auditions, and entertainment-industry opportunities every month.
• Personalize searches based on state, age-range, gender, ethnicity, interests, and skills.
• Save and run an unlimited number of searches.
• Create customized Casting/Job Alert Agents to email you the newest listings that fit your needs.
• Apply to an unlimited number of casting/job notices.
• Build a professional Multimedia Resume featuring your credits, training, skills, video reels, audio clips, headshots, snapshots, comp cards, movie stills, links, documents, and more.
• Include your Multimedia Resume in Back Stage’s Talent Database, which is searched by over 20,000 industry professionals every year.
• Submit your Multimedia Resume to an unlimited number of projects using Back Stage’s online submission system.

Submit Your Multimedia Resume to Casting/Job Notices Online

Back Stage provides a variety of submission options, making it easy to apply to casting/job notices and entertainment-industry projects. 

The following article will help you get the most out of the BackStage.com online-application and resume-email system.

For instance, when you submit your multimedia resume and optional cover letter to a project using the BackStage.com online submission system, you should know that two things happen simultaneously:

Search Help: "I'm Seeing Casting Notices That Don't Fit My Profile"

Back Stage uses an advanced search algorithm to find you casting/job notices that match your exact needs along with notices that MIGHT also be of interest to you – even though they’re not an exact match – including notices that contain tags that are very similar to your search settings, along with projects that might possibly be interested in an application from you even though you don’t exactly match any of the character/job descriptions listed in the notice.

This search algorithm uses the search filters/options you’ve chosen (job categories, gender, age ranges, etc.) combined with some “fuzzy logic” to try and find you the best range of notices.

Reordering/Grouping Credits & Media Items on Resumes by "Display Order #"

Within the "Manage My Resumes" builder/editor interface, you have a variety of options for updating, grouping, arranging, and reordering your credits, experiences, and media items (photos, videos, links, etc.).

USE THE "DISPLAY ORDER" OPTION:

To have exact control over the order in which items appear within the various sections of your resume, make sure to give each item an unique "Display Order #" when creating the item on your resume.

However, even if you forget to do this the first time, don't worry -- you can always go back and add or update the Display Order Number by clicking on the Edit (wrench) button next to the item on your resume. Just change the Order Number in the editing/update panel, and  then save your changes.

Updating the order of your credits is especially easy: Just change the Display number next to any of the Education/Training credits and Experience/Job credits you wish to reorder and then click the "Go" button next to the "Update" option at the bottom of the form. The order of all of your credits will then change appropriately.

(Quick Tip: Turn on the checkbox next each item in your list of credits in order to update a specific set of credits.)

GROUP CREDITS BY "TYPE":

To group your various types of credits together, simply assign each group of credits sequential Display Order numbers,” using the “Order Number” field.

For instance, I might assign my Film credits with numbers 10-40; and my TV credits with numbers 50-70; and my Theatre credits with numbers 100-140. This would make my Film credits appear first (and grouped together), my TV credits appear second, etc.

Creating Multiple Resumes on BackStage.com -- Help With Managing More Than One Resume

You can set up multiple Resumes within your BackStage.com account, and you can upload multiple credits, photos, stats, reels (video and audio), embedded media, links, etc., to every resume.

This is a great option if you want to create individual resumes for yourself that focus on specific aspects of your career, since each resume can showcase a different (or overlapping) set of credits, skills, photos, and reels. And it's also handy for Agents and Managers representing multiple actors -- or if there are multiple actors in your immediate family household or you're a "Stage Parent" of more than one child actor -- since it allows you to manage multiple resumes at once.

To get started, simply visit your Manage My Resumes page.

And then click on the “Build Your Multimedia Resume Today!” button or the “Click here to create a new resume” link.

Then fill out the new resume fields. This will add a new resume to your account. It will NOT erase your existing resume(s).

For more help and information on benefits and limitations, keep reading:

Casting Discount Code for Film & Theatre Schools

 

Students & Faculty:

Receive a great discount off the price of posting a notice calling for cast and/or crew in BACK STAGE when you mention the name of your school in your notice and enter the secret promo code for your school during the online checkout process.

To discover the promo code for your school, check with your school's administrators. Most major film and theatre schools in the U.S. should have the current Back Stage Casting promo code on file. If they don't, then simply contact the Back Stage Casting Department from a .edu email address or on university letterhead, and we'll send the code to you and your school.

Contact the Back Stage Casting Department: http://backstage.com/castinghelp

To find talent and cast your project, visit http://BackStage.com/FindTalent.

Plus, receive the following benefits, FREE:

How to Update Your Email Address on BackStage.com

The following article will help you update your email address, username, and contact details on BackStage.com:

Search Tips: Find, Sort, and Attend Auditions

Every year Back Stage publishes over 10,000 casting and job notices, with new notices being published on BackStage.com five days a week and old notices being removed from BackStage.com seven days a week -- making Back Stage an always up-to-date resource.

In addition to searching through Back Stage's online casting & jobs database for notices that fit your interests, another great way to find out about new opportunities is to read Back Stage's  "Auditions Highlights," "Casting News," "Espresso," and "Seeking Submissions" posts on Blog Stage, as well as Back Stage's weekly Production Listings.

The "Audition Highlights" posts on Blog Stage include the popular weekly "Auditions at a Glance" calendars  from the New York, California, and National/Regional sections of the national Back Stage newspaper and digital magazine. The casting notices highlighted in these weekly calendars are conveniently organized by the date and day-of-the-week the auditions are taking place, to help you schedule your audition plans.

When looking for new notices, try some of the following Audition Search Tips: