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.
The more search filters/options you’ve chosen, the better your search results will be. However, because the Back Stage search engine also uses some “fuzzy” search parameters to make sure that you don’t miss out on additional opportunities that MIGHT fit your needs, you will receive some “false positive” search results – casting/job notices that just aren’t right for you – which you’ll want to ignore. But we feel that it’s safer to have some extra notices sent to you that don’t exactly fit your profile – rather than limit you to only seeing 100% exact matches – just in case some of these additional notices MIGHT be of interest.
That said, we are working hard to make sure that all of our casting/job notices are properly tagged, so that the vast majority of the notices you receive will be appropriate for your needs.
If you think that something may be wrong with your search – if you’re receiving too many or too few casting notices in your Saved Search results and Casting Alert emails – then we’ll be happy to look at your search parameters to help you refine and expand your search so that you’ll receive better results.
Check out the following links for Casting/Job Search tips and tricks.
Related Links:
Search Tips: Find, Sort, and Attend Auditions
Help with Casting Alert emails - important search tips
Finding More Casting & Job Notices on BackStage.com
Finding Open-Mike Nights -- Calls for Comedians, Singers, Musicians, Dancers, and Variety Performers
Casting for Extras/Background Performers
Searching For Notices - How to Find Casting Notices and Other Entertainment-Industry Jobs & Opportunities
Casting, Job, Competition, and Festival CATEGORIES
-- Luke Crowe, National Casting Editor, Back Stage
QUESTION: "Why is the casting information on websites like Back Stage always from the East or West coast and never for my area?"
ANSWER: More casting takes place in New York and California than anywhere else in the country, so the majority of casting notices on sites like Back Stage are usually primarily for the NY and CA markets.
However, whenever Back Stage has a casting notice that’s calling for submissions from across the U.S., the notice will run in all appropriate states on BackStage.com – there are usually dozens of these every month (especially for Reality TV shows and major entertainment-industry competitions and festivals).
Also, Back Stage runs nearly 300 new state-specific casting notices every month for specific states across the U.S., in addition to the the thousands of NY and CA notices we run every month – so you should find at least a half-dozen casting/job notices unique to your state every month, in addition to the nationwide casting calls that are running in all states; and you can set your search criteria to include or exclude NY and/or CA casting notices, depending on preferences. If you’re not seeing many regional/local notices for your area or you wish to see more notices for your area, then we recommend broadening your search – search more casting/job Categories on BackStage.com, search nearby states in addition to your own state, avoid limiting your search with keywords, etc.
See this article for tips on expanding and personalizing your casting/job search: http://backstage.blogs.com/the411faq/2008/09/finding-more-ca.html
Posted by: Luke Crowe | August 03, 2009 at 05:44 PM