Back Stage 411 - Casting FAQ

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:

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:

Resizing Headshots, Photos, Comp Cards, and Other Pics

To make it easy for casting directors, producers, directors and agents to be able to quickly view your headshots, photos, comp cards, and other pix, it's important that you find a good ratio between size and quality before uploading your photos to your BackStage.com Multimedia Resume and other websites (and before emailing your photos to casting directors).

A number of free and convenient options are available for resizing and web-optimizing photos. The following article provides links to some of the most popular programs, along with step-by-step directions and screenshots that will help you resize and upload your photos within minutes while still preserving the quality of your images.

Help for Agents, Managers, and Stage Parents Managing Multiple Multimedia Resumes

Agents and Personal Managers can sign up for a regular BackStage.com subscription and then use the subscription to create Multimedia Resumes for all of their clients (or have their clients create Multimedia Resume themselves from within the Agent or Manager's subscription account).

They can then submit their clients to the casting, job, competition, and festival notices located in the BackStage.com Casting database. And all of the Multimedia Resumes can be included in the BackStage.com "Find Talent" Multimedia Resume Talent Database that's searched by thousands of employers, casting directors, directors, and producers

Similarly, Stage Mothers/Stage Parents can create Multimedia Resumes for all of their children using a single BackStage.com subscription.

However, currently there are a few small limitations in regards to BackStage.com subscriptions being used to manage and submit multiple resumes. Read on to learn more:

Email Your Resumes - Submit Multimedia Resumes and Cover Letters to Casting Notices -- And Apply to Projects

You can submit your Multimedia Resume (a resume enhanced with photos, links, etc.) to casting directors, producers, directors, and other employers and individuals using a few different options on BackStage.com.

Instructions, Tips & Tricks:

Online Talent Database: Showcase Your Multimedia Resumes on BackStage.com

Over 20,000 casting directors, producers, directors, and other entertainment-industry professionals have signed up to search Back Stage's new-and-improved online Talent Database.

To be included in the Talent Database search results, simply create a resume on BackStage.com.

More details are below. . .

Plus, if you need to find talent for your own projects, you can now sign up for a Casting Center Employer Account for free. Then use the account to search the BackStage.com Talent Database and post notices to find actors, singers, dancers, comedians, models, accompanists, stage managers, company members, writers, musicians, filmmakers, and more!

Document Manager - Help With Naming and Uploading Your Resume Documents & PDFs

Resume Builder - Help With Document Files

Multimedia Resume Documents-Display-Builder Interface -- Attach Documents & PDFs

You can attach multiple document files (.pdf, .doc, .rtf, and .txt resumes, press clippings, reviews, comp cards, bios, cover letters, etc.) to your BackStage.com Multimedia Resumes. Each resume can display 20+ document items.

Simply create a new resume or click the "Edit" button next to one of your existing resumes, and then click the "Documents" tab on the resume builder/editor interface. Then click on the "Browse" button next to the "New Document File " option to begin document files to your account.

Then click the "Add" button to add each document item to your resume(s) -- you can share your documents across all of the resumes within your account, or add unique document items to every individual resume, and/or showcase all of your document items on a single resume.

Instructions, Tips & Tricks:

Audio/Video Media Manager - Help With Naming and Uploading Your Resume Reels

Resume Builder - Audio & Video Help

Multimedia Resume Media-Display-Builder Interface -- Upload Audio & Video Items

You can upload multiple video and audio items (media files and embedded media) to your BackStage.com Multimedia Resumes. Each resume can display 20+ audio/video items.

Simply create a new resume or click the "Edit" button next to one of your existing resumes, and then click the "Audio/Video" tab on the resume builder/editor interface. Then click on the "Browse" button next to the "New Audio or Video File " option to begin uploading audio and video files to your account -- or fill in the "New Embedded Media Item" field to add audio, video, and slideshow items files that you already have hosted on another site (e.g., YouTube, OurStage, MySpace, Flickr, etc.).

Then click the "Add" button to add each audio/video item to your resume(s) -- you can share your media items across all of the resumes within your account, or add unique audio/video items to every individual resume, and/or showcase all of your media items on a single resume.

Instructions, Tips & Tricks:

Photo Manager - Help With Naming and Uploading Your Resume Headshots & Photos

Resume Builder - Photo Manager Help

Multimedia Resume Photo-Display-Builder Interface -- Upload Your Photos

You can upload multiple photos (headshots, comp cards, snap shots, etc.) to your BackStage.com Multimedia Resumes. Each resume can display 20+ pics.

Simply create a new resume or click the "Edit" button next to one of your existing resumes, and then click the "Photos" tab on the resume builder/editor interface. Then click on the "Browse" button on the Resume Builder's Photo Manager page to begin uploading photo-files to your account.

Then click the "Add" button to add each photo to your resume(s) -- you can share your photos across all of the resumes within your account, or add unique photos to every individual resume, and/or showcase all of your photos on a single resume.

Screenshots, Instructions, Tips & Tricks: