LA Casting bridges the gap between casting and talent as well as the agents in between.  It serves as an invaluable tool for many audiences – and not just LA, but globally.  We had the opportunity to sit down with Erin Jennings, Marketing Coordinator for LA Casting, on how talent can maximize their memberships with some insider tips.

What’s the scope of LA Casting?
We have more than 120,000 profiles on LA Casting and that figure does not include any of our other databases in the rest of the US or internationally. On the casting side, there are several hundred casting directors, both accredited and independent casting professionals, who utilize LA Casting.

Besides access to projects, what else does LA Casting offer for talent?
We have several great features many talent are not as aware of and don’t take advantage of. We offer seminars every month, which feature guest speakers from within the industry. Recent speakers include Anissa Williams, Geralyn Flood, Mary Lynn Wissner, Stuart Stone and G. Charles Wright. All seminars are summarized in our monthly newsletter, The Networker, which features many industry related columns and tips. We also have our Casting Networks mixer the first Tuesday of every month at the Sunset Trocadero Lounge. Open bar is from 7:00 – 8:00 pm and talent can come and mingle with other actors and industry professionals. Talent can “submit” to both the seminars and mixers through Casting Billboard®. If you’re a model or interested in the fashion industry, create a free profile on Modelwire Network (http://modelwirenetwork.com). It’s our social networking site for fashion industry insiders looking to collaborate on projects. Talent can stay abreast of events and happenings by following us on Twitter (@castingnetworks) and on Facebook (facebook.com/castingnetworks).

As we assess talent profiles with our talent, we are working to ensure profiles are as complete as possible with headshots, resumes, reels and pertinent skills. What are the top things on the DO and DON’T lists from your experience?
Talent should always make sure their primary photo reflects their current look! There is nothing worse than calling someone in and having them look nothing like their photos. Make sure they are up to date and are reflective of your current age, hairstyle, etc. It’s also very important to keep your skills up to date. Casting directors can search for you based on the skills you enter, so if you’ve been taking any classes or you’ve learned to do something new, make sure that is reflected on your profile. Lastly, make sure you take the time to enter your resume properly – do not copy and paste it into your “Other Skills” section. If you do this, casting directors cannot search your resume. In fact, your profile shows as having no resume on file. It may take a bit longer to set up than a simple copy and paste, but ensuring everything is filled out properly and is up to date creates a better experience for all of our users. Here’s a video tutorial on how to input your resume: http://home.castingnetworks.com/helpfaq/video-tutorials#How_to_Create_a_Resume.

There is often overlap between the breakdowns talent agencies submit for and the projects talent directly submit for on Casting Billboard®. Should there be a concern regarding double submissions?
Casting Networks has a trumping logic with agency submissions. If you subscribe to Casting Billboard® with your agency profile, your agent’s submission will “trump” yours should you both submit to the same role. This means the casting director will only see the agency submission and will know to call you in for auditions through your agent. If a talent submits for a role and his/her agent does not submit for the same role, the talent’s submission will go through. If you have more than one Casting Networks profile (i.e., more than one agency or a personal account) make sure to link your profiles! This allows you to login once and access all of your profiles via one username and password. Also, if you have more than one profile and your accounts are linked, it will help prevent duplicate submissions.

What are your recommendations to talent who do not have agency representation on maximizing their membership with LA Casting?
For self-represented actors, make sure your profile is as robust as it can be – with photos, a complete resume and skills and media (if you’d like). You wouldn’t believe how many times profiles are created and photos are not uploaded right away. Talent without photos are not returned in any casting director search. Make sure your profile is available to agents on Talent Scout™. Agents use Talent Scout every day to look for non-repped actors and having an up-to-date profile is crucial. Also, keep an eye out for projects on Casting Billboard® and submit yourself for work. We have both unlimited monthly subscriptions and pay per submission options.

What’s the best way for talent to communicate with LA Casting with any issues or requests?
Do not hesitate to call or email us with any questions or concerns. Our talent support number is 323-462-8200 ext. 353. You can also email us at support@castingnetworks.com. Additionally, we have two kiosks open for walk-in assistance. Kiosks are open Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm. They are closed daily from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm.

Kiosk Locations:

200 South
200 S. La Brea
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Beverly Long Studios
11425 Moorpark St.
Studio City, CA 91602

So we hear a new talent experience is preparing for release soon! What are some of the new features talent can expect?
We’ve been hard at work on a new and improved talent experience that will be launched within the year. The new experience will be much more intuitive with easier to manage resumes and media uploads, will feature an overhaul to the talent dashboard and will make it even easier to manage multiple profiles with one account. Look out for teasers to the new experience on Twitter and Facebook in the coming weeks!