Martin Bentsen Actor Marketing Consultant
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The Actor's Toolkit

The Actor's Toolkit
My Three Favorite Tools to Grow Your Career

Tool #1: Pro Actor Resume Templates
Professionally Formatted to Work on Any Device

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​Choose the one you want, and then click "Make a Copy" when prompted:
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  • Standard Acting Resume
  • Resume Without Agent/Manager
  • Resume For Minimal Experience
 
Here are guides that show you how to format your headshot photo to fit onto the resume if you have any difficulty. Just choose the correct platform:
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  • iPhone
  • Android
  • Desktop Computer

 
Once you've got your template ready, follow the 7 Resume Checkpoints below:

Actor Resume Checklist

  1. At the top, include your Personal Information. Include your name, phone number, email address (don't include your home address), and website. If you have an agent or manager, list their contact information. Include your height, weight, hair & eye color, vocal type (if you sing), and union affiliation.
  2. Next, add a section called "Credits." Make sure everything is perfectly aligned/tabulated, and list out your credits (up to 10 years back). List out character names for theater and write "lead," "supporting," "co-star," etc., for film/TV roles. Always include your biggest credits first and do NOT include commercial credits on your primary resume (it should be a separate commercial resume).
  3. Add a section for "Training & Education." Don't include everything, just the most well-known programs or people you've trained with (you can use Google to look them up – the more articles about them you can find, the more likely they are "well-known").
  4. Create a "Special Skills" section. List any special skills you have as one paragraph, with commas between each skill. Put your most noteworthy skills first – things not a lot of people have but are something casting directors are often searching for. Example: Playing piano would be a great skill to list, whereas no one cares that you know how to use a computer (everyone does) or that you can code Javascript (it's irrelevant because no casting director will ever require that skill).
  5. Make sure to save your resume as a PDF format. Saving as a .doc format is a mistake because the formatting gets messed up on different computers, and what looks good on your computer might look terrible on a casting director's!
  6. To fill up space, include any awards you've won or positive quotes you've received. These can help you stand out and generate credibility – especially if you don't have a long list of credits yet. You can ask past acting teachers or others you've worked with to write a quick testimonial about you if you need quotes.
  7. Customize your resume "objective" to each production type you submit for. Right before the section on "Credits," you can include an "Objective" that states specifically what your goals are with your acting career, and then make sure it's similar to whatever you think the production's goal is.

​Now if you want to better understand and implement each of the above into your resume, I highly recommend reading my Ultimate Guide to Actor Resumes.

Tool #2: The Top Reliable Casting Sites
​Start Getting Auditions to Build Your Resume

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Finding auditions can be hard, and if you have no agent or manager to help (or you're not near a major city), it can be even harder!

In this tool I'll outline the top six websites where you can find auditions reliably so you don't have to worry about getting an agent.

Let's dive right in:

The Top 6 Casting Websites

​#1: BACKSTAGE

Backstage is one of the most well-known casting sites. It's been around for years and started as a hard-copy magazine back in 1960. It's now one of the most popular websites/online magazines read by actors, directors, producers, and other industry professionals. Here are some of the perks Backstage offers it's subscribers:

  • Specialization in independent film AND theater breakdowns
  • A digital presence for every actor to upload his or her headshot, resume, and reel. You can also include information about representation you have, special skills, size sheets, and more
  • An online community and forum for actors, directors, writers, producers, and other crew members to connect
  • Total cost: $19.95/month or $120/year
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My take: I highly recommend joining and paying for Backstage on an annual basis – how can you beat that deal?


#2: ACTOR'S ACCESS

Actor's Access is owned by Breakdown Services, Ltd. which is the industry-standard website for professional network film & TV breakdowns – major projects you see on television and in movie theaters around the country. Because of that, it's much more likely that you'll find high-level projects on Actor's Access than on other casting sites.

The downside is that the professional roles available are typically very niche – it's only when casting directors need an actor with a very particular look or skillset that they will post their project to Actor's Access.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you cannot have the same name as any other actor with an Actor's Access profile, (meaning you might need to think up a stage name). This is because Actor's Access and Breakdown Services work under SAG-AFTRA rules. Fun fact: Michael Keaton was forced to create his stage name under this rule because he was born as Michael Douglas, a name that was already taken!

Here's some of the perks:

  • Specialization in film, television, commercials, web series, student films. Some theater breakdowns are also included, but not as many as you'll find on Backstage
  • A digital presence for every actor to upload his or her headshot, resume, and reel. You can also include information about representation you have, special skills, size sheets, and more
  • Direct connection to Breakdown Services, meaning all overflow professional productions come through this website
  • Eco-Cast services, or the ability to submit your self-tapes to casting directors directly through their online portal (instead of needing to communicate via email, etc.)
  • CMail, a special email account you can use to communicate directly with casting directors and talent agents & managers
  • Total cost: $2.00/submission or $68/year for Actor's Access PLUS (no per-submission cost and the ability to include a reel or footage with your submission)

My take: I highly recommend joining Actor's Access PLUS – $68 is absolutely worth it.


#3: CASTING NETWORKS

Casting Networks is similar to Backstage, though slightly less well-known. It offers auditions in most major markets, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Talent agents and managers often use this service to manage their actor's profiles, but you can also create a profile for yourself using their platform for a nominal fee.

Some Casting Networks perks include:

  • Specialization in film, television, commercials, web series, and student films. Some theater breakdowns are also included, but not as many as on Backstage
  • A digital presence for every actor to upload his or her headshot, resume, and reel. You can also include information about representation you have, special skills, size sheets, and more
  • Total cost: $25/year + $1 per submission (some additional costs may be incurred for uploading additional headshots and footage)

My take: I highly recommend joining​ Casting Networks if you can't find enough auditions to submit to using both Actor's Access and Backstage.


#4: PROJECT CASTING

Project Casting is similar to both Backstage and Casting Networks in that you won't find major productions on it but you will be able to find paid and unpaid indie audition opportunities.  It's primarily focused on commercial and modeling gigs. Features include:

  • Specialization in commercial and modeling auditions, but you can occasionally find other production types as well
  • A digital presence for every actor to upload his or her headshot, resume, and reel. You can also include information about representation you have, special skills, size sheets, and more
  • Audition notices and direct contact information/instructions to submit your materials for consideration
  • Total cost: $25/month or $108/year for unlimited submissions

My take: I recommend Project Casting if you're primarily interested in getting commercial work.


#5: THEATRE IN...

Theatre In [Chicago / LA / New York / DC] is a great site for unrepresented actors to find theatrical auditions. You can also use the site to find shows to go see in your area.

Unlike the other sites outlined, Theatre In does not offer the ability to create an online profile. Instead, audition notices are simply posted on the site and you need to reach out directly to the casting directors involved. Features include:

  • Specialization theater, both Equity (union) and Non-Equity (non-union) auditions
  • Audition notices and direct contact information/instructions to submit your materials for consideration
  • Total cost: Free

My take: I highly recommend Theater In if you're looking for theatrical auditions. You can't beat free!


#6: PERFORMINK

PerformInk is another free resources in which actors can find primarily stage auditions (and occasional film opportunities). You can use the online search feature to find auditions that fit your look and Type. Features include:

  • Specialization in theater, both Equity (union) and Non-Equity (non-union) auditions
  • Audition notices and direct contact information/instructions to submit your materials for consideration
  • Search feature that allows you to quickly find auditions you're right for
  • Crew position opportunities are available as well
  • Total cost: Free​​

My take: I highly recommend PerformInk if you're looking for theatrical auditions. Like Theater In, free is always good!


#7: BONUS RESOURCES

​Depending on your region and the kind of acting work you're looking to do, you should also consider checking out the following casting sites:

  • Casting Frontier (primarily focused on LA and NY)
  • Spotlight (for actors primarily based in Europe)
  • StarNow (for actors all over the world)
  • LA Casting (based in LA)
  • NY Castings (no longer just based in LA – they offer castings all actors the US at this point)
  • Playbill (specializes in theatre)
  • Mandy (offers casting calls for actors in addition to job postings for crew positions)
  • iActor (owned by SAG-AFTRA, but you need to be a member of the union to join)
  • Central Casting (perfect for actors looking to primarily get background roles)
  • Craigslist (scams abound here so be careful – but you can absolutely find real acting opportunities on Craigslist – in fact I know an actor who landed a $120,000 national commercial through Craigslist)

In order to increase your chances of being invited to an audition when using online casting websites, you should always use the following 3 strategies:

  1. Plan to pay if you want better results. Some of these sites will allow you to create a profile and submit yourself for free, but I don't recommend that. Plan to pay at least $100-200/year for best results. That's less than $17 a month, which is TOTALLY worth it in my opinion to build your career. The fact is, because so many other actors are unwilling to pay, you'll instantly put yourself WAY ahead of everyone else because your submission will show up towards the top of the pile. Look at your acting career as a business – you MUST be willing to spend some money on marketing if you want to find gigs.
  2. Turn on email notifications and respond FAST. Did you know that most actors who take more than 16 hours to respond to a casting call are never even considered? Casting directors work fast and actors who respond within just a few hours have the highest shot of being called in. Most casting sites allow you to get an automatic daily roundup email informing you of all the casting calls for your age, gender, and ethnicity. This can save tons of time from having to comb through hundreds of audition opportunities each day to find ones you're right for, and will allow you to respond much more quickly.
  3. Beware of scams. Beware of any auditions that require you to pay money to apply perform. You should be the one being paid – not them. Also, if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Anything that promises huge pay, lots of fame, etc., is almost never real because those auditions are usually reserved for Breakdown Services, LTD., the casting call service that only talent agents have access to.​

Tool #3: Agency Contact Info
Connect With 140 Agencies Across the Globe

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This resource includes the website, submissions instructions, phone number, and email address of over 140 legitimate agencies around the world.

BUT BE CAREFUL WITH IT.
 
Before mass-mailing out your contact info, I strongly encourage you to read this in-depth guide I've created called How to Get a Talent Agent: The Ultimate Guide.
 
I outline the best strategy to follow to maximize your chances of being called in, while minimizing your chances of getting your photo plastered on their "wall of shame" (yes, that's a real thing).

​Most agents won't sign a brand new actor, so it's your responsibility to first use some of the casting websites listed in Tool #2 to start getting auditions to build your resume.

Then, once you're ready, you can come back to try your hand at getting an agent.


​I hope you enjoyed The Actor's Toolkit!

I've helped over 15,000 actors move their careers forward, and I hope that one day we can all end the cliche of "the starving artist" together.

​If you enjoyed this resource, be on the lookout for the emails I send each week with strategies and hacks to move your career forward. I hope to hear of your future success!

 - Martin Bentsen
Actor Marketing Coach
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(212) 706-1902
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  • 76 Actor Types (List)
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  • Knowledge Center
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