Some actors and actresses work regularly. Others wait. The difference between the two groups isn’t always talent — it’s often professional visibility at the moment someone is looking for them.

A casting director doesn’t remember everyone they saw in a workshop two years ago. But they do run a Google search, watch a showreel and check a profile on a casting platform. If what they find is current, professional and clear, the call comes through.

Where they look for you

Every professional in the industry uses different search tools and criteria. Knowing them prevents the worst outcome: someone searches for you and comes up empty.

Casting directors

They use specialist platforms (Casting.es, Mandy.com, Backstage) and filter by physical type, age range, languages and special skills. They need an up-to-date profile, current headshots and an accessible showreel. If your platform profile has photos from five years ago, you're competing at a disadvantage.

Theatre and film directors

They search on Google and through professional networks. They land on your website, your showreel or your press materials. They need to be able to assess your work in under five minutes: who you are, how you work, where you've been. A personal website with an up-to-date CV and an embedded showreel solves this entirely.

International companies

If you want to work outside your home country, you need materials in English: bio, showreel with subtitles or in English, and an EPK designed for someone who doesn't know your local context. A digital presence in English multiplies the radius of opportunities available to you.

Representation agents

They assess market potential: work history, growth trajectory, public presence and the professionalism of your materials. An agent who receives a poorly edited showreel or a bio with no structure gets a clear signal about the candidate's level of professionalism. Read: showreel and book for actors and actresses.

The tools you need

An up-to-date showreel. The central piece of your professional identity. It should show your best recent work, with a range of registers if you have them. Maximum length: 2-3 minutes. It needs to be accessible via streaming (YouTube or a password-protected Vimeo if needed) and updated as your career progresses. A showreel from 2019 says you haven’t worked since 2019.

Digital press kit. Professional bio in two lengths (short for programmes, long for dossiers), CV by discipline (theatre, film, TV, voice-over), downloadable press photos and links to all your audiovisual material. Everything in a single web space, accessible from one link. Read: digital press kit for actors and actresses.

Casting platforms. An up-to-date profile on the platforms relevant to your market: Casting.es, Mandy.com, Backstage (for international markets), ActorsAccess. Each platform has its own logic and audience. The key is keeping them current — an outdated profile is worse than having none at all.

Your own website. Your digital space, independent of any platform. Includes your showreel, full CV, professional photos and a direct contact form. Unlike casting platforms, your website doesn’t filter you or put you in direct competition with a hundred other profiles — you’re the only protagonist.

Professional photos: headshot and in action. The headshot is your calling card on every platform. It must be current, well-lit and represent how you look now. Action shots show registers, stage presence and versatility. Ressona works with Pocallum for actor and actress photo sessions. Read: press photos for artists.

A 2019 showreel says one thing

A showreel from 2019 says you haven't worked since 2019. An outdated EPK says the same about your entire career. It's not true, but that's what it communicates. Your digital presence should reflect where you are now — not where you were.

Ressona guides actors and actresses in building a professional digital presence: website, EPK, showreel and strategy. Ressona works with Pocallum for headshot and action photo sessions. Tell us about your project.