A casting director doesn’t look in the same place as a music promoter. Actors and actresses need to be visible to production companies, directors and talent agencies — not necessarily to the general public. Their digital identity must be built for the people who make hiring decisions, not for ticket buyers.

This distinction completely changes how an online presence should be constructed.

Where industry professionals look for you

The professionals who might hire you use very specific tools. Before building anything, you need to know where they look.

Google search with your name

The first thing any director or production company does when your name reaches them through a recommendation is search for you on Google. If what they find is a personal Instagram, an outdated LinkedIn or nothing at all, the impression is unprofessional. Your own website and press kit need to appear in the first results.

Specialist casting platforms

In the UK and internationally, platforms such as Spotlight, Mandy.com, Casting Networks and Casting Call Pro are used by casting directors. Having an updated profile on at least one or two of them is essential for actors and actresses seeking work in screen and advertising. But a casting profile does not replace a press kit — it has a very constrained format and you can’t control how you present yourself.

Direct recommendations between professionals

In theatre and independent film, most projects are organised through trust networks. Your name arrives because a director recommends you to another, because the head of production remembers you from a previous project, because your agent puts you forward. Digital identity doesn’t replace the network — but it validates the recommendation when the new contact looks you up.

Three tools you need to have built

Your own website (own domain)

Your permanent web address. It must include: headshot and action photos in high resolution, bio in two formats, work history, showreel, skills (languages, movement, singing), and direct contact. It’s not a PDF CV — it’s a page Google indexes and anyone searching for you finds in 10 seconds.

Digital press kit (EPK)

The reference document you send or link to when someone asks for material. For actors and actresses, the EPK is especially important for theatre companies presenting projects to festivals, for those working in other markets (European, international), and for any context where a casting platform profile is insufficient.

The difference between a casting profile and a press kit

A casting platform profile (Spotlight, Mandy, Casting Networks) has a fixed format: photo, physical details, skills, history. It works for selection processes managed by casting directors. But it has clear limitations:

  • You don’t control the design or presentation
  • You can’t add context or narrative
  • It doesn’t rank prominently in Google results
  • It’s not suited to presenting yourself to festivals, programmers or international co-productions

The digital press kit is what you control. The URL you share, the image you project, the text that describes you.

For actors and actresses working in both theatre and screen, you need both: the platform profile for casting processes, and the press kit for everything else.

The showreel: the most important document you have

For an actor or actress, the showreel is the equivalent of a technical rider for a musician: without it, you can’t be considered for many projects. But many performers neglect it or leave it outdated.

Three basic rules:

  • Start with your best scene, not titles or credits
  • Maximum three minutes — a casting director decides in the first thirty seconds
  • Update it when you have relevant new material; a 2019 showreel says you haven’t worked since 2019

A short showreel with three strong scenes from this year is worth more than a ten-minute reel with material from five years ago.

Skills that need to be stated (and how)

An actor or actress’s profile must include specific skills that determine which projects you’re viable for:

  • Languages: real level, not aspirational. “Spanish C1 spoken” or “English native, Welsh conversational”. Not “some French” if you can’t hold a conversation on set.
  • Movement and physical disciplines: dance (specify style), stage combat, acrobatics, horse riding, swimming.
  • Singing: if you have training, specify the range (baritone, mezzo-soprano) and level (amateur, professional).
  • Driving licence and vehicles: relevant for location shoots.
  • Musical instruments: with real level.

Overstating skills causes problems on set and destroys directors’ trust. Being precise builds credibility.

For more detail on the press kit for actors and actresses, read What a digital press kit for actors and actresses needs.

At Ressona we build professional websites for actors and actresses: your own domain, integrated digital press kit and search engine visibility from day one. Tell us about your project.