Spotlight News

 

Tips and advice

The Spotlight podcast: Dan Hubbard CDG's advice for actors

The latest Spotlight podcast features advice for performers on all areas of castings and the industry from Dan Hubbard of Hubbard Casting. Dan talks us through how graduates can get noticed, the importance of agents to casting directors, what he looks for in photos and showreels, and his top tips for impressing in the industry. Hubbard Casting is a family-owned business and has cast some of the biggest films in recent years, including The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, The Hobbit, and Harry Brown. We spoke to Dan ahead of the latest Spotlight Graduate event to tap into his wealth of...

posted on 9th February 2012 Read full article >>

How to sell yourself as a performer on Facebook

Facebook is changing your personal profiles – and this presents a great opportunity for performers to market themselves on the social network, but it also comes with risks and considerations. Spotlight’s social media expert, Gary Andrews, talks you through how to sell yourself on Facebook, and what issues you need to be aware of. You may not have wanted it, but if you have a personal profile on Facebook then you’ll soon be forced to convert to their Timeline – Facebook’s new, compulsory way of displaying your life’s history, not just your current thoughts on the latest film or...

posted on 8th February 2012 Read full article >>

How to choose your professional name for Spotlight and Equity

One of the most important decisions you take in your performing career is what your professional name will be. Most performers keep their own name, but you need to ensure this is unique and isn’t easily confused with other performers. This is an issue both Spotlight and performers’ union Equity get plenty of questions about from new members. We asked Equity’s Head of Membership Matt Hood for his advice on picking your performing name. For performers choosing a unique, professional name is key to establishing yourself in a highly competitive industry. Whether by word of mouth,...

posted on 7th February 2012 Read full article >>

The Spotlight podcast: Top tips for succeeding as a TV presenter

What are the vital skills you need to succeed as a presenter? How can you gain these skills, and use them to impress producers? And what’s the best way for performers to break into the world of presenting? These are just some of the questions Liz Ekberg answers in the latest Spotlight podcast. Liz is a former producer, director, and reporter, having worked for Barry Norman’s film review programme, The Wide Awake Club, Newsround and CBBC. She now works as a Junior Talent Agent for leading agency Waring and McKenna. We spoke to Liz at our recent Spotlight Presenters’ seminar to get...

posted on 2nd February 2012 Read full article >>

Advice for Spotlight members on submitting your tax return

Tax returns may not be the first thing on performers’ minds, but with many Spotlight members self-employed, sorting out your finances is a necessity, especially as the deadline for filing your returns is less than 48 hours away. Ahead of tomorrow’s deadline, James Pickford from TWD Accountants has the following advice for Spotlight members looking to get to grips with their tax returns. Over to you, James. Q. Can I claim for pre-trading training? No. Because it was your choice to become a sole trader, the training costs prior to actually trading are not...

posted on 30th January 2012 Read full article >>

The Spotlight podcast: Essential tips for musical theatre performers

What’s the best way to break into musical theatre? What are the most important musical theatre skills to keep topped up? How can you impress a casting director? And what should you do if you stumble over a dance or song in an audition? We discuss all this and more with casting director Neil Rutherford in our latest Spotlight podcast. Neil is head of casting at the Ambassador Theatre Group and has cast many West End shows and tours, such as Legally Blonde, Spamalot, South Pacific, West Side Story, and Guys and Dolls, and has a wealth of knowledge and experience...

posted on 26th January 2012 Read full article >>

The Spotlight podcast: Agent Daphne Waring’s advice for actors

What are the key things an actor needs to know about finding an agent? If you’re a performer looking for representation or a final year drama school student, then learn from one of the best in the business – Daphne Waring from Waring & McKenna – in our latest Spotlight podcast. We spoke to Daphne ahead of the 2012 Spotlight Graduate Programme to get her tips on the key dos and don’ts for approaching agents, how a performer can impress an agent, and what agents are looking for at graduate showcases. Daphne is one of the directors of Waring & McKenna, one...

posted on 19th January 2012 Read full article >>

How to: Audition for Shakespeare

Auditioning for Shakespeare is a different art from other auditions, as it comes with well-known characters, plays and very specific language. If you plan to perform the Bard in 2012, there’s plenty you can do to help prepare for you audition. We asked Charlotte Bevan, head of casting at Shakespeare’s Globe to share her advice on how actors should approach Shakespeare auditions. It is very important when auditioning for a Shakespeare play to remember the character first and foremost as it is very easy to speak the lines beautifully without communicating any meaning at all. ...

posted on 9th January 2012 Read full article >>

How to: Promote your Spotlight CV on your website

Are you looking to freshen up your online profile in 2012? One of the best ways you can promote yourself is by linking direct to your Spotlight CV on your website or blog. We’ve created a set of easily-embeddable Spotlight buttons you can add to your website. They’re simple to add into your site’s template and are a great way to help market yourself online. It’s easy to install this distinctive and recognisable button, which highlights not just your Spotlight membership, but makes it easy for people to see your credits, headshot and representation in one easy click....

posted on 4th January 2012 Read full article >>

The Spotlight podcast: How to approach Shakespeare auditions

What does an actor need to know when preparing for a Shakespeare audition? If you’re looking to get on board with the Bard in 2012, then prepare with some advice from the experts in our latest Spotlight podcast. We spoke to Tam Williams, a veteran of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Edward Hall’s all-male Shakespeare company Propeller, and Bill Buckhurst, who has directed and performed at Shakespeare’s Globe and is the former director of the Stafford Festival Shakespeare. Tam and Bill gave us their tips ahead of the most recent Spotlight professional development seminar, and covered how to master the language and...

posted on 21st December 2011 Read full article >>