Category: Getting Work

  • The Role That Changed My Career

    The Role That Changed My Career

    Five performers tell us about the roles and people who made their careers.  Every role an actor plays gives them the opportunity to showcase their skills and make their mark on the industry, but some roles are so well-received, so pivotal, that they can catapult your career to new heights and audiences. At the CDG…

  • How to Become a Freelance Drama, Dance or Singing Teacher

    How to Become a Freelance Drama, Dance or Singing Teacher

    Looking for a side job? Start teaching drama, dance or singing as a freelancer now with this helpful guide and teaching tips. Many actors, singers, and dancers transform their passion for the performing arts into a rewarding teaching career. Teaching drama, dance, or singing as a freelancer offers a decent hourly wage, the opportunity to…

  • Finding Acting Work in the UK as an International Actor

    Finding Acting Work in the UK as an International Actor

    Advice from casting director James Pearson on how international performers can apply for acting work in the UK. For any foreign actor looking to pursue a career in the UK, there are many factors to consider. The UK – especially London – is a hub for the performing arts, with stage and film productions constantly…

  • Signing with an Agent in the US

    Signing with an Agent in the US

    ​​​​How to get an agent in the US and the difference between an agent and a personal manager.  ​​Actors are inspired daily by the television, film, and ​theatre​​ they see. With many of these productions being made in the US, America can be seen to ​offer a wide range of opportunities for British ​actors​​. Actors…

  • Getting Started with Showreels and Voice Clips

    Getting Started with Showreels and Voice Clips

    Performer Success Manager Mel Brown’s advice on creating a showreel without professional footage and ideas for your ‘Audio’ section. As a Spotlight member, you have space on your profile for at least 20 minutes of video and 20 minutes of audio. That’s 20 minutes for various clips and reels – all of which can showcase…

  • Finding Acting Work Overseas

    Finding Acting Work Overseas

    Tips on finding an agent and acting work abroad from ‘Happy Valley’ star Amit Shah. We know the nature of being an actor requires you to be ambitious. The industry insists on your pursuit and perseverance in finding and attending auditions; you have to carry that energy into acting jobs once you get them. As…

  • What Casting Director Amy Hubbard Wants to See in the Audition Room

    What Casting Director Amy Hubbard Wants to See in the Audition Room

    Audition room tips from the casting director of ‘The Lord of the Rings’, ‘Time’ and ‘Assassin’s Creed: Origins’. During her incredible career, casting director Amy Hubbard has worked on various film, television and video game projects, including blockbusters like The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, and hit television series like Apple TV+’s Hijack…

  • Tips to Improve Your Self-Tape

    Tips to Improve Your Self-Tape

    Our troubleshooting tips and fixes for common self-taping issues, including what the best colour backdrop is, and the ideal camera setting. In all our years of providing industry advice and helping performers improve their Spotlight profiles, we’ve seen a lot of self-tapes, and we’ve noticed a few recurring issues actors are having while filming.  From…

  • 8 Tips to Prepare You for an Audition

    8 Tips to Prepare You for an Audition

    Top tips from casting director Kate Rhodes James on how to prepare for an audition. Kate Rhodes James has had a long and varied career as a casting director. Her past projects include House of Gucci, Catherine the Great, A Discovery of Witches, The Good Karma Hospital, Line of Duty, Sherlock, and many more. Most…

  • My Casting Story: Samuel Haughton in ‘The Phantom of the Opera’

    My Casting Story: Samuel Haughton in ‘The Phantom of the Opera’

    Performer Samuel Haughton shares how he came to be cast as Monsieur Reyer in ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ and his tips for performing on stage Spotlight member Samuel Haughton has been working professionally as an actor for 11 years since leaving drama school. Predominantly working in theatre, Sam has appeared in musicals like School of Rock, Top Hat and Spamalot,…