Category: The Essentials
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Editing and Sharing Self-Tapes
A guide to editing and sending self-tapes from Spotlight’s Audio Visual Specialist, Nicholas Peel. You’ve set up and filmed a self-tape, made sure the lighting and sound are on point and now it’s time to share your video with the casting director, but how should you do that? Nicholas Peel gives his tips for basic video editing, converting your file into one that casting directors…
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Lighting and Sound for Self-Tapes
A guide to lighting and sound for performer self-tapes from Spotlight’s Audio Visual Specialist, Nicholas Peel. If you’ve read our article about setting up and filming self-tapes and are ready to learn more about lighting and recording sound, then this is the guide for you! Nicholas gives his tips and kit recommendations if you’re ready to take…
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Setting up and Filming Young Performer Self-Tapes
A guide from Spotlight’s Audio Visual Specialist, Nicholas Peel, on the basics of preparing and filming young performer self-tapes. The idea of self-taping can be a little intimidating if a young performer has never done one before or if they’re more used to traditional casting room auditions. But fear not! We’ve put together this practical…
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5 Tips for Actors Working Outside of London
Zoe Bloss, who lives in the South West of England, gives her tips for performers working outside of London. I’m going to say something controversial but stick with me. Living in London is beautiful and exciting… but it’s not for everyone. I know, crazy right? There are thousands of actors shocked by this statement. In fact,…
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Dealing with a Bad Performance
Tahlia Norrish shares her experience of giving a bad performance and the valuable lessons she learnt. A blow to our ego can be tough, especially when it’s resulted from coming up short in our craft. It can seem so enticing to make excuses or throw in the towel completely, but we can choose to profit…
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Audition Insights from Casting Director Irene Cotton
Casting Director Irene Cotton speaks to Lauren McCrostie about auditions and how performers should approach the process. Knowing you’ve done your best comes from knowing you were as prepared as you could be Irene Cotton Casting Director Auditions are a number of things; anxiety-inducing, exhilarating, stressful, time-consuming, financially draining and potentially career-jeopardising. Despite all this, they…
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Playing Older, Playing Younger
Tom Baker offers tips and things to consider when playing a role significantly older or younger than you are. Inhabiting a role of a different age to your own is no different from playing a character whose situation, background, provenance, or accent differs from yours Believe it or not, most of the girls in Derry Girls aren’t…
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How to Know Your Casting Type
Rhys Jones gives his advice about knowing your type as an actor and warns against casting your auditioning net too wide. It’s important to know what your type is so you can put yourself forward for the right roles. “I’d cut my hair for a role” – every actor who takes themselves seriously has, at some point, made…
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Performing Arts Charities in the UK
The performing arts industry can be tough and sometimes you may need some support during your career or beyond. We’ve gathered a list of fantastic charities who can offer help should you ever need it. Whether you need help to make ends meet, support your child in education or face challenges through illness, injury, age, or unexpected…
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Spotlight’s Best Advice: 2019 in Review
Enjoy a recap of Spotlight’s acting industry advice from the past year. With the festive season in full swing and 2020 beckoning us ever closer, we’re taking some much-needed time out to reflect on all the great content we’ve published on Spotlight this year. We aim to bring you the best advice from industry experts…