Spotlight experts share their top tips for what casting directors want to see in your ‘Highlights’ section.
The ‘Highlights’ section is a small area on your profile, but it can be mighty when used correctly. If your Spotlight profile is your acting CV, consider this section your personal statement – a chance to mention useful and relevant information showing casting professionals that you’re the right person for the job.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to:
Optimise searchable free-text fields: Both the ‘Highlights’ and ‘Training’ sections are searchable via free text, making them vital areas to include unique keywords that casting directors might look for.
Prioritise unique and dynamic information: Use the ‘Highlights’ section as a constantly updated space to showcase current performance dates, major awards, niche skills, or international work permits – ensuring that standard data like height or ethnicity is kept in its dedicated profile fields instead.
Utilise automatic hyperlinks: Take advantage of the fact that URLs automatically turn into clickable links by including your professional website, social media, ticket booking pages, or the Spotlight profiles of family members you want to work alongside.
Maintain strict professionalism: Avoid turning your free-text sections into casual social media bios; keep lists of personal hobbies or pets off your profile, focus entirely on your unique selling points as an actor, and consult your agent if you are unsure about changes.
If you want your ‘Highlights’ to really get you noticed, here are some tips and suggestions to ensure you’re making the most of that 600-character limit:
The ‘Highlights’ section is one of only two free-text areas on your Spotlight profile. The other is your ‘Training’ section, which has a 1,500-character limit but isn’t as immediately visible as ‘About Me’.
It’s important to remember that both sections are searchable to casting professionals. The information you write in them has the potential to bring you up in the results during a casting director’s search via free text criteria, so make sure you’re thinking about the information they’re likely to search for.
Highlight Key Information
If you have a skill or credit you’re particularly proud of, use ‘Highlights’ to elaborate on it. Maybe you’re the master of a niche skill, or you’ve worked with a high-profile director or on a big production? Try to make the most of your character allowance with unique information that amplifies your profile.
Put Information in the Right Section
If you’re mentioning particular details in their section elsewhere, such as height, skills, or ethnicity, make sure you’ve added it to those sections. Casting professionals are more likely to look for someone with a specific skill using the skill search than the free-text one.
Also, it’s best to keep information about your training, courses and exam results in your profile’s ‘Training’ section, not the ‘Highlights’ section. Think of your ‘Highlights’ as an area that needs constant editing and refreshing to keep it relevant and up to date – while ‘Training’ highlights and informs the casting professionals about your acting education, which will never be out of date. It can also be added over time with new training accomplishments.
Take Advantage of Hyperlinks
Any link entered into the ‘Highlights’ or ‘Training’ sections will automatically become a hyperlink. Take advantage of this by adding your professional social media links, personal acting website and places where they can get tickets to see you in action.
If your sibling, partner or parents are also on Spotlight, you could also include a link to their Spotlight profile. This is particularly useful if you hope to get jobs requiring family members to work together.
Useful Information to Include
If you’re unsure what information to include in your ‘Highlights’ section, here are a few ideas:
- If you have a visa, work permit, green card or right to work in another country, ensure that you provide details about it – especially if it’s for a country you’d like to do acting work in.
- Any information that doesn’t fit elsewhere – such as skills or hair colours that aren’t on our list – can be mentioned here.
- Include any awards, reviews or achievements you are proud of. If you run out of space for reviews, you can also use the ‘Training’ section.
- If a TV series or commercial you worked on will soon be aired, feel free to add the time, day and channel to ‘Highlights’. These are all opportunities for casting professionals to see you in action.
Keep It Professional
Above all else, keep your ‘Highlights’ section professional.
It’s okay to talk about yourself and your interests, but don’t start listing your pets, every hobby you have and your favourite food. Consider what’s relevant and how each bit of information will portray you as a professional actor.
Whatever you write, ensure it’s clear and concise and remember: if you’re ever unsure about any changes you’re making, run them past your agent first. They’ll know how best to present you and stop you from accidentally turning your ‘Highlights’ into a social media bio.
Take a look at our website for more tips and advice from Spotlight experts
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