Actor’s Hub
As one of the fastest moving industries of all time, it may come to many as a surprise to many that when it comes to technology, the entertainment industry is actually very behind. Specifically, when it comes to casting. It was only in the last ten years did the entire entertainment industry go digital.
Before technology, when an actor submitted to an agency he or she was required to go directly to an agent and submit in person. Everything was done through snail mail, and it could take up to 6 months for an actor to hear back from an agent. Today, the turn around time is a little different, but the principals are very much the same.
Today almost everything is done electronically, but the industry still very much runs like it’s snail mail. A few agents still accept agency submissions through the mail, but that’s only because they receive hundreds of email submissions. “I receive on average a hundred submissions a day, and that’s through snail mail. Email-wise, it can be upwards of 300,” said Stewart talent agent Jim Mccafferty.
The probability of agents seeing an actor’s submission is fewer than ever, because with the “aid” of technology, actors are able to send submissions whenever they like. The downside of this, is that there are a multitude of good people that get sent to the trash bin simply because there were too many submissions.
Actor’s hub provides a home for agents and actor’s alike. “The Hub,” is a website and an application that acts as a monopoly for both actors and agents to interact with one another, regardless of career level. There Is nothing on the market like it. At the moment actors, casting directors, and agents use primarily three different casting websites to cast their talent. Each has it’s own advantages and disadvantages, but Actors Hub hopes to merge the advantages of the three into one.
Actors Hub will have a place on the web, and more importantly, a place on the phones of its users. With technology today, agents expect their actors to be able to access a script as soon as possible and have it memorized on a dime; however, the technology for that to happen isn’t necessarily as easy as it sounds. Actors Hub can be accessed directly from the smartphone of users providing users with the accessibility that their agents expect them to have.
With Actor’s Hub, agents are able to sort through actors by age, sex, and race making it easier to find certain types that they are looking for. Actors have a higher chance of being looked at, because they won’t be lost in the crowd simply because of an agent receiving too many emails.
One of the main problems with the submission process now is that through email, actors can submit to an agent as much as they’d like without repercussions. Actor’s hub will curb that problem, by restricting the amount of times that an actor can submit to an agency. Much like Facebook and iMessage gives users a notification when a message has been read, Actors hub will give actors a notification when their submission has been looked at.
Directly on Actors Hub, agents can communicate with the actors who send them submissions. Actors can receive sides from agents and casting directors, confirm and deny auditions, and chat with one another.
Every actor’s profile includes his or her resume, video reel, and headshots and he or she can send these directly to an agent or casting director. When it comes to breakdowns, actors will receive a limited amount of breakdowns for casting in their acting hub. Actors will be able to browse breakdowns according to their type and submit for projects that are similar to them.
Agents, on the other hand, will receive a full list of all breakdowns available. Agents can submit their actors for each specific breakdown and casting directors can connect with agents directly on the application. Casting directors will also be able connect with actors without going through an agent.
Actors hub will also revolutionize breakdowns for business people in the industry. In the application, actors, casting directors, and agents will all have different profiles with different capabilities within the application. Depending on where they are in their career, actors will only have access to breakdowns that casting directors provide them. Breakdowns are provided by region and can be adjusted to fit an actor physically. Actors with agents will have access to the general breakdown that agents receive and can request that an agent submit them for a specific role. Actors will NOT, be able to submit themselves for roles that are agent-only, unless their agent agrees to it. Actors have the option to either pay 100/year for unlimited submissions or pay $3 per submission.
An agents profile on Actors Hub will be similar to that of an actor, however the agent will act as a mediator between the actor and the casting director. Agents can connect with both casting directors and actors on all levels. Agents also have the power to accept actor suggested submissions for plays. Agents also have the chance to view their actor’s profile and see what their actor has been up to in their career. Agents have the ability to view every audition that an actor has been on and whether or not that actor got a callback, put on check avail, or not. The agent also has the ability to view notes any casting director or director may have had about the audition. Agents will pay a yearly fee and have unlimited submission to projects.
Casting directors have the most access on Actors Hub. Casting directors have the ability to view every agency’s talent roster and choose from it freely. Casting directors also have the option to do an actor search where they can search for actors by the amount of credits they have, sex, ethnicity, and whether or not that actor has an agent. Casting directors have the option to give notes for any audition and they can also mentor actors and agents. Casting directors are the ones that post the casting breakdowns and they can control who can and who cannot see the breakdown. A feature that is new to the casting world is our feature called “Jumble.” With Jumble casting directors also have the option to receive a group of never before seen actors for a role with the actors most substantial role beneath them. This helps keep castings fresh and makes it so new people get recognized.
I am currently only in the early developing stages of the application, but I would like to go forward with the development of this application post this semester. As of right now, I only have the most basic version of the application built. The current application reflects what an actor without an agent would see. An actor without an agent has the least amount of interactivity with the application and can access the most basic features.
This is the basic actor’s profile. The profile includes an enlargeable picture or headshot as well as a small space for actors to put a biography. Under activity, actors will display their resumes as well as a link to the actors website that a user has the ability to view without leaving the application. This will also be the page that agent see when an actor submits to them and from here, and agent has the ability to view more if the actor makes it accessible.
This is an audition that the actor has been confirmed for. He or she has access to the entire breakdown right on the application and has a GoogleMaps for directions to the audition location. Actors also have the opportunity to access scripts directly from the application.
Actors Hub strives to be the best in the business not only practically, but also cosmetically. We strive to provide one of the easiest user experiences for all users all while providing a stimulating UI. We want to provide our users with the best experience. At Actors hub, we vow to be the hub for all of your entertainment and casting needs. Look to us for your next casting.
