In October 2023, UK casting site Spotlight announced new features to their platform, including a “premiere membership tier” which offers a range of perks including:
Profile Insights
Premiere Events
Events Archive
Access to recordings of previous online workshops
Concierge Services (“Exclusive feedback from our friends in the industry, one-to-one sessions and further profile support from success team”)
Personal Accident / Business / Travel Insurance
24-Hour Health and Wellbeing Helpline
The only catch was that the premiere tier would cost £294 a year. £100+ more per year than the current, now termed ‘basic plan’. The “basic plan” was then described as “great for beginner actors” while the “premiere tier” was on offer for “actors looking to get more out of their membership.”
This announcement was met with quite the online backlash including a petition started by Casting Directors that reached almost 4,000 signatures. After a few days Spotlight announced they were “pausing” the roll out of their new system. While this pause update is welcomed, one can’t help but feel like this step was taken in response to the negativity to avoid more backlash..as opposed to a genuine understanding of why there was so much pushback. Because if the UK’s leading (and let’s face it, one and only legit and relied upon) casting site really understood the day to day reality of its members, it’s hard to imagine this idea would have come to fruition to begin with…
Now, we are not using this as an opportunity to bash Spotlight, instead we want to offer a glimpse into the POV from an actors shoes in all this. Actors who are in the 98% who don’t earn their main source of income from acting work. ie - the majority of Spotlight members. This is much more than an issue with tiered systems. The annual price of Spotlight is £187 a year, or £86 for actors with disabilities, when North American counterparts offer more, for less (more on that later). So let’s look at the “basic plan”/membership we’re all accustomed to, and how things don’t really feel fair to begin with, even before the premiere tier idea…
1 - Spotlight is a job site. And the only one we know of where the job-seekers are the ones paying for the job-givers to find people for the job. However, not every member gets access to the same information/opportunities. Some casting directors will only send breakdowns to certain ‘lists’ of agencies. While we understand that it’s not feasible for every role to be open to potentially tens of thousands of applicants every time…this makes the situation already an uneven playing field.
In addition to this, some agents will ask productions, in order for their big-wig actor to be cast, to also cast a handful of their lesser-known clients. Again, making the casting pool even smaller.
Furthermore…newer actors, or self represented actors, don’t get access to the same/same amount of castings. This may be understandable, but then is a flat fee for every actor across this spectrum fair?
2 - The proposed option of paying more to “get more out of your membership” doesn’t quite gel when actors don’t get much out of our membership to begin with. Actors use Spotlight to update their profile and/or self submit to castings, with the odd webinar here or there. Agents and Casting Directors are on Spotlight all day every day. For Spotlight members who are not based in the UK full time, they don’t get access to events that Spotlight throw, or online workshops that are held at times of the day that, due to time differences, can’t be made. If fee = access…then shouldn’t actors in those circumstances pay less? Compare Spotlight to any of the casting platforms used in North America and you’ll find the (free and low cost) American versions offer way more in terms of usage of the site. For example - auditions are posted in your online profile inbox, and it is there where you can directly upload your self tape/showreel/ident. Everything is in one place, the site is actually getting used by all parties, and it’s more organized for all involved. No missed download links, tapes in spam folders, CD’s having to download directly to their computers etc etc. The option to send self tapes direct to CD’s/back to agents is always there - but paying almost £200 a year should already lend itself to more in-site usage.
3 - This is more than perpetuating a class divide. While there are so many barriers that those from working class background face in this industry, most actors/Spotlight members don’t earn their main source of income from acting. So if you go into a coffee shop with a staff full of actors...whatever their socio economic background, they are most likely working minimum wage jobs, living paycheque to paycheque and spending all they can on things to further their career. Not a single actor I know in The 98% is in a position to spend an extra £100+ a year.
4 - Let’s be really honest here about how much money actors put into their careers for, a lot of the time, little return…
Annual fees:
Spotlight - £185
IMDb pro - £150
Equity - £156 (starting cost…more depending on your annual income)
Other casting sites - £100+
Personal website - £200+
Other potential expenses:
Headshots -£300+
Showreel companies - £100+
Workshops/classes/1-1’s - £100+
Travel expenses to/from auditions/industry events - £ * hundreds - who knows! *
Already that’s around £1000 a YEAR for a strong chance of not even booking any work. How many people outside of this industry pay that much to be unemployed? And that’s not even including the student debt that thousands are in from prior actor training, another experience seen as essential to making a path in this industry. The idea that actors have another couple hundred pounds lying around at the end of each year is severely, severely out of touch. (Not to mention we are in a cost of living crisis!!)
5 - In the 5 years we’ve been running The 98% podcast/platform we have been made aware of many instances of Spotlight posting work with low/no pay, and not responding to calls to remove harmful, exploitative castings. There is not enough of a vetting process, or follow up, and it is not fair for actors, who pay almost £200 a year, to have the job fall on them of having to flag/report/follow up on casting calls that could put them in danger.
6 - According to Wikipedia, Spotlight has 70,000 members. That’s £13,000,000 made from membership fees a year. That’s more than £35,000 a day. Which is far more than what actors in the 98% earn in a year, with or without acting work. Membership money used to go towards the printing of the books but now it’s a website - just like the one being used to make this blog post costing £20 a month out of my own pocket. With millions being made in membership fees - a genuine question from actors, where is it going? And why are we being asked to pay more for things like access to a wellbeing hotline that, yes, needs to be funded, but could surely be funded from the already high membership cost?
We are all already acutely aware in this industry of the countless ways people are divided within it. To create another divide out of thin air, where some have access to potentially career boosting opportunities and others don’t, is adding to an already incredibly damaging problem, and one that is actively pushing people out of this business. All of this is to say, actors have been lamenting about how expensive Spotlight is for many years and to see that, clearly, the fee is going to stay the same/continue to rise steadily each year - even without the option of a premiere tier - is demoralizing. Especially when there is no other option to finding acting work, which is an issue in itself. (No one should have a monopoly over anything, especially in a business that thrives on exploitation and elitism.)
However, this is not to say we are necessarily against members paying different fees - imagine a world where actors would pay on a sliding scale depending on what they earn! Unrepresented actors would pay less because they don’t have access to as many castings. Maybe casting directors help foot the bill, making the annual fee smaller for everyone. Even a sliding scale for them…higher earners working on multiple projects a year can pay slightly more, while newer CD’s working on smaller, indie projects pay less.
As an actor, it seems that everywhere you turn there is something else you could be doing (/paying for) to turn that corner and ‘make things happen’. Sometimes it feels like the entertainment industry is nothing but a huge pyramid scheme, with actors at the bottom and everyone above making whatever money they can out of us under the guise of that elusive “big break” or hope for a step in that direction. It’s like organizations/companies/people can see that actors are so desperate for any morsel of opportunity that they can take advantage of that to line their own pockets. That is why Spotlight’s announcement hit such a nerve. That a site so heavily relied on by actors doesn’t seem to understand the experience of those who keep their business afloat.
With Spotlight being bought by American company Talent Systems LLC, we can’t help but worry this is an unfortunate glimpse into what the future of Spotlight holds. While we invited Spotlight onto the podcast to discuss the recent goings on, we haven’t heard back. That offer still stands. In the meantime we would like to share some comments from Spotlight members. We don’t want to be a faceless crowd that Spotlight just view as people that need their site in order to work, we want to put voices to the people that fund it so that Spotlight can really understand where actors are coming from, and why the pushback to the premiere tier was the straw that broke the camels back…
“ I’m 61 years old and I’ve been acting professionally (on and off) since I was 11, so I know a thing or two. As you know, us in the 98% cover a huge spectrum of financial situations and I’m coming at it from this one: I’m in an extremely lucky position whereby, although I don’t earn my living from acting, I am financially comfortable. Twenty years ago I set up my own company and it has been successful so, although I (desperately) want, I don’t need to act to live. So that’s me.
Now, the Spotlight thing: I am passionately against a two tier system, and for several decades now I have abhorred the thought that actors have to pay a private company just to be able to apply for jobs. Because, essentially, that’s what it is...but I have always understood that ‘that’s just the way it is’ and it ain’t gonna change!
So, the current situation…my subscription is up for renewal at the end of November so I thought, as it's only for a month, I would upgrade to ‘Premiere’ to see just exactly what was on offer and if it was of any darn use to the average 98 percenter. (SPOILER: It isn’t)
I’m in Equity, I have private health insurance, and my mental health is robust, so personally I have no need for those elements of the Premiere membership. But obviously some people will. I’m very proactive as far as my acting career and therefore what interested me was the ‘Profile insights’ It would be very useful to have data and detail on who and how often casting professionals view my profile and whose lists I appeared on. When I viewed this page, to my dismay, I found out that it was next to useless as, although it quoted how many times my profile had been viewed/listed, there were no details of who. What use is that? Also, the Media (video) allowance has been increased to 60 minutes. To be honest that’s just too much. What casting professional is going to wade through all that?
To conclude; I won’t be renewing the upgrade and I have, along with many others, signed the petition to get Spotlight to withdraw this and get it sorted for its many, many members who, the majority, don’t need it and can’t afford it. “
-Ian Donnelly, actor
“ When I got the email from Spotlight introducing the new tier’d option that we can pay for, my initial reaction was WHAT THE FUCK. For years we have been begging Spotlight to introduce a feature on the platform allowing casting directors to quickly and easily provide a simple “yes/no” once they knew that we were either out of the running for a role or not. And we have have been ignored. This topic has come up time and time again and still Spotlight has done absolutely nothing. What do they do instead? Think of a new way to get even more money out of us by offering incentives like seeing how many views our profile has received!? This isn’t Instagram.
Not to mention access to workshops and events, private one-to-one coaching from their team, and a 24 hour access to a mental health helpline which will be for “premiere-level-only” subscribers. Shame on Spotlight for creating yet one more disparity in our industry.
I am sad, disappointed, and frustrated that the Spotlight team are so out of touch with what we, their paying subscribers, actually need from them. “
-Danny Mahoney, actor
“ There's 91748 actors on Spotlight. That number grows every year. We pay £187 a year for our CV and reels to be visible for cds and agents. CD's also pay. around £200 per year to post. Let's say Spotlight takes around 15 million pounds a year from all of us. That's a lot. They may say it's because the mantainance of the website is tough, or their offices are expensive. Yes, they are in a very fancy. Do we need it to be fancy? Could be much simpler. They give us certain things for free, but in all honesty, I barely use those. I’d rather pay less. I just want my profile being simple and visible. Actors Access in the US is a good example of that.
I've been on Spotlight for 18 years. I've had about 15 castings from it. That's it. FIFTEEN. Yet I keep on paying. Because, without it, you're not considered a professional actor and you can't apply for jobs eitehr by yourself or via an agent. It's a compulsory expense. It's also a platform based on inequality. Certain jobs are only opened to certain agents, other jobs only to agents in general and just the minority are open to everyone. Yet we all pay the same. Why should those who have bigger agents get better options? Let's face it, they already do by being with that particular agency. It doesn't help that casting directors are also represented by those big agencies so choosing people from their own cohort makes sense. Why not level up the field where you can instead of bringing more inequality in an industry that already reeks of privilege, racism, ageism, sexism, etc?
If Spotlight is to keep its monopoly, it has to serve the bigger community, not its pockets. “
-anon
“ In my own, admittedly limited, experience I've found that Spotlight is almost like a necessary evil, and I really don't like the position we actors are in. It seems anyone wanting to make headway and get access to those big roles simply has to be on Spotlight. I've tried many other sites and they seem predominantly littered with low paying jobs and charlatans looking to exploit or outright deceive us. This may seem like an endorsement of Spotlight, but my problem is that the majority of high profile roles are only visible to my agent, so unless I'm regularly asking, I have no idea which roles I'm being submitted for, and which roles I'm not being submitted for. In many ways it would give me more control and transparency to be self represented and be able to see and evaluate those roles myself. I have to give the control to my agent and the money to Spotlight. It's rather frustrating at times. “
-anon
“ I lived, auditioned and worked as an actor in the UK for 6 years before coming to North America and doing the same here. I am still a Spotlight member because I still want to pursue work in the industry I love in my home country, and also still have a UK agent. In an ideal world I wouldn’t have to pay for Spotlight, it is such a high expense for something I barely ever use, and can’t make the most out of the things that are offered locally. However, letting my account lapse feels like I will be taken completely out of the running for UK jobs and I am also afraid of being seen as not taking my career ‘seriously’ without it. (Even though I am so keen to work that I will pay my own flights back to the UK if a job came my way!) Being in North America has also given me a unique insight into how casting works here. There are multiple sites, casting chooses which they prefer to work with, and they are so accessible, user friendly and helpful in terms of logistical offerings - particularly with uploading and sending self tapes. In comparison to Spotlight, it really highlights how high their membership fee is…below is a breakdown of North American casting sites, the annual fees, and their membership offerings.
ACTORS ACCESS
Basic: Free
-Profile with photos, resume and information
-Shared Profile Across Talent Reps
-Role Match Alerts
-Alerts for Sides Revisions
-cMail
-Technical Support
-2 Headshots
-1 Slate Shot
Premium: $50 USD / $68 CAD / £40 GBP
-Unlimited submissions
-Full access to app
CASTING NETWORKS
Basic: Free
-First two photos, the first video clip, and the first audio clip are free
-Search Casting Billboard listings and upgrade to submit (but agent can submit you on free plan)
-Create Casting Billboard® Saved Searches
-Receive Notifications for Roles That Fit Your Specified Criteria
Premium: $259.90 USD / $356 CAD / £210 GBP (there are discounted offers throughout the year for $75 - $100 off annual fee)
-Unlimited photo, video & audio uploads up to 5gb total
-Unlimited Casting Billboard submissions
CASTING WORKBOOK
Basic: $72 USD / $100 CAD / £60 GBP
-Actor App - shoot, bundle, share & track
-16 headshots & multiple resumes
-90 minutes of HD demo reels and clips
-Multiple representatives in Multiple cities
-Talent can upload / change their materials without any delay or additional fees
-Submit to casting notices and open breakdowns (currently web only)
-Webinars, interviews, workshops with industry professionals
NO PREMIUM OPTION!! This is the only site where you have to pay to join but you have access to everything on the site.
On all of these sites you can view audition notices, upload self tapes and submission notes, upload your showreel and submit to your agent or direct to casting *all in the same place* on your profile, meaning you use the website regularly and get far more out of what you’re paying. I think Spotlight need to really listen to what their members want and need, otherwise they’re at risk of people actively trying to find alternatives to what they offer. “
“ An Agents perspective:
Spotlight has changed up some fundamental aspects of how it works in recent years. Whilst they appear to be inclusive and helpful on the face of it, there are actually significant problems that are either not helpful to the wider industry, or just don’t work as intended and are just red herrings.
A year or two ago, Spotlight did away with the restrictions imposed on new members joining the service. Previously, you had to have trained at an accredited drama school, or independently attained a certain number of professional credits. Getting rid of the restrictions was met with almost universal positivity. I’m probably going to be in a minority that believes that this wasn’t good for the platform, and the industry in general.
Acting is intrinsically appealing because of the way it makes you feel when you do it. It feels good. It’s energising. Because of that, it’s something that very quickly can feel like something we might want to do all the time. In fact, we might even want to be paid for it. And because we want to do it, and it makes us feel so good, we begin to feel entitled to it. Unfortunately, wanting something is not a measurement of skill or talent. It is getting increasingly harder to tell certain people that their skill level just isn’t high enough, and things like Spotlight membership is giving a false hope, a sense of being closer to “making it”.
I’ve also heard people relying on the crutch of “well you learn best on the job!”. It is an unrealistic notion to believe that any professional theatre or film/tv show would buy into the idea that an actor who genuinely isn’t good enough yet, will somehow learn to be better once cast and working on the job. Will you be better from day one? Or will they need to go back and do reshoots once you’ve developed?
As uncomfortable as it may be to acknowledge, the restrictions that Spotlight previously had in place were a necessary ‘gate-keeping’ feature, a quality filter of sorts. Without them, more “actors” than ever have saturated the market. It doesn’t help when celebrities get onto interviews and spout “follow your dreams” type platitudes, that further makes everyone say I deserve the same chance that everyone else does. THAT sentiment IS actually true, they do deserve to have the same opportunities, opportunities to train and grow their skills BEFORE entering the professional sphere. Sadly this hasn’t been the case for years, with drama schools prolonging class divides and access to professional work being generally wealth-gated away.
For my two cents, the answer to making sure that everyone has the same chance is to fix the issues with drama school intake, and fully fund regional theatre outreach, so that genuinely talented actors who can’t access the world are able to.
Without real investment in the core problems, this act by Spotlight feels irresponsible and actually could be seen as a cash grab. All these people who may have wanted to be paying the fees but couldn’t before hand…now they can. How convenient.
Another feature recently added by Spotlight is the Talent Scout function. Un-repped actors can signal on their profile if the are currently seeking representation, and will appear on a section of the website that can be searched by talent reps. All good right? Sadly no. It hasn’t been designed to be actually helpful on the Agents end. It was launched on September 5th of 2023, and as of Nov 8th an agent can only search the ever expending list by actors name. That’s it. We can also ‘sort’ by most recently added, least recently added, performer name A-Z, and performer name Z-A.
This is fundamentally useless. Agents are in a near perpetual state of looking for specific skill sets, regional bases, accents, languages etc. With no function to filter the results by anything significant, there is no genuine way for an agent or assistant to efficiently search the 6000+ plus profiles that are currently on the Talent Scout feature. Our time is valuable, and this just wastes it.
Again, this function was met with great positivity. But it’s a hollow victory if it’s not fit for purpose. It’s just giving more false hope, and it feels like that is the main currency that Spotlight is trading in these days. “
-anon
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The 98% is a first of its kind podcast/platform representing the 98% of actors who don't earn their main source of income from acting work. With worldwide listeners, 5 series' and 350,000+ total downloads, The 98% has been a source of comfort, support and education for the majority of actors in a space that usually only highlights the famous faces and well known people within the industry. The 98%, hosted by Alexa Morden and Katie Elin-Salt tackles important conversations and raises awareness around the parts of being an actor that are usually kept hidden, as well as exposing parts of the industry that need change. Featuring guests from all corners of the industry, The 98% aims to bridge the gap between actors and those on the other side of the table - hosting honest, accessible and relatable conversations around the reality of #actorslife.
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