Here are the places you need to be.
In America and the U.K. there are a plethora of casting notice boards; online, offline, paid subscriptions, and free which can make looking for a job (not necessarily getting one) easier. There are a few reasons why that’s not the case here in Germany, the main one being that acting is considered a trade. That means you need to have studied the craft at a reputable school, which is very subjective.
In theory, it’s a great policy that keeps most amateurs from clogging up casting directors’ mailboxes. But what about those of us who have studied abroad, not at a university but somewhere like Stella Adler, The Actor’s Studio, or one of the many other great places to learn the craft of acting? Hate to break it to you but, it doesn’t count, unless… Unless you can prove you’ve worked in the business for at least 10 years. That will get you a membership to the Bundesverband der Film- und Fernsehschauspieler (BFFS) which is sort of like Screen Actor’s Guild — sort of, in that it’s not a union but it does offer some base guidelines and support. Being a member will give you some legitimacy and is a good start. Some of these notice boards cross over into also being databanks for actors and productions but we’ll cover databanks in another post.
Now on to the Casting Notice Boards:
CASTUPLOAD is relatively new on the scene and geared toward the German market. It has proven itself the darling of German casting directors. It’s basically a huge databank but they also post castings. It’s free to join and you can also link it to your account on Crew United. I would show you a screenshot but they insist on showcasing my age (supposedly only for the casting director’s eyes) and that ain’t nobody’s business. Don’t get me started on that rant — in Germany, you must include your date of birth and age on every casting platform and audition form you submit. I prefer the way it is in the States — you’re as old as you look. Amen.
Crew United Crew United is another website that began in Germany but now is representative of many countries in the EU. It’s basically the European version of IMDB and is widely used. You’ll find casting notices in their “jobs” section. Most of their postings are for low/no paying jobs but once in a while they’ll post something at standard pay; especially if it’s very specific (i.e. They’re looking for a Mandarin/German-speaking POC from Mozambique).
You can access their casting notices for free but if you’d like to see what’s in development or pre-production (which can be extremely helpful if you, like me, are proactive and want to network, you’ll have to sign up for full membership (59,90 Euros) but you’ll simultaneously be listed on Schauspielervideos.de which is used as a casting databank by many casting directors. Their layout looks great, too.
e-TALENTA which goes by the name CASTFORWARD in Germany is another Europe-wide casting portal. There is no need to join both of their sites. Membership in one will get you listed in the other. It’s free to join but if you really want to get the most use out of it, you’ll need to anti up for their pro account which costs 89 euros per year.
What I really like about the above example is that should you choose to use the “about me” option, every profile starts with a quick introduction video that lets casting directors, directors, and producers see how you come across — what your essence is. They are also a great way to let people know what you look like right now without professional makeup. And lastly, in case you’ve made some major changes to your look, for example, grown a beard (not me, obviously), cut or dyed your hair, or suddenly decided that getting a facial tattoo would be a great idea, (if so, you might need to re-think your life choices -just saying), your “about me video” would be the place to showcase those changes until you get your new headshots.
IMDB.com IMDB is the industry standard for production companies and actors alike. It’s one of the first places casting directors go to check out what you’ve done. If you don’t have an imdb profile, I suggest you take the time to make one. It has just implemented a new casting notice system. It’s so new that I really can’t report on it yet but it looks very promising. While I can’t recommend their casting board just yet, I can recommend becoming a full member ($15.95 monthly or $124.95 annually). As a full member, you’ll have access to films in development and pre-production lists as well as direct links to the production company’s or the casting director’s websites.
451.ch This is a Swiss platform but they have a pretty far reach. They often post audition notices.
Casting Network offers a free option which is really meant for extras or “Kleindarsteller”, and a premium option which is intended for professional actors. Their premium membership costs 40,- a year. With this, you’ll have access to and be able to apply to casting notices for professional actors that match your profile, casting directors (as well as what they are currently casting and how they accept submissions), acting schools, and current workshops. They also put out a blog with industry insights and updates.
In actuality, there are many more casting notices posted on dedicated Facebook pages, Instagram, and casting databanks (which I will cover in another post). Until then, see you in the green room.