Young Performer: Self-Tape Request FAQs

We are excited to announce the launch of our Self-Tape feature on Spotlight. This will allow casting directors to request and receive Self-Tapes directly through the Spotlight website making it a far easier process for casting professionals, agents and young performers. This is currently in a Beta phase meaning that this new feature is being tested in a live environment with a small number of casting directors. We will be collecting feedback and streamlining the process before releasing it to all our casting members in the near future.

Our team has put together a comprehensive guide along with a few help videos to show how our new self-tape feature works: Self-Tape Guide for Performers.

If you are experiencing technical issues, please see our Self-Tape Technical Specifications & Troubleshooting Tips advice.

We have a lot of great self-tape advice specifically for Young Performers. We have compiled our favourites here:

• Self-taping Tips for Young Performers

• Setting Up and Filming Young Performer Self-tapes

• Lighting and Sound for Self-tapes

• Editing and Sharing Self-tapes

• How to Edit your Self-tapes and Showreels

We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions below. If this does not answer your question, please email questions@spotlight.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

How will I know if I have received a Self-Tape request?

Where can I see my self-tape requests?

I have received a Self-Tape request from my agent, how do I submit my tape?

I have received a Self-Tape request through Spotlight, how do I submit my tape?

How do I increase the limit of Self-Tape I am able to submit?

How do I know my Self-Tape has been submitted?

I am not able to submit my Self-Tape, can Spotlight upload this for me?

I have missed the deadline to submit my Self-Tape - what do I do?

Can you reuse a Self-Tape from the system?

Why does it say “Beta” next to my Self-Tape tab?

As a Young Performer member, all self-tape requests will be sent directly to your agent to manage. They can then choose to either:

• forward the request through Spotlight to you. You will receive an email with a link that will direct you to where you can upload the tape directly to the casting team the request came from. 

Or

• send the request to you outside of Spotlight with instructions on where to send the tape once it is ready to be submitted. This will allow the agent to review the tape before submitting it to the casting team through Spotlight on your behalf.

If your agent uses TagTapes, you should upload directly onto Tagmin where your agent can review and release it to the casting director on Spotlight.

If you have received a self-tape request and your agent has sent it through Spotlight, you will be notified by email to your Spotlight registered email. It will include the tape instructions and a link directing you to where you can upload the tape. You will also be able to see and manage the request in the Tape requests area selectable from the left hand menu when signed into your account. 

If your agent has sent the request outside of Spotlight, the request will be handled between you and the agent and can be submitted by the agent after they have received and reviewed it. Only requests sent directly through Spotlight will show in the Tape requests page.

If your agent has sent you a self-tape request outside of Spotlight, you will need to submit the tape directly to them to upload on your behalf. This will allow them to review the tape before it is submitted.

Once you have recorded your self-tape/s and are ready to submit, click the link included in the email to upload the tape. Or you can sign into your Spotlight account and find the self-tape request in the Tape requests area selectable from the left hand menu when signed into your account. Here you will be able to select the request you are ready to submit for and click the blue Submit Self-Tape button. 

The submissions window will open and you can add your self-tape by selecting the file from your computer or by dragging and dropping the file into the upload area. Once uploaded - you are ready to submit. 

Please note: Submissions are final and cannot be edited or deleted once submitted. Please take extra care to ensure the correct files have been uploaded.

The self-tape limit is set by the casting professional who has requested the tapes and cannot be changed. You may consider stitching your tapes together if you have more tapes to submit than has been requested. Our Technical Troubleshooting FAQs might be helpful if you need to join videos together.

Once your self-tape has been submitted successfully, you will see this in the Tape requests tab - the self-tape will be marked with a green banner saying Self-tape sent. 

If the tape is showing as “Processing” - this does not mean it has not been successfully uploaded - it simply means that the tape is processing on the casting directors side. As long as the status has been changed to Self-Tape sent and is showing in green, then the showreel has successfully been submitted.

Please note: If the agent has submitted the tape on your behalf, it won’t show in the Tape requests tab. Only tape requests sent through Spotlight can be seen here.

Unfortunately it is not possible for Spotlight to upload a self-tape on behalf of members. If you are experiencing technical issues uploading a tape, please see our Technical Troubleshooting tips here. We would also suggest speaking to your agent who will be able to submit the tape through Spotlight on your behalf.

Once the deadline has passed, you will no longer be able to submit a self-tape for that request. The only way to submit is if the casting team resubmits a self-tape request to your agent.

If you would like to reuse a self-tape that has previously been submitted, you will need to reupload the original tape. It is not currently possible to reuse a submitted self-tape through Spotlight. Once a self-tape has been submitted, the tape belongs to the casting director and cannot be downloaded, edited or deleted.

As this is a new feature, this means that we are testing this feature in real time and the functionality of the feature may change following on from the feedback we receive and while we develop this feature further. Feedback can be submitted from within the self-tape page, just look out for the feedback pop up or you can submit your feedback directly through our feedback form.