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 directors, agents and 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 this 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 Agents.
If you are a Tagmin agent, our Self-Tape Guide for Tagmin Agents can help.
If you are experiencing technical issues, please see our Self-Tape Technical Specifications & Troubleshooting Tips.
We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions below. If this does not answer your question, please Submit a request and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
How will I know if I have received a Self-Tape request for my client/s?
How do I submit a Self-Tape on behalf of my client?
How do I send a Self-Tape request to my client to upload themselves?
Can I send Self-Tape requests to my clients’ in bulk?
How will I know when the Self-Tape has been successfully sent to the casting director?
How do I change my clients’ access rights and what does this mean?
How do we set up individual sign-ins for our agents?
I am a Tagmin agent - how will this new Spotlight feature work with my Tagmin account?
What if I am a Tagmin agent with the TagTapes add-on?
Why does it say “Beta” next to my Self-Tape tab?
How will I know if I have received a Self-Tape request for my client/s?
The self-tape request will be sent by email to the agency user who made the submission. If you have set up individual sign-ins for your agents, then you will also be able to copy other agency users into the self-tape requests to ensure you don’t miss out on any requests. You can manage these settings in the Account Settings area. Self-Tape requests can also be accessed and managed from within the Tape requests tab at the top of the Jobs Feed.
If your client has access rights to self-submit and has self-submitted, then the request will be sent directly to them. The self-tape request will always stay with the submitter.
The email will be sent from selftapes@messages.spotlight.com so they can be differentiated from job emails in order to prioritise them.
If you are a Tagmin agent, the request will also be delivered to your Tagmin account where the request can be managed easily.
Agents who use TagTapes can manage all tape requests directly from within Tagmin where they have far more functionality. The performer will upload their tape directly onto Tagmin where you will then be able to review, reorder and restitch files before sending it to the casting director.
How do I submit a Self-Tape on behalf of my client?
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Submit a response
To start, you will need to respond to the request to inform the casting team if your client is interested in submitting for the role. This can be done from within each request by clicking Respond to Request at the bottom right hand side of the screen.
Once you have responded, the status on the Tape request page will change so you can easily see whether it has been declined or where a request is awaiting submission. After the tape is submitted, the status will update to Self-Tape sent and change to green.
Submission responses can be changed once they have been responded to provided the expiry date has not passed.
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Prepare the request with your client
Once accepted, you can work with your client to prepare the tape.
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Submit the tape
When you are ready to submit, simply click into the tape request and click the Submit Self-Tapes button at the bottom right hand side of the screen, upload the tape/s and submit the tapes. Please take care to upload the correct files as once the tape is submitted, it will sit with the casting team and cannot be edited or deleted.
How do I send a Self-Tape request to my client to upload themselves?
Self-tape requests can also be sent directly to your client to manage. You will still need to respond to the request. Once accepted, the status will change to awaiting submission and you can then forward the request to your client by clicking the SEND TO CLIENT button in the self tape request. You will be able to include a message and the original self-tape request will be included along with any attachments.
After the request has been sent to your client, the status will be changed to Awaiting submission and Sent to client. If your client prefers not to submit at this point, you will still be able to update the response to Declined. The same stands for submissions and if your client sends the self-tape back to you, you can still submit on their behalf. If the status is changed to Declined at any point, the performer will no longer be able to submit.
Once you or your client has submitted the tape, the status on the request will change to Tape submitted and will show in green. You will be able to view the submitted footage but you cannot change or remove the tape.
It is important to note that should you choose to send a request to your client, then they are able to self-submit without review. If you want to be able to review the tape before submitting it, we would suggest managing the request on behalf of your client. For increased self-tape functionality you can sign up to Tagmin’s TagTapes which will allow you to review, remove, reorder, store, share and approve tapes before they are released to the casting team.
Can I send Self-Tape requests to my clients’ in bulk?
Currently requests will need to be sent individually, there is no option to send requests in bulk.
How will I know when the Self-Tape has been successfully sent to the casting director?
Once a self-tape has successfully been uploaded by you or your client, the status will be updated to Self-Tape sent and will show in green. You can view the tape but as it has been released to the casting director, you will not be able to delete or edit it.
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.
How do I change my clients’ access rights and what does this mean?
When a Performer has agency representation on their Spotlight profile, their ability to respond to a Link Board breakdown is determined by you, their agent. Any breakdown that has been sent to the Performer’s Link Board will also be sent to you. If you have allowed the performer to self-submit for roles and a self-tape request is sent, then the request will go to the submitter. If this is the performer, then a copy of the request will also be sent to you.
By default, all performers’ client access is set to ‘Read Only’, when a new agent is added to their account. If you’d like to change your client’s access settings, please sign-in to your account and click the Menu button in the top left hand corner of your screen, scroll down and under the heading Account Settings please click on Client Link Board Access, find your client’s name and then select the level of access upon which you have agreed.
If a Performer has more than one agent, the other agent(s) will also need to set them to the same access level in order for this to be released to the Performer.
Please note: Young Performer clients (if you represent them) are shown in this list but their access cannot be changed. All submissions and self-tape requests must be handled by their agent/s.
How do we set up individual sign-ins for our agents?
Setting up individual sign-ins will not only reduce technical issues but will also open up Client List Management opportunities in the near future when we are due to introduce individual client lists for those who want it.
To set up individual sign-ins for your agents, an admin at the agency can follow the following steps:
- Sign in as an Admin User
- Go to "Account Settings" in the left-hand menu
- Click "Agency Details"
- Choose your agency then click "Add new user" at the top of the page
- Enter the agent's email address and click "Send Invite"
I am a Tagmin agent - how will this new Spotlight feature work with my Tagmin account?
This new feature is a significant enhancement between Spotlight and Tagmin and will actually increase the functionality available to you as a Spotlight and Tagmin agent. You will now benefit from:
- Direct tape requests: Casting directors can now request self-tapes directly from your Spotlight submissions.
- Automated integration: When a casting director requests a self-tape, you'll receive an email notification from Spotlight, and the same request will automatically appear in your Tagmin account. No more manual entry!
- Streamlined communication: When you email your client through Tagmin, any accompanying scripts from the casting director will be automatically attached.
- Simplified management: Accept or decline self-tape requests directly within Tagmin, which automatically updates the casting director on Spotlight.
- Automated status updates: Tagmin will automatically update the self-tape booking status to "sent to contact" once you’ve manually uploaded the tape on Spotlight.
What if I am a Tagmin agent with the TagTapes add-on?
As a Tagmin agent with a TagTapes add-on, you will benefit from all the above PLUS:
- Agency Approval: Review, edit (stitch files, hide scenes) and approve self-tapes within Tagmin before they're released to the casting director on Spotlight. This eliminates inbox clutter, and manual downloading and uploading tapes becomes a thing of the past!
- Client Direct Upload: Grant your clients the option to upload self-tapes directly to Spotlight, on a per-request basis with our new “Skip agent approval” option.
- Enhanced Sharing: Ability to also share self-tapes with an agency branded link.
As a TagTape agent, all Self-Tapes will be managed through your Tagmin account and will sync across to Spotlight. You won’t be able to submit through Spotlight.
Why does it say “Beta” next to my Self-Tape tab?
As this is a new feature, Beta means we are in a testing period where casting directors will be sending live self-tape requests for real productions to allow us to test functionality of the feature in real time. Changes may be made following on from the feedback we receive during testing, and while we develop the 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.