The Spotlight Podcast

In our latest Spotlight Podcast, we’re joined by Skyfall’s casting director Debbie McWilliams to discuss the casting process for film, as well as the audition process and tips for actors auditioning for feature films.

Debbie, who spoke to us after our London Film Festival Casting Symposium at the BFI, has cast nine other Bond films in addition to Skyfall, as well as An American Werewolf in London, My Beautiful Laundrette and Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V, and passes on advice from her vast casting experience.

How do you break into the presenting industry? What skills does a presenter need and where can you get them? Is presenting a potential career for an actor? And how do you make contacts in the industry?

In our latest Spotlight podcast, presenter and journalist Martyn Andrews talks us through how you can get started in a presenting career and what skills you need in order to succeed in the industry.

Spotlight membership comes with many benefits but what can you do to ensure you make the most of them? What edits can you do to your online CV to ensure you're selling yourself to casting directors?

And how can you make yourself more searchable on our database? What extras can you add that you may not be aware of? And what extra benefits does Spotlight offer to members and where can you find them?

In this latest Spotlight podcast Pippa Harrison, our Head of Client relations at Spotlight, guides you through how you can ensure you’re getting the most from your membership of Spotlight.

Pippa will talk you through how to optimise your CV for castings, how you can ensure your Spotlight profile is ready for a casting at a moment’s notice, and how to access other membership benefits.

Making sure you keep your acting skills topped up is one of the most important things an actor can do, regardless of whether you’ve been to drama school or not.

In our latest Spotlight podcast, Amanda Redman (New Tricks, Little Dorrit, At Home With The Braithwaites) talks through tips staying on sharp as an actor, how to look after your body and hone your skills, and where to look for training if you’ve already graduated from drama school or have had no formal training.

What are the key things an actor needs to be aware of when auditioning for screen? How important is a showreel? How do you go about building up screen credits? And what are the essentials an actor needs to know about self-taping?

In our latest Spotlight podcast, recorded after our Meet The Casting Directors seminar at the Edinburgh Fringe, Victor Jenkins and Kelly Valentine Hendry from VHJ Casting give us their top tips for actors wanting to impress when auditioning for film and television projects.

How should an actor approach a well-known production or tackle a play based on a real-life character. And how can a performer best adjust when their play transfers from a small, intimate venue to a larger, more high-profile one.

In our latest Spotlight podcast, we speak to Tam Williams, Simon Williams and Nicholas Grace, three of the cast of Chariots Of Fire at the Gielgud Theatre in London’s West End.

Tam, Simon and Nicholas give us their tips for approaching familiar plays and characters, and how an actor can find their own interpretation of the role. Plus, they give advice for anybody performing in the West End for the first time or moving their production into a larger venue.

What are the key points an actor needs to be aware of when writing to an industry professional in order to sell themselves as a performer?

In our latest Spotlight podcast, our PR manager and careers expert (and former agent) Emma Dyson talks us through the dos and don’ts of contacting agents, casting directors, directors and other industry professionals – and the information you need to include in your letter or email.

Whether you’re looking for representation, chasing a role in a specific project or wanting to attract industry professionals to your shows, don’t miss this valuable advice on selling yourself as a performer.

What are the essentials that any actor new to the industry needs to be aware of? For our latest Spotlight podcast, we speak to actor / director Bill Buckhurst (RSC, Shakespeare's Globe) about the business side of the industry all performers need to master for a successful career.

Bill talks us through the off-stage aspects of acting that are vital to master in your career, including how to contact agents if you’re seeking representation, what approaches to use to get the attention of directors and casting directors, how to adjust to the world of a working actor after leaving drama school, and how to keep yourself focused between roles and auditions.

If you’re an actor who has recently completed drama school, what’s the best way to approach the months after graduating? Making your way in the industry as a young graduate can be quite daunting, especially when you’re looking for work immediately after graduating.

For the latest Spotlight podcast, we speak to Jessica Pidsley, who won the Highly Commended award at the 2009 Spotlight Prize.

As a recent graduate, Jessica shares her experiences from the months immediately after graduation, along with advice on how to stay positive, network, and why you shouldn’t panic if the roles and auditions don’t immediately arrive.

How should an actor prepare when auditioning for a commercial? How do they differ from a standard casting? What can an actor do to ensure they have the best chance of landing the role? In our latest podcast, casting director Thom Hammond gives us his advice on how best to approach commercial castings.

Thom was formerly Spotlight’s Casting Rooms and Studios Manager and is now one half of Hammond Cox casting. He has worked with hundreds of actors auditioning for commercials and offers a unique insight into what commercial casting directors are looking for.