The Spotlight Podcast
The Spotlight Podcast is for actors and performers navigating the performing arts and entertainment industry. Brought to you by Spotlight, the home of casting, our monthly podcast shares practical tips and expert advice for building and sustaining a successful performing career. Every episode we invite a guest to the studio to shine a spotlight on topics that affect the everyday work of actors and performers. Join us as we chat to casting directors, industry experts, performers, actors and agents about topics as varied as performer working rights, audition tips, how to make the most of your Spotlight membership through to an insider look at how projects are cast. Ready to take the next step in your performing career? Find out more at https://www.spotlight.com/join-us This podcast is brought to you by Spotlight, supporting the careers of performers since 1927. From our beginnings as a printed directory where talent displayed their headshots, Spotlight quickly became a cornerstone of the performing arts industry. Today, our cutting-edge software service takes our directory online and empowers performers to showcase their talents by creating dynamic profiles, making them accessible to a vast network of casting directors and independent project creators. It’s our mission to simplify the discovery of new talent and ensure the continued vibrancy of stages and screens worldwide.
Episodes
We’re joined in the Spotlight Voiceover Booth by Adam Bambrough, founder of Wellbeing in the Arts, to talk about mental health in the creative industries.
Spotlight has partnered with Wellbeing in the Arts to offer free mental health and wellbeing support as part of Spotlight membership for performers who are 18+ and reside in the UK and Ireland. Spotlight members can access a range of services from counselling to financial advi...
The Rt. Hon. Stuart Andrews MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, joins us in the Spotlight studio to discuss how cultural policies impact performers. He talks about engaging with industry professionals to help inform policy development and his role as a “constructive opposition”, raising issues that are important to our sector, supporting the government's efforts to bolster the creative industries while a...
We’re joined by injury prevention consultant, Tome Levi, to talk about the stark findings revealed in the Impact of Injury report about the human toll and economic impact of injury for performers and crew working in film, television and theatre. The report highlights the reality of cast and crew injuries caused whilst working on production and calls on the industry to improve safety at work and create safe spaces for concerns to be...
Casting Director Kharmel Cochrane joins us to talk about her three year casting journey for ‘Bob Marley: One Love’, with a search spanning the UK, USA and Jamaica to find the 70+ cast members.
Kharmel also took questions from Spotlight members and covers topics like:
- What to expect in an audition with Kharmel Cochrane.
- Adding your skills and accents to your Spotlight pr...
Esteemed casting director Kate Rhodes James discusses her process for assembling the stellar cast we see on screen in Gladiator II. Listen to Kate answer questions from Spotlight members about the intricacies of casting a blockbuster film, self-taping and the importance of making connections through work.
Never miss an episode: subscribe to The Spotlight Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to y...
Tips for making your Spotlight profile the best it can be to help casting directors discover you.
Join us as we discuss what to include on your Spotlight profile – along with expert advice on showreels, headshots, special skills and the best way to contact casting directors.
If you've just joined Spotlight and you're not sure where to start – or if you feel your profile isn't working hard enough for you – this is the episode for yo...
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) takes an increasing role in the creative arts industry, we look at what a performers legal rights are and how performers can safeguard their likeness and their work.
In this episode of The Spotlight Podcast we’re joined by Tony Morris, a solicitor who has worked in the entertainment industry for many decades. A partner at entertainment and performing arts law firm Level Law, Tony specialises in contr...
Tips and advice for making the most of your time at drama school, including common mistakes students make and how to avoid them, and how to keep improving your acting skills after you graduate.
In the finals instalment of this two-part special about all things drama school, we talk to Charleen Qwaye (Fourth Monkey), Stewart Nicholls (Guildford School of Acting), Geoff Brumlik (Bristol Old Vic Theatre School), Helen Mackay (Royal Co...
Why diversity is important in the entertainment industry, and more information about M·A·C Cosmetics’ exciting collaboration with Spotlight and the Diverse Squad.
In this episode, we speak to agents Mildred Yuan and Sara Sehdev (Core MGMT), who are also members of the PMA Diverse Squad, about:
- What the Diverse Squad is, and how they were formed.
- The difference between authentic casting and ‘tokenism’.
- What changes we need to se...
What you need to know before applying for drama school, including different types of training, advice for auditioning and the importance of inclusivity.
In the first of this two-part instalment about all things drama school, we talk to Charleen Qwaye (Fourth Monkey), Stewart Nicholls (Guildford School of Acting), Geoff Brumlik (Bristol Old Vic Theatre School), Helen Mackay (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) and Christabel Clark (Met...
We explore what interactive content is, what work opportunities exist for actors in this exciting new genre and what skills are needed if you want to audition for a role in an interactive, multi-narrative film.
We’re joined by Harry Chadwick and Grace Chadwick, the sibling founders of INTERFLIX Media to talk about the gamification of cinema and their work in the world of interactive film. Together they create films and commercials ...
How to navigate the world of performing when you don’t have an agent, and how to make the most of Spotlight as a self-represented performer.
We’re joined by Spotlight’s Customer Success Manager, Mel Brown, who has a wealth of knowledge about the performing arts industry and runs some of our career advice sessions for performers.
Mel will be chatting with us about:
- How to best use Spotlight if you don’t have an agent.
- How to...
Zoë Alba Farrugia shares her story about moving to the UK as a Maltese performer to follow her acting dream, the challenges she faced and how they inspired her to co-found female-led theatre company Prickly Pear Productions.
Prickly Pear Productions champions underrepresented stories and artists and we discuss how that work comes about and the importance of telling stories that are inspired by different cultures and human experienc...
Voice coach Nic Redman gives tips for keeping your voice on top form over the winter and shares advice to help your vocals recover after a cold.
Never miss an episode - subscribe to The Spotlight Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
This podcast is brought to you by Spotlight, the home of casting, which has been helping professional performers find roles in TV, film and theatr...
Whether you're a seasoned professional voiceover, or an actor looking to add another skill to your repertoire, the VO Social Podcast ladies can help move your career along.
The VO Social Podcast's Nic Redman and Leah Marks have got more than 30 years of voice experience between them, and this episode of The Spotlight Podcast is stacked full of tips on not only improving your skills but also setting and smashing your goals.
We speak to theatre-maker and performer Robert Softley Gale about working in Scottish theatre and making the Arts accessible for disabled creatives and audiences.
Never miss an episode - subscribe to The Spotlight Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
This podcast is brought to you by Spotlight, the home of casting, which has been helping professional performers find roles in T...
Actor and comedian Jonny Weldon talks about auditions, making your own work and capitalising on social media success.
Never miss an episode - subscribe to The Spotlight Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
This podcast is brought to you by Spotlight, the home of casting, which has been helping professional performers find roles in TV, film and theatre since 1927.
Over 90% of U...
This meditation is designed to help you feel more present and connected to what you love doing so you can bring your best self to your self-tape audition.
This 30 minute meditation is inspired by the idea of togetherness and what gets created when we come together. It’s designed to calm and soothe the nervous system and can be helpful to listen to when things in our lives (and the world) are feeling out of control.
In this meditation, we gently invite you to celebrate all parts of you. Because all parts of you are worthy of celebration. There may have been times when things didn’t go to plan. Maybe there were some days when you felt like giving up. But you didn’t. You’re here.
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