Dan Cangelosi has worked on both sides of the camera and knows the hustle and hope essential to earning every job.
When he was first making his way as a film producer and director, he was a Backstage member applying for acting gigs between projects, “just to stay in film.”
Now creative director at Jersey Filmmaker, Cangelosi says as a content producer he wishes he knew then, as a Backstage actor looking to get cast, what he knows now as someone doing the casting.
Get serious to stand out
Casting projects through Backstage for more than five years has taught Cangelosi exactly how to use casting calls, evaluate submissions, and filter the marketplace to find the talent he’s looking for.
Talent who are serious about getting work and building their careers are who he wants. And with so much practice, the clues about who is serious are easy for him to spot.
Cangelosi says to get serious in these three ways to stand out on Backstage:
- Make your profile the best it can be
The Backstage platform has the most comprehensive talent profiles. Investing the time to build out yours with all your personal attributes, skills, and experience ensures your submissions are complete and talent seekers can discover you.
Take advantage of Backstage’s unlimited media uploads, Cangelosi says, by adding all your video and audio reels so people like him can see all you have to offer and don’t have to ask for more assets. - Have professional headshots
A profile without professional headshots is a big red flag for Cangelosi. “Not investing in professional headshots shows me you’re not serious,” he says. And the more images and from different angles the better, he adds, explaining that just a forward-facing, shoulder-up shot is almost never enough.
When casting a video ad for a clothing retailer, he needed to imagine how candidates might look in certain garments, for which he needed half- and full-body images. And since he is often working under tight deadlines, he tends to favor candidates who can anticipate his needs with profiles complete with a variety of images. - Follow directions
Apply for casting calls that are the right fit and be sure your submission is complete. Paying attention to detail from the outset is crucial, since directors want talent they can trust to follow directions on shooting day.
Cangelosi says when he sends out sides and requests for self-tapes to those who make his first-round list, he is paying close attention to who takes the direction he offers. Candidates who don’t show they can follow instructions during the selection process don’t make it to his casting list.
Cangelosi returns to Backstage again and again because he knows it’s a place where members are committed to learning the craft and growing their careers. He selects talent who show they are willing to do the extra work to ensure their profiles are complete and their self-tapes are right because he knows those are people who will do the extra work and deliver for him on a set.
Backstage is for everyone
“One of the great things about Backstage is everyone has a chance,” Cangelosi says of the inclusivity of the Backstage talent marketplace that gives everyone the tools to apply for jobs and be discoverable by talent seekers.
Cangelosi has cast a lot of Backstage members who had a lot of acting experience–-and also some who didn’t.
Cangelosi says he is open to anyone who can show they have potential and passion, even if they do not have extensive acting experience. But he does need evidence they are a professional who is going to show up and can take direction, wants to learn and grow their career, and is open to the experience of learning and going all in on whatever the project is.
Backstage members need to do the work to promote themselves and show they are serious, he says. The ones who figure that out, who demonstrate their seriousness and are thorough, will get attention.
“Anyone has the ability to rise up on Backstage,” and he has found that “if I stay open, I can discover rising talent. … I will find someone genuine.”
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