You already know Backstage is the go-to for any and all information pertaining to your craft. But now, you have the chance to get in on the action with the Backstage Community Forum. Here, you can engage with others in your industry, as well as teachers, experts, and, yep, even agents and casting directors. Below are some of this week’s most interesting new topics; drop a reply or post a new thread. Either way, fire up that keyboard and get involved right here!
Submitting to an agency?
“I submitted my headshot, résumé, and demo to multiple agencies (in Vancouver, Canada). What’s the average wait time to hear back after submitting to agencies? Also, what is the max amount of time to hear back, AKA, when should I accept I haven’t been accepted?” —DramaHeart1
S-Corps for actors?
“So I’ve taken the plunge and have initiated starting an S-Corp for my own acting business. The catalyst was getting slammed hard by taxes from a commercial I was in that shot in Canada; I had to pay two years of payroll taxes on the gross I made, but after Canadian taxes (non-refundable for this context, it’s been confirmed) and commissions for agent and manager, I owed fed, state, and local taxes on 100% of income that I only ever received 57 percent of. The commercial contract got renewed, and I’m not going to make the same mistake for a third year.
“I’m interested in hearing about actors with S-Corps and their experiences: common pitfalls to avoid, what they wish they’d known when they started, etc. Also curious how unemployment plays into this (I’d like to think I won’t have to rely on it, but this is the real world in a global pandemic).” —Stampy_Jr
Tech question: uploading files from phone?
“Hi there! First off, thanks in advance for any help or conversation! I was trying to upload an MP3 audition from my Android phone since I don’t have wifi. I transferred the file from logic on my computer onto my phone and tried to upload it, but it says that it will not accept the file. Is there a way to get this to work at all? Again, I’m on an Android phone so I don’t have the app. I’m just running on a browser, so I was wondering if there was any kind of audio file that is possible to upload through this kind of device.” —Aminn
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