You have an agent. So why keep using Casting Networks? Because agents cover a lot, but not everything, and the actors who understand where that line sits end up with more opportunities.
We know it can feel like a gray area. You don’t want to step on your agent’s toes, and you don’t want to leave opportunities on the table either. Here’s what actually works.
Key Insights
- Self-submitting through Casting Networks fills the gaps outside your agent’s day-to-day focus, like indie projects, open calls, and out-of-market work; it doesn’t replace what your agent submits you for.
- A complete, professional Casting Networks profile functions as research material casting directors use to vet you, alongside your agent’s own materials.
- Simple, upfront communication with your agent, telling them what you’re submitting for and reporting anything you book, prevents the only real conflict that comes up.
What Your Agent Does That Casting Networks Doesn’t
Self-submissions on Casting Networks are not a replacement for agent submissions. Your agent has direct relationships with casting offices. They can pitch you before a role goes public, negotiate your rate, and push back on offers that don’t serve you. That access is exactly what an agent is for.
As talent agent Steven Unger put it in a recent Casting Networks piece on what agents look for before signing an actor, “We can’t get actors a job. We can get actors auditions.” That’s the honest version of what representation gets you: access to rooms you can’t get into on your own.
Self-submitting on Casting Networks works differently. It’s the open market: roles that are public, available to anyone with a membership, visible to actors who know where to look. What it does is fill the gaps outside your agent’s day-to-day focus, and build your industry presence outside your agent’s network.
Where Self-Submission Actually Makes Sense
Not every project is worth your agent’s bandwidth, and that’s fine. A few categories where self-submitting through Casting Networks makes the most sense:
- Indie and low-budget projects. Agents rarely have time for micro-budget productions that don’t generate meaningful commission, but these are exactly where you build a reel and a director relationship.
- Open calls. If a breakdown says “open submission,” the casting director wants to see everyone directly, not pitches from agents.
- Voiceover and commercial work. This runs on a different casting rhythm and higher submission volume than your agent may have bandwidth for.
- Regional and out-of-state work. Your agent represents you in their home market. Theater and productions in other cities are yours to develop.
Your Profile Is an Industry Research Tool
Casting directors don’t just review submissions on Casting Networks; they research actors here. Your headshot, reel, resume, and summary all live on your profile, and a complete one signals that you’re active and easy to book.
That matters more than it might seem. In a Casting Networks interview on how the casting process actually works, casting director Danny Long noted that casting directors often review hundreds, sometimes thousands, of submissions for a single role. A thin or outdated profile gets passed over fast.
Think of your Casting Networks profile as a second record, one you control, built for self-submissions and producer research. Your agent handles your official credits and representation. This is where you show you’re actively working.
How to Coordinate With Your Agent
You don’t need a complex system, just transparency.
- Tell your agent you’re using Casting Networks. Most agents expect this. A quick message covers it: “I’m self-submitting to indie, open calls, and voiceover work through Casting Networks. Nothing you’re pitching directly.”
- Watch for overlap. If your agent is already pitching you for something, don’t also self-submit for it. If you’re not sure, ask before you do.
- Track what you submit. Premium members can use Role Tracker to see the status of every self-submission, submitted, under consideration, selected, so you have the exact details on hand when it’s time to report back.
- Report anything you book. Your agent needs to know so they can add the credit to your materials and use it in future pitches.
Casting director Terry Berland, CSA, has written about what happens when actors get this timing wrong, waiting until after they’ve accepted a booking to loop their agent in. In a piece on getting your agent involved in self-submissions, she put it plainly: “Please talent, keep your head about you and don’t get into a booking euphoric state with unhappy endings.” The fix is simple: loop your agent in as soon as you’re invited to self-tape, not after you’ve already said yes.
One More Thing
Your agent isn’t threatened by a strong Casting Networks profile. Actors who stay active here show up more professionally, generate more material for their own reels, and give their agents more to work with, not less.
That’s borne out in the actors who’ve talked about their own experience with the platform. In her Casting Networks success story, Elizabeth Jankovic credited consistent self-submission habits, submitting fast with updated materials and always including contact details, as part of what helped her book national brand campaigns.
Self-submitting on Casting Networks fills the gaps in your agent’s work. It builds visibility, picks up roles outside their wheelhouse, and gives you agency in your own career. All of that makes you a better client, not a problem.
Your agent is handling the big picture: pitching you for major roles, negotiating deals, managing your career arc. You’re building the details: staying visible, developing relationships, and creating opportunities. Your Casting Networks profile is where that starts.
