Breakdown Services
The backbone of the casting industry, distributing role breakdowns to agents and managers since 1971.
Overview
Breakdown Services is the foundational infrastructure of the American casting industry, created by Gary Marsh in 1971 when he recognized that casting directors needed a centralized, efficient system to distribute role descriptions to talent representatives. Before Breakdown Services existed, casting directors would physically deliver or mail character descriptions to agencies — a slow, inconsistent process that limited how many representatives could be reached for any given project. Marsh's innovation was to create a subscription-based distribution service that casting directors could use to send breakdowns to every licensed agent and manager simultaneously. This system quickly became the industry standard and has remained so for over five decades, surviving the transition from paper to fax to digital delivery. Today, Breakdown Services is the single most important piece of casting infrastructure in the United States, handling the distribution of role breakdowns for the vast majority of legitimate film, television, theatre, and commercial projects.
While actors interact with the casting ecosystem through Actors Access (the actor-facing portal of Breakdown Services), the Breakdown Services platform itself is an industry-professional tool used exclusively by casting directors, talent agents, and managers. Understanding how it works is essential for any serious actor because it is the engine that drives the casting process behind the scenes. When a casting director is hired for a project, they write character breakdowns describing each role and submit them through Breakdown Services, which distributes those breakdowns to subscribed agents and managers within minutes. Those representatives then review the breakdowns, select appropriate clients from their roster, and submit them electronically through the same system. The Actors Access self-submission portal allows actors to participate in this pipeline directly, but the core infrastructure — the distribution network that connects casting directors to thousands of agencies — is Breakdown Services itself.
How It Works
Actors do not create accounts on Breakdown Services directly — the platform is accessed by talent agents, managers, and casting directors through professional subscriptions. As an actor, your entry point into this ecosystem is through Actors Access, where your profile and submissions feed into the same system your agent uses on the Breakdown Services side. If you have representation, your agent receives breakdowns through Breakdown Services, reviews them, and submits you electronically for appropriate roles. The process is seamless on the casting director's end — they see agent submissions and Actors Access self-submissions in the same interface, which is why Actors Access submissions carry more credibility than those from other platforms. To benefit from Breakdown Services, the most important thing an actor can do is maintain a professional Actors Access profile and, if represented, ensure their agent is actively monitoring and submitting through the system on their behalf.
The Breakdown Services platform includes several integrated tools beyond basic breakdown distribution. Eco Cast is the self-tape audition system that allows casting directors to request and receive video auditions through the platform, eliminating the need for actors to use external file-sharing services. The scheduling system allows casting directors to book audition appointments and send session details directly to agents and actors. Breakdown Services also maintains a comprehensive talent database that casting directors can search by type, credits, skills, and other criteria. The platform has evolved to support virtual auditions, digital callback management, and integrated communication tools that keep the entire casting process within a single ecosystem. For casting directors, the value proposition is clear: Breakdown Services provides a one-stop solution for every aspect of the casting process from breakdown distribution to final hiring notifications.
Who Uses It
The primary users of Breakdown Services are talent agents, managers, and casting directors — the three professional groups that form the core of the casting pipeline. Every major talent agency in the United States subscribes to Breakdown Services, from the big four (CAA, WME, UTA, ICM) to boutique agencies with just a handful of clients. Managers who submit clients for roles also subscribe to the service. On the casting side, the platform is used by casting directors at every level, from those staffing major studio tentpole films to independent casting directors working on micro-budget projects. Actors benefit from Breakdown Services indirectly but fundamentally — the system is the reason your agent can submit you for hundreds of projects and the reason your Actors Access self-submissions are taken seriously. Understanding this ecosystem gives actors a more sophisticated appreciation of how the business side of casting actually works.
Pricing & Plans
Breakdown Services pricing is structured for industry professionals and is not publicly listed for individual actors, as actors do not subscribe to the platform directly. Talent agents and managers pay subscription fees to access breakdowns, with pricing typically scaled based on the size of their roster and the markets they cover. Casting directors also pay fees to distribute breakdowns through the system. For actors, the cost of participating in the Breakdown Services ecosystem comes through Actors Access, where profiles and submissions are free or very affordable (the Plus membership is $68/year). There are no additional hidden costs that flow through to actors from the Breakdown Services side. Compared to systems in other countries — such as Spotlight in the UK, which charges actors directly for their listing — the American model through Breakdown Services keeps the financial burden on industry professionals rather than performers.
Pros & Cons
What's Great
Breakdown Services is the most established, trusted, and widely used casting distribution system in the American entertainment industry, with a track record spanning over five decades. The platform's integration with Actors Access gives unrepresented actors access to the same casting pipeline that major agencies use, which was revolutionary when it launched and remains a significant advantage. Because casting directors post breakdowns through a centralized system rather than across multiple disconnected platforms, the quality and legitimacy of opportunities on Breakdown Services is consistently high. The Eco Cast self-tape system is well-integrated and accepted by virtually every casting office in the industry. The platform's monopoly position, while sometimes criticized, does create efficiency — casting directors only need to post once to reach every agent and manager in the country. For actors with representation, the system works seamlessly behind the scenes with no additional effort required.
What Could Be Better
Breakdown Services operates as a near-monopoly in the U.S. casting distribution market, which means there is limited competition driving innovation or keeping prices in check for industry professionals. Actors cannot use the platform directly, which can feel frustrating when you know the opportunities exist but can only access them through the Actors Access self-submission portal or through your agent. The system inherently advantages represented actors, as agents see all breakdowns while self-submitting actors on Actors Access may only see a subset. The platform's dominance means that casting directors who choose not to use it effectively cut themselves off from the established submission pipeline, which limits diversity in how the industry operates. Some industry observers have raised concerns about the consolidation of casting technology under a small number of corporate owners (Talent Systems LLC now owns both Breakdown Services/Actors Access and Casting Networks/Spotlight). For actors in markets outside the U.S., Breakdown Services has limited relevance, as other countries have their own casting ecosystems.
Our Recommendation
Every actor working in the U.S. entertainment industry should understand how Breakdown Services operates, even though you will not interact with the platform directly. If you have an agent, ask them to confirm that they are actively monitoring breakdowns and submitting you for appropriate roles — this is a basic expectation of representation. If you do not have an agent, your connection to the Breakdown Services ecosystem is through Actors Access, and maintaining a strong Actors Access profile is the single most important thing you can do to participate in the legitimate casting pipeline. Actors who are focused on international markets should look into the relevant platforms for their territory — Spotlight for the UK, or other local casting services. Understanding that Breakdown Services exists and how it works will make you a more informed, business-savvy actor who can have productive conversations with agents and managers about your career strategy.
Pro Tips
If you are seeking representation, demonstrating that you understand how the Breakdown Services ecosystem works can impress agents during meetings — it shows you are serious about the business side of acting. Ask any prospective agent how they use Breakdown Services and how frequently they check breakdowns for clients at your level — this is a revealing question that separates active, engaged agents from those who are less attentive. Keep your Actors Access profile (which feeds into Breakdown Services) updated at all times with current headshots, credits, and reels, because casting directors search the connected talent database directly. If you book a role through the system, the casting director's records are tied to your Breakdown Services profile, which builds a verifiable booking history over time. Learn the terminology — breakdowns, submissions, sides, callbacks, avails, pins — as these terms originate from the Breakdown Services workflow and are used universally across the industry. Understanding the infrastructure makes you a more effective self-advocate whether you are represented or not.