Shooting People

Shooting People is a membership-based community for independent filmmakers in the UK, connecting directors, producers, actors, and crew through daily email bulletins and an online network. It has been a cornerstone of the British independent film scene for over two decades.

Members receive daily email digests with casting calls, crew requests, festival announcements, and project collaborations. The platform encourages direct communication between creatives, fostering genuine relationships rather than transactional exchanges.

Shooting People has a loyal community of independent filmmakers, and many successful British films have found their cast and crew through the network. Its emphasis on collaboration and community makes it distinct from purely commercial casting platforms.

Membership costs approximately seven pounds per month. The fee supports the platform's operations and ensures that members are genuinely committed to the independent filmmaking community.

Highly recommended for actors in the UK who want to build relationships with independent filmmakers and get involved in passion projects. The collaborative ethos of the community often leads to recurring working relationships. Shooting People also runs networking events, screenings, and workshops throughout the year that provide face-to-face meeting opportunities with filmmakers who post through the platform. The community's emphasis on supporting independent voices means members often champion each other's work at festivals and through word-of-mouth recommendations.

Shooting People membership costs seven pounds per month on the monthly billing cycle, or sixty pounds per year on the annual plan, which works out to five pounds per month and represents a meaningful saving over monthly billing. There is no free tier, but the membership fee is deliberately kept low to remain accessible to independent filmmakers who are typically working with limited budgets. The annual plan occasionally goes on sale during promotional periods, particularly around the London Film Festival and other major UK industry events. All members receive the same level of access regardless of payment tier, including full participation in daily bulletins, casting calls, and the online community. There are no hidden costs or premium add-ons beyond the base membership. Compared to casting platforms like Spotlight, which costs significantly more, Shooting People offers a highly affordable entry point for actors looking to connect with the independent filmmaking community.

Shooting People is ideal for actors who are genuinely passionate about independent cinema and are willing to invest time in low-budget projects in exchange for creative fulfillment, strong footage, and lasting professional relationships. It is especially valuable for early-career actors building their showreel and credits, as independent filmmakers are often more willing to cast unknown talent than commercial productions would be. Actors who are exclusively focused on paid work and commercial projects will find the platform frustrating, as the majority of listings do not offer standard industry rates. If you are based outside London, check with current members about opportunity volume in your area before subscribing, as regional coverage can be thin. For actors seeking paid casting opportunities in the UK, Spotlight and Mandy are more appropriate primary platforms. Shooting People works best as a complement to other tools rather than a standalone career resource.

Read the daily bulletins consistently rather than letting them pile up, as the best opportunities attract responses quickly and filmmakers often cast on short timelines for independent projects. When responding to casting calls, write a personalized message that references the specific project and explains why you are drawn to it, as independent filmmakers value genuine enthusiasm over generic submissions. Build relationships with filmmakers whose work you admire even when they are not actively casting, as independent directors often return to actors they trust for multiple projects over the years. Attend Shooting People's in-person events and screenings whenever possible, as these gatherings are where the strongest professional connections are formed. Be selective about which unpaid projects you take on, prioritizing those with experienced directors, strong scripts, and realistic production plans that suggest the finished film will be worth your time. When you do work on a project found through Shooting People, request high-quality clips for your showreel as part of the arrangement, as building a strong reel is one of the most tangible benefits of independent film participation.