Showcast
Australia's professional casting platform used by major casting directors nationwide.
Overview
Showcast is Australia's leading professional casting platform, occupying the same essential industry-standard position in the Australian market that Casting Networks holds in Los Angeles or Spotlight holds in the UK. The platform is used by the vast majority of casting directors working in Australian film, television, and commercial production, making it the primary digital infrastructure through which professional casting is conducted in the country. Showcast has been a cornerstone of the Australian entertainment industry for many years, building deep relationships with casting professionals, talent agents, and production companies across the nation's major production hubs in Sydney and Melbourne. The platform handles the full casting workflow from talent search and breakdown distribution through electronic submissions, audition scheduling, and callback management. Australia's production industry has grown substantially in recent years, driven by international streaming platforms establishing Australian original content and by continued investment in domestic film and television, which has increased the volume of casting activity flowing through Showcast.
What makes Showcast essential for professional actors in Australia is its position as the gatekeeper to the industry's casting infrastructure — without a Showcast profile, you are effectively invisible to the professional casting community in the same way that an actor without a Spotlight listing is invisible in the UK. Casting directors use Showcast's talent search tools to discover actors by type, skills, age range, and other criteria, and agents use the platform to submit their clients for available roles. The platform serves as both a casting submission system and a professional talent directory, combining functions that are sometimes split across multiple platforms in other markets. For Australian actors, having a well-maintained Showcast profile is the baseline requirement for being considered a professional, and agents typically expect their clients to have active profiles. The platform also facilitates the growing volume of international productions that film in Australia, as overseas casting directors and producers use Showcast to discover Australian talent for projects shooting in the country.
How It Works
Setting up a Showcast profile involves creating an account, paying the annual membership fee, and building a comprehensive profile that includes professional headshots, your full credits list, showreel clips, voice samples, physical stats, special skills, and your agent information if you are represented. The platform expects professional-quality materials, and profiles with strong headshots and substantial credits will perform significantly better in casting director searches than basic profiles. Both MEAA (Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance — Australia's performers' union) members and non-union actors can create profiles, though MEAA membership becomes increasingly important as you pursue higher-level professional work. Your agent can submit you for roles through the platform's electronic submission system, and self-submission options are available for certain breakdowns. The platform provides tools for managing your audition schedule, tracking submissions, and maintaining your professional presence in the Australian market.
The daily experience of using Showcast depends on whether you are represented and how actively you are pursuing work. For represented actors, Showcast operates largely in the background — your agent receives breakdowns, evaluates them against their roster, submits you for appropriate roles, and manages scheduling through the platform. Your primary responsibility is keeping your profile current with up-to-date headshots, credits, and reel material. For actors who self-submit, the platform provides access to available breakdowns and the ability to submit directly for roles. Casting directors search the Showcast database proactively when looking for specific types, so even when you are not actively submitting, your profile is working for you as a passive marketing tool. The platform supports self-tape uploads and virtual audition capabilities, reflecting the industry's ongoing shift toward remote casting. Audition notifications, scheduling details, and callback information are all managed through the platform, creating a centralized hub for your casting activity.
Who Uses It
Showcast's user base consists of professional actors working across the Australian entertainment industry, from emerging professionals with their first significant credits to established screen veterans. The platform is used across all performance categories including film, television, commercials, voice-over, and some theatre casting. Both MEAA members and non-union performers maintain profiles, though the highest-tier professional work increasingly requires or favors union membership. Sydney and Melbourne-based actors represent the majority of users, reflecting the concentration of production activity in those cities, though actors in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide, and other markets also maintain profiles. Talent agents across Australia use Showcast as their primary submission tool, and the vast majority of professional casting directors rely on it for talent discovery and management. The platform also serves international productions filming in Australia, as overseas production companies use it to discover local talent for their Australian shoots.
Pricing & Plans
Showcast charges an annual membership fee of approximately A$180 per year for actors, which provides full access to all platform features including profile creation, talent directory listing, submission capabilities, and audition management tools. There are no additional per-submission fees — the annual membership covers all functionality. The pricing is comparable to similar professional casting platforms internationally (Casting Networks US$299.90/year, Spotlight £216/year) and represents a reasonable annual investment for professional actors in the Australian market. Payment is typically required upfront for the full year. Agents do not charge actors for submissions made through Showcast — the cost to actors is limited to the annual membership. The fee is generally tax-deductible as a professional business expense for working actors in Australia. For actors who are serious about professional work in the Australian market, the A$180 investment is justified by the access it provides to the country's casting infrastructure.
Pros & Cons
What's Great
Showcast is the undisputed industry standard for professional casting in Australia, meaning membership provides direct access to the infrastructure that staffs every major production in the country. The platform's integration with agents and casting directors creates a seamless workflow for managing submissions, auditions, and bookings. The talent directory function provides valuable passive exposure, as casting directors regularly search for specific types beyond what agents submit. Annual pricing is reasonable compared to international equivalents and includes all features without additional per-submission costs. Australia's growing production industry, fueled by streaming platform investments and government incentives, is generating increasing demand for talent discovered through Showcast. The platform's professional standard means that credits earned through Showcast-facilitated casting carry genuine industry weight.
What Could Be Better
The A$180 annual fee is a meaningful expense for actors who are early in their careers and may not yet be earning significant income from acting. The platform's value is heavily concentrated in Sydney and Melbourne, with actors in smaller Australian markets potentially finding fewer locally relevant opportunities. The Australian market, while growing, is significantly smaller than the U.S. or UK markets in terms of total production volume, so the number of available opportunities is correspondingly lower. Self-submission options are more limited than on American platforms, with the Australian industry still relying more heavily on agent submissions. The technology and user experience have been criticized by some users as less modern than competing platforms in other markets. Actors without representation may find the platform less useful, as the majority of casting activity flows through agent-casting director channels rather than self-submission.
Our Recommendation
If you are a professional actor in Australia, Showcast membership is non-negotiable — it is where casting directors find talent and where agents submit their clients. Sydney and Melbourne-based actors should prioritize setting up their profiles as soon as they are pursuing professional work. Actors with MEAA membership should note their union status on their profile, as this affects their eligibility for certain productions. If you are an international actor considering working in Australia, Showcast should be among your first steps alongside researching visa requirements and local agent representation. Emerging actors who are still building credits may want to start with StarNow and transition to Showcast as their career progresses to the professional level. If your budget is extremely tight, prioritize Showcast over StarNow, as professional casting directors work through Showcast and having a profile there is the more impactful investment.
Pro Tips
Invest in high-quality, professionally shot headshots before setting up your Showcast profile — since casting directors use the platform as their primary talent search tool, your headshot is often the first impression you make. Upload at least three distinct looks (commercial, dramatic, character) to maximize your appeal across different casting types. Keep your credits list meticulously current, as casting directors use your booking history to assess your experience level and the caliber of productions you have worked on. Record a showreel that opens with your strongest work and keep it under three minutes — casting directors are reviewing dozens of profiles and make quick decisions based on the first thirty seconds of your reel. Coordinate with your agent to ensure your Showcast profile aligns with how they are positioning you in the market. Update your profile every time you complete a new booking, add a new headshot look, or gain a significant new skill, as stale profiles signal to casting directors that you may not be actively working.