Your Talent Chefs blogging about insider info and guidance, current castings and bookings (only those made public), tips on improving your booking chances and how to use your Webcomp portfolio as a virtual agent to land more work. Get yourself in the Soup!

Webcomp contest winners for November - Looks great Julie B and Laurie M

Thursday December 08, 2011 by Chef

We encourage our talent to constantly be marketing themselves so we created the Show Off Your Awesomeness contest a few months back. Well we are still keeping track of our talent's use of Webcomp to put themselves out there, to submit themselves to other projects and generally take control of their own promotion.

So great job Julie B and Laurie M. You are our randomly chosen talent for November's contest! They are both Entry Webcomps so we'll upgrade them to Pro for 6 months as contest winners. Had they been Pro, they'd get a year of Pro Webcomp! So get yourself out there...we'll run the contest for December and then that's it!

Here's their Public Webcomps-

http://www.talentsoup.com/webcomp/4db30e
http://www.talentsoup.com/webcomp/c463c5

• Want to Play for December?

How to enter: Once logged in, just share your Webcomp portfolio sharing options (Facebook, Twitter, your Public Link URL) to get your face out there! You can also post your Webcomp’s Public Link to your blog (send us a link so we know it’s there!). We’ll monitor your self-promotion efforts and randomly pick 2 winners, starting in August, at the end of the month.

Some rules: Enter by sharing your Webcomp at least once per month. You can only win once in 2011. Everyone is welcome to enter. This contest has no cash value. If we violated your state laws somehow, please don’t tell on us. Winners will be chosen on the last day of the month, beginning in August of 2011, through December 2011, when the contest will end. We’ll contact you if you win and post the exciting news everywhere we can. The randomness of selection will be created by using tools at http://www.random.org/

Success has no short cut. Casting sites hope you are ignorant. Rad's Rant-

Wednesday December 07, 2011 by Chef

We love our talent. They make our business successful. And while we do keep score of how we are doing based on profit, that doesn't flavor how we treat our talent. Profit is not enough to motivate us to be unethical toward, to lie to, or to steal from, our talent. Unfortunately, most casting sites are not so concerned and happily take talent's money in exchange for a lie. In practical terms, they steal from people.

I'm not saying this pridefully but exploiting people in our business would be easy. Talent are highly motivated to get ahead, to get booked, and to succeed by any means necessary (including giving up cash without thinking about what they're being sold). So lots of companies in our industry take full advantage of this unique characteristic shared by most talent. It seems everyone of these "casting" companies have their hand out and promise the world.."Get seen by millions of casting agents! Instant access to "hidden" castings! Your ticket to Hollywood is just $10 a month!". Lies. All of them.

Here's the dirty secret most of the companies taking your money hope you'll either ignore or never wake up to: THERE IS NO SHORT CUT, NO PILL, NO PERSON, NO ENTITY that can make you successful. Not one. I hear you saying "but So And So made it when _____". Don't believe the myth. Behind every instant fame story is the real story of hard work, self-marketing, diligence and just plain grit to never give up.

I'm bringing this up because TalentSoup, for some talent, is a "casting company" just like all the others. While their belief is a partial failure by us to educate them more fully about who we are and what our value is, it's also attributed to the fact that they believe the myth. They seem to think that $5 a month means they'll get booked automatically. Or that paying vs. free means some sort of guaranteed success. If you believe that, you are in for constant disappointment regardless of which company you are giving your money to.

We believe we'll have to answer for all our decisions one day. So we make every attempt to treat people they way we want to be treated, to not cheat people, to shoot straight and be transparent in communicating with everyone we are lucky enough to work with. For TalentSoup, that means treating our talent with respect by telling them the truth. Our message is consistent: we are a tool talent use to succeed in this industry. But you've got to put the work in, you've got to invest in yourself and get good at using the tool (your Webcomp portfolio). No one can do it for you. No one can show up for you. And no one here at TalentSoup is going to promise anything we can't live up to.

So think about your career and the money you've spent, or are spending on it. Think about the promise these other sites make in exchange for your hard earned money. Are they promising you something they can't possibly deliver? My guess is they are.

You are the best investment you know of. Seriously. Get some great photos done, get into some classes (for you actors), go to as many open castings as you can find (camera time at a casting call is invaluable and free!!). Invest in yourself! Then, take your skills and photos (we call you packaging), and put them to work. Get yourself out there and never ever give up. Is there a more powerful portfolio out there than Webcomp? If there is, go get it. And get to work!

Big Box retailer casting just started. That's why we harp on keeping your Webcomp fresh!

Thursday December 01, 2011 by Chef

You never know when you'll be submitted so be sure your photos and contact info are fresh! Your Webcomp never sleeps...

Citgo casting talent - Your call sheets are coming soon! Hang in there.

Wednesday November 30, 2011 by Chef

We are still waiting on hotel info, call times and brings. We'll follow up the Call Sheet info with a robo-call. Have a great Wednesday folks!

Energy client casting - Booked talent and those holding just emailed. Project is closed

Tuesday November 22, 2011 by Chef

If you were on hold for this project, please check your email. Booked talent and those they passed on were just sent an email. What a great selection of talent the client had....you make us proud! Thanks y'all.

Homegrown videos from Emerald Coast spokesman casting...take a look!

Monday November 21, 2011 by Chef

These 2 guys made it into the top 3. We can't reveal who got booked but we thought you'd like to see some seriously amazing home grown video from these amazingly talented guys. Their Webcomp is listed below their video too. Have a look-

Mr. Matt C

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvV6Iz4OdM4
http://tso.to/s7BtxG

Mr. Lee D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CUPp0WUeu0
http://tso.to/rDiwNE

Energy project in Alabama - Closed for new submissions. Checking availability today

Monday November 21, 2011 by Chef

The client is thrilled with the selection and talent options! Welcome to the new talent coming in for this project. We'll begin checking availability on their top selections and when booking decisions are made we'll update the blog.

We had a fly in the Soup last night and signups were broken. All fixed. Sorry for the snafu!

Wednesday November 16, 2011 by Chef

We have brilliant Tech Chefs here at the Soup and when they are in charge, the system just works. But when someone (who will remain nameless but his name starts with R and ends with D) goes in a pokes around in some code where he doesn't need to be, well, then stuff breaks. It's all fixed, the fly has been removed and the Soup's on! Sorry for the hassle to those new talent that had the fly in your Soup.

Alabama talent- print shoot, pays up to $1250 for 8 hours. Experienced or not welcome!

Tuesday November 15, 2011 by Chef

Print Shoot Casting Pro models, actors & inexperienced adults & kids - $1250* for 8 hours

TalentSoup is casting for a print shoot on behalf of an energy industry client. This project will book 14 adult talent and 15 kid talent! Pro talent and inexperienced, "real" people are welcome to submit! This project will book directly from your submission so no casting is required.

You must be available on one day of the project shoot dates, December 6-9, 2011. The shoot will take place in Prattville, AL (just north of Montgomery, AL) and all talent are responsible for transportation (a small mileage reimbursement will be available).

BOOKED TALENT PAYMENT-

Adults - $1250 for 8 hours, $900 for 5 hours
Minors (17 and under) - $650 for 8 hours, $450 for 5 hours
Entry, or free, accounts are charged 20% brokerage fee when booked. See the site for details

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR-

Female and Male Ethnicities: African American, Caucasian, Hispanic / Latino, Asian, Indian and ethnically ambiguous (visually difficult to determine your ethnicity) Female / Males Ages: 8-12, 16-50 years old

TO GET SUBMITTED TO THIS CASTING-

Go to http://www.talentsoup.com/signup/prattvilleshoot
Getting submitted is totally FREE and FAST, no games. You’ll upload at least 2 photos (more are preferred), tell us about yourself and give us a way to contact you. That’s it!

PROJECT DETAILS-

Client: An energy company
Usage: 3 Years Unlimited Usage, including Web, No Broadcast, Local Advertising Only

NOTE - No email submissions are accepted. All talent must be signed up at www.talentsoup.com. Please see the site for all questions.
Watch the blog @ www.talentsoup.com/blog for all updates. Thanks.

TALENT AGENCIES - If you'd like to submit your talent to this project, simply register your Agency at https://www.talentsoup.com/agency/signup and begin inviting your talent to create their Webcomp portfolio for submission.

CURRENT TALENTSOUP TALENT-

This project will likely draw from Birmingham, Columbus and possibly Atlanta. If you live within the client’s search area, you’ll be submitted automatically. Please ensure your Webcomp is complete, with your contact information, sizes and fresh photos. We’ll do the rest!

Thankful today for the men and women that serve our great country. God bless America!

Friday November 11, 2011 by Chef

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave." Elmer Davis

Today we extend a huge thank you to the men and women currently serving our great country, protecting our freedoms, and ensuring peace and security in our communities. And while words fail, thank you to the families left behind by those men and women that died in the line of duty. May we never forget.

Help us all to never take those freedoms for granted as they've demanded the blood of our fellow citizens as payment.