How to read a casting breakdown

The role type tells you the scope of the part before you read a word of the description. These are the labels you will see most often:

Lead

The central character — the story follows this person throughout. Leads are at or near the top of the call sheet and typically appear in most scenes. On a feature, a lead is a significant time and material commitment.

Supporting

A named character who shapes the story without carrying it. Supporting roles often span multiple scenes and have a real arc, but the production centers on someone else.

Co-Star

A defined, named role — usually 1–3 scenes — that serves a specific narrative function. Co-star is a principal credit. On a resume it belongs in your credits; in terms of on-set commitment it is usually one or two shoot days.

Guest Star

A TV-specific credit that sits above co-star. It typically means a fully developed role that drives the episode in a meaningful way, even if the character does not return in future episodes.

Day Player

A contract term for a principal actor hired day-by-day. The role size can vary — a day player might have a single scene or might be a co-star's worth of material across one day of shooting.

Under 5 (U/5)

SAG-AFTRA terminology for a principal role with five lines or fewer. Still a principal credit — not background — but compensated at a specific U/5 rate.

Background / Extra

A non-speaking atmosphere role. Background work is valuable experience and income, but it is generally not listed as a principal credit on an acting resume. Some breakdowns will not show background at all; others post it separately from principal roles.

The union field tells you whether the production is working under a collective bargaining agreement and which actors may submit. This is not a formality — it has real consequences.

• Union only: Only members of the named union (SAG-AFTRA, ACTRA, Equity, etc.) may submit. Submitting as a non-member will generally be filtered out, and repeatedly ignoring union-only restrictions can reflect poorly on your professionalism.
• Non-union: The production is not operating under a union contract. Union members can sometimes work these projects depending on their status — check your union's financial-core and Global Rule One rules before submitting.
• Union and non-union considered: The production is considering both. This often means it is a SAG-AFTRA Low Budget or Modified Low Budget Agreement, or a Taft-Hartley situation. If you are non-union and book the role, a union production may issue a Taft-Hartley to hire you — which starts a clock on when you must join the union.
• Student / deferred / experimental: Student films and certain low-budget agreements have their own rules. These are often non-union or operate under special SAG-AFTRA student agreements with their own compensation structures.

The rate section is often the most misread. It covers two distinct things: what you are paid and what the production can do with the footage.

Common rate labels:

Scale

The minimum rate set by the relevant union for this type of contract. Scale is not a fixed number — it varies by agreement type (theatrical, television, new media, etc.) and is updated periodically. Check the current SAG-AFTRA or ACTRA rate card for the applicable contract.

Scale+10

Scale plus an additional 10%, which typically represents the standard agency commission. The production pays it on top of scale so the actor receives scale and the agency receives 10% — the actor does not pay commission out of their scale rate in this structure.

Deferred

You will be paid later, usually contingent on the project recouping costs. Deferred pay is a legitimate model for low-budget independent work, but it carries real risk — ask what the payment conditions are, what order of priority you sit in, and whether there is a written contract before agreeing.

Copy/Credit/Meals

Common on student and very low budget projects. You receive a copy of the footage, a screen credit, and meals on set — no cash. This is a known model; decide whether the experience and credit are worth it to you at this stage of your career.

Usage rights describe where the finished footage may be shown:

• Theatrical: cinemas and film festivals.
• Broadcast / television: network or cable TV transmission.
• Streaming / new media: online platforms (SVOD, AVOD, YouTube, etc.). A small indie film with streaming rights can end up on a major platform — know this before you sign.
• Internet / social: online advertising and social media distribution.
• Buyout: a one-time flat payment covering all agreed uses — no ongoing residuals.
• Residuals: ongoing payments when the footage airs beyond its initial use window. Union contracts specify how residuals are calculated and paid.

Shoot dates are often listed as a range ("shooting mid-July through early August") or as specific holds and dates. Check them against your real schedule before investing time in materials.

• Hard dates vs. soft holds: A "must be available" date is a hard requirement. A "soft hold" means you are on a short list but not yet confirmed — do not turn down confirmed work for a soft hold unless you have negotiated a first-refusal or release arrangement.
• Conflicts: If a submission specifically asks about conflicts (other projects, travel), answer honestly. Discovering a conflict after an offer is extended is awkward and damages your reputation.

Location and "local hire" status is one of the most important — and most misread — fields for self-submitting actors.

• "Local only" / "local hire": The production will not pay for your travel, housing, or a per diem. You are expected to report to set at your own expense. Only submit as local if you can genuinely self-produce being there.
• "Must have local ties": Similar to local only, sometimes even stricter — the production may want proof that you have legitimate local connections, not just that you are willing to travel.
• Travel provided: When a breakdown offers travel and housing, it will typically say so explicitly. Do not assume travel is included if it is not mentioned.

The role description tells you who the character is and what the production is looking for. Read the whole thing before deciding whether to submit — the most important detail (a required skill, a nudity or stunt clause, a specific lived experience) is often at the bottom.

Age range: Breakdowns list an age range to guide submissions. It is a strong signal of what the production is envisioning, not always a strict cutoff — the question is whether your look reads within that range, not whether your birth certificate matches it. If your look and energy are clearly out of range, respect that and move on.

Ethnicity and authentic representation: Some breakdowns specify ethnicity or background, often with language about seeking authentic representation of a community. Take this seriously — if the breakdown is seeking an actor with lived experience that you do not have, that is intentional, not incidental. Submitting anyway is unlikely to result in a callback and misses the point of the creative intent.

Physical attributes and skills:

• Height and physical requirements: Some roles genuinely require a specific height or physical capacity (a stunt or athletic role, a height-matched pair). Only submit if you meet them; misrepresentation creates problems for everyone at the table read or fitting.
• Specific skills: If the breakdown says the character plays piano, rides a horse, or speaks conversational Mandarin, they mean it. Do not list a skill in your submission that you cannot actually perform at a professional level on set. You can be asked to demonstrate it at the callback or on the first day of shooting.
• Nudity or partial nudity: A legitimate breakdown that involves nudity will state this clearly, often with specific language about the nature and scope. This is required disclosure, not a red flag in itself — but it does mean you need to decide before you submit, not at the callback. Your agent or manager handles negotiating intimacy riders; if you are self-submitting, research your rights and consider whether to proceed.
• Stunt or physical risk: If a role involves stunt work, the breakdown should say so. Trained stunt performers handle actual stunts — but if a character involves physical activity (falls, fighting, running, water), that may still be you in some shots.

Submission instructions are the field most actors skim and most casting directors use to filter. Following them exactly is not optional. Ignoring them is the fastest way to be passed over regardless of how strong your materials are.

Common instruction patterns and what they mean:

• "Submit via Actors Access only": Do not email the casting director. Do not DM them on social media. Submit through the platform they specified, with the materials they asked for — nothing more, nothing less.
• "Include a 1-minute self-tape with the following sides": This means a tape that is approximately one minute — not three minutes because you felt you needed more time. Use the sides they provided. If they supply specific slate instructions, follow them verbatim.
• "No phone calls": Means no phone calls. Following up by calling a casting office that has explicitly said not to call will not demonstrate initiative — it will get you noted and not in a good way.
• "Headshot and resume only": Do not send a reel, a cover letter, or a YouTube link unless they asked for one. Sending unrequested materials signals that you did not read the instructions.
• Specific file format or naming convention: If they ask for files named "LastName_FirstName_RoleName.mp4," name the file exactly that way. This is an organizational system for their inbox — breaking it forces extra work on their end.

Casting professionals review large volumes of submissions. Clear, complete, instruction-compliant submissions are easier to advance — that is the practical case for following the rules, independent of professional courtesy.

Predatory postings exist on every major casting platform. Knowing the patterns helps you spend time on real opportunities and avoid situations that can cost you money, privacy, or safety.

Clear red flags:

• Any fee to audition or submit: Legitimate productions, casting directors, and agencies do not charge actors to be seen. Platform subscription fees (Actors Access, Casting Networks, Backstage) are separate — but a fee to submit to a specific project or attend a specific audition is a scam pattern.
• "You have already been selected": A legitimate breakdown is looking for actors — no one is cast before the audition. Any message claiming you were pre-selected without ever meeting you is a manipulation tactic to make you feel obligated and lower your guard.
• No identifiable production company or director: Real productions are attached to real companies or real people whose credits you can look up. A breakdown with no production company name, no director, no producer — just a vague project description — is a warning. Search the project name and producers before responding.
• Requests for personal financial or identification data early: You should not provide a Social Security number, bank account details, or copies of government ID before you have signed a proper contract and confirmed the production is legitimate. A payroll company will collect tax information after you book — not during the submission process.
• Vague or absent pay information: "Rate TBD" or "competitive pay — reach out to discuss" for a project that already has specific shoot dates and a detailed script is a mismatch that warrants caution. Rate may occasionally be negotiable, but complete absence of any pay information is a gap worth noting.
• High-pressure urgency: Phrases like "must confirm within 2 hours," "respond only by phone in the next 30 minutes," or "this offer expires today" are pressure tactics. Legitimate productions have timelines, but they do not evaporate in hours without notice.

What to do if a posting feels wrong:

• Search the production company name and any attached names on IMDb, Google, and industry boards.
• Check whether the posting exists on a platform with identity verification (Actors Access, Casting Networks, Backstage) or only on an unvetted social post or email.
• Ask a trusted colleague, coach, or your union (SAG-AFTRA, ACTRA, Equity) — all have resources for members who suspect a scam.
• Trust your instincts. If you feel uneasy and cannot identify a specific reason, that is information worth taking seriously.

Horizon's Casting Safety Check tool helps you work through a checklist of legitimacy indicators for a specific posting before you respond. See Casting Safety Check.

After reading a breakdown, you have enough information to make an honest assessment of fit. A few quick questions:

• Does my look read the age range and type? Not "could I play this in ideal conditions" — does my current headshot and physical presence match what they are describing?
• Do I meet the union status requirement? Am I eligible to work this contract?
• Can I genuinely make the shoot dates and location work? Including self-travel if it is a local hire?
• Do I have the specific skills they list? Actually have them — not "could learn them by then."
• Is this role size right for where I am right now? Submitting for leads before you have any principal credits is not wrong, but be honest with yourself about how competitive you are at that stage.

Targeted submissions — where you are a genuine fit — give you a better return on the time it takes to prepare strong materials. Submitting to everything regardless of fit is not a neutral act: it uses your time and dilutes the signal your name sends to casting offices over time.