Backstage - Casting Calls Reviews

by Sjsny

Hi, I have always been very happy with Backstage, but since updating to the latest version, I am no longer able to directly view projects from my email. When I open a casting call on my email, usually I click on the project title and I'm taken directly to the project so I can easily apply to it. Right now, when I click on the project title, I'm simply taken to the list of all casting calls on this app. This is a problem only with the mobile app. If I use my computer it's not a problem. However, since I am often away from home and rely heavily on the mobile app to apply for jobs, this is an extreme hindrance. I hope this can be corrected soon.

by Xytara😊

I downloaded Backstage as an easier way of get an acting job at 13 instead of having to spend money and go to la but when I downloaded Backstage on my phone I found out I have to pay. My parents don’t have the money to pay for subscriptions like do you guys even care, not everyone is rich, some people do acting to help pay bills for their parents so having to pay money just to find a JOB is just crazy and masked absolutely NO sense. Now I have to go looking for another app because I can’t trust Facebook with those predators but I just thought people these days could be more considerate. If I created and app like this I would at least give info and when they subscribe then they will get unlimited casting but they don’t have to subscribe because then again not everyone is rich. People who are rich can just hire and agent, morphed to la, and get and acting job in just 2 mins. I’m so disappointed in you guys very disappointed 🙁

by JezabelTokio

I know almost every YouTuber actor tells you to start here but in my opinion it’s useless. You barely get sufficient amount of auditions to really pay you well. You have to pay like $20 each month to even be able to use Backstage at all, and when you finally get to see the auditions it’s very disappointing. Most of them are not even going to pay you as a trained actor. You pay $1000+ headshots, 500+ classes, just to apply to roles that don’t pay you at all. CUSTOMER SERVICE IS HORRIBLE!! They will not give me a refund even though they charged me unknowingly for 4 months STRAIGHT! Supposedly it’s in their terms, that they cannot issue you a refund whatsoever. Never heard a business doing that, or treating their customers so poorly. Go to Casting Networks or Actors Access instead- that will give you results. Backstage will not.

by Foxfamily238

David L and Stephanie and others we have recently TRIED to work with, simply do not care about customers. They did NOTHING to help a very simple situation and instead remained inactive on pursuing any simple resolve. I'm taken back by the un-professionalism from this supposed "huge" entertainment industry standard casting.

Trust me, go to Casting Frontier or Actors Access for ALL your casting needs. Until they actually take the time to care and hold a regular conversation and admit anything, they are 1 star pure and simple.

We do not and will not recommend them to any of actor, cast or crew, both current or future, and will begin to express how unprofessional they have been with us to our connections of producers, directors and ET professionals and creatives. Shame on them.

by Riggity Roach

Be careful with Backstage. I have the subscription and have been happy with the options for auditions and casting, but have TWICE now been screwed out of a job by a lack of notifications from the in-app messenger. I have push notifications enabled in both Backstage and on my phone settings, and have checked this app to see if I have any messages to find that I had been offerred positions days ago but Backstage did not notify me or even put a notification badge on the icon, so I missed out on work. Terrible, horrible bug that is destroying a great app. I feel absolutely betrayed as both a fan of this app and someone who has paid for a subscription to their service.

by Wezianne333

It’s like using html in 2022, it’s just very outdated and this app needs to hire a coder and app developer for a measly $800 - $4,000 to make it run properly.

ISSUES:
1) the listings refresh back to the top as you’re scrolling on avg every 10-15sec or every 7-10 posts. Makes it nearly impossible to scroll to see every listing when you have to try to beat Backstage before it refreshes again

2) can’t apply for crew or voice over jobs with Backstage even if you have an account with both. It takes you to the mobile site

3) can’t completely remove uploaded pics from your library. Even after they’re unselected, they remain in your library of pictures cluttering the rest

4) can’t sort drafts by save date, post date, or expiration date

All of these problems are very easy for most coders to fix. Why this app refuses to? I have no idea and it’s very unfortunate because Backstage has SO much potential.

by Anon123456778999999999999

Backstage regularly won’t open to the correct listing when clicked from an email via mobile device. It almost always opens to the previous viewed call and I either need to go back through the email again or close Backstage and start again. More annoying is it occasionally doesnt fit an entire submission page so a role I’m trying to submit for may show part of the “submit” button but won’t allow me to click because it’s not fully visible on my mobile device Backstage regularly freezes. Needs work.

by Maryadamsofficial.com

Maybe it’s an issue with having an [old?] iPhone 6, or the Yahoo! mail app (I know, “Who still uses Yahoo?! How do you not use gmail?!” I don’t know, its hard to change man.) But anyway, every time I click on a listing from a this app email to open separately from the Yahoo mail app in Safari, which would then automatically direct me to the this app app, almost half the time Backstage will NOT open on the listing. It opens on the castings page of Backstage instead and I have to do the tedious task of putting the title in the search bar. Also, I’ve updated Backstage and turned on notifications in Settings and the this app app to get my saved filter searches to send me listings I’m right for. But I never get notifications from Backstage . That’s why I have to still resort to counting on those emails which is frustrating because the Yahoo mail app and/or Safari is not always even compatible with Backstage . It’s super frustrating. Although sure, I could finally enter 2018 and get a Gmail account.

by Sooo Much Better Than Clash

Backstage has a good interface, a decent amount of users that make it simple to find auditions in your area. BUT you HAVE to subscribe for a fee to be able to apply to ANYTHING, even unpaid roles. Unfortunately, being an actor means paying a lot already out of pocket for things like headshots, travel, etc. I'd gladly pay like $5/month for the convenience of Backstage but $20/month just to apply to ANYTHING is kind of ridiculous, especially for unpaid roles which means you won't make back what you spent on Backstage to find an audition, let alone be cast. I'll keep Backstage in my back pocket for a future when I can afford it, but for now there are other resources available for the same purpose and a cheaper price. Additionally, maybe it's just me, but it didn't seem clear initially that you needed a subscription to be able to apply for ANYTHING. It wasn't until after I filled out my profile, scrolled through the listings, and found something of interest that I found out you cannot apply to anything without a subscription. At this point I just don't see the cost equalling the value of Backstage unless MAYBE you're in an area with a high concentration of jobs. Sorry to the developers, I know you need to make money too and it really seems like a good app, I just simply can't afford it.

by Fnjmz

I have landed many student/short film roles through this app, which I’m grateful for, but with most of these directors on the site expecting actors to work for free the recent 25% increase in subscription is slightly untenable for a nonunion actor. Also, over the past 6 years I’ve been a subscriber, I’ve messaged Support for many various reasons/issues, and I would say that 75% of the time their staff is either dismissive or outright rude. Once in a while you get someone who seems nice; but rarely. Backstage itself is only slightly buggy at times (the repeating posts issue, etc) but overall ok functionality on mobile. (On the desktop website there’s a really annoying banner that pops up on every screen asking you to refer a friend, but on the other hand on mobile you can’t edit some aspects of your profile quite as easily as on the web browser)

by EagleRising

I love Backstage for a lot of reasons other people have already mentioned, but I have got to talk about the notifications/log in problem. The main reason I downloaded Backstage as opposed to sticking with the desktop site is that you can get push notifications for new auditions that meet your search criteria. However, every time I tap a notification on my phone to see the full posting, it takes me to the login page. Then I login and Backstage takes me to my dashboard, not to the specific audition I tapped on. This is incredibly inconvenient, especially since some of my saved searches are very broad. Everything else is wonderful, it's just this one problem of Backstage not keeping you logged in that makes Backstage kind of useless to me.

by EdquadoeatsTacos

I have been enjoying Backstage version over using the computer or even getting the magazine to keep up with the entertainment industry of improving ones’ career goals; however, I have become so frustrated with how I try to update my profile and rearrange my media items and then out of nowhere Backstage closes itself. I then repeat the process and it keeps doing it. I even try restarting my phone to deleting app and reloading it and still the same thing. So someone please fix this issues, as this is an app that is paid for and when it keeps doing this it really makes one wonder if it’s worth it.

by @RockNRoll__Pirate_Jedi

II’ve been a subscriber for several years and have been enjoying Backstage for quite a while! Up until recently it was working great. I just found a call back on my laptop that was nowhere to be found on my iOS app. And now a week later I’m sitting here with egg on my face with a Director and a producer who think I am a flake now. I realize it’s technology and I am going to call customer support. But please fix this!

by Abydff

As a young to be actress Backstage is the best and most reliable actors app besides (actors access). But beyond that this is a great app but its VERY expensive but is it worth it? Low-key, yes there are so many things that you can do with a membership. As make your own profile to get noticed and so many other things. I would love to have a membership and just to get noticed by agents would be a blessing! So if you can afford it I would go for it.

by Bella Harter

Hi! I’m a 13 year old (trying to be) actress! Backstage says that it is for people 12+. It says, when I put in my birthday, that I need a passport or driver’s license. Is that for everyone or am I just to young? It doesn’t matter now but still, I haven’t told my mom that I found Backstage and I want it to be a surprise if and whenever I get a call back BUT I need her credit card or something in order to actually get one sooooooo. Idk if this is a problem or anything. Also, great app, great interface, great EVERYTHING!

by Bombraid

I love Backstage, unlike AA it actually works ha. I love that you can message and see your applications and invites on Backstage . One huge important thing that Backstage should provide is the skills required in the castings! On the web version you can see the required skills like languages, etc but Backstage does not show that so you can apply for a role and not be aware that your character needs to be able to speak a certain language or be good at tennis. Please update with that! Otherwise, love it. Thanks!

by ThatOneWasMe

So I really enjoy Backstage and have been subscribed for several months and already landed several gigs! But recently as I scroll through the listings, I tend to get stuck in a cycle in which the same 10-15 listings will just repeat, and repeat and repeat. Because of this there’s been between 30 seconds to a full minute of scrolling just to find the next batch of 10-15 jobs before they fall into the same loop. I’m really hoping this can be fixed in the next update. Regardless, Backstage is still amazing and I’d recommend it to any aspiring actors or performers!

by Jacqveline

I’m glad this app made an app to make navigating easier on the daily, BUT the point of making submitting easier has been non-existent.

What I mean by this is, when I’m on the page to submit for a role, Backstage doesn’t upload my media. I try clicking the “+” arrow and “starring” my photos, videos, etc., but when I press “save”, no media is uploaded -thus, not letting me submit due to an empty application page.

So technically, Backstage is useless for submitting, which is the main point of Backstage . -to find projects and apply to work.

I would love for this issue to be fixed and I’d easily rate this 5 stars, but until then I will have to save the jobs I find on Backstage , and then go on my computer to actually submit.

by JADAwwcoco

Backstage has really helped me build my resume and I really recommend it to other actors and actresses I have made many connections and I have done many auditions the castings that are posted are legit and give you actual work if casted, thank you so much back stage!! I have told many of my friends about this app and have got them to use Backstage as well.

by OddBri

It’s honestly a small price to pay for access to SAFE and PAID productions. You can get all the free sketchy information from Craigslist or Instagram but at least here you can research the company & director further. I haven't felt the need to be escorted to these things, and the talent is always well taken care of. Although I wish there were more productions in Miami, this app is providing me the type of work I deserve.

by Jonahmcd82

I got Backstage enthusiastic to pursue my dreams in acting. But most, if not all, productions say “upgrade for additional information and/or instructions.” The thing is, what if I don’t upgrade? I’ll miss out on “additional information”? What if I’m required to know that additional information? Are you saying that without subscribing, I would be coming to the audition without knowing entirely what to do? Look, I understand why you guys need to make money. But seriously? Here’s a suggestion: maybe for people who haven’t subscribed just don’t show all the possible roles and productions available but show all information for the ones you DO include instead of leaving someone who isn’t subscribed completely confused? I would love Backstage. It has great potential. Just please do something about this and then it would be my #1.

Edit: I did this review yesterday. I have some more news. My mom came to see to get me signed up for a production on her phone, (although not all the information was provided), and it said she needed to be subscribed! What the heck? Seriously! What. The. Heck???!!!

by Pokestar500

I paid for a one month subscription to see what Backstage to the fullest is like. I tried to apply for a role and Backstage claims that I need a membership to apply, even though. I’ve paid for one already, and when I attempt to purchase the subscription “I don’t have” I’m faced with “you own this subscription already” by apple. I’ve tried creating a new account with the same email as my Apple ID, to no resolve. I’ve deleted and redownloaded Backstage to no resolve. I’m out of ideas. Help?

by Qwerty506

I love Backstage, unlike AA it actually works ha. I love that you can message and see your applications and invites on Backstage . One huge important thing that Backstage should provide is the skills required in the castings! On the web version you can see the required skills like languages, etc but Backstage does not show that so you can apply for a role and not be aware that your character needs to be able to speak a certain language or be good at tennis. Please update with that! Otherwise, love it. Thanks!

by Jagduejxfshwksmx

Backstage is super helpful and all! But. To get additional details you need to be a subscriber?! Like I know you need money but, seriously?! If I applied to something I wouldn’t even know were to go. If I’m being honest... that how you make people leave your app instead of staying. You guys need to make it were all the important stuff you don’t have to pay to get and the less important stuff we’re you do have to pay with.
I’m so mad rn

by Elliemei

Id suggest Backstage for starting up actor/actresses who live in or are able to travel to a MAJOR CITY
Maybe this is obvious to some but others might not think that far before getting a subscription.
As for those complaining about subscriptions themselves good luck getting without subscribing to AT LEAST one casting site.
Ive gotten multiple auditions through this app and its a really safe, easy to use app.
CONS:
Like others have mentioned I wish there was a way to swipe away casting calls that you arent interested in so your feed isnt clogged by all these posts you arent even going to audition for.
I also REALLY REALLY REAAAAALLY wish Backstage wouldn't keep logging me out every couple days. Or at least remember my log in for me so I don’t have to type it all out again and again.

by TJfromMO

this app has the easiest to navigate site of all the ones I use. More important—I book a lot of work through it. Only complaint is too many emails, and I wish the casting notices that come to my email inbox would delete the entire first sentence; it’s the same thing every time and it forces you to have to open the email to see what is actually about.

by ❤️ Mimi&joy

this app is super helpful for kids who have a huge dream to one day become an actor. this app helped me a lot. I was hospitalised for 1 year because of my kidney, there were moments in which I thought to myself “I will never be an actor” but as soon as i was out of the hospital i found this amazing app and downloaded it, thinking it could be just for fun. Turned out i fell even more in love with acting thz to this app.

by Joe Sax

I started 2 1/2 years ago and said to myself if this pays for itself I’ll keep subscribing. In the first two weeks landed a commercial which more than paid for the years subscription. Since then I’ve done 67 projects. Short films, voice overs, commercials and just this week signed the deal memo for my first feature. this app rocks!!! Do it!!! Take that first step!!!

by DanielJHersh

Backstage is a great idea and is very simple to use, but one major thing it is missing is the option to download the calendar file for open calls, ecc’s and epa’s. Once that has been put into Backstage, I’ll have no reason to check this app any other way.

EDIT:
They have updated Backstage and put this feature in! Perfection.