Keeping Conversations on enCAST

Why we ask you to use the messaging system #

Actors and productions on enCAST talk to each other through the internal messaging system. Everything said there is saved. You have a copy, the other person has a copy, and we have a copy. Nobody has to remember who said what, or when, because it is all written down and plain to see.

Once a conversation moves off enCAST, that stops being true. If you carry on by personal email, WhatsApp, text message or a phone call, we cannot see any of it. You may still have your own record, and often you will, but a phone call leaves nothing at all.

What this means if something goes wrong #

Most conversations on enCAST are perfectly ordinary and nothing goes wrong. But if there is ever a disagreement, a complaint, or something that simply does not feel right, the first thing we look at is the messages.

If the conversation happened here, we can read it, understand what was agreed, and act. If it happened somewhere else, we are relying on two people's memories, and we can help you far less. That is the whole of it. We are not trying to keep you in a walled garden; we just cannot help with a conversation we have no sight of.

If someone asks you to move the conversation #

You will sometimes be asked to continue by email, phone or a messaging app. Often there is nothing behind it: people are busy and use whatever is nearest to hand. It is still worth asking them to keep it on enCAST while you are discussing a role, and most will say yes without a second thought.

If someone is unwilling to talk to you here at all, and pushes hard to move the conversation elsewhere straight away, treat that as a reason to slow down rather than a reason to panic. Let us know and we will take a look.

When swapping contact details is normal #

There is a point where exchanging details is simply how the job works. Once you are cast, a production needs to reach you about call sheets, schedules, travel and fittings, and that will not happen through this website. That is entirely normal and expected.

The stage to be careful about is the one before that: enquiries, auditions, self tapes and anything to do with terms, dates or money. Keep that part here, where there is a record.

A few simple rules #

These apply wherever the conversation is happening, on enCAST or off it.

• Never send money. Not for a role, not for an audition slot, not for a place on a list, not to cover someone's admin or booking fee. Genuine work pays you.
• Never send nude, topless, underwear or lingerie photographs. A legitimate casting does not need them at the enquiry or audition stage. If a role genuinely involves nudity, that is discussed properly, in writing, with a contract, and it does not start with a request for photographs.
• Do not send bank details, passport scans, or copies of identity documents to someone you have only just started talking to.
• Be careful with your home address and with anything that identifies where you live.
• Never feel rushed. Pressure to decide immediately, or to keep something secret, is worth questioning.

If you are under 18, or you are a parent or guardian of someone who is, these points matter more, not less. A parent or guardian should be part of every conversation.

If you are not sure, ask us #

Contact us here or use the report link on the conversation itself.