How to Post a Project on Breakdown Express

Making a casting call:

• Sign into BDX
• From the main page, beneath “Current Projects,” click the blue “Post a New Breakdown” button

General breakdown details

• Project
  • “Company” dropdown should be on “My Projects”
  • Usually, use “Project” dropdown to select “Create New Project…”
    • When you select this, a new “Project Name” section comes up, put in the project name
  • If the breakdown you are making is an addition to a project that’s already live, use the dropdown to select the existing Project Name
• Breakdown Information
  • The project title is also entered into the “Breakdown Title or Name” section
  • If the breakdown you are making is an addition to a project that’s already live, use the project title & add a quick note on what the change is
    • Examples:
      • Project XYZ – NEW CHARACTR ADDED
      • Project XYZ – CHANGE OF SPEC
  • Use the “Project Type” dropdown to select the type of project it is
    • Most common project types include:
      • Ad Campaign
      • Commercial
      • Industrial
      • Photoshoot
      • PSA
      • “None of the above”
        • Use for ACTRA Online Opportunity Pilot Project & write “This project is an AOPP.” In the “Additional Project Info” in the next section
  • Union Status
    • Use dropdown menu to select the most appropriate union status
    • Most common union statuses include:
      • ACTRA
      • NON-UNION
      • UDA (French union casting only)
      • SAG (American union casting only)
      • Not applicable (Stills shoots)
• Casting Director Display Name
  • Your name/Company Name
• Contact Phone
  • This is so Breakdown Express can contact you about your casting call, it is not posted.
• Contact Email
  • This is so Breakdown Express can contact you about your casting call, it is not posted.
• Your Casting Notice
  • Run or usage
    • Paste in the run, usage, or buyout information from your project breakdown document
    • If this has not been decided, write in “TBD”
  • Conflicts
    • Write in the conflicts for the project
    • If this has not been decided, write in “TBD”
    • If there are no conflicts, write in “N/A” or “None”
  • Additional Project Info
    • This information will be on the casting notice.
    • Most projects, this is left blank
    • Most common uses:
      • Announcing the project is an AOPP
      • Listing comprehensive payment terms (if they don’t fit into “Rate or Pay/Contract” section)
      • Listing wardrobe dates if “Wardrobe Date(s)” section is not available
  • Rate of Pay/Contract
    • List the payment terms
    • Most common uses:
      • Session: $$$, Usage: $$$
      • ACTRA Scale
      • If the payment terms are comprehensive, list them in “Additional Project Info” and write “See below” in this slot
  • Interview/Audition day(s)
    • Use the calendar to choose which day(s) virtual or in-person auditions will be held
    • If they have not been sent, write “TBD”
    • If there is no session, leave blank
  • Callback Date(s)
    • Note: If you collect self-tapes before a session, then the first session is a callback. This is an important distinction with ACTRA projects. 
    • Use the calendar to choose which day(s) virtual or in-person callbacks will be held.
• Wardrobe date(s)
  • This section is only available for certain types of projects
  • If the date hasn’t been set, write “TBD”
  • If there is no wardrobe date or if wardrobe will be done on the day, leave this section blank
• Shoot/Start Date(s)
  • Use the calendar to select filming dates
  • This is usually a window, be sure to put every date in this section, NOT a range.
    • Oct 1, 2020, Oct 2, 2020, Oct 3, 2020 NOT Oct 1-3, 2020
• Project Location
  • List the city the project will be filmed in
    • Use “TBD” if filming will be taking place in multiple cities
• Personnel and Production Info
  • Usually most of this info is confidential or TBD 
  • Use yellow “X” button to delete “Director,” “Ad Agency,” and “Production Company” sections
  • Casting director is your name/company again
• Special Note
  • This section is used for general information about the project
  • Usually, you can leave it blank
  • Common uses: 
    • ALL TALENT MUST BE BILINGUAL
    • ALL TALEN MUST BE COMFORTABLE WITH POWERTOOLS
    • ALL TALENT MUST HAVE COMEDY EXPERINCE
• Electronic Submission Options
  • Post Submissions To
    • You can share to just Breakdown Express (agents and managers)
    • Or to both “Actor’s Access” and “Breakdown Express (agents and managers)”
      • Note: If you select “Actor’s Access” it lets anyone on AA submit so you have to look at all profile locations before booking a schedule
  • Electronic Submission Options
    • Check off “Yes” for all 3 options
• Submission Deadline
  • This date depends on the project schedule
  • TIP: this should be 48 hours prior to the first session day
• Submission Instructions
  • This can be left at “Please include size cards” most of the time
  • Most common use: 
    • Agents, please mark XYZ on all submissions.
• Geographic Information
  • Click off the cities you are accepting applications from
• Notes for Breakdown Office Only – Not for Publication
  • This is usually left empty
  • Input any questions you have for Breakdown Services that need to be answered before the project goes live. They will answer via email before posting.
  • Select the Breakdown Services office to submit this Breakdown
  • Rarely would you need to mark off “Send final draft to contact for approval before publishing,” but use as needed. This will make sure Breakdown Express let's you know if they make any content or formatting edits to your project submission
• Nudity
  • Click “YES” or “NO” as applicable
• Continue to roles
  • Click “continue to roles” button, bottom right

Roles & Notes

• Breakdown Roles and Notes
  • Click “Add a new role”
    • Role Name/Title
      • Insert character name
    • Attributes
      • Select male, female, or both
      • Insert age range
      • Unless specified in specs, select “all” for ethnic appearance
    • Description
      • Physical Characteristics
        • Change the wording from [age, ethnicity, gender] to [gender, age, ethnicity].
        • Add any other physical descriptors
      • Personality & Character Arc
        • Insert any non-physical descriptors 
    • Is This a Paying Role?
      • Select the appropriate answer 
      • Most commonly, yes.
    • Attach Picture
      • Only used if casting for an extremely specific look
    • Saving role
      • If this is the only role you are adding, click “save role”
      • If you are adding more characters, click “save role and add another”
  • Use “Add a new note” if you need to add a note for all roles
    • Most common uses: 
      • ALL TALENT MUST BE BILINGUAL
      • ALL TALENT MUST HAVE COMEDY EXPERINCE
      • ALL ACTORS MUST BE COMFORTABE SHOOTING OUTSIDE
    • Saving note
      • If this is the only note you are adding, click “save note”
      • If you are adding more, click “save note and add another”
• Storyline
  • In this space, you can add a quick line saying what the project will be about. 
    • Click “Save Storyline”
  • If a logline isn’t given or if it ruins confidentiality, you can leave this space blank
• Finished with Roles & Notes
  • Click “Finished with Roles & Notes”

Review & Submit

• Breakdown: 
  • This section lists all the information you just entered in the following sections READ IT CAREFULLY
• Edit Breakdown
  • If you need to make adjustments, scroll down and click “Edit Breakdown,” bottom left
• Terms of Use
  • If all the information is correct, click “I agree”
• Submit Breakdown
  • Click “Submit Breakdown to XXX Office”

After you hit “submit,” you will receive an email stating the breakdown has been submitted. Usually within an hour or two, you will receive another email saying the project has been released.

Sometimes project details change after you submit or after the project goes live. That’s okay!

Project Details have changed, Now what?

If the project details change after the project is submitted or live, or if you realize there is missing info, a mistake, etc., Breakdown Services staff is standing by to help!

• If the change is needed during 9am-5pm EST, contact Anthony & Marion at the Toronto office: 
  • Toronto@breakdownservices.com
    • (416) 923-1292 ext. 2.

• If the change is needed between 5pm-8pm EST, contact the Vancouver office
  • (416) 923-1292 ext. 1. 
  • They will provide an email to send the info to if needed or will make the change over the phone. 
• If the change is needed after 8pm EST or on a weekend, call the emergency after-hours contact:
  • (310) 854-4346. 
  • They may be able to help, they may say to wait until morning, in which case, send an email to the Toronto office & call them at 9am EST on the next working day.