For performers
How to Make Your Application Stronger
Some casting calls say what the casting director would also like to see. You can still apply, but the casting director can filter out applications below their preferences, so fixing the list first helps.
5 min read · Updated 14 September 2026
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Strengthen your application is a list, under the apply form on some casting calls, of what the casting director would also like to see on your profile. You can apply straight away. Their list of applications marks yours Below preferences, though, so adding those things first gives you a better chance.
Two kinds of standard
Most casting calls on Castkro carry a standard for applicants, and each item in it is one of two kinds.
| Kind | What you see | Can you apply? |
|---|---|---|
| Required | The apply form is replaced by This casting call asks for a few things before you can apply. and a list |
Not until you add them |
| Preferred | The apply form, with Strengthen your application underneath | Yes, straight away |
Required items are about the basics: most calls only require a headshot. Preferred items are what separates a strong application from an ordinary one.
What the list says, and how to fix each item
Most items are links. Tap one and your dashboard opens, usually on the part of your profile that fixes it.
| You might see | What it means | Where it takes you |
|---|---|---|
| Add a headshot | You have no profile photo | Your photos |
| Add 2 more photos (1 of 3) | The call looks for 3 photos and you have 1 | Your photos |
| Add 1 more video (0 of 1) | The call looks for a video | Your videos |
| Write 40 more characters in your bio (60 of 100) | Your bio is 60 characters, and the call looks for 100 | Your bio |
| Choose your role types | You have not chosen a role type | Role types |
| Add your skills | You have not listed a skill | Skills |
| Add your credits (0 of 1) | The call looks for at least one credit | Your dashboard. Tap Add credit under Experience |
| Get your profile to 60% complete (45 of 60) | Your profile completion is below the call's level | Your dashboard. Follow Complete your profile |
| Verify your profile | The call looks for a profile the Castkro team has marked verified | Not a link: the Castkro team marks profiles verified |
The numbers in brackets are yours, measured when the page loaded, so they tell you exactly how far you have to go.
Step by step
- Open the casting call and find the Apply for a role panel.
- Read the list under Strengthen your application, which starts
You can apply now. - Tap the first item. Your dashboard opens, usually on that section.
- Add what it asks for and save.
- Go back to the casting call and reload it. Items you have fixed are gone from the list.
- When you are ready, choose your role and tap Apply now.
Fixing it helps with every call
These are profile basics, not answers for one casting call. A photo you add for this call is on your profile for the next one, and for casting directors searching Find Talent.
What the casting director sees
In their list of applications, the casting director sees a Below preferences label on any application that did not meet their preferred items when it was sent, and they can filter to show only those. The label is fixed at the moment you apply. Improving your profile later does not remove it from an application you have already sent, although your profile itself shows your latest photos and details when they open it.
That is why it is worth fixing the list before you tap Apply now, not after.
When a casting call says you cannot apply yet
If the form is replaced by This casting call asks for a few things before you can apply., the items
listed are required. The same links work: tap one, fix it, and come back.
On the Casting Calls list you can spot these calls before opening them. Their card says, for
example, 2 things to complete before you can apply.
FAQ
Is it worth applying if I do not meet the preferred items?
Yes, if the role suits you. The casting director chose to keep receiving applications like yours. You just start slightly behind applicants who meet everything.
I fixed my profile. Why does the list still show an item?
Reload the casting call. For Get your profile to 60% complete, the percentage updates each time you save a change, so check the ring on your dashboard first.
A casting director invited me. Do I need to meet the list?
No. When you accept an invitation to apply, the casting call's standard does not apply to you, because the casting director asked for you by name.
Why does one call ask for more than another?
Each casting director picks a standard when they post a call. A lead role in a web series often asks for a fuller portfolio than a background role.
Does a paid plan skip the list?
No. Paying for a plan does not meet a requirement. The one exception is a call that is open only to
performers on a paid plan, which says Upgrade to a paid plan to apply.