Month: July 2024

[Spotlight is a UK casting directory, which matches actors with available jobs. Spotlight claims to have around 90,000 members and 99% of projects in theatre, TV, and film are cast through them. Equity is a performing arts and entertainment trade union]

Some fresh developments to this little drama: Equity asked Spotlight to prove how their subscription fees are a fair charge based on the following bit of law:

“the fee charged to the work-seeker [must] amount to no more than a reasonable estimate of the cost of production and circulation of the publication attributable to the inclusion of information about that work-seeker in the publication”

In response, Spotlight says they’re not an employment agency and therefore not subject to the above law and not obligated to prove anything.

Equity is now taking this to the High Court to get a judgement that says the law does apply to Spotlight. More details at Equity – the FAQ section at the bottom is especially interesting.

A few key points:

Since 2020, annual Spotlight subs have risen from £158 to £198 (£216 if paying monthly).

One might argue that the general rise in costs everywhere justifies the increase. However, even at £158 the same questions apply: How much does it actually cost Spotlight to list performers in their digital directory? Are performers being unfairly squeezed? Should performers seeking work be paying for any of it anyway?

My prediction for the next stage in this little drama: Spotlight (now owned by international group, Talent Services) will wrap this up in litigation. Any change will be slow, small and hard won.

Wouldn’t it be interesting if all performers on Spotlight changed to the monthly subscription? Sure, it would cost a little more in the short term, but imagine the entire membership being able to suspend their fees at short notice, all together: that’s 90,000 performers NOT paying £18 – Spotlight would lose £1,620,000 each month. And members would control the on/off switch to Spotlight’s income stream. Reckon that could be mildly compelling.