Backstage import: add actors to Cast & Crew from a profile link

Where this fits in casting

By the time an actor is booked, someone has usually spent days in Backstage submissions. Retyping that person into the production's cast list is small work, but on a short with 14 speaking roles it adds up, and headshots end up saved to someone's desktop instead of next to the name. The Backstage import saves the retyping for each booked actor. It doesn't replace your casting workflow in Backstage, and it doesn't pull auditions, self-tapes, or submissions.

What comes across

From the public profile page, Storiara takes:

• first and last name, read from the page and cleaned up
• the profile image, downloaded and automatically cropped to a square around the face
• union affiliation, when the page lists a union or says non-union

Email, phone, agent, rates, credits, and physical details stay on Backstage. Once you save, the person is a normal cast or crew member: you can assign them to a character, set a union contract and rate, and send an availability request.

Importing a profile

1. Open Cast & Crew for the story and choose the Cast tab. The Crew tab has the same button if you're adding a crew member with a Backstage page.
2. Click the button with the plus sign and the Backstage logo. Its tooltip reads Import from Backstage.
3. In Backstage Profile URL, paste the profile link. It follows the pattern https://www.backstage.com/tal/MartyMcFly/.
4. Click Import. After a few seconds you'll see Profile Imported.
5. The Add New Cast Member form opens with the name, photo, and union filled in. Add Email and Phone, pick a Contract Type if the actor is union, and set a rate if you know it.
6. Click Add Cast Member.

If you entered an email and the production schedule is already set, Storiara sends the actor an availability request as soon as you save. Without shooting dates it adds the person and tells you to set the schedule first. To tie the actor to a role, edit the character on the Characters tab and choose them under Assign Cast Member (Optional).

Limits

• One profile per import. There's no search and no bulk import from Backstage. Bulk lists go through spreadsheet import.
• The link must be a backstage.com profile. Other casting sites aren't supported.
• It reads the public page, so private or removed profiles can't be imported.
• It's a copy made at import time. Later changes to the Backstage profile don't flow into Storiara.
• Union status is only as good as what the profile shows. Confirm SAG-AFTRA standing through the actor or their rep before you build a cast deal memo.

Troubleshooting

• "Profile Not Found" appears when the link is mistyped or the profile was taken down. Open the link in your browser first to confirm it loads.
• "Access Denied" means the profile needs a login to view. Ask the actor for a public link, or add them by hand.
• "Request timed out" or "Service Unavailable" is on Backstage's side. Wait a minute and try again.
• A message reading "Profile Imported (Partial)" means the name came through but the photo couldn't be fetched. Upload a headshot in the form yourself.
• If the name arrives oddly split (for example "Martymcf Ly"), Backstage blocked the page request and Storiara guessed the name from the URL. Fix the first and last name in the form before saving.