How to Join NZAT and How the Submission Process Works — Everything You Need to Know
- NZAT
- Aug 3
- 5 min read
One of the most common questions we get is: "How does it all actually work?"
Fair question. Before you invest time setting up a profile and paying a joining fee, you deserve to know exactly what you're signing up for, what happens after you join, and how the process works when a production comes to us looking for talent.
This article walks you through everything — step by step, no surprises.
Step 1 — Create Your Profile on Heycast
Everything starts with your profile on Heycast — the platform we use to manage our talent roster and submit to productions.
Your Heycast profile is your professional card. When a production or casting director asks us for talent, this is what they see. It needs to be complete, accurate, and up to date.
Here's what you'll need to fill in:
Representation types
You can select any of the following categories that apply to you
Standard Extra
Featured Extra
Action Exra
Stand In
Body / Picture Double
Commercial Actor
Supporting Role Actor
Athlete / Skilled Performer
Stunt Performer
Only add categories you genuinely qualify for. If you're unsure, get in touch and we'll advise you.
Photos — you'll upload two photos:
A headshot — clear, recent, face visible, natural lighting
A full body shot — clear, current, shows your build and proportions
These photos are seen directly by casting directors and productions. No professional photographer required — but they need to be good quality, recent, and actually look like you. No filters, no heavy editing.
Profile details — the more complete your profile, the more often you'll be matched and submitted. This includes:
Full name and contact details
Location (this matters — productions often filter by region)
Measurements — height, chest, waist, hips, shoe size. Keep these current. Productions with costume restrictions filter by size first. If your measurements are wrong or missing, you won't show up in those searches.
Training
On-set experience
Skills — languages, sports, instruments, licences
Take your time with this. A complete profile is a working profile.
Step 2 — Profile Review and Approval
Once you've submitted your profile, our team reviews it.
We check that your photos are suitable, your information is complete, and your selected representation categories match what you've described. This isn't a formal audition — it's an administrative check to make sure your profile is ready to be submitted to productions. If needs, one of our agent might give you a call if needed.
Once approved, you'll receive:
A talent agreement to read and sign — this sets out how the relationship works, what we do for you, and what's expected of you
A joining fee payment request — unless your fee has been waived under a current offer or exemption (national-level athlete evidence, current promotional period, etc.)
Read the agreement properly. If you have questions, ask them before you sign.
Step 3 — Profile Activated
Once your agreement is signed and your joining fee is paid (or waived), your profile is activated.
From this point, you are in our books and eligible to be submitted to productions and casting directors across New Zealand.
How the Submission Process Works
This is the part most people are curious about — what actually happens after you're approved?
We receive a brief or request from a production or casting director. This might be a specific request ("we need 20 extras for a market scene in Auckland next Thursday") or a broader talent search ("we're casting a supporting role for a 40-something Māori male with a physical build"). Some briefs come days in advance. Some come the same week. Film sets move fast.
We filter our talent roster. We search our books using the criteria from the brief — representation type, location, measurements, skills, experience, ethnicity, age range, availability. This is why a complete profile matters so much. If your information is missing or outdated, you won't appear in the search and we can't submit you for what we can't see.
We select the best matches and submit them. We put forward the talent whose profiles best match what the production is looking for. We don't submit everyone — we submit the right people for the right role.
You receive a submission notification. If you've been submitted, you'll receive an email notification letting you know. Being submitted means your profile has gone to the production or casting director for consideration. It does not mean you've been booked that's the next step.
If You're Selected — What Happens Next
Being submitted puts you in front of the production. If they want to take it further, here's how it goes:
Availability check. If the production or casting team selects you, either directly for a booking or for an audition — we'll reach out to check your availability for the relevant date or dates, rates and location if give..
At this point, you have two options:
Not interested or not available — you can simply let us know, and we'll update the production accordingly. No pressure, no penalties.
Available and interested — you confirm your availability. From there, the production makes the final call.
Booking request. If the production confirms they want you, you'll receive a booking request with all the details — date, location, call time, role, and rate. Review it, confirm, and the booking is locked in.
From that point, you show up and you do the work
A Few Things Worth Knowing
You won't be booked for everything you're submitted for. Productions see multiple profiles and make their own selection. Being submitted is a good sign — it means your profile matched what they needed. Being selected depends on factors that are often outside anyone's control: the director's vision, the overall cast mix, the final costume decision. Don't take it personally.
Keep your profile updated. Measurements change. Skills develop. You move to a new city. Update your profile when anything changes. An outdated profile costs you opportunities — we can only submit what's accurate.
Respond to availability checks promptly. Productions work to tight timelines. If we reach out and don't hear back quickly, we may need to move on to the next match. Being responsive is one of the easiest ways to get booked more.
Being in our books is not a guarantee of work. We are honest about this. The volume of work you get depends on your profile, your availability, your location, and what productions are shooting. Some talent works regularly. Others wait longer for the right match. What we guarantee is that when the right brief comes in, we'll put forward the right people.
Ready to Join?
You now know exactly how it works. If you're ready to take the next step, get in touch via WhatsApp. Tell us which representation categories you're interested in and we'll guide you through setting up your Heycast profile.
Share this with anyone who's been curious about joining but didn't know where to start. Now they do.
NZAT — New Zealand Acting Talent. Representing performers across Aotearoa.
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