Guide for Aspirants (Talent)
Who this is for: Actors, models, dancers, singers, technicians, crew members, and anyone offering their talent or skills in the Indian film and entertainment industry. What you'll learn: How to set up your profile, find and apply for jobs, use your Showcase and Drive, and make the most of CTI.
Overview
An Aspirant account is for anyone who wants to offer their talent or technical skills to the entertainment industry. Whether you are an actor, model, dancer, singer, musician, photographer, director of photography, makeup artist, costume designer, stunt performer, or any other film professional, this is your account type. You browse open jobs and events, apply to them, build a profile that shows your best work, and manage your files and communications — all in one place.
What is an Aspirant account?
CTI recognises two sub-types of Aspirants:
- Talent — performers in front of the camera (actors, models, dancers, singers, etc.)
- Crew — professionals behind the camera (directors, cinematographers, editors, makeup artists, costume designers, sound engineers, and other technicians)
When you create your profile you select your primary role (Actor, Model, Dancer, Crew, etc.). This choice shapes which sections of your profile are shown and which jobs you appear in when recruiters search.
Your profile
Your profile is your public-facing page. Recruiters find you through it. Keep it accurate and up to date.
What to fill in
Your profile is organised into two tabs: Profile Media and Profile Details.
On the main profile page (always visible):
- Profile photo (Display Picture) — your clearest, most recent headshot or professional photo. This is required for your profile to be complete.
- Display name — the name you work under.
- Role — your primary role (Actor, Model, Dancer, etc.). This determines how you appear in search.
- Tags — keywords that describe your speciality (e.g. "classical dancer", "voice artist").
- Hero image — a larger banner image at the top of your profile. You can set it to match your display picture, or upload a separate one.
- About Me — a short paragraph about yourself, your background, and what you bring to a production.
- Address — your state and district (required). Area, pincode, and taluk are optional.
- Physical stats — height, build, skin tone, eye shape, hair type, and measurements. Only shown for roles where physical attributes are relevant (Actor, Model, Dancer, Stunt Performer).
- Personal details — your native language, date of birth, and gender (date of birth and gender are set at the time you register and cannot be changed on your profile — contact support if they need updating).
On the Profile Media tab:
- Gallery — photos and videos that show your work. Some slots may be required for your profile to be considered complete.
On the Profile Details tab:
- Experience — how long you have been working, whether you are a fresher, and a list of productions you have worked on.
- Education & Training — your academic and training background.
- Skills — specific abilities with a proficiency level (Beginner to Expert).
- Languages — which languages you can understand, read, write, and speak.
- Work Preferences — your preferred working languages and locations, in priority order.
- Certifications — any professional or training certificates you hold.
- Specialisations — sub-roles within your main role (e.g. an Actor's specialisations might include character types or genres). This section only appears if your role has a sub-role catalogue.
- Documents — whether you hold a passport or driving licence. This helps recruiters know your availability for shoots in different locations.
- Owned Equipment — for Crew only: the production equipment you personally own (camera, lighting, sound gear, etc.).
- Platform accounts — links to your social media or professional pages (Instagram, YouTube, etc.).
What "complete" means
The platform tracks whether your profile is complete. Completeness is shown as a progress indicator on your profile page. A complete profile requires:
- Display picture
- Display name
- Role
- About Me
- State and district in your address
- Native language
- At least one language listed
- At least one skill
- Work preferences (location)
- Experience level
- For roles like Actor, Model, Dancer, and Stunt Performer: height
Sections that are missing are highlighted so you can fill them in. Clicking a highlighted item takes you directly to the right place to edit.
What "searchable" means
Once your profile is complete, you can make it publicly visible (also called "searchable"). When you are publicly visible:
- Recruiters can find you when they search for talent.
- Your profile appears on the public CTI directory.
- Your Showcase is visible to people who view your profile.
You control this with the Public / Private toggle on your profile page. Your profile starts as private. You must complete it before you can make it public.
If you later remove something that is required (such as deleting your display picture), CTI automatically reverts your profile to private until you fill in the gap.
How to edit your profile
Every section on your profile page has an edit button (a pencil icon). Click it to open the edit form for that section. Make your changes, then click Save. If you want to cancel, click Discard — you will be asked to confirm before your changes are lost.
Applying for jobs
How to find jobs
Use Search Jobs in the sidebar to browse available positions. You can filter by:
- Role / job type
- Location
- Pay type (paid or unpaid)
- Application deadline
- And more
Each job card shows the job title, the project it belongs to, pay information, and the application deadline. Tap a card to see full details.
Eligibility requirements
Each job can set eligibility criteria. Common criteria include:
- Gender
- Age range
- Height range
- Experience level
- Languages
- Location
The job detail page shows which criteria apply and whether you meet them. If you do not meet a requirement, you will see a notice explaining which criteria you do not satisfy. Some jobs will not allow you to apply if your profile does not meet their minimum requirements.
To apply for the most jobs, keep your profile complete and up to date with accurate information.
How to apply
- Open a job listing from the search results.
- Review the full job description, eligibility criteria, compensation, and deadline.
- Tap Apply if you are eligible and the deadline has not passed.
- You may be asked to attach files from your Drive (such as a portfolio or headshot) — select any files you want to include.
- Submit your application. You will see a confirmation that your application has been received.
Tracking your applications
Go to My Applied Jobs in the sidebar to see all your active applications. Each card shows:
- The job title and which project it belongs to
- The current status of your application
- Pay details and the deadline
- Whether you have received an invitation (and its status)
Application statuses you may see:
- Applied — your application has been submitted and is with the recruiter.
- Under Review — the recruiter is actively reviewing your application.
- Shortlisted — you have been moved to the recruiter's shortlist.
- Consolidated — the shortlist has been finalised and a selection is being made.
- Finalized / Invited — you have been selected or invited to proceed. Watch for further messages.
- Rejected — your application was not successful this time. You may be eligible to reapply after a waiting period — the card shows the date.
- Withdrawn — you withdrew your application.
Tap any card to go back to the job listing for more details.
Your Showcase
Your Showcase is a curated collection of your best work — videos that you want recruiters to see. It is different from your Gallery.
| Gallery | Showcase | |
|---|---|---|
| What goes here | Photos and videos that form your profile media (some slots required) | Your best highlight videos — your showreel, audition clips, performance clips |
| Who sees it | Anyone viewing your profile | Anyone viewing your profile |
| Purpose | Completing your profile | Showing your talent at its best |
Adding to your Showcase
Go to Showcase in the sidebar. Upload a video and give it a title. Videos in your Showcase are hosted and streamed securely. Your Showcase appears on your public profile for recruiters to browse.
You can edit the title of a Showcase item. There is a limit on how often you can change titles, so choose carefully.
My Drive
My Drive is your private file storage on CTI. Files you store in Drive are not public — they are only visible to you and to people you explicitly share them with.
What you can do in Drive:
- Upload files (documents, photos, headshots, portfolios, scripts, etc.)
- Organise files into folders
- Share individual files or folders with specific people
- See files and folders that others have shared with you (under Shared to Me)
- Delete files (moved to Trash, then permanently deleted when Trash is emptied)
Sharing files
To share a file or folder, open it in Drive and choose Share. You can share with a specific person by their CTI profile. The recipient can then see the shared item under Shared to Me in their own Drive.
When you apply for a job, you can attach files from your Drive to your application.
What others can access: Only files or folders you have explicitly shared are visible to others. Your private Drive contents are never automatically shared.
Email and messaging
CTI has a built-in messaging system accessible from Email in the sidebar. You can receive messages and invitations from recruiters through this channel. You can also reply to and manage conversations there.
Subscriptions and boosts
Your CTI subscription plan determines the storage space, number of Showcase videos, and other features available to you. You can view and manage your subscription from the Billing section.
Boosts are optional add-ons that give you extra capabilities for a period of time, such as:
- Making your profile visible to recruiters even while it is set to private (useful if you are briefly stepping back from active search but do not want to miss opportunities).
Active boosts and what they unlock are shown on your home dashboard.
Tips for getting found
- Complete your profile first. You cannot be publicly searchable until every required field is filled in.
- Upload a clear, recent display picture. This is often the first thing a recruiter sees.
- Keep your Gallery up to date. Fresh, high-quality media makes a strong impression.
- Fill in your skills and languages accurately. Recruiters filter by these fields.
- Set your work preferences. If you are open to travel or to working in multiple languages, say so — it widens the jobs you match.
- Add your experience. Even if you are a fresher, mark it honestly. Recruiters who want freshers will find you.
- Link your social pages. Adding your Instagram, YouTube, or other professional platforms gives recruiters more context.
Common questions
Can I have more than one profile? Yes. A single CTI account can hold one Aspirant profile (Talent or Crew type). You can also add a Recruiter or Service Provider profile if you play more than one role in the industry.
Can I apply while my profile is private? By default, no — your profile must be publicly visible to apply for most jobs. However, a boost called "Apply While Private" lets you apply to jobs even while your profile is set to private. If you have this boost active, you can apply without making your profile publicly visible.
What happens if I miss an application deadline? Once the deadline has passed the Apply button closes. You cannot apply after the deadline.
Can I withdraw an application? Yes. Find the application in My Applied Jobs, open the job listing, and choose to withdraw. Once withdrawn, an application cannot be resubmitted to the same job.
Can I see who has viewed my profile? Profile view counts and viewer details are not shown to Aspirants in the current version.
How do I update my date of birth or gender? These are set when you register and cannot be edited on your profile. Contact CTI support to request a correction.
Related help
- Guide for Parents and Guardians (if you are under 18 or managing a minor)
- Guide for Recruiters (if you also post jobs or run productions)
- Guide for Service Providers (if you also offer services or equipment)