Guide for Service Providers
Who this is for: Studios, equipment rental companies, makeup artists, costume designers, location scouts, caterers, post-production houses, and any business or individual offering services or products to the Indian film and entertainment industry. What you'll learn: How to set up your profile, build your catalogue, appear in the Marketplace, and manage your work on CTI.
Overview
A Service Provider account is for businesses and professionals who supply goods or services to productions rather than performing on screen or behind the camera as crew. You list what you offer in a catalogue, and clients and production teams can discover you through the CTI Marketplace. You also have a Drive for storing and sharing files, a Showcase for highlight videos, and messaging for client communication.
What is a Service Provider account?
Service Providers include:
- Studios — shooting locations and sound stages
- Equipment rental — cameras, lighting, sound, grip, and other production equipment
- Hair, makeup, and styling — artists offering services or product kits
- Costumes and wardrobe — design, rental, or supply
- Post-production — editing, colour grading, VFX, sound mixing studios
- Location services — scouting and management
- Catering and logistics — on-set catering, transport, and production support
- Any other supplier to the film and entertainment industry
As a Service Provider your primary tool is your catalogue — a list of what you offer — and the Marketplace, where clients find you.
Your profile and catalogue
Your profile
Your Service Provider profile is your public identity on CTI. Fill it in so potential clients understand who you are.
What to fill in:
- Display name — your business name or your professional name.
- Profile photo — your company logo or a professional photo.
- About Me — a description of your business, your speciality, and what makes you the right choice for a production.
You can edit any section of your profile by clicking the pencil icon next to it.
Your Showcase
In addition to your profile, you have a Showcase — a curated selection of your best videos. Use it to display your work: a studio walkthrough, a showcase of your equipment, before-and-after styling clips, or a demo reel of your post-production work. Your Showcase is visible to anyone who views your profile.
To add to your Showcase, go to Showcase in the sidebar and upload a video with a title.
Your Catalogue — products and services
Your catalogue is the core of your Service Provider identity. It holds two types of listings:
Products — physical items you rent or sell:
- Camera bodies and lenses
- Lighting rigs
- Costume pieces
- Props
- Any tangible item
Services — activities or skills you provide:
- A shooting studio for hire
- Makeup and styling sessions
- Script editing
- Colour grading
- Location management
Adding a product
- Go to My Catalogue in the sidebar, then select Products.
- Tap Add Product.
- Fill in the product name, description, category, and pricing details.
- Save. The product appears in your catalogue immediately.
Adding a service
- Go to My Catalogue in the sidebar, then select Services.
- Tap Add Service.
- Fill in the service name, description, category, and pricing details.
- Save. The service appears in your catalogue.
Editing or removing listings
Open any product or service from your catalogue list to edit its details or remove it. Changes take effect immediately.
The Marketplace
The Marketplace is the public directory where clients browse and discover Service Providers. Your listings appear there for recruiters, producers, and other CTI members to find.
How you appear in the Marketplace
Your catalogue listings feed directly into the Marketplace. When a client searches or browses the Marketplace they see your profile card and a summary of what you offer. Featured listings may appear in curated sections or recommendation carousels.
To improve your visibility in the Marketplace:
- Keep your catalogue up to date with accurate descriptions and pricing.
- Add a clear display picture and write a detailed About Me.
- Add Showcase videos that demonstrate your work.
Browsing other Service Providers
You can also browse the Marketplace yourself. Use Search Service Providers in the sidebar to find other suppliers — useful when you are building a production network.
Projects and events
Service Providers can be associated with projects and events run by Recruiters. A Recruiter managing a production can add you as an associated partner, giving you access to relevant project communication and files.
If you are invited to participate in a project or event, you will find it under Associated With in the sidebar. From there you can see the project details and access any files or messages that have been shared with you.
Messaging
CTI has a built-in messaging system. Access it from Email in the sidebar. Clients and recruiters can message you about your catalogue listings, and you can reply and manage conversations there.
My Drive
My Drive is your private file storage on CTI. Use it to store reference images, portfolios, rate cards, equipment lists, or any documents you want to share selectively with clients.
What you can do in Drive:
- Upload files and organise them in folders.
- Share individual files or folders with specific people (for example, sending a rate card to a recruiter).
- See files that others have shared with you under Shared to Me.
- Move deleted files to Trash, then permanently delete them when you are ready.
Files in Drive are private by default. Only the files you explicitly share are visible to others.
Subscriptions
Your CTI subscription plan determines how many catalogue items you can list, how much Drive storage you have, and what features are available. View and manage your subscription from the Billing section.
Common questions
Do I need to post jobs to use CTI as a Service Provider? No. Service Providers do not post jobs. Your catalogue and profile in the Marketplace are your primary tools. If you are also involved in productions as a crew member, you may want to create a separate Aspirant profile.
Can clients book or pay me through CTI? In the current version, CTI connects you with clients but does not process bookings or payments between Service Providers and clients directly. Clients see your listings, contact you through messaging, and you handle the transaction outside the platform.
Can I have both a Service Provider profile and a Recruiter profile? Yes. A single CTI account can hold multiple profile types. You can switch between them from your profile selector.
How do clients find me? Clients find you through the Marketplace. Make sure your catalogue is complete and your profile is filled in so you appear prominently when clients search.
What is the difference between a product and a service? Products are physical items (equipment, costumes, props). Services are activities you perform or locations you provide. List them in the correct category so clients can filter accurately.
Can I hide a listing without deleting it? In the current version, catalogue listings are either active (visible) or deleted. To temporarily stop showing a listing, remove it and re-add it when you are ready.
Related help
- Guide for Aspirants (if you also perform or work as crew)
- Guide for Recruiters (if you also produce or cast)