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Frequently asked questions / FAQs

Sections

  1. About Crew United
  2. Registration
  3. Login
  4. Adverts
  5. Update profile / Add project
  6. Invoice
  7. Crew Call
  8. Cinearte
  9. Split of Schauspielervideos and Crew United
  10. Any questions?

1. About Crew United

Mission

We connect people to make great films together!

To this end, we unite all filmmakers in front of and behind the camera, production and distribution companies, service providers and talent agencies via their joint films. At the same time, we are committed to a strong film culture and film industry that is shaped by fairness, sustainability, transparency, diversity, courage and tolerance.

Who are we?

In 1996, Vincent Lutz and Oliver Zenglein, two filmmakers from Munich, founded Crew United with the vision to unite all film professionals in one place. This was 2 years before Google, 8 years before Facebook and 11 years before Netflix.

Today, Crew United is the largest European online network for all people and companies involved in the audiovisual industry and their works. With comprehensive, up-to-date and transparent information and innovative tools Crew United enables the networking of all industry players.

Crew United is based on a moderated, participatory model: All new entries made by our members are checked by the editorial team. Errors can be reported by email, phone or directly via the system and we will correct them immediately.

Where are we going?

Our goal is to make an essential contribution to the development of the European audiovisual industry. That is why, after more than 20 years of presence in German-speaking countries, we are extending our work to other European countries: With the French (2019) and Polish (2021) version of the website and the local adaptations for Spain, Italy, Greece, Lithuania and Romania (launch during 2023), the team of editors welcomes new members and partners to join the platform and develop the film industry together.
The approach is to develop national networks that take into account each country's identity, language, film culture and structures, and to join them to a common European network that will decisively promote the collaboration between the countries, and the European film identity within and outside Europe.

This process is supported by Creative Europe Media.

How does Crew United work?

Crew United can be briefly described as a cross of a film database combined with a professional directory. A Crew United profile allows you to reference your own filmography in a very precise and verified manner, to find out who has worked on which film and with whom, and to search with detailed criteria among the filmmakers’ profiles.
All professions and activities in the sector are represented, meaning that all types of audiovisual work are covered.

There are active and passive profiles on Crew United. You can tell if they have a small circle next to their name:
Basic Member (free of charge), Premium Member, Premium video+ and Agency complete.
These are different account types, you can find more information in the „Benefits” section.
The so-called "passive" entries do not have their own profile, but are merely a database entry. If you have a passive entry on Crew United, you can convert it into an active profile by identifying yourself with this entry during registration.
If you are not yet in the database, and you are a professional filmmaker or run a business, you can also create a new, active profile.
You can find information about our admission criteria in the next section.

Who can register?

- All departments working behind the camera - we currently have over 450 different professions listed
- Actors and actresses
- Production companies and film distributors
- Talent agencies
- Facilities in hundreds of different business areas from catering to lighting rental
- Film Commissions and other industry-specific institutions

Our most important premise is that only professional filmmakers with sufficient practical experience can register. We check every registration for various criteria such as professional references (projects with a commercial orientation like feature films, TV movies, series, etc.), training and others. Moreover, we are currently working on a solution to provide access for upcoming professionals as well.
If you are unsure whether your work experience is sufficient for a profile on Crew United, feel free to send us your CV and filmography to [email protected]. We will be happy to answer your questions.

2. Registration

I haven't received a text message with a verification code!

Please check that the displayed mobile-phone number is the right one, and contact us by e-mail or telephone.

I can't complete my registration because I can't add reference projects

At the moment, only Premium Members can add new projects to the database.

BUT: You can ALWAYS add yourself to projects that are already there that you were involved in. Here's how:
Type the name of the project into the search bar at the top of the screen (just below our logo). When the project is found, click on it. You can add yourself and your position to the project by clicking on the "Add entry" button further down on the right. If you don't find the project in the database, e-mail us your CV and filmography, and we will use them to check your registration.

Why should I add myself to more reference projects? I've already entered projects

We check every registration very carefully, and if the information provided does not suffice to activate it, we ask you for further (commercial) reference projects. We may also consider the registration not to be sufficient even if you have entered one or more reference projects. Also, projects that are in the planning phase are not considered as references adequate for an activation.

Here is how you add yourself to existing projects: Type the name of the project into the search bar (below our logo at the top of the screen). When the project appears, click on it and then on the "Add entry" button at bottom right to add yourself to it with the position you had.

If you like, you can also e-mail us a vita with your filmography. We will then review your registration on that basis.

What are the advantages of a paid membership?

You will find a list of all membership types and their prices and benefits here.

What does a Premium Membership cost?

You can choose between the free Basic Membership, the Premium Membership and the Premium video+ Membership. You will find a list of all membership types and their prices and benefits here.

3. Login

I've forgotten my login details / password

If you have forgotten your user name, click on "Login" and then "Forgot your user name?".
Enter your e-mail address into the applicable box and we will immediately e-mail you information about your user name.

If you don't know which e-mail address you used for your registration, or if you can't access the registered e-mail account anymore, just call us.

If you have forgotten your password, click on "Login" and then "Forgot your password?" to request a (new) one.

I can find my name in the database, but my access details don't work / I haven't logged in for over 13 months and now my access details no longer work

We deactivate members who have not logged into their profile for more than 400 days (despite being reminded by e-mail). It is also possible that only colleagues have entered you into a project during that time. In both cases, your profile is considered inactive. To (re)activate your inactive profile, you have to re-register. When doing so, upon logging in, an existing entry is displayed under your name/company name. Click on: "I am: ..." in the circle. This reactivates your profile.

We will send an activation code text to your mobile device. Log in with your user name and password, and enter that activation code. Then you can complete your profile.

4. Adverts

I want to advertise a job

You generally don't need to register with our portal to use our jobs forum. Instead, you can just go to "Jobs" on the Crew United homepage and place your job advertisement for free.
Please note that you can only submit Normal and Low Budget job offers during our business hours: Mo-Fr from 9 to 5.

If you are an active member, log into your account and click on "Jobs".

Crew United reserves the right to delete job offers that are already published on the site. This is in particular the case if a published job offer does not meet the stated requirements. New offers are deleted after 20 days if not updated beforehand.

I can't find my job advert. Why?

Every newly entered Normal Budget job offer is only visible to Premium Members for the first 24 hours. After that it becomes visible for all visitors to the job forum.

5. Editing your profile / adding projects

I can't enter new projects

You may have overlooked the fact that only Premium Members can enter new projects.
BUT: you can ALWAYS add yourself to existing projects that you have been involved in. Here's how:

Type the name of the project into the search bar (below our logo at the top of the screen). When the project appears, click on it and then on the "Add entry" button at bottom right to add yourself to it with the position you had.

How can I change or hide my contact details?

You can update your contact details by clicking on the pen below your name in "Links, Agency, Contact".
There you can make changes, additions and determine with "Visibility" which of your contact details are displayed to Members only, to all visitors, or to nobody. Don't forget to click "Save" when you are finished making your changes.

I don't want my profile to be visible in Google

In your contact details you can choose whether your profile is indexed in search engines or not. The default setting here is: "Allow my profile to be found in search engines".
If you don't want that, you have to remove the check mark by clicking on it, and then click on "Save".

Please note, however, that the search engines generally need about 2-4 days to execute this change.

How can I enter or change my agency?

You can choose or alter your agency by clicking on the pen below your name in "Links, Agency, Contact".

Under "Agency" you can select or change your agency in the drop-down list.

But don't forget to click on "Save" when you are done!

How can I add or delete a profession?

To add a new profession, you have to have first entered enough commercial reference projects within that profession. Also, these projects have to be set to "Display" and be at least in the production stage (projects in the planning or preparation phase do not apply for an activation). Only then is the new profession available for you to choose.

Click on the pen ("Edit") next to the profession(s) and add your desired profession.

Please note: We check newly added professions using the same standards as for a new registration in that profession. Furthermore, you can only add professions that you still work in! When you delete a profession, all projects in that profession are moved to "Projects with other professions".

How can I add a film project to my profile?

Premium Members can add new projects at any time by clicking on the "Add entry" button (to the right of "Projects as ...") in "My profile".

Basic Members generally can't enter new projects, but they can add themselves to existing ones.

Here's how: Type the name of the project into the search bar (below our logo at the top of the screen). When the project appears, click on it and then on the "Add entry" button at bottom right to add yourself to it with the position you had.

Who entered my project?

Crew United receives most of its entries by means of colleague networks. Any (active) members involved in a given film project can enter your name. Every project entered is also checked by our editorial team and added to where necessary. This is what enables us to provide information that is so much more comprehensive, up to date and reliable than other media. We also integrate data from press releases, funding institutions, broadcasters and selected media.

For data protection reasons we don't disclose which member created a project entry. If there is an error or if changes have been made to the project, use the "!" button (report an error) in the vertical bar on the right of every project.

There are mistakes in my project / profile. How can I correct them?

Only Crew United can make changes and deletions. The "!" button (report an error) is the fastest and easiest way to tell us about errors or corrections in a project or your profile. It can be found in the vertical bar on the right of every project.

How can I remove or change images or documents from projects?

You can't delete or change images or documents in projects yourself. Please send us your change request by e-mail.

I have two different profiles. How can I combine them?

As actors, freelancers and companies have entirely different types of profile, with varying requirements and options, they cannot be merged. You can only activate the different profiles individually at Crew United at the moment. But we are working on this right now, so that in future it will be possible to manage more than one profile through just ONE login.

How can I change my name or my company name?

You cannot change your name or that of your company yourself. Please send us your change request by e-mail.

6. Invoice

How can I receive my (latest) invoice?

Log into your profile.
In the black section at the top of the screen you will find "Account" and "Latest invoice".

You can't find older invoices in the database. To receive them please send an e-mail request to: [email protected].

How can I upgrade from the Premium to Premium video+ status?

If the button "Upgrade now" isn't visible above your profile picture, please go to your account settings (top right in the black area). There you'll find the button "Upgrade now" next to the first item "Your member status".

The total amount of the Premium video+ fee will be due.

The remaining credit from your Premium status will be credited to your Premium video+ status as a term (plus x days). However, an upgrade from the Premium status is possible by compensating the difference amount, when the initial upgrade took place within the previous four weeks. Please contact us in this case.

Why have I received an invoice? I cancelled my membership / I didn't want to extend it

You can cancel your Premium status before its automatic extension. If you don't meet that deadline, you will receive a new invoice on the day of the extension.

You can check this as follows:
Log into your profile.
In the black section at the top of the screen you will find "Account" and "Your membership status".

How can I withdraw my cancellation?

Just send an e-mail request to: [email protected]. We will be happy to delete your cancellation.

7. Crew Call

I haven't received an invitation to the Crew Call

We generally send all invitations to the Crew Calls to all active members about four weeks in advance. If you haven't received that e-mail, please check that the "News and information about Crew United" setting is activated in your account, that your e-mail address entered there is the right one and that the e-mail hasn't ended up in your spam filter.
You don't need an invitation to register for a Crew Call, however.

You create the ticket for the Crew Call yourself in your profile. To do so, log into your profile and click on "Crew Call" at top right.
Here you can register yourself and a guest as long as there are places free. And don't forget: you have to present your tickets at the entrance to the event. You don't have to print it out. The PDF on your phone is adequate.

How can I get a ticket for the Crew Call?

You create the ticket for the Crew Call yourself in your profile. To do so, log into your profile and click on "Crew Call" at top right.
Here you can register yourself and a guest as long as there are places free. And don't forget: you have to present your tickets at the entrance to the event. You don't have to print them out – the PDF on your phone is adequate.

I want to change the name of the person accompanying me

Only we can change the names on the tickets. So please send a brief mail to [email protected] with your desired changes.

Is it enough to have my ticket on my smart phone, or do I have to print it out?

In the interests of the environment, we are only too happy for you not to print out the ticket and just show us the ticket (QR-code) on your phone.

8. Cinearte / Crew United Newsletter, Info Mails

Subscribe to Cinearte / Crew United Newsletter

Please subscribe at https://www.crew-united.com/newsletter/.

Unsubscribe from Cinearte / Crew United Newsletter

In the footer of each issue you will find a link to unsubscribe from the newsletter.

Unsubscribe from Info Mails

To stop receiving notifications about things that happen at Crew United (Cinearte, invitations to the Crew Call, updates, surveys, etc.), log into your profile and disable 'News and information about Crew United' within your account-settings.

9. Split of Schauspielervideos and Crew United

Why can't I currently access the Media Manager? What happens to the showreels and clips that I have in my Media Manager?

For all actors who have booked the Premium video+ status before 01.08.2023 (paid, i.e. not via the graduate offer or a free trial period) or whose subscription has been renewed for one year before 01.08.2023, the Media Manager of our video service provider Schauspielervideos will remain until the end of the current term. For all others, the current Media Manager by Schauspielervideos will be shut down. Please note: All clips, showreels and links with your Filmography and your skills will remain. The new Crew United Media Manager has been online since mid-January, allowing you to manage your showreels, videos and audios and, of course, link them to the film database.

What advantages do I have with the Premium account?

You get MAXIMUM VISIBILITY on Europe's largest network in the film industry, actively represented in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain, Poland, Lithuania, Greece and Romania. More countries will follow.

With a Premium status you increase your VISIBILITY. No other actor’s database is even close to the reach and traffic of Crew United. Moreover, your profile will be shown preferentially in the filter search under "Actors". In contrast to pure actor’s databases, you will not only be seen via your own profile, but also in the films you are listed in the database. This gives you double visibility - in many different languages - which is unique in this field. The creation of new film entries is only possible with the Premium status.

With the Premium access you enlarge your NETWORKING possibilities, because on Crew United you will not only find casting directors, but also producers, directors, editors, production companies and many other important players.

A Premium account allows you to present yourself in a rich and multifaceted way with a FULL PROFILE. You get the choice to upload a variety of photos, videos, audios and documents. This way you can design your profile in an optimal way and emphasize your versatility and talents.

The "KNOWN FOR" section offers you the opportunity to draw attention to your most important films with posters.

Under "NEWS" you can keep visitors of your profile up to date with news such as broadcast dates or theater performances.

For best AVAILABILITY, the Premium profile allows you to make your agency and other contact options visible to everyone.

Stay ALWAYS UP-TO-DATE with a Premium account by getting to know planned, prepared or already completed projects. It's easy to find out who others are working with or have worked with and what connections you have with them.

In addition, you can find out about budgets for films to be optimally prepared for fee negotiations and much more.

You'll get UNLIMITED ACCESS to contact information for all active members, details on current projects, an API to integrate your data on an external website, and instant access to new job ads.

You can present and manage YOUR VIDEOS AND AUDIOS everywhere.

Starting january 2024 the Premium video+ account will give you access to the brand new Crew United Media Manager. You will then be able to create impressive showreels with just a few clicks - even on your smartphone! It will be possible to manage public and internal showreels as well as self tapes and complement your video presentation with the "ABOUT ME" section.

We encourage you to take advantage of all Crew United has to offer to present yourself to the film industry, network, and gain valuable industry information.

What impact does the separation of actor videos have on my profile on Crew United?

Everything about your presence on Crew United will remain unchanged. Your profile with all photos and videos (Premium video+) will be available as before. All actors who became Premium or Premium video+ before 01.08.2023 or renewed their subscription for one year before 01.08.2023 will still be connected to Schauspielervideos as before until the end of the term. All other profiles will no longer be synchronized with Schauspielervideos.

Also, feel free to listen to Anne Alexander Sieder's podcast 'Act Bold', in which Oliver Zenglein answers interesting questions.

What benefits will I have after the changeover?

At Benefits you will find an overview of the benefits that will be valid from 01.08.2023 or after your current contract has expired.

Information about the contract duration can be found under the question: Where can I see until when my Premium / Premium video+ status runs?

Where can I see until when my Premium / Premium video+ status runs?

To view your status and the duration of your subscription, please follow these steps:

In the desktop version, log in to your profile and click "Account" in the top right corner. If you are using the smartphone version, click on the three dots in the top right corner and select "Account".

Under “Account” you will then see details about your current status, including the duration of your subscription and whether or not it has already been cancelled.

Is it possible to take back my cancellation?

Of course, we will be happy to withdraw your cancellation. Please send a short mail to [email protected] or call us at +49 89 20244030.

10. Any questions?

If you have any further questions, write us an e-mail: [email protected]
or call us: +49 89 20244030 (working days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. CET).