Importing Cast Lists

The Cast List Import tool brings in cast contact information from external files. It **merges** with your existing cast list: matching names are updated with new info, new names are added, and nothing is deleted. Safe to use at any point in your production.

You can import from:

• CSV (.csv) - comma-separated values exported from any spreadsheet app
• Excel (.xlsx, .xls) - Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets exports
• PDF (.pdf) - cast lists exported from scheduling software

The importer recognizes the following fields from your file. Only **Actor Name** is required. All others are optional. | Field | Description | Example | |---|---|---| | Actor Name * | The performer's full name (required) | Jane Smith | | Character Name | The role they play | Detective Morgan | | Phone | Mobile/cell number | (310) 555-0142 | | Email | Email address | jane@agency.com | | SAG Number | SAG-AFTRA union ID | 1234567 | | Age Group | Minor status for labor compliance | Adult, Minor | | Food Restrictions | Dietary needs for catering | Vegetarian, Nut allergy | | Notes | Any additional info | Available M-F only | | Day Rate | Daily rate for the performer | 1500 | | Rep Name | Agent or manager name | John Doe | | Rep Email | Agent/manager email | john@talent.com | | Rep Phone | Agent/manager phone | (310) 555-0199 | | Transportation | Pickup/travel arrangements | Studio pickup 6am | | Category | Cast category grouping | Series Regular, Guest Star |

The import follows a simple 3-step process:

• **Upload** - Select your CSV, Excel, or PDF file
• **Map Columns** - G-Casper Pro auto-detects your column headers and maps them to cast fields. You can adjust any mapping manually.
• **Match & Review** - Imported names are matched against your existing cast list. For each person, you decide whether to update the existing entry, create a new one, or skip.

The importer compares actor names and character names to find matches. It uses fuzzy matching to handle slight variations in spelling. Each match shows a confidence level (Exact, Strong, or Likely) so you can verify before importing.

Importing is always **additive and non-destructive**:

• **Update** - If a name matches an existing cast member, their info is updated with the imported data. Only non-empty fields from the file overwrite existing values.
• **Create** - If no match is found, a new cast member is added to your list.
• **Skip** - You can skip any row you don't want to import.

Example of how your import file might look: | Actor Name | Character | Phone | Email | SAG # | Category | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Jane Smith | Det. Morgan | (310) 555-0142 | jane@agency.com | 1234567 | Series Regular | | Mike Johnson | Officer Park | (323) 555-0188 | mike@talent.com | 2345678 | Guest Star | | Sarah Lee | Dr. Chen | (818) 555-0201 | sarah@actors.net | | Co-Star | Column names don't need to match exactly. The importer recognizes common variations like "Performer", "Talent", "Name", "Actor", etc.