Welcome to the Scoutcast Community!
Scoutcast connects entertainment professionals across South Africa—from film crews and actors to musicians, models, and photographers. Our platform thrives when every member contributes to a respectful, professional, and collaborative environment.
These guidelines exist to protect our community and ensure Scoutcast remains a trusted space for career growth and creative collaboration. By using Scoutcast, you agree to follow these guidelines. Violations may result in content removal, account restrictions, or permanent bans.
💫 1. Our Core Values
Every interaction on Scoutcast should reflect these principles:
🤝 Professionalism
- Treat every member as a potential collaborator or employer
- Maintain respectful communication at all times
- Honor your commitments and be reliable
✨ Authenticity
- Represent yourself and your work honestly
- Use real photos and accurate credentials
- Give proper credit for collaborative work
🎯 Quality
- Share content that adds value to the community
- Maintain high standards in your portfolio
- Contribute constructively to discussions
🛡️ Safety
- Protect your personal information
- Report suspicious or harmful behavior
- Support fellow community members
👤 2. Profile Standards
Your profile is your professional identity on Scoutcast. Maintain these standards:
Required Profile Elements
- Real name or professional stage name (no impersonation of others)
- Authentic profile photo showing your face clearly
- Accurate role/profession that reflects your actual work
- Honest experience level and credentials
Profile Photo Guidelines
- Use a recent, clear headshot or professional photo
- No explicit, offensive, or copyrighted images
- No logos or brand images (unless you're a verified production company)
- Group photos are not permitted as primary profile images
⚠️ Not Allowed
- Impersonating another person or company
- Using fake credentials or qualifications
- Creating multiple accounts for the same person
- Using misleading professional titles or affiliations
📸 3. Content Guidelines
All content shared on Scoutcast—including portfolio items, posts, messages, and comments—must meet these standards:
Acceptable Content
- Professional portfolio work (photos, videos, audio, documents)
- Behind-the-scenes content from productions
- Industry news, tips, and educational content
- Genuine collaboration opportunities and gig postings
- Professional achievements and milestones
- Constructive feedback and discussions
🚫 Strictly Prohibited Content
- Explicit or sexual content including nudity, pornography, or suggestive material
- Violence or gore including graphic injuries or harm
- Hate speech targeting race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability
- Harassment or bullying including personal attacks and threats
- Illegal activities including drug use, weapons, or criminal behavior
- Spam or misleading content including fake opportunities
- Copyright infringement using others' work without permission
- Personal information of others shared without consent
- Scams or fraudulent schemes including pyramid schemes
- Political campaigning or propaganda
Note on Artistic Content: Scoutcast recognizes that entertainment work may include mature themes. Content that would be rated PG-13 in film classification is generally acceptable in portfolios when clearly labeled and presented in a professional context. However, explicit content is never permitted.
💬 4. Communication Standards
Professional communication builds professional relationships. Follow these guidelines:
Messaging Etiquette
- Introduce yourself professionally when reaching out
- Be clear and specific about collaboration opportunities
- Respect response times—not everyone can reply immediately
- Accept "no" gracefully and move on
- Keep conversations relevant to professional matters
Prohibited Communication
- Unsolicited romantic or sexual advances
- Repeated contact after being ignored or blocked
- Demanding personal contact information
- Sharing private conversations publicly
- Using aggressive, threatening, or abusive language
- Spamming users with promotional content
✅ Example of Good Outreach
- "Hi [Name], I'm a cinematographer based in Cape Town. I saw your portfolio and loved your lighting work on [Project]. I'm looking for a gaffer for an upcoming commercial shoot in February. Would you be interested in discussing the opportunity?"
💼 5. Gig & Collaboration Guidelines
Gigs and collaboration opportunities are central to Scoutcast. Ensure all postings are legitimate and fair:
Gig Posting Requirements
- Clear description of the role and responsibilities
- Compensation disclosure (paid, TFP, expenses covered, etc.)
- Accurate dates and location
- Legitimate production or project
- Professional working conditions
Payment Transparency
All gig postings must clearly indicate the compensation structure:
- Paid: Specify the rate or range (daily rate, project fee, etc.)
- TFP (Time for Portfolio): Clearly state no payment is offered
- Deferred: Explain the payment conditions
- Expenses: List what is covered (travel, meals, accommodation)
⚠️ Prohibited Gig Practices
- Posting fake opportunities to collect personal information
- Requiring upfront payments or fees from applicants
- Discriminatory requirements unrelated to the role
- Misleading about compensation or working conditions
- "Casting couch" or any form of exploitation
- Pyramid schemes, MLM, or investment "opportunities"
👥 6. Crew & Collaboration Conduct
When working with other Scoutcast members, maintain professional standards:
Before the Project
- Discuss and agree on compensation, rights, and expectations in writing
- Be transparent about your experience level
- Confirm availability before committing
- Ask questions if anything is unclear
During the Project
- Arrive on time and prepared
- Communicate proactively about any issues
- Maintain professional behavior on set
- Respect confidentiality of productions
After the Project
- Fulfill all agreed deliverables
- Pay crew members promptly as agreed
- Get permission before sharing content
- Provide fair and honest ratings/reviews
🛡️ 7. Safety & Protection
Your safety is paramount. Follow these guidelines to protect yourself:
Meeting in Person
- Verify the person/company before meeting
- Meet in public, professional locations first
- Inform someone you trust about your meetings
- Trust your instincts—if something feels wrong, leave
Protecting Your Information
- Don't share your home address publicly
- Be cautious with financial information
- Use Scoutcast messaging for initial communications
- Don't send money to people you haven't verified
On-Set Safety
- You have the right to a safe working environment
- Never feel pressured to perform unsafe actions
- Report any harassment or unsafe conditions immediately
- Know your rights as a crew member or performer
If you're ever in immediate danger, contact emergency services immediately:
South African Police Service (SAPS): 10111
Gender-Based Violence Helpline: 0800 428 428
©️ 8. Intellectual Property
Respect creative rights and protect your own work:
Your Content
- You retain ownership of content you create and share
- By posting, you grant Scoutcast license to display your content on the platform
- Clearly watermark or protect content you don't want copied
Others' Content
- Always credit collaborators and creators
- Don't post work that isn't yours without clear permission
- Don't claim others' work as your own
- Respect NDAs and production confidentiality agreements
Reporting Copyright Issues
If you believe your copyrighted work has been used without permission, contact us at legal@scoutcast.app with:
- Description of the copyrighted work
- Link to the infringing content on Scoutcast
- Proof of your ownership
- Your contact information
🚨 10. Reporting & Enforcement
Help us maintain community standards by reporting violations:
How to Report
- In-App: Use the report button on any profile, post, or message
- Email: Contact safety@scoutcast.app for serious concerns
- Emergency: Contact local authorities for immediate dangers
What Happens When You Report
- Our team reviews all reports within 24-48 hours
- We investigate and gather necessary information
- Appropriate action is taken based on our guidelines
- You may be contacted for additional information
- Reporters' identities are kept confidential
Enforcement Actions
| Violation Severity |
Possible Actions |
| Minor (first offense, minor guideline breach) |
Warning, content removal, temporary restrictions |
| Moderate (repeat offenses, harassment) |
Extended restrictions, feature limitations, final warning |
| Severe (illegal activity, serious harm) |
Permanent ban, legal authorities notified if applicable |
⚖️ 11. Appeals Process
If you believe enforcement action was taken in error:
- Email appeals@scoutcast.app within 14 days of the action
- Include your username and explain why you believe the decision was incorrect
- Provide any supporting evidence
- Our team will review your appeal within 7 business days
- You will receive a final decision via email
Note: Appeals for violations involving illegal activity, explicit content, or severe harassment are not eligible for review. Some decisions are final.
📝 12. Updates to Guidelines
These Community Guidelines may be updated periodically to address new situations or improve clarity. When we make significant changes:
- We will notify users via in-app notification or email
- The "Last Updated" date will be revised
- Continued use of Scoutcast after updates constitutes acceptance
- Previous versions will be available upon request