...... Currently, film, commercial and theater producers generally send out detailed descriptions - called "breakdowns" - of the roles they need to fill. These breakdowns are distributed to casting and talent agencies, setting off tidal waves of resumés and photos messengered and overnighted between offices.

Cast-A-Head (www.castahead.com), Castnet (www.castnet.com) and The Link (www.submitlink.com), a site established by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, use Internet technology to avoid the rush of mail. They are financed by the actors, who typically pay about $100 a year to have their head shots and resumés included in the databases. Casting directors and agents get free password-protected access to the files. They can search by name, union affiliation, height, weight, age range, race and skills. Pictures, even audio and video clips, can be sent electronically to whomever is hiring.

"For those who use it, it`s working. It`s helping actors get auditions and saving agents time and money," said Richard Horgan, Chief Information Officer at Castnet, based in Los Angeles.

"It means a little less of the business end of show business," said actor Dewey Oriente of Philadelphia. "I think it puts you out there in a broader market. If (casting directors) like your credits and your face, they`re going to call you."

Behr and Horgan believe the ranks of users will increase with the next generation of computer-savvy actors and administrators.

"You`re looking at a paradigm shift," said Horgan. "It is in the very early days at the moment. It`s a long process to get people to accept a change in the way they work."

...... Progress may be slow in the New York theater, where the community is small and insular, but in Los Angeles`s bustling film and commercial industries, the services have already attracted attention.

Commercial talent agencies and casting offices represent half of Castnet`s clients, Horgan says, while the other significant segment is episodic TV.

Jeff Greenberg, the casting director for several television sitcoms, including "Frasier," is sold on the technology, especially for last-minute cast additions and roles with quirky requirements.

"It`s usually something very specific - we need someone who can juggle and speak Italian, or someone who can do an Elvis impression and ride a unicycle," said Greenberg. "But a handsome guy in his 30s? I can reel off hundreds of people."

Horgan says casting directors are also starting to use the Internet to find out-of-town actors to hire for on-location work.