Mutual R-E-S-P-E-C-T

We had an actor call our office today about an audition they heard about and had not gotten an appointment for.  This actor asked us why she hadn't been submitted for this project, why the agent hadn't had a conversation about her.  I always find this approach so counter productive.  Here's a big news flash for actors, we don't make any money by NOT submitting you.  Maybe I should have given this actor the casting directors phone number and said,"Why don't you call them and ask why they didn't see you."  Would the actor have had the same aggressive behavior with casting?  Would they assume the casting director wasn't doing their job?

Perhaps we can all agree that we are professionals and we are all doing our part of the job.  We generate the auditions and the actors go into the room and audition. Castings role is to take the director or producer's vision and bring in the best actors for the roles.  I get being frustrated.  I get frustrated as well when we send in a hundred actors a week into pilot auditions and we come out with two tests.  What i don't do is call the actors who went into the room and didn't test and say, "Hey, why didn't you act better.  Why didn't you make better choices in that room?"

I represent great actors and I respect their talent.  I know that they are going into the room and doing what the do, sharing their art.  If the people on the other side of the table fail to see their magic, so be it.  Try to trust that your agents are fighting for you at every opportunity.  Much of the time we hear no, and we still keep fighting. Some of my agents will go at a casting director 3 and 4 times to get an actor in the door.

Coming at us like we aren't doing our job is an insult and is damaging to the relationship.  Find a more constructive way of having the conversation if you want to get in on something.  The mutual respect will go a long way toward building a stronger relationship.  We are on this journey together.

Back into the fight.

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