The casting meeting where no one showed up...
A few days ago, I had appointments with 4 candidates for a TV host job. Not one showed up. I think if even one person had kept their committment, I wouldn’t be writing this.
When I called each of the actors to confirm our meeting an hour ahead, two of them had completely forgotten about the appointment we had made only 5 days before. One tried to blame me for her forgetting; explaining that it was my fault because I didn’t call her earlier.
It was unprofessional not to show up for a meeting or call ahead to cancel.
Here’s what I think happened. Actors send blanket submissions to listings; especially on Craigslist, which is where I posted the notice. When the actors got a call from me to discuss the job, it was probably the first time they realized a fact that I stated clearly in the ad: “Low pay. Only a stipend, but a chance to grow with a show”
Each of them heard those words and immediately decided they didn’t want the job. Never mind that it's a great opportunity.
But they didn’t tell ME.
That’s a problem. Actors (especially actors) need to have the courage to state their truth. If they’re not interested in the job, they should say so! Then they don’t waste other people's time.
Put another way: “if you treat people around you seriously, then you will be taken seriously”
When I called each of the actors to confirm our meeting an hour ahead, two of them had completely forgotten about the appointment we had made only 5 days before. One tried to blame me for her forgetting; explaining that it was my fault because I didn’t call her earlier.
It was unprofessional not to show up for a meeting or call ahead to cancel.
Here’s what I think happened. Actors send blanket submissions to listings; especially on Craigslist, which is where I posted the notice. When the actors got a call from me to discuss the job, it was probably the first time they realized a fact that I stated clearly in the ad: “Low pay. Only a stipend, but a chance to grow with a show”
Each of them heard those words and immediately decided they didn’t want the job. Never mind that it's a great opportunity.
But they didn’t tell ME.
That’s a problem. Actors (especially actors) need to have the courage to state their truth. If they’re not interested in the job, they should say so! Then they don’t waste other people's time.
Put another way: “if you treat people around you seriously, then you will be taken seriously”
posted by Mark at 2:05 PM
1 Comments:
That blows. What time were your auditions? I've found that here in NYC, whenever I've held auditions for "low pay" roles, the chances for no shows are always much higher before 11AM.
But I agree, actors tend to blanket submit to mandy/craigslist/backstage ads, and only pay attention once you contact them for an appointment. "Uh, wait, so is this union?"
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