Quick Actor Rant

Chris Messineo

Chris Messineo

Veteran
This week-end we're holding auditions.

We received headshots and resumes from over 1,000 actors/actresses and scheduled 50 private auditions.

Now, the day before the auditions, I have had 7 cancellations and each of these morons is offering some lame excuse and telling me they hope we can work together in the future.

First, canceling the day before is not only rude, but leaves me no time to offer the audition slot to someone else.

Second, canceling the day before, tells me all I need to know about them. They are irresponsible and I have no interest in ever working with them again.
 
Could be worse - the could've canceled the day of.

Is there an industry standard for when it is acceptable to cancel? I know hotels and other reservation-type industries do something like 24-48 hours before you get penalized. Is it the same for ours?
 
Canceling the day of, is essentially the same thing.

There is no time to do anything about it.

I love actors and have a great respect for them, but honestly, I think a great number of them are really lazy and unwilling to put in the work required to have a successful career.
 
You know, just because someone had to cancel at the last minute, that doesn't necessarily make them a moron. I've had to cancel shoots on the day before, due to circumstances beyond my control. I'm certainly glad the actors and crew didn't consider me a moron and not worth bothering with in the future.

Why not give these people the benefit of the doubt, consider that things happen sometimes, and value even more the approximately 90% of your actors who didn't cancel their auditions?
 
I get from this post that you've never really held an audition before. I've done many of them. As a matter of fact, we overbook slots because at least 30% of people never show. No call, no notice.

If you're using a web app like breakdown services, it allows you to set your appointments online. I set one person per minute. No, I don' audition one person per minute, but because of the no shows you need to do it this way.

Just the nature of the biz - don't take it personal. You're probably not paying very much or at all and actors will go where the money is first. You'd do the same.
 
We have held many open auditions where scheduling appointments was not an issue.

This is our second closed audition. Last time we experienced roughly a 30% cancellation/no show (just like you said). This time I double confirmed to try and avoid that happening again, but I guess I was just being naive.

And, no, I wouldn't do the same.
 
the first round of auditions have just come to a close on Heart of Now. on this project and previous ones, i've found that booking actors five minutes apart for the first round of auditions works out perfectly. it's been pretty routine in my experience that 20% of those that confirm, just don't show up. and a few others will call to say they're having car trouble. and that still might sound like a tight schedule but I find that five minutes is more than enough time to weed out who you will want to see for a callback -- and that's where I dedicate a full half hour really working with them.
 
Whenever I've cast with non-union actors, there are always 20-30% last minute cancellations for auditions. It's frustrating. But I realize they're not pros. And unless you're paying pro wages (about $1000 per day for a union actor) then I guess we get what we pay for. At least you weed out the most uncommited before you start shooting!
 
Go on two dozen internet cattle calls for no budget projects as "an aspiring actor" yourself, just to see the picture from the other side. Not one or four but two dozen.

Document each one and then come back to this thread and let's discuss the results of all two dozen.
 
this is one reason, Chris, on no-budget shorts, I tend to stick with the same pool of actors. I meet new actors all the time and bring them in to read, but almost never hold auditions anymore. I've learned it's just too hard to deal with the unknown on projects at the low level I am working now.
 
Mark, I totally understand. We have about 4 actors we love and work with constantly. We are just holding these auditions to hopefully find a few more we can add to our "stable".
 
You really don't have a whole of choice, If the are willing to let there first experience
with you be canceling, then Im sure someone else wants it more.

its a businness where whoever works the hardest and goes the extra mile sticks out
of the crowd.
 
Ha, ha, ha. Welcome to reality :)

Flakiness is rampant in the industry, and more prevalent the lower you go, and when little or no pay is involved.

Here's another way to look at it - the flakes are doing you a favor by not showing up to audition. More than once I've seen a situation where a flaky actor was hired for a low budget production, and they'd flake out during shooting! Once a guy who had an important role simply disappeared for two days - didn't show up - and you are totally screwed... you can't replace him without reshooting the movie. So you have to beg and cajole to get him back (his excuse was that his mom died - which was a lie). On another production the guy had a fight with his lover and didn't show up for the day.

So really, if you get to weed out the flakes before shooting a frame of film with them - you just got handed a HUGE favor.
 
taormina said:
Oh yeah, My auditions are all for SAG actors with pay. So what does that tell you?
Click to expand...

It tells me they had a better opportunity and went for it. But who knows? I'm just a big fan of not burning bridges -- and bad-mouthing people in the business is a good way to get a bad reputation yourself.
 
taormina said:
You're probably not paying very much or at all and actors will go where the money is first. You'd do the same.
Click to expand...

I see your point. there's a line that many actors use (i don't know if they're aware how common it is) which is, when I ask their availability, they'll say they're free "you know, unless Steven Spielberg calls." those, usually are the ones chasing celebrity to some extent.

still, in my case i'm not paying very much at all (SAG ULBA Min.) and I've had actors practically falling over themselves to be a part of this project. they're hungry to do some real work. now this is going to be our third feature and in the last three years i've come to realize that there are very skilled performers out there who take this artform very seriously and show up every day for the chance to work in a collaborative, creatively nurturing environment... and not for the paycheck. my 2¢.

taormina said:
Oh yeah, My auditions are all for SAG actors with pay. So what does that tell you?
Click to expand...

LOL... it tells me you generally hold a low opinion of actors. is that really true? I love actors. it's the casting process I can't stand and I hope that one day I can mold the process into something better.
 
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I think the rule of thumb for a non/lo paying gig in L.A. is to expect 50% to show up. Booking every 10 minutes helps, especially if you let the actors know that this will be the duration of the audition/interview.
 
here's the thing about actors, they are flakes, almost all of them. they see themselves as artists, yet they need you to tell them where to be, what to say, how to say it, where to put their hands, and so on, they are a cross between tained monkeys and parrots.

that being said, for some reason they have huge egos, and think they are the most important part of your production, and as such think they can get away with anything.

when i did my closed auditiong, I had about a 50% no show ratio,

the day before I started shooting my lead actress backed out via email, and didn't give a reason,

the day before we started shooting, one of my supporting actors had to back out, but he was very upfront, and have a damn good reason, and even tryed to help me find a last minute replacement. I would work with him anyday.

but anyway, sorry to rant, I just finished up my production, and even with the actor problems, location problems, and equipment problems, it worked out well.


Actors will never realize they are just one part of a production, not more or less emportant, that the crew members, locations, equipment and so one. and weak link in the chain can snap it.


and no I don't really compare actors to dumb animals, but sometimes they piss me off. Where I grew up, if you say you'll do something, you do it, short of being killed just before doing it.

for example, I say I'm going to be on joe do's set, one friday the 12th, then on the 9th my mother dies and they have to have her funeral on the 12th, well I gave my word, so I show up on set, I gave my word and thats all that matters in this life. this is how I live, and this is the standard I hold all humans to. If you lie one time, I never work with you again.


actors tend to think, if I say I'll do something I might do it, unless I get a better offer.


Jason Miller
 
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