Let's say I drove out to an audition. Let's say it was a five hour drive round trip. Let's say the audition took all of five minutes. Let's say the director barely even looked and maybe mumbled a "thank you" on my way out. Let's say that was most of a tank of gas, parking, and general pain in the assedness of driving anywhere in Massachusetts on a Sunday.
Let's say that was last weekend. Let's say that this coming weekend was going to be rehearsals for this upcoming short/independent/non-paid movie. Let's say that in July there would be seven shooting days. Let's say that as a prospective actor I've held all those days so I won't have to cancel plans in cast I get cast. Nine days, haven't been able to say yes to anything.
What do you do when you've heard nothing?
Not being cast? No big deal. It felt like the part was already someones and they were waiting out the hours. That's fine. Maybe they didn't care for my audition or just felt I wasn't right for the part. I don't care about that either. That's auditioning.
Not being told I wouldn't be used? That's a Big. Fucking. Deal.
I would think it's basic common courtesy. "Hey, sorry we couldn't use you. Thanks for coming out." Is that so goddam hard? Hell, in today's world you do that in an email and you don't have to explain anything or have to listen to sobbing. Is that so fucking hard? I was doing this out of basic goodwill. People like you make me lose that a little at a time and I hate it.
I wrote about this a while back in my letter to independent filmmakers. I will also restate my severe ire at director's who never tell you about progress on movies you've completed shooting. "Hey everybody, this is my monthly email to the cast and crew of blank movie. Had to be at my day job/class/computer crashed so I haven't gotten any work done." Is that so fucking hard too? I hate HAte HATE pestering people, it makes me feel like I'm the one being the dick, and I'm not. It tells me that my time is cheap to you, director, and I'm not part of the process. This shit gets remembered.
A new one I've found is director's who finish the movie and never bother to tell you and/or need seven hundred emails and phone calls to get the fucking copy that you were promised before you shot the thing.
This was supposed to make me less angry. It isn't.
So, readers, the question I have for you is this. Do I email this producer and politely suggest that if ever a movie is done under him/her, it would behoove them to notify those that weren't chosen? Not in an angry email, no that would be far too satisfying. Something polite.
Does that make me the dick actor?
Worst medical-legal jargon I've ever read. Got every little bit of it wrong.
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2 comments:
Oh my god you are so right about this shit. When you don't hear anything back it's like the director is saying "not only do we not want you, but you can go fuck yourself". They may not realize it but by not contacting auditionees after that is EXACTLY what they are saying because we do fuck ourselves by keeping our schedules locked up for nothing which causes us to miss out on other events, including other acting opportunities that we may be right for.
UGH! Now I'm pissed too!
:)
*sigh* It sucks, it is F.U.B.A.R., but that's just the way the business works unfortunately. Most of the time, even when you know you've got a 50% chance at getting cast because they're deciding between you and someone else, you never hear if you don't have the part. They'll put you "on availability", which means you agree to keep the shoot dates open for them, until they decide if they will pick you or the other person, and then not bother to let you or your agent know that they went with the other person. So I say, unless they put you on availability, go ahead and make other plans, go on other auditions, live your life.
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