I read your column on a regular basis and have a question I hope you can help me with. I recently saw a call for actors on Actors Access for a pilot. I searched IMDb on the producer who was listed and found several projects. The listed casting director also has many credits at IMDB. Can I be sure the names listed on the casting call are associated with the project?

Also, the call is for actors with disabilities. Many see this group of people as easily taken advantage of. While I don’t believe those society sees as disabled are any more likely to fall for a scam than anyone else, it never ceases to amaze me how folks treat the disabled differently. So, am I right to be cautious or have I cranked my paranoia to eleven? (It’s one more than ten.) Thanks for your help.

I totally respect your “paranoia meter” (and great This Is Spinal Tap reference), but it seems to me that this particular listing is legit, based on information you provided that I did not elect to share with readers (names of the principals, the project, etc.).

First, let me address your concern about the names of the producers, directors, writers, and casting directors listed in connection with projects you see on Actors Access. The folks at Breakdown Services (of which Actors Access is a part) cross-check listings that are published for actors, agents, and managers, to determine the union status of the projects, parties involved in production, names attached, etc. Of course, deals fall through, funding gets cut, and people fall out sometimes, but you should consider the information in Actors Access listings to have been verified before publication. You’ve already shown me that you’re a business-minded actor, by explaining that you did due diligence to determine the credits of the producer and casting director of the project. You can extend your search to the trades, which list projects “in production” and “in preparation” each week.

Next, your concern about the site ScreenplayOnline.com is understandable. If you’ve not had any experience with a script being stored there, I can see why that may raise a red flag for you. However, you should be comforted by the knowledge that ScreenplayOnline.com is another BreakdownServices.com company! So, the reason you are often given a script code on a breakdown is precisely because you can go to another of Breakdowns’ companies to input that script code and get your script. Agents and managers don’t pay per download like you would have to (that $10 fee you mentioned), so if you have representation, you can just ask that person to get the script for you. If you’re flying solo, though, you should know that almost all casting offices will provide a copy of the script for you, on site. The electronic version is a convenience, but it’s not your only option. Personally, I always include a complete copy of the script on my own website. I’ve seen a few other casting directors starting to do this too. But if a particular script is only available to you through ScreenplayOnline.com, you can always visit the casting office, check out a copy of the script, copy it, and return the original. A lot of work, I know, but that’s how it used to be in “old Hollywood,” and ScreenplayOnline.com just offers an alternative.

The fact that sides weren’t provided at Showfax.com for the project we’re addressing just means that the casting office hadn’t made audition sides available at that point. Sometimes, casting directors want actors to review the entire script and be prepared to either improvise or cold read at the audition, so no sides are ever posted. Especially if the pilot is facing loads of last-minute rewrites, this would be the case. So, don’t let the absence of audition sides set off your Spidey Sense. There could be plenty of reasons you’re not seeing sides up on Showfax.com for a particular project.

As for the issue you’ve raised about performers with disabilities being targeted specifically due to a misconception that they’re more easily taken advantage of, I’ve heard the same thing said about child actors, actors from foreign markets, actors from small towns, etc. Certainly, there are scam artists out there who will go after anyone they see as an easy mark and it’s fantastic to stay aware of what’s legit and what’s BS in this dream-based industry. A great way to check the credentials of anyone holding a casting call is to do exactly what you did and then some: Check the IMDB listing of those listed on the breakdown, Google them for even more background information, post questions about the project and its producers on actors’ message boards, or even contact the Media Access Office for information specific to projects involving performers with disabilities. There are many resources available to performers everywhere. One of the first things I’d recommend, if you ever see a listing that concerns you, is making contact with the service that posted the notice. They’re the ones who accepted the listing, so they should be able to tell you whether its origins are legitimate.

Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!

Originally published by Actors Access at http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/000379.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.