I do not have an agent. I am nonunion. I believe getting an agent and joining the union will happen as I continue to work hard as an actor. I get a good amount of callbacks, but I wonder if my status (unrepresented, nonunion) is turning casting directors off. Any thoughts?
Great perspective, knowing that you will attain your career goals in due time. Many actors will tell you that having the wrong agent can be career-suicide and that joining the unions too soon can keep you from doing resumé-building work you sorely need. So, continue along the working actor path without too much worry about making those moves.
The fact that you get callbacks tells me that you’re being told that you are castable. Even when you don’t book the role, if you get a callback, you’re doing something right. Always remember that!
If you are worried that being nonunion is hurting your chances of getting cast on SAG projects, I’d advise against putting too much energy into that. The process of doing a Taft-Hartley on an actor is actually quite painless, as long as the actor is verifiably on the path to SAG membership anyway. Fines exist (and they’re much lower than producers and casting directors would have you think) mainly to discourage non-professionals from being cast in SAG projects for one-time gigs. If you are the right actor for the role, a casting director or producer will usually be happy to write a Taft-Hartley letter on your behalf in order to clear the hurdle of casting you on a SAG project before you have joined. Worst-case scenario, the letter is kicked by SAG and a fine of a less than a thousand dollars is assessed. On most projects, this fine is a tiny fraction of the production budget, obviously.
As for the question of being represented, most casting directors would certainly prefer to deal with agents or managers with whom we have existing relationships, but again, if you are the right actor for the role, many CDs will simply deal with you directly. Further, many CDs will facilitate meetings between you and a good agent or manager, if we know you are in need of representation to help you negotiate the best deal for the project on which we’ve made you a casting offer. Obviously, some actors scoff at the notion of cutting an agent in on a commission for a gig he or she self-submitted, but business-savvy actors looking to start a relationship off on the right foot will happily cut the agent in on the deal for taking on the contract negotiations at the casting director’s recommendation.
If you’re getting seen by casting directors, you needn’t worry that your status is a turnoff. Keep getting seen, keep doing good work, keep getting those callbacks, and eventually you’ll book the gigs that take care of the “other issues” (y’know, being represented and being in the union).
Enjoy the journey!
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/000228.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.