Okay, so this is something I could never actually put in my column (nor is it something I could ever really do*), but I must rant.
Several actors in the past few weeks have done the unthinkable. No… not no-show an audition or turn down a role after having made me nuts with all of the “I MUST have this opportunity… PLEEEEEEEASE” crap. I’m talking (look at all of these steps): submit on a project, audition for a role, get a callback for the role, attend the callback, book the gig, sign the contract, rehears the part, AND THEN FUCKING BACK OUT, DROP OUT, FLAKE OUT (i.e., leave the project — and us — hanging).
That’s always going to happen. You can’t MAKE people stay true to their word or honor a commitment to a low-budget project when a better opportunity comes along. It’s the nature of this business and — while it’s not in tune with MY value structure — it’s just something I’m going to have to get used to.
Okay, so what I want to do is this.
Y’know how I have a project gallery up at my casting website? And I put up all of these headshots of actors who are cast in these projects? I think I want to create a “secret” page that is basically a bunch of headshots of “actors who have screwed me over by punking out on a commitment after I have gone to the mat to get them cast in the first place, even though we had many other options–which now, of course, we don’t have because they put us in a bind instead of turning down the project in the first place (or not auditioning to begin with).”
I cannot tell you how much WORK a low-budget indie film CD has to do in terms of RECASTING roles, when actors who can’t honor their word get “better” offers.
And y’know what? Good for them. I’m glad they get better offers, b/c they sure as hell aren’t going to be invited back to work on anything I’m casting. (Big talk… but of course, if the producer who hires me tells me he or she wants so-and-so and that actor is on my shit list, I’ll have to suck it up and do my job, b/c that’s what I’m paid to do, dammit.)
Okay. Rant over. Back to work.
*Or COULD I?
Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!
DO it! And mke sure you let us know the URL;)
You feisty broad!!!!
woohoo!!!
(one word of caution…lad was called out on a public “board” for ‘not showing’ at a MC gig he said he would do and as a volunteer…no charge.
He showed…early in the morn at one venue, naturally that venue was the pancake breakfast venue..food = showing heeeeeeeeee…..left that venue to drive to the other venue of this gig, which was a mile away. He pulled out onto the highway and had a car accident! He is ok, everybody is ok, wrote off our car and naturally with accidents, they tend to eat up ‘time’ with paperwork etc. and he couldn’t make the gig….just say’n)
You are so funny, I can’t stand it!!!!!!!
Do it!!!!!!! Makes ’em think twice, but oh yeah, they didn’t at first, huh?
that sounds frustrating… i once wanted to walk away from a free gig because it was so unorganized, but i decided that since i started to see it through, try and have so fun, and really hammer it into my head to be careful about what you committ to 🙂
Hmmm…
I feel ya, darlin’. I do. But remember, what goes around could come around. Ya know? Like the Boy Scouts say, be prepared.
Don’t worry, guys. It’s nothing I would do:
1. in any sort of official, public way
2. for actors who had legitimate emergencies
3.
4. without telling y’all about it. 😉
I just don’t understand why an actor will even SUBMIT on a low-budget indie if a “bigger project” is something they’d drop the former for.
What can I say? Commitment is a turn-on.
Thanks for letting me vent, y’all.
Ali like (even though I’m responding to only one line):
I just don’t understand why an actor will even SUBMIT on a low-budget indie if a “bigger project” is something they’d drop the former for.
Why? Because they can.
I would never back out of one of your projects Bonnie. (Not after reading that!) 😉
If you post that anonymous page, you must tell your trusted few about it… because… you know… you NEED people to help you through this and stuff. [Hee hee]!