When we review talent for our company, we do not always see the full picture of each talent, who they are actually as a human being. In today’s world, the most desireable talent are talent who have:
- Coached with multiple coaches over several years
- Spoken to their agency about what type of head shots get the most audition hits
- Are constantly on their devices submitting, reviewing or recording for the next audition
- Self improvement
- Staying on top of their game, and never slacking
- Able to take constructive criticism
- Set Up Goals
- Work Hard, Try Every Possible Way to Achieve Them
- Complain Less, Accept Responsibilities of Your Actions
- Do One Task at a Time
- Talk Less, Listen More
- Stay Focused, Don’t Let People Tell You It Can’t Be Done
- Try, Learn and Grow
Below is an example full of excuses that are not all helpful for someone in the entertainment industry. The drive is not there and a negative attitude makes it worse:
“I am still interested in receiving casting emails, but the email in question came at 7:55pm seeking immediate response. I cannot guarantee that I will slavishly watch my email until 9pm. I may be on a date, and I find it incredibly rude to handle business on a date. I may be in a movie theater, which I also find phone use in a theater to be rude. I may even be on a shoot or even at my day job. I also don’t enjoy being attached to my phone, I will regularly abandon it and live a life free of a screen. Finally, since the folks on the casting end don’t bother reaching out when they’ve decided to go in another direction, and opt to take up to 180 to pay the non union talent they get for a bargain; I don’t see why I need to over ingratiate myself with people who find NU talent as disposable.”
The above statement has many negatives in it, let’s discuss them:
- Said talent will not check their email until 9pm. No one who provides options in the entertainment industry works a 9-5 job. We worked in based on need and filling the need for what ever project needs to addressed at what ever time it comes in. We receive auditions, short lists, bookings etc at all hours of the day. Just because you are ready to relax, you still need to check for any options coming your way, whether a rush audition rolls in or you have a booking scheduled for the next day.
- In the industry where everything is needed yesterday, a continual check of your devices is required.
- Agents/Managers etc.. are never informed of if a talent auditioned well, and only a few casting directors/producers may reach out and send a note that a job has booked.
- Never do we have have to accept a lower rate that what is initially offered for our projects. It is unknown exactly where said talent, above, is coming up with these statements.
- If the above is the way your mind works regarding working in the entertainment industry, please find another type of work. This industry is only for big risk takers. There is no salary range, no “perks” like a 401K or paid time off.