Since starting Impressive Talent, the majority of our talent have had what we hoped they’d have, drive, a vision, a goal to work as much work as possible in the genres of talent each talent is trained in. When you are accepted into a position of being on someone’s roster, not only does said company have a job, you as a talent have a job too. This does not mean we expect you to always be working, but when you are “on the clock”, you should be ready and happy to receive opportunities. With each opportunity, there are deadlines. These deadlines should be assumed as firm dates and times for you to submit your audition for the opportunity. You are not the only talent on said roster, nor are you the most important talent, or the least important talent. You are part of a pack and your representative expects you to submit your part when you receive opportunities on a regular basis within the times listed.
Let’s add, if you receive an audition from one representative and then the same audition from another representative, each may have different due dates and due times. The representatives are working a fine balancing act of many projects, most you are now aware of if they are full service industry rep.
Let’s lay out some of the excuses we’ve received for you to have a visual of what is not acceptable as a talent:
- I could not submit last night, the guys were over watching the game – Each talent should have the drive and desire to work. Even if the guys were over, said talent could have submitted after their guests left or the game was over.
- See, I had a contact stuck in my eye all last week and I couldn’t get off of work to get the contact removed – This is a typical excuse from a talent who has the incorrect mentality that someone is going to hire them based on their head shot photo only. This rarely happens and additionally working another full time job causes issues with submissions.
- Could you please extend my audition deadline? I am working my full time job and I cannot get home in time to submit, your deadline is too short for me – Not every talent can submit for every job. Life happens, the world keeps spinning. Instead of continually requesting extensions, submit what you can in the best fashion possible and skip what isn’t possible to be complete by the stated due time.
- I was traveling yesterday, here is my audition that was due yesterday, please let me know if you will submit it. – There are many reasons why representatives put specific deadlines for each project. Frequently this isn’t even your representative’s choice but the Casting Director’s choice based on their production schedule. It isn’t appropriate to assume your representative is working all weekend while you took a short work week.
- I forgot to charge my phone so I cannot record this audition until later tonight, past the time due – Inappropriate. In today’s world anyone can carry a charger with them and plug them an electrical outlet near their location.
- Can I take along my kid for this booking if I get it? They have a cold and I have no daycare for them – Never, ever bring your child or extra human beings to a scheduled shoot unless they were booked for this job. The exception to this rule is a parent or guardian for a child talent. This parent or guardian should be one adult only, no excessive humans on the set.
- I submitted this project to another rep but I want you to submit me, can both of you submit me? – No. Double submitting not only makes your agent look bad, it typically eliminates the talent who double submitted.
- Can you retract my audition because another agent wants to submit me for this project – Never request to retract an audition unless you are about to go into a surgery or have a life threatening emergency. In the glamorous world of the entertainment industry, there are quite a few unscrupulous representatives who insist on all auditions and are exclusivity hogs. Each time we’ve had retractions requested, the talent receives a firm No, it cannot be done.
- I will submit but you need to promise me I will get a higher rate than what is posted on this job – The rate of the job stated is the rate of the job unless your representative is in a negotiating situation with the job holder. Unless your representative has stated they’re trying to up the rate, you need to accept that the rate stated is the final pay rate for the project.
- My agents call me if they want me for a project, yes you did call me but still I was not available – In today’s world, the majority of communication for projects is through email. At times phone calls may be made for special exceptions, but this is not standard procedure. You as the talent should be checking your email from the minute you get up until you retire for the day.
- I am working 3 jobs, why can’t you give me more time? – Frequently, talent may think they’re ready to jump into the genre of entertainment field that they have prepared for, but because this industry has no guarantees, there may be times when said talent need to work first and put their acting dreams aside. The reality is in this industry first seen and first heard have a powerful advantage over those who wait until the deadlines to submit auditions for projects. CD’s have told us time and time again that priority always goes to the talent who submit first. Favorites are chosen and the top talent stay on top unless someone else replaces them. Frequently the favorite talent are hired less than 12 hours after receiving their auditions