[NEohioPAL]casting DON'Ts in the indie film and video workplace

Wed Aug 4 23:55:25 PDT 2004

--------------ECD849825904E04381D2BC6B
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-mac-type="54455854"; x-mac-creator="4D4F5353"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Last week I sent out an invitation to a networking party (Aug. 6th 7PM-?
1507 Aster Ave. 44301, be there if you care) that included a brief
commentary about the way things are getting around here, and it seems to
have upset some people.  To those people:  Bother yourself to actually
make a film.  Don't sit on the sidelines, don't tell people how you
"practically directed a movie" for someone else, how you stepped in and
saved a picture.  Don't look up auditions in Backstage or the Village
Voice and pretend to be some "insider" with connections to one of the
larger entertainment cities to whom we're all supposed to be forever
grateful for our "big break," and for God's sakes, DON'T CHARGE MONEY
FOR IT!!!  There are legitimate talent agents, then there are you guys.
You know who you are.  Make a movie.  Then you'll have an appreciation
for the work that actors and crew do, the honor of having a team of
people help you, just you, make your vision come to life.  Respect
them.  Then maybe you'll stop disrespecting their wallets.

Unfortunately, the rest of us know that they're not going to listen, so
here are some things you can do to protect yourself from shiftiness in
the casting and audition scene, mainly as it pertains to film and video:

1.    Don't pay money for the right to hear about auditions.

The reputable casting agencies in the entertainment centers often post
auditions that everybody can see in their lobbies.  When they hold
casting calls, they usually hold it open to the public.  Why?  Because
they get most of their auditions from notices that production companies
post THAT CAN BE SEEN BY ANYONE who knows where to look.  It is an
embarrassment for an agency to claim exclusivity to information on an
upcoming production, only to be beaten to the punch by Hollywood
Reporter.  What an agency does is put you at the top of the stack by
allowing you to use their name and good reputation to buy credibility.
They make their money when you make money.  Some agencies will charge
money up front.  Make sure you like what you're buying.  Headshots,
publication in a book, promotional materials all cost money, and that's
legit.  But if you pay $500 to get an agency to represent you, then pay
another $150 for headshots, you know what you're getting for $150, but
what are you getting for $500?  Get a breakdown of what you're paying
and what you're getting.  Otherwise, you could be buying a pig in a
poke.

In my experience, I've watched dozens of agencies in this area take an
audition notice I post in the Plain Dealer or Scene and submit the info
to their talent OFTEN WITH MISTAKEN INFORMATION as if it's an
exclusive.  I've even seen some with paid subscriber lists post audition
notices that came free to them from NEOPAL!  Of course, they do what
they can to discourage their subscribers from subscribing to NEOPAL
themselves.  I'm not judging them.  It's just the truth.  That's their
business.  (emphasis on business)  Get more for your money than just
second hand information.

2.    Understand the job your agent does for you.

Different agencies have differing levels of service they offer (and
sometimes that level differs from client to client).  Some take more of
an active role in helping you get gigs, others are simply letting you
use their name to help you promote yourself.  Both ends of the spectrum
are fine.  Just understand:  in the end, it isn't your agent's job to
get you work, it's yours.  You are a business and you have to promote
yourself as a business.  However, the less an agent does to promote you,
the more latitude your agent should give you in using the tools of your
trade.  Agents who do not actively seek work for you, should allow you
to put your personal contact information on your headshot and resume if
you brought those materials into the relationship.  The percentage you
pay to your agent is a contractual trust, like sales tax.  If you get an
audition because of your agent's help, then don't give them a cut, you
violate that trust.  However, an agent who does nothing to promote you,
shouldn't get exclusivity as to how others hear about you.

THAT GOES DOUBLE FOR PRODUCTION COMPANIES!!!  I heard about you guys to
the south of me.  Naughty naughty.

Oh, and don't pay for headshots you can't put your own name on, or
freely distribute.  It's one thing for Coca Cola to require permission
before you take the print ad you did for them and lambaste the world
with it.  It's another thing for you to pay out money for pictures of
yourself, to promote yourself, and not be able to use them as you see
fit.  If anything, the photographer should require YOUR permission to
photograph you, then duplicate your likeness.  Many photographers
exercise their entitlement to retain your negative for exclusivity of
duplication, but those who stretch that into how you use the photograph
have no legal right to do so, as long as you weren't compensated for
your participation in the photo.

So, you've got an agent you're happy with, you don't feel inordinately
violated, and you've got some casting calls you're going to respond to.
Here are some tips for working with production companies.

3.     Don't be afraid to ask.

Many productions are a producer or filmmaker's first works, while others
have two or more productions under their belts.  Always ask what else
the filmmakers have done.  Filmmakers who aren't ashamed of themselves
will be forthcoming with that info before you even meet them.  If it's
their first production, ask them what their goals with the production
are.  If it's not their first work, and if they didn't give you a
selected filmography in the outset, ask what else they've been involved
with.

Now don't get me wrong.  First productions can be really beneficial and
fun to work on.  Some can go on to receive Academy Awards, like American
Beauty.  Take the plunge!  Just don't work with a filmmaker who gets
defensive when you ask.  If it's not their first work, then do some
homework.  If you get a call back for a role, don't be afraid to ask for
a demo reel, or to be shown a little of their work.  Believe in what
you're going to do before you do it.

I'm going to shoot myself in the foot, but here goes:  filmmakers need
you more than you need them.  It doesn't feel like that sometimes, but
it's true.  Just look at how many films post on NEOPAL alone, looking
for talent, my own included.  If one doesn't need something you have to
offer, another one will.  In independent film and video, actors not only
make or break a production with their talent, they can make or break one
WITH THEIR PRESENCE ALONE!  (or lack thereof)  The power belongs to the
cast and crew.  If nobody shows up, the film doesn't get made.  Actors
show up when they feel like things are going the way they expected them
to.  Sometimes productions, like mine, are one man shows, with only one
or two people handling everything behind the scenes.  Sometimes these
artists can't think of everything to say to make you feel good about a
production, and when enough isn't said, actors bow out of what would
otherwise be a decent situation.  So don't be afraid to ask questions of
the people you're going to be working with.  You may be helping them.

4.    Contact info

Always get a telephone number from people you're going to be working
with or for.  THEN, make sure that telephone number reaches the person
you expect it to.  Pizza delivery guys call just to verify a ten dollar
pizza and a five minute drive.  You should too.  I myself drove long and
far into a situation where the phone number I was CALLED FROM ended up
reaching a couple who didn't know who I was talking about, and I had
been told to use "the number I just called you with."  Before you go out
to a set or to a place you haven't been to before, make sure the phone
number you have, reaches the person you think it does.  There are many
good reason to do this, and no really good reasons not to, unless the
money's SO good that you can overlook working with people who don't have
your best interests at heart.

In addition, don't go to any shoot or audition that doesn't have an
address you can look up on mapquest.  Mapquest sometimes gets the
directions wrong, but can usually be trusted to know if such an address
even exists.  This too I learned the hard way.  If someone who wants
your time and talent can't tell you exactly where to be, then just how
badly do they need you?  If the location is someplace with no address,
meet them in a place that has an address, then follow them.  Don't get
into a situation you're not comfortable with if you can easily avoid it.

I'm not an "angry" artist, really.  I'm just getting tired of seeing
people who do good work for me and others, constantly getting the hose.
Everybody talks it up about how the Northeast Ohio film and video
community is different from Hollywood or NYC because of its community
orientation and lack of shark infested waters.  But many of those same
people are either complacent about fraud, or are part of the problem.
So, keep me posted on shady situations you come across with agencies,
casting calls, production companies, etc.  If I get three or more
independent sources that tell the same tale, I will OUT the offending
party on NEOPAL and/or whatever venue will let me.  I will also post to
the following page for archives:

http://home.earthlink.net/~greenvegetables/watchdog.html

While I will not publish or post your names or contact information, I
will require a name and contact info for filing purposes and to verify
the independent nature of each source.  (I will also post rebuttals of
those accused of fraudulent behavior, so keep it real people, but also
keep it truthful.)  The only way this community will grow is if we
constantly strive to better ourselves, and the first step is to start
being a part of the solution.  I'm not looking for a fight.  The best
notice I could receive about a story of misconduct in this community, is
none at all.

Best Wishes,

Christopher K. Young
Video Verite' Productions
Shallow Focus Entertainment
www.videoveriteproductions.com
www.shallowfocus.com

--------------ECD849825904E04381D2BC6B
Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en">
<html>
Last week I sent out an invitation to a networking party (Aug. 6th 7PM-?
1507 Aster Ave. 44301, be there if you care) that included a brief commentary
about the way things are getting around here, and it seems to have upset
some people.  To those people:  Bother yourself to actually make
a film.  Don't sit on the sidelines, don't tell people how you "practically
directed a movie" for someone else, how you stepped in and saved a picture. 
Don't look up auditions in Backstage or the Village Voice and pretend to
be some "insider" with connections to one of the larger entertainment cities
to whom we're all supposed to be forever grateful for our "big break,"
and for God's sakes, DON'T CHARGE MONEY FOR IT!!!  There are legitimate
talent agents, then there are you guys.  You know who you are. 
Make a movie.  Then you'll have an appreciation for the work that
actors and crew do, the honor of having a team of people help you, just
you, make your vision come to life.  Respect them.  Then maybe
you'll stop disrespecting their wallets.
Unfortunately, the rest of us know that they're not going to listen,
so here are some things you can do to protect yourself from shiftiness
in the casting and audition scene, mainly as it pertains to film and video:
1.    Don't pay money for the right to hear about
auditions.
The reputable casting agencies in the entertainment centers often post
auditions that everybody can see in their lobbies.  When they hold
casting calls, they usually hold it open to the public.  Why? 
Because they get most of their auditions from notices that production companies
post THAT CAN BE SEEN BY ANYONE who knows where to look.  It is an
embarrassment for an agency to claim exclusivity to information on an upcoming
production, only to be beaten to the punch by Hollywood Reporter. 
What an agency does is put you at the top of the stack by allowing you
to use their name and good reputation to buy credibility.  They make
their money when you make money.  Some agencies will charge money
up front.  Make sure you like what you're buying.  Headshots,
publication in a book, promotional materials all cost money, and that's
legit.  But if you pay $500 to get an agency to represent you, then
pay another $150 for headshots, you know what you're getting for $150,
but what are you getting for $500?  Get a breakdown of what you're
paying and what you're getting.  Otherwise, you could be buying a
pig in a poke.
In my experience, I've watched dozens of agencies in this area take
an audition notice I post in the Plain Dealer or Scene and submit the info
to their talent OFTEN WITH MISTAKEN INFORMATION as if it's an exclusive. 
I've even seen some with paid subscriber lists post audition notices that
came free to them from NEOPAL!  Of course, they do what they can to
discourage their subscribers from subscribing to NEOPAL themselves. 
I'm not judging them.  It's just the truth.  That's their business. 
(emphasis on business)  Get more for your money than just second
hand information.
2.    Understand the job your agent does for you.
Different agencies have differing levels of service they offer (and
sometimes that level differs from client to client).  Some take more
of an active role in helping you get gigs, others are simply letting you
use their name to help you promote yourself.  Both ends of the spectrum
are fine.  Just understand:  in the end, it isn't your agent's
job to get you work, it's yours.  You are a business and you have
to promote yourself as a business.  However, the less an agent does
to promote you, the more latitude your agent should give you in using the
tools of your trade.  Agents who do not actively seek work for you,
should allow you to put your personal contact information on your headshot
and resume if you brought those materials into the relationship. 
The percentage you pay to your agent is a contractual trust, like sales
tax.  If you get an audition because of your agent's help, then don't
give them a cut, you violate that trust.  However, an agent who does
nothing to promote you, shouldn't get exclusivity as to how others hear
about you.
THAT GOES DOUBLE FOR PRODUCTION COMPANIES!!!  I heard about you
guys to the south of me.  Naughty naughty.
Oh, and don't pay for headshots you can't put your own name on, or freely
distribute.  It's one thing for Coca Cola to require permission before
you take the print ad you did for them and lambaste the world with it. 
It's another thing for you to pay out money for pictures of yourself, to
promote yourself, and not be able to use them as you see fit.  If
anything, the photographer should require YOUR permission to photograph
you, then duplicate your likeness.  Many photographers exercise their
entitlement to retain your negative for exclusivity of duplication, but
those who stretch that into how you use the photograph have no legal right
to do so, as long as you weren't compensated for your participation in
the photo.
  
So, you've got an agent you're happy with, you don't feel inordinately
violated, and you've got some casting calls you're going to respond to. 
Here are some tips for working with production companies.
3.     Don't be afraid to ask.
Many productions are a producer or filmmaker's first works, while others
have two or more productions under their belts.  Always ask what else
the filmmakers have done.  Filmmakers who aren't ashamed of themselves
will be forthcoming with that info before you even meet them.  If
it's their first production, ask them what their goals with the production
are.  If it's not their first work, and if they didn't give you a
selected filmography in the outset, ask what else they've been involved
with.
Now don't get me wrong.  First productions can be really beneficial
and fun to work on.  Some can go on to receive Academy Awards, like
American Beauty.  Take the plunge!  Just don't work with a filmmaker
who gets defensive when you ask.  If it's not their first work, then
do some homework.  If you get a call back for a role, don't be afraid
to ask for a demo reel, or to be shown a little of their work.  Believe
in what you're going to do before you do it.
I'm going to shoot myself in the foot, but here goes:  filmmakers
need you more than you need them.  It doesn't feel like that sometimes,
but it's true.  Just look at how many films post on NEOPAL alone,
looking for talent, my own included.  If one doesn't need something
you have to offer, another one will.  In independent film and video,
actors not only make or break a production with their talent, they can
make or break one WITH THEIR PRESENCE ALONE!  (or lack thereof) 
The power belongs to the cast and crew.  If nobody shows up, the film
doesn't get made.  Actors show up when they feel like things are going
the way they expected them to.  Sometimes productions, like mine,
are one man shows, with only one or two people handling everything behind
the scenes.  Sometimes these artists can't think of everything to
say to make you feel good about a production, and when enough isn't said,
actors bow out of what would otherwise be a decent situation.  So
don't be afraid to ask questions of the people you're going to be working
with.  You may be helping them.
4.    Contact info
Always get a telephone number from people you're going to be working
with or for.  THEN, make sure that telephone number reaches the person
you expect it to.  Pizza delivery guys call just to verify a ten dollar
pizza and a five minute drive.  You should too.  I myself drove
long and far into a situation where the phone number I was CALLED FROM
ended up reaching a couple who didn't know who I was talking about, and
I had been told to use "the number I just called you with."  Before
you go out to a set or to a place you haven't been to before, make sure
the phone number you have, reaches the person you think it does. 
There are many good reason to do this, and no really good reasons not to,
unless the money's SO good that you can overlook working with people who
don't have your best interests at heart.
In addition, don't go to any shoot or audition that doesn't have an
address you can look up on mapquest.  Mapquest sometimes gets the
directions wrong, but can usually be trusted to know if such an address
even exists.  This too I learned the hard way.  If someone who
wants your time and talent can't tell you exactly where to be, then just
how badly do they need you?  If the location is someplace with no
address, meet them in a place that has an address, then follow them. 
Don't get into a situation you're not comfortable with if you can easily
avoid it.
  
I'm not an "angry" artist, really.  I'm just getting tired of seeing
people who do good work for me and others, constantly getting the hose. 
Everybody talks it up about how the Northeast Ohio film and video community
is different from Hollywood or NYC because of its community orientation
and lack of shark infested waters.  But many of those same people
are either complacent about fraud, or are part of the problem.  So,
keep me posted on shady situations you come across with agencies, casting
calls, production companies, etc.  If I get three or more independent
sources that tell the same tale, I will OUT the offending party on NEOPAL
and/or whatever venue will let me.  I will also post to the following
page for archives:
<A HREF="http://home.earthlink.net/~greenvegetables/watchdog.html">http://home.earthlink.net/~greenvegetables/watchdog.html</A>
While I will not publish or post your names or contact information,
I will require a name and contact info for filing purposes and to verify
the independent nature of each source.  (I will also post rebuttals
of those accused of fraudulent behavior, so keep it real people, but also
keep it truthful.)  The only way this community will grow is if we
constantly strive to better ourselves, and the first step is to start being
a part of the solution.  I'm not looking for a fight.  The best
notice I could receive about a story of misconduct in this community, is
none at all.
Best Wishes,
Christopher K. Young
 Video Verite' Productions
 Shallow Focus Entertainment
 www.videoveriteproductions.com
 www.shallowfocus.com</html>

--------------ECD849825904E04381D2BC6B--