Etiquette for Interacting with Casting Directors
Oct 14, 2019 21:42:30 GMT -8
Xuan Vinh, Kevin Liberty, and 4 more like this
Post by Lady Stardust ★ on Oct 14, 2019 21:42:30 GMT -8
It’s an often unspoken truth: One thing that can make or break an otherwise talented actor is their demeanor when interacting with people who are in a position to hire them. First impressions are important, and if you make a bad one, it can take a lot of time for the damage to be undone. While many introductory VO classes teach studio etiquette, they don’t always cover how to present yourself when reaching out for jobs.
Approaching a Casting Director
NO unsolicited phone calls or walk-ins! Casting directors - just like agents - are very busy people, and they do not have the time or energy to deal with an actor calling them up while they’re in the middle of casting a rush job for a client, or heaven forbid, walking into their office unsolicited to drop off a voice demo. The ideal way to get on their radar would be through meeting them at a workshop or other industry event, but it can also happen via a personal introduction from a friend or by simply cold-submitting your demo via e-mail. Believe it or not, there have actually been stories of people finding a casting director’s personal cell phone number and calling them up asking for job opportunities…unsurprisingly, those people were not hired!
Make sure your materials are up-to-date. A casting director may look at your IMDB, resume, and/or website to gauge how much work you’ve done in addition to listening to your demo, or when deciding between you and a few other top candidates for a leading role. This online presence is part of your first impression, so if your site hasn’t been updated in quite a few years or your IMDB lists incorrect information, you might want to look into getting these things polished before submitting to casting directors. The same goes for your demo—-if your demo is outdated and you aren’t proud of it, it might be best to hold off on sending that e-mail with your big pitch until you get one you’re really happy with.
Keep your pitch short, polite, and relevant. Casting directors hear from hundreds of actors who are all hoping to get on their radar on a regular basis, and they don’t have time to read a novel about your life and how you got started in acting. A brief introduction, links to your materials, and a short closing statement is sufficient. If you enjoyed the casting director’s work on another project, you can mention it, but if you suck up too much you will seem insincere.
Here is a generic example:
Hello Shannon,
My name is Jane Doe and I am e-mailing you regarding the call you posted on Twitter looking to expand your roster. I am a professional actor with about five years of experience and have worked on titles such as “ABC” and “XYZ”. You may find links to my materials below:
Animation Demo: (link)
Game Demo: (link)
Website: (link)
Resume: (link)
I’m quite fond of your work on “Big Scary Zombies Strike Again” and I believe I’d be a great asset to your roster. I have a high-quality home studio and can turn around audio within 24-48 hours. Please let me know if you’d like to hear a custom audition for any of your upcoming projects, and I hope to work with you in the future.
Respectfully yours,
Jane Doe
www.JaneDoeVO.com
Don’t include unsolicited attachments…and if you DO attach a demo, please don’t put it in WAV format! Nobody likes large files they didn’t ask for bloating their inbox, and in some cases it could even cause your message to be sent to the spam folder. Unless you are specifically asked to attach your demos, send them as links instead (even if you don’t have your own website, you can use a service like Google Drive or Dropbox to host and share them securely. SoundCloud and YouTube are OK too, but it’s better to give them the option of downloading your demos and saving them to a folder if they so desire.) And if you do need to attach, please, please, PLEASE make sure your demo is in mp3 format! This isn’t a final deliverable to a client in which you need to send uncompressed audio, so there is absolutely no reason you need to attach a bloated WAV file. A high-quality mp3 is virtually indistinguishable for demonstration purposes and won’t blow up their inbox.
Make it easy for them to listen to you. A direct link to your demo is best because it doesn’t require them to navigate around your site or scroll through your social channels in hopes of finding your reels. Time is money, so the less clicks they have to make, the better.
Etiquette Regarding Auditions & Bookings
If you slate, keep it short. Always follow instructions in regards to slates (including if a preference for "no slate" is specified). Some casting directors may ask you to slate something specific, but otherwise, keep it quick—-your name only, or your name + the role you’re reading for (ex: “John Smith, Superman.”) Don’t talk about how many takes you’re going to do or include a rambling monologue about what made you decide to read for this project. Every second counts, and if a casting director is listening to hundreds of submissions, they may turn yours off if you don’t grab their attention within the first 5-10 seconds. Some actors have even mentioned a newer trend of “tail slating” where they slate their name at the END of the file to avoid wasting precious time that could be used to listen to their audition, which can be an interesting idea.
Don’t straight-up ask someone why they didn’t send you an audition or why they didn’t put you on their roster. It’s rude, awkward, and… honestly none of your business. Ask a mentor or teacher what you can improve upon in your recordings if you routinely find yourself not making it into casting pools. (For example, perhaps your skill level isn’t competitive enough with the other talent on the roster yet, or your recording setup has a lot of excess noise.) Continue to work hard and excel at what you do, and it’s possible that door may open again in the future. And even if it doesn’t, there are always other opportunities.
Don’t brag on social media about the audition you just got. Even if you don’t explicitly sign an NDA, assume a closed audition or a casting is confidential unless stated otherwise. “If you're cast, great! You can gush about it all you want when the NDA lifts. If you're not cast, great! You can easily move on to the next one without getting too attached,” says Milan Saunders.
Respect the audition process. “Do not go up and beg a casting director for roles after the auditions are closed,” says Patrick Mealey. Think of it this way: Casting directors want to hire people who are skilled, experienced, and will make their job easy. Similarly, if they have stated auditions will be held in the future, don't slide into their DMs asking to be given priority. If someone pleads to “just be given a chance” rather than auditioning like everybody else, it gives the impression that that actor is desperate and therefore probably not very good.
If the job records from home, keep your audition quality on par with that of your final record. “Make sure your audition is representative of the kind of quality you will be able to deliver on,” says Michael Malconian. In other words, if you submit an audition from a friend’s soundproof booth with their fancy microphone, the clients won’t be happy if the files you turn in for the actual project come from a USB mic in your echoey room at home. On the flip side, if you’re away when the auditions come in, make a note that you’re recording the audition from your travel setup and, if possible, include an audio sample from your regular home studio.
General Etiquette
If approached directly by a client whom you previously worked with through a casting director or studio, avoid undercutting rates. Sometimes, clients may approach actors they like directly for future bookings for any number of reasons. Please remember that the casting director or project manager likely fought to negotiate the proper rate for their actors and if you’re willing to go cheaper simply because the client approached you directly, it encourages this behavior. Not only do you end up hurting the casting director or studio who worked to get you your fair pay (and they may not work with you again if word gets back to them), it can hurt the other actors on the project who don't care to underbid.
Always follow proper protocol for referrals. Don’t forward auditions or give out the casting director’s e-mail address to your other actor friends unless you have permission to do so. If you see an audition that you think a friend would be great for, you may include a note in your e-mail to the casting director with something like “If you’re open to referrals, I think my friend Jane (www.JaneDoeVO.com) would be a great fit for this role as well. Her e-mail is jane@janedoevo.com in case you’d like to send her an audition.” If you are new to working with a casting director who is already very established, it may be best to hold off on the referrals until you build some kind of rapport with them. And of course, keep in mind that referring a friend means you are vouching for said friend's skill and professionalism.
Think very hard before you decide to “name and shame” a bad client or casting director. It’s not fun to be recast without being told or have to e-mail someone three times to chase down payment, but do your best to handle professional business behind closed doors. “Unless a contract is signed or work or compensation has been exchanged, nobody is obligated to anything,” says Steven W. Hunt. Other potential clients and casting directors may be hesitant to work with you if they see you badmouthing other clients on your public social media. Public callouts should be considered an absolute last resort, and keep in mind that once something's on the Internet, it can't really be taken back.
In Conclusion
Articles are updated over time as industry trends change, and the information may differ from the originally published version. Resources in this community are provided freely, but if you found them helpful, please consider buying me a coffee!
It’s important to note that all casting directors are different people with different preferences, so not everything here is applicable 100% of the time—-perhaps there’s that one casting director who LOVES it when actors call her up to talk about what they’ve been doing or send emails every month pitching themselves, but that’s not the norm! So with that being said, here are some general tips (including a few words of wisdom from others in our Facebook group) to help keep you in the good graces of those whom you want to give you opportunities.
Approaching a Casting Director
Email: This is usually the safest bet. If a casting director has invited students to email them after a workshop, or they have their email listed on their public website, it's generally OK to send them a single brief, polite email introducing yourself, expressing an interest in working with them and linking to your materials.
Facebook: If you don’t know the casting director personally, it’s best not to friend request or message their personal Facebook to pitch yourself for work opportunities, as many people like to keep their private lives separate. If you’re already friends and you have a casual relationship with them, then Facebook messaging might be more acceptable. Some casting directors may occasionally post voiceover job notices on Facebook in which case it’s generally okay to reach out to them via that method UNLESS their post specifies to email them (always read and follow instructions.)
Twitter: Twitter is more public, so if someone has their DMs open and doesn’t specify another preferred method of contact, it can be permissible to reach out to them there. In fact, a lot of voice actors in the indie game world are known to network a lot through Twitter.
Discord: As Discord is used for both personal and business purposes, there are a few factors to look at when determining whether this is an appropriate avenue to pitch yourself. If you already know the person or if they have invited actors to reach out, it's probably fine. However, it's best not to send friend requests to someone you don't know, and if they specify no DMs from non-mutuals, respect their wishes.
LinkedIn: LinkedIn is explicitly meant for professionals to connect with each other, so it's usually safe to send a message on there letting the casting director know you'd love to work with them in the future and asking if there's a preferred method to submit your materials. Note that not every casting director will use LinkedIn beyond making a basic profile, or check their messages often, so your mileage may vary.
NO unsolicited phone calls or walk-ins! Casting directors - just like agents - are very busy people, and they do not have the time or energy to deal with an actor calling them up while they’re in the middle of casting a rush job for a client, or heaven forbid, walking into their office unsolicited to drop off a voice demo. The ideal way to get on their radar would be through meeting them at a workshop or other industry event, but it can also happen via a personal introduction from a friend or by simply cold-submitting your demo via e-mail. Believe it or not, there have actually been stories of people finding a casting director’s personal cell phone number and calling them up asking for job opportunities…unsurprisingly, those people were not hired!
Make sure your materials are up-to-date. A casting director may look at your IMDB, resume, and/or website to gauge how much work you’ve done in addition to listening to your demo, or when deciding between you and a few other top candidates for a leading role. This online presence is part of your first impression, so if your site hasn’t been updated in quite a few years or your IMDB lists incorrect information, you might want to look into getting these things polished before submitting to casting directors. The same goes for your demo—-if your demo is outdated and you aren’t proud of it, it might be best to hold off on sending that e-mail with your big pitch until you get one you’re really happy with.
Keep your pitch short, polite, and relevant. Casting directors hear from hundreds of actors who are all hoping to get on their radar on a regular basis, and they don’t have time to read a novel about your life and how you got started in acting. A brief introduction, links to your materials, and a short closing statement is sufficient. If you enjoyed the casting director’s work on another project, you can mention it, but if you suck up too much you will seem insincere.
Here is a generic example:
Hello Shannon,
My name is Jane Doe and I am e-mailing you regarding the call you posted on Twitter looking to expand your roster. I am a professional actor with about five years of experience and have worked on titles such as “ABC” and “XYZ”. You may find links to my materials below:
Animation Demo: (link)
Game Demo: (link)
Website: (link)
Resume: (link)
I’m quite fond of your work on “Big Scary Zombies Strike Again” and I believe I’d be a great asset to your roster. I have a high-quality home studio and can turn around audio within 24-48 hours. Please let me know if you’d like to hear a custom audition for any of your upcoming projects, and I hope to work with you in the future.
Respectfully yours,
Jane Doe
www.JaneDoeVO.com
No generic form letters. If your e-mail reads like a copy & pasted marketing formula, it just looks like spam. Personalize your e-mail and address the person by name (if you're reaching out to a company and you don't have the name of any direct contact person, then include something relevant to their specific company in your message.) Don't add clients or casting directors you've worked with to your "mass marketing e-mail blasts" without permission. A holiday card is probably fine, but a mailing list for your latest fundraiser probably isn't.
Keep demos relevant to the medium the casting director works in. If they are an indie game studio, they’re not going to have any need for your commercial or promo demos. Send a character demo instead!
Don’t include unsolicited attachments…and if you DO attach a demo, please don’t put it in WAV format! Nobody likes large files they didn’t ask for bloating their inbox, and in some cases it could even cause your message to be sent to the spam folder. Unless you are specifically asked to attach your demos, send them as links instead (even if you don’t have your own website, you can use a service like Google Drive or Dropbox to host and share them securely. SoundCloud and YouTube are OK too, but it’s better to give them the option of downloading your demos and saving them to a folder if they so desire.) And if you do need to attach, please, please, PLEASE make sure your demo is in mp3 format! This isn’t a final deliverable to a client in which you need to send uncompressed audio, so there is absolutely no reason you need to attach a bloated WAV file. A high-quality mp3 is virtually indistinguishable for demonstration purposes and won’t blow up their inbox.
Make it easy for them to listen to you. A direct link to your demo is best because it doesn’t require them to navigate around your site or scroll through your social channels in hopes of finding your reels. Time is money, so the less clicks they have to make, the better.
Be forthcoming with your intentions. Don't attempt to befriend someone for the sole reason of hoping they’ll cast you in one of their projects. This comes off as insincere and opportunistic. It’s fine if you strike up a friendship naturally, but otherwise, it’s better to just approach them from the context of a business relationship. If you already know the person as a friend and aren’t sure how to broach the subject of wanting to receive auditions, you can simply ask them, “I heard you are doing some casting—-are you open to new talent right now, and if so, do you have a preferred method for how you’d like to receive actor submissions?” This shows that you respect their time and process and aren’t just asking for a handout because you happen to know each other.
READ AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS, INCLUDING LABELING. This bears repeating time and time again, because it is one of casting directors' biggest pet peeves about the audition process that comes up time and time again. It is truly surprising how many people do not follow directions. While it’s usually just a simple oversight, it is an extra annoyance for the casting director to have to spend time relabeling everyone’s auditions because they decided to put underscores instead of spaces or vice versa. (While it may seem arbitrarily picky, rules like this are actually for the sake of having everything organized uniformly by character and actor name once the files are downloaded so they can be reviewed accordingly.) Preferences will vary among casting directors so always double check how they ask you to name your files. If no preference is stated, a safe bet is “Role Name - Your Name.mp3”. (And yes, always send auditions in mp3 unless specifically instructed otherwise. Again, there is no need to bloat someone’s inbox with a large wav file for something that’s meant for demonstration purposes.)
If you slate, keep it short. Always follow instructions in regards to slates (including if a preference for "no slate" is specified). Some casting directors may ask you to slate something specific, but otherwise, keep it quick—-your name only, or your name + the role you’re reading for (ex: “John Smith, Superman.”) Don’t talk about how many takes you’re going to do or include a rambling monologue about what made you decide to read for this project. Every second counts, and if a casting director is listening to hundreds of submissions, they may turn yours off if you don’t grab their attention within the first 5-10 seconds. Some actors have even mentioned a newer trend of “tail slating” where they slate their name at the END of the file to avoid wasting precious time that could be used to listen to their audition, which can be an interesting idea.
Don’t straight-up ask someone why they didn’t send you an audition or why they didn’t put you on their roster. It’s rude, awkward, and… honestly none of your business. Ask a mentor or teacher what you can improve upon in your recordings if you routinely find yourself not making it into casting pools. (For example, perhaps your skill level isn’t competitive enough with the other talent on the roster yet, or your recording setup has a lot of excess noise.) Continue to work hard and excel at what you do, and it’s possible that door may open again in the future. And even if it doesn’t, there are always other opportunities.
It is not the casting director’s job to give you feedback on your audition. Avoid asking “How was my audition?” or “Did you like the reads I sent on your last project?” Outside of the amateur voice acting sphere, it is extremely rare to get critique on an audition unless it’s specifically within the context of asking for a retake or callback. Most of the time, you will never know why you didn’t book a role and the simple answer is that the person casting felt another actor was most suited for that part. As mentioned above, if you’re truly concerned that your skills aren't up to par, ask for feedback from a more established peer, mentor, or coach. (Also, we all know that it’s easy to get impatient waiting for audition results, but please don’t ask if you got a part. “If you did get the role, you will be notified,” says Alex Justice.)
It's also not the casting director or client's job to hand-hold. It's okay to ask questions if you genuinely need clarification on something about the job, but avoid bothering them if your answers can be found on Google or on our Discord server. In regards to context on audition lines, most of the time what you see in the audition document is all you get, and even the casting director may not know any more than you do in regards to how and why that character would say that line. That is YOUR job to figure out as an actor. "Better to make a strong choice, even if it's the 'wrong' choice!"
Don’t brag on social media about the audition you just got. Even if you don’t explicitly sign an NDA, assume a closed audition or a casting is confidential unless stated otherwise. “If you're cast, great! You can gush about it all you want when the NDA lifts. If you're not cast, great! You can easily move on to the next one without getting too attached,” says Milan Saunders.
Respect the audition process. “Do not go up and beg a casting director for roles after the auditions are closed,” says Patrick Mealey. Think of it this way: Casting directors want to hire people who are skilled, experienced, and will make their job easy. Similarly, if they have stated auditions will be held in the future, don't slide into their DMs asking to be given priority. If someone pleads to “just be given a chance” rather than auditioning like everybody else, it gives the impression that that actor is desperate and therefore probably not very good.
If the job records from home, keep your audition quality on par with that of your final record. “Make sure your audition is representative of the kind of quality you will be able to deliver on,” says Michael Malconian. In other words, if you submit an audition from a friend’s soundproof booth with their fancy microphone, the clients won’t be happy if the files you turn in for the actual project come from a USB mic in your echoey room at home. On the flip side, if you’re away when the auditions come in, make a note that you’re recording the audition from your travel setup and, if possible, include an audio sample from your regular home studio.
Be upfront with potential major availability conflicts. If you plan to be out of town or otherwise unable to record during a good portion of the anticipated recording dates, be sure to note this info upfront in your audition e-mail. It puts the casting director in an awkward situation if they put you forward for the role only to find out you're not able to record, particularly if the client has a tight deadline. (Sometimes illnesses, emergencies and other unexpected things happen, and those are understandable---just communicate them as soon as possible if you can no longer make a session.)
Don't "bait-and-switch" when it comes to pay. If a rate is clearly stated in a casting notice, and you submit an audition, it is assumed that you are agreeing to work for that pay rate. If the casting director submits you to the end client and you are offered the job, but you then suddenly tell them you won't do it unless they raise the pay or change the union status, it puts the casting director in a bad position because they now look like the "bad guy" to their client. It can also make YOU as an actor look bad to the client, especially if they have to delay production on account of this. (Negotiating terms for future work past the initial installment is a different situation, and will depend on the circumstances of the project.)
During a casting call, avoid going behind the casting director’s back to pitch yourself to the client directly. Many times, clients will outsource the casting process because they don’t want to deal with listening to a million demos and audition files and reading a bunch of emails from actors—-they want to hear a few selects for each role that have already been screened for quality and fit the specs appropriately. If they have trusted a casting person or studio representative to handle the bulk of this process for them, it comes off as rude and inappropriate to attempt to “sneak in through the back door”. Sometimes networking directly with clients will happen naturally, which is fine, but if you deliberately attempt to bypass the people whose job it is to find the right actors to pitch to the client, you risk making both of you look bad.
Never, ever offer to do a paid job for free or cheaper if it means you get the part. This is one of the most hideously unprofessional things an aspiring actor can do, and I've seen game developers on Twitter talking about how they will blacklist an actor if they do this. Offering to undercut your colleagues to give yourself an edge in getting the role is not only unethical, it also insinuates that 1) you are so desperate to work that you're willing to bribe people, and 2) you don't think your work is good enough to be worth charging for. If you truly just want to voice act and don't care about the money, consider auditioning for some of the many unpaid hobby projects instead.
Don't submit if you (obviously) don't fit the specs. Sometimes, casting directors may post open calls on places like Twitter because they need to cast (for example) actors of a specific ethnicity or who speak a certain language, so they open the gates a bit more to find talent who fit these specifications. If you don't fit what they're currently asking for, it is NOT free reign to go ahead and send your demo anyway. Similarly, some casting calls that specifically state they are looking for actors from a given location to do in-studio recording will often get inundated with demos from actors offering to work remotely, when that isn't what they're looking for at the moment. It can be frustrating to feel like it's "not your time yet", but try not to sabotage yourself by submitting when it's not called for.
General Etiquette
Remember that your behavior reflects on the person who hired or referred you for the job. If you miss deadlines for no good reason, are notoriously difficult to work with, break NDAs or ask for more money after payment contracts have already been signed, the end client may go back to the casting director and say “what were you thinking, hiring this person?” If the end client is being unreasonable, a good casting director will often be willing to go to bat for a good actor, but if you’re the one being unreliable or demanding then it puts whomever hired or referred you in a negative light, and they may hesitate to do so again.
It's OK to be passionate, but maintain professionalism. If you approach a director the same way a fan at a convention would approach them, it may be harder to get them to take you seriously as an actor. Remember that they are a regular person just like you. Sincerely complimenting their work is perfectly fine, but treating them as a human being - as opposed to putting them up on a pedestal - will make them feel more comfortable around you.
Always follow proper protocol for referrals. Don’t forward auditions or give out the casting director’s e-mail address to your other actor friends unless you have permission to do so. If you see an audition that you think a friend would be great for, you may include a note in your e-mail to the casting director with something like “If you’re open to referrals, I think my friend Jane (www.JaneDoeVO.com) would be a great fit for this role as well. Her e-mail is jane@janedoevo.com in case you’d like to send her an audition.” If you are new to working with a casting director who is already very established, it may be best to hold off on the referrals until you build some kind of rapport with them. And of course, keep in mind that referring a friend means you are vouching for said friend's skill and professionalism.
Think very hard before you decide to “name and shame” a bad client or casting director. It’s not fun to be recast without being told or have to e-mail someone three times to chase down payment, but do your best to handle professional business behind closed doors. “Unless a contract is signed or work or compensation has been exchanged, nobody is obligated to anything,” says Steven W. Hunt. Other potential clients and casting directors may be hesitant to work with you if they see you badmouthing other clients on your public social media. Public callouts should be considered an absolute last resort, and keep in mind that once something's on the Internet, it can't really be taken back.
In Conclusion
Does this sound overwhelming? Don’t worry. It takes a long time to properly navigate business etiquette, and sometimes there’s no easy answer. Everyone makes mistakes, so don’t stress too much—-as long as it’s handled appropriately, a mistake usually isn’t the end of someone’s career, and many currently successful actors would be able to tell you horror stories about missteps they made early on in their careers! If all else fails, simply remember that your casting director is a person just like you. Respect their time, and treat them the way you would like to be treated if you were in their position.
Got something to add? We'd love to hear your tips and insight in the comments below!