[FAQ] Why is a deadline required for posted casting calls?
Feb 21, 2017 20:54:52 GMT -8
Rebekah Amber Clark, Brittany Ann Phillips, and 4 more like this
Post by Lady Stardust ★ on Feb 21, 2017 20:54:52 GMT -8
This has been an ongoing source of confusion both here and on the old boards - you may wonder about it when seeing it in the audition rules, or be confused as to "why it matters" when a moderator asks you to fix your post to include a deadline. Although we've written a bit about deadlines in the audition rules topic, I'm hoping this thread will address any additional clarification needed regarding the need for deadlines.
Quite simply, a deadline is an indicator of how long interested voice actors have to submit auditions for your project.
It does not mean you have to cast right on that date. It is common to take a few days to a week or two to cast. It just means that this is the date when you will stop accepting auditions, and anything submitted up until that date will be considered.
Deadlines can always be EXTENDED, but they should not be shortened (except in emergency circumstances or with plenty of notice given.)
(On a side note, there is a P2P-style site that casts on a "lottery" basis of who sees the posting first and submits an audition...and needless to say, the quality or lack thereof is quite apparent in the reads chosen.)
Q: What if I set a deadline, but that day hits and I still haven't found what I'm looking for?
A: Extending the deadline is always okay! You can either do a full extension, where you allow more time to submit for any and all characters, or a partial extension, where you cast the parts whom you HAVE found fitting reads for, while leaving the others open for another round. Both have their pros and cons so it's up to you which type of extension you'd like to give. We recommend starting with an additional week for an extension, but of course it's up to your project and timeline.
Q: I need the voices ASAP...does "ASAP" count as a valid deadline?
A: No. "ASAP" is not specific. By "ASAP", how soon exactly do you mean? One day? Two days? Casting happens quickly these days and we realize that short deadlines are sometimes necessary, which is why they are acceptable as long as you are specific. However, the longer you're willing to wait, the more auditions you'll have a shot at receiving, which is why we encourage people not to put off voice casting until the absolute last minute. If you need auditions within 24 hours, or 48 hours...say so in your post. Otherwise, people may see the post and not know if they can still submit something.
Q: The deadline hasn't passed yet, but I've found the perfect voice for one of my characters. Can I just close that part?
A: Please do not do this. Even if you think you may have found someone incredibly fitting, 1) it's not fair to the other actors who may still be looking to submit, and 2) while it's entirely possible this actor WILL end up being your best choice for the role, it is also entirely possible that someone with an even more fitting voice or better acting will come along and submit something closer to the deadline. It's best to just wait it out, and THEN make a decision.
Q: Are there limits to how long or short a deadline can be?
A: The preferred minimum is 24 hours. However, we realize that sometimes emergency circumstances arise where a voiceover is needed immediately, perhaps in as little as a few hours. Very short deadlines are acceptable in cases like these, but please be specific with the availability required. For extreme rush jobs, you may wish to have people audition with the full script so that you may use the audition as the final read with the person selected.
As for upper limits...just be realistic. A year is not a realistic deadline---your project will get buried on the boards and people will lose interest by then. Though it's not a hard and fast rule, we don't recommend making your initial deadline longer than a month...remember, you can always extend if you don't find what you're looking for.
Q: I don't really care when the deadline is as I'm not in a hurry to finish my project. What should I put down?
A: 1 week for paid projects and 2 weeks for unpaid projects is a good bet in this case. You may always extend if you don't find what you're looking for.
Q: An actor requested an extension on the deadline. Do I have to grant it?
A: It's not required, though if you are able to do so without significantly messing up your production schedule, it is a courteous thing to do and the actor will appreciate it. You may wish to grant an extension to only the actor(s) who requested it, in which case, you may mark the thread as "closed" on the board but accept their auditions when e-mailed.
Q: If I can't decide between a few actors by the time the deadline hits, can I do callbacks?
A: Yes. We recommend contacting your actors privately via e-mail with additional lines and direction for the callbacks.
Q: I cast someone but they ended up being unable to do the part. Do I need to hold auditions again or can I just choose the next best person who submitted?
A: It's up to you, but having an "understudy" in mind for each role is a great idea so that you have a backup in case one of your actors goes MIA. If it's been a very long time since you initially cast your project and need to find a replacement, holding auditions for the recast might bring in some additional options. Otherwise, you can simply go through your received auditions again and simply contact another person whose read you liked for that role, or even scout around for demo reels. (Of course, we always recommend doing your best to contact your original actor first---recasting should be a last resort!)
In the end, we realize that we cannot micromanage your project, and people will find ways to cast however they feel like. However, we wish to help ensure that the process is both fair for the voice actors who volunteer their time on this site and also that you find the best fit for your project. We also realize that many content creators may not have experience casting and working with voice talent, so we hope to facilitate a fair and efficient casting process. Please assist us in abiding by the rules for posting casting calls!
If you have any additional questions regarding deadlines and casting etiquette, feel free to post them in this thread.
Quite simply, a deadline is an indicator of how long interested voice actors have to submit auditions for your project.
It does not mean you have to cast right on that date. It is common to take a few days to a week or two to cast. It just means that this is the date when you will stop accepting auditions, and anything submitted up until that date will be considered.
Deadlines can always be EXTENDED, but they should not be shortened (except in emergency circumstances or with plenty of notice given.)
Q: Do I need to put the time or just the date?
A: Just the date is technically acceptable, BUT we highly recommend including the time and time zone so that there is no confusion. Remember that people auditioning will be from all different time zones, including other countries, so "end of day Monday" can mean lots of different things to different people. An example of a nice, specific deadline: "Auditions will be accepted until Friday, March 1, at 6:00 pm Pacific Time."
Q: I'm anxious to get my project started. Why can't I just cast the first person who turns something in?
A: This is unfair for a number of reasons. We have voice talent who live all over the world, in different time zones and with different work schedules. Casting should ideally come down to the person who is most fitting for the role, but casting first-come-first-serve essentially turns it into a lottery by means of who happens to see the board at that moment and jump on it first. Without any sort of ample time given, people may feel compelled to rush through their auditions in hopes of simply getting there first, but with a proper audition process, they can take their time to make a quality audition and ensure their reads will actually be heard. It's also better for YOU as a content creator, because by allowing auditions from a variety of actors to actually come in, you can make a selection as to who you think fits the role best.(On a side note, there is a P2P-style site that casts on a "lottery" basis of who sees the posting first and submits an audition...and needless to say, the quality or lack thereof is quite apparent in the reads chosen.)
Q: What if I set a deadline, but that day hits and I still haven't found what I'm looking for?
A: Extending the deadline is always okay! You can either do a full extension, where you allow more time to submit for any and all characters, or a partial extension, where you cast the parts whom you HAVE found fitting reads for, while leaving the others open for another round. Both have their pros and cons so it's up to you which type of extension you'd like to give. We recommend starting with an additional week for an extension, but of course it's up to your project and timeline.
Q: I need the voices ASAP...does "ASAP" count as a valid deadline?
A: No. "ASAP" is not specific. By "ASAP", how soon exactly do you mean? One day? Two days? Casting happens quickly these days and we realize that short deadlines are sometimes necessary, which is why they are acceptable as long as you are specific. However, the longer you're willing to wait, the more auditions you'll have a shot at receiving, which is why we encourage people not to put off voice casting until the absolute last minute. If you need auditions within 24 hours, or 48 hours...say so in your post. Otherwise, people may see the post and not know if they can still submit something.
Q: The deadline hasn't passed yet, but I've found the perfect voice for one of my characters. Can I just close that part?
A: Please do not do this. Even if you think you may have found someone incredibly fitting, 1) it's not fair to the other actors who may still be looking to submit, and 2) while it's entirely possible this actor WILL end up being your best choice for the role, it is also entirely possible that someone with an even more fitting voice or better acting will come along and submit something closer to the deadline. It's best to just wait it out, and THEN make a decision.
Q: Are there limits to how long or short a deadline can be?
A: The preferred minimum is 24 hours. However, we realize that sometimes emergency circumstances arise where a voiceover is needed immediately, perhaps in as little as a few hours. Very short deadlines are acceptable in cases like these, but please be specific with the availability required. For extreme rush jobs, you may wish to have people audition with the full script so that you may use the audition as the final read with the person selected.
As for upper limits...just be realistic. A year is not a realistic deadline---your project will get buried on the boards and people will lose interest by then. Though it's not a hard and fast rule, we don't recommend making your initial deadline longer than a month...remember, you can always extend if you don't find what you're looking for.
Q: I don't really care when the deadline is as I'm not in a hurry to finish my project. What should I put down?
A: 1 week for paid projects and 2 weeks for unpaid projects is a good bet in this case. You may always extend if you don't find what you're looking for.
Q: An actor requested an extension on the deadline. Do I have to grant it?
A: It's not required, though if you are able to do so without significantly messing up your production schedule, it is a courteous thing to do and the actor will appreciate it. You may wish to grant an extension to only the actor(s) who requested it, in which case, you may mark the thread as "closed" on the board but accept their auditions when e-mailed.
Q: If I can't decide between a few actors by the time the deadline hits, can I do callbacks?
A: Yes. We recommend contacting your actors privately via e-mail with additional lines and direction for the callbacks.
Q: I cast someone but they ended up being unable to do the part. Do I need to hold auditions again or can I just choose the next best person who submitted?
A: It's up to you, but having an "understudy" in mind for each role is a great idea so that you have a backup in case one of your actors goes MIA. If it's been a very long time since you initially cast your project and need to find a replacement, holding auditions for the recast might bring in some additional options. Otherwise, you can simply go through your received auditions again and simply contact another person whose read you liked for that role, or even scout around for demo reels. (Of course, we always recommend doing your best to contact your original actor first---recasting should be a last resort!)
In the end, we realize that we cannot micromanage your project, and people will find ways to cast however they feel like. However, we wish to help ensure that the process is both fair for the voice actors who volunteer their time on this site and also that you find the best fit for your project. We also realize that many content creators may not have experience casting and working with voice talent, so we hope to facilitate a fair and efficient casting process. Please assist us in abiding by the rules for posting casting calls!
If you have any additional questions regarding deadlines and casting etiquette, feel free to post them in this thread.