Been having a discussion with a friend on this and thought I'd see what all your thoughts are.
If you don't make the final cut of a film/commercial/TV show etc etc is it still acceptable to put it as a credit on your CV, having been cast, gone to shoot, been paid for the job etc even though you will never be seen?
I think if you have been cast and paid and done the job then it is perfectly legitimate to list the credit. Also, thses days with film and TV, once the DVD is released, there are always deleted scenes, so you probably will be able to show the evidence (not commercials though).
Tough one - you did the work and in previous threads it has been suggested that if you do the work it counts. We all put credits down for films and pilots etc that never get taken up and so never "seen". Come on other ccp'ers - what are your thoughts thoughts?
Yea, I'm of the same view (or that it shouldn't go on at all), however the person I was discussing with disagreed.
His view was that you often don't know until a lot later (sometimes months, as has happened in his case,) that you're not going to be seen. Should we all therefore wait until we receive a copy of something before we add a credit to our CV to confirm we were actually shown? I wonder how many people have actually gone and deleted credits when/if they realised they weren't seen.
What about if you're seen in a 'deleted scenes' section of a DVD?
Sorry my last response was a bit confusing, my first sentence should have read, if you know at the time you're not going to be seen, then you should make it clear or possibly not put it on....
It's a good point Danni....I say def put them on! You were auditioned....you were cast....and you did the job. Not your fault if you don't make the final cut! Casting directors/producers and agents are very sensible ....they understand the business so much better than we think. Ending up on the cutting room floor is a pain...but you were still trusted with the job! (unless you know full well its down to an appalling performance of course!)
If however, you were auditioned ...cast...but then cancelled without doing the job....that should not be listed on a CV.
A CV is a list of work completed…not an editing list. If you were not in the credits…well then one assumes your role was so small it aint worth mentioning anyway or it was an extras role maybe? Normally all "contracted" parts however small will end up in the credits.
I fully agree Mark .. ( and answer your bloody mail ) .... the other side of the coin being ... not totally happy with the production, I asked for my name to be removed from the credits .. duly done ... but still receive residuals as a leading character !!.
Bad comparison "Mr Puddy Tat"...stage is live performance...and can't be edited…so that's that analogy straight out the cat flap!! BOING!!
Who goes to the trouble of looking at a whole film to check out one person's performance….come off it!! You will more than likely be getting an audition because of a combination of your agent…your CV and your reel!!
This is very simple…you were entrusted by the director/producers to do the job as credited on your CV, and if you did all that - where is the cheat? They might say at the casting…I saw that film who were you? ….and you tell them the truth: you did the job...but unfortunately you were cut from the final movie. If they know their stuff, they will also appreciate how this has happened to many excellent actors over the years; it's quite common, especially in the bigger movies. Also Directors can talk to one another to confirm your ability and integrity…..but again they will have directed you at the casting and found that out for themselves.
As I said earlier, if you were "cast" but did not do the work at all because of cancellation….then fine it should not be listed...because you have not done the work, but a CV is a list of your completed work experience, and the directors who have directed you.
Although I'm not sure what the proper form of listing the role would be (without making it sound slightly hopeless - i.e. 'did not appear' etc.), I can see the point of Mark's initial argument. You should not necessarily be denied the credit, in my opinion, given that the casting and the work were all put in, but you *do* mislead if you imply that the actual performance was more significant to the finished product than it actually was. I have undertaken, for instance, prelim work (test footage shooting/ Green Screen work etc.) for some big budget feature franchises, and feel it is my right to list the credits and the connection to the projects (I don't list most of them, in fact, because of confidentiality agreements!). But my point is that I would never suggest I had played the actual part listed in the finished feature - I would instead specify 'VFX Tests Only' or 'Green Screen Stand In' or something that is basically the truth about the level of my involvement in the project's fruition. True, the situation of having played the actual, scripted part and then ending up on the cutting room floor is less obvious; but there may still be formulas that can be used to indicate something of what was done with the material without causing you to lose too much face - 'DVD Extras Only'; 'DVD Version Only'; 'Unused Character'; 'Deleted Character'; 'Not final Cut'...I don't really know, but I would say there are possibilities for being honest without seeming to belittle your own achievement.
If it's a prestigious film or TV project then you've done well to be cast and can show a level of experience that can stand you in good stead for further prestigious work. Look, you've done the work in the same way that a bricklayer has laid bricks, you should be able to credit yourself if you choose.
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