There is one thing that has bugged me now for ages and i have never been able to get a definitive answer.
Does anyone out there know, when a CD is casting do they select auditionees based on the photo in front of them, or the experience in front of them on the cv/showreel, a combination of both
I am so frustrated, at the moment my modelling agent gets me castings every week, and i get a lot of good high profile work, but my heart lies with acting and i have had probably 2 auditions in 2 years, now surely although i am in no way comparing modeling as well as acting is based on face value, so my question is why do i get seen so frequently for modelling assignments yet a CD doesnt want to know?
I know they are different games but what is the major difference? My agent says it is because i dont have enough experience and modelling is just being a clothes horse so it is easy but i dont agree with that. I have been to jobs where i was up against 20 or 30 people plus even more in some instances and i have never been to an acting job with the same level of competition.
Maybe it is experience for Television etc but how do you get experiemce if it seems in my selfish little world haha that no one will even look at me, yet for modeling i have no trouble getting castings.
Anyone shed any light on this would appreciate advice or similar frustrations and experiences so i know i am not alone in this. My friend said that he has a friend who was signed up by PFD and she hasnt had an audition for 2 years either so maybe it is common
I think photos matter to the point where someone will want to see your CV, all it takes is one person to be looking for a new face and your away.
LUCK has an awful lot to do with.
You also need to take into account your castability at the moment. You are- like me, 26. For TV and film, you're too old to be playing grumpy teenagers and uni students, and things like Hollyoaks aren't really interested unless your under 24 anyway, regardless of how old you look. (Not that this is your aim, but they are big employers of younger actors- and good money.) You're too young to be playing a typical dad role and for the love interest in most things their likely to be wanting you to look early 30.
Stage stuff isn't as bad cos you can play younger for stage, plus auditions are more freely advertised. A lot of producing theatres are now publishing their casting details on line.
I say stick at it. A lot of people your casting age will be in the same position. With there not being much work around many people give up. Think of how many of your year ta college are no longrt in the business. The way I see it, if people drop out, when your time comes, there'll be less competition. And than they'll have to cast you. Hurrah!!
Fiona xx
PS. Your getting adverts by the look of things and that's more than most!
Ok when a CD is casting they have already spoken to the director about how he visions the producton from set design to costume to the overal feel and look and based on this they will know who/type of actor they are looking for.
when i have cast things for various productions i will always in my head and the actors will know this in advance before submitting, what i am looking for eg: Male 20-25, Tall, Stocky, Brown Hair.
you will then get unindated by 100's of photos - then like Mark Said its a simple game of Yes, No & Maybe - you filter based on looks then head the no's towards the bin, the maybes get a second galnce taking into account other factors such as does this production require my cast to play an instrument & does this instrument fit the producton, do my cast need to sing or have any other skills.
you then filter again through the yes and maybes, and again create a yes, no and maybe, you then invite for auditon, obviously there are eceptions to the rule, but just for the sher volume of Cv's that get sent you have to be lethal.
I think rejection is a major part in this and dont think that because a casting director hasnt seen you for one thing thay have forgotton about you, it amazing how many facesand names i have remebered because they wern't right for one project i have cast for , but were perfect for another.
As Actors it can get hard to constanly get rejected, but if you came into the profession with blinkered eyes then its always going to be hard when work doesnt come your way, the other reason may be that your cv that your sending to CD's is full of just modelling Jobs, the chances are why should they take time out to see you if all you have done is photo shoots? if that is the case go out and get experience do Fringe Theatre, do student films and get a showreel/portfolio too show your talents off. There is work out there, and if your determined enough you will get it!
A mix of both but I agree with Mark - photo first until you are a 'known entity'.
It sounds harsh but when you think about it, a CD will spend a mximum of 1 second looking at each headshot (if you are lucky enough to be in the pile to begin with). He/she will flick through the pile until they see either a) someone who perfectly fits what they see in their head b) someone who 'pops' out at them. It's the way it goes. One day you are right for something, another day you are not.
I know.....you are saying how do I get experience? You slog it out. You get a job that pays the bills and allows you time off for auditions/castings/shoots. If a non-paid but great opportunity comes up but then you get offered cash for doing the same old thing, you need to make a choice! That's when it gets really hard!
Do as much theatre as you can - even if it's free. Do as many student films as you can. Go to classes. Anything that shows you are trying to fill the gaps in your experience.
Then after that...cross your fingers and hope you are what they are looking for that day.
Welcome to our world. It's frustrating, it's demoralising, it's full of rejection, it's full of people that appear to always be doing better than you, it's hard, it's lonely and it's brill, it's creative and it's an amazing way to open yourself up...and by God it's the only world I want to be part of.
Keep your chin up, your morals safe and yourself grounded and you'll do fine.
Just curious...You have "The Guvnor" on your CV. How was this experience? I didn't know this film had actually gone ahead. There was quite a hoo-ha about it and the casting procedure seemed highly dodgy with interested auditionees being asked to sign up for potentially unlimited text messages at £1.50 a time. It was linked with something which looked like a scam called "Film Idol". Did it go well? Was the film ever finished/released? I can't find any information on it... I'd be interested to hear what your experience was like because you may want to consider how wise it is to have this on your CV. There was quite a lot of bad press surrounding it and Mr Montague... Of course I may have got hold of the wrong end of the stick entirely and it may be a different film in which case, sorry for bringing it up!
Hi! Re-read my post and realised it may not have come across as intended. What I'm getting at is: if you are finding you are not getting seen for acting jobs, having this film on your CV may not be doing you any favours. There really was quite a lot of bad press surrounding it and casting directors may well a) have heard about the bad press and the very dodgy casting procedure and b) suspect that it never actually got made ( Did it? Honestly?). In which case, having it as a credit ( even if you were involved in filming a section of it) is going to make you look a bit of a chancer. This is intended as advice/opinion not criticism by the way. I don't think it's ever a good idea to "enhance" a CV with credits which don't bear up to close scrutiny, because you never know who knows what!
I would say all of the above. A CD is looking for a character, not just a pretty face. It's a matter of whether you fit the role they are looking for.
For example, I was cruising this site a few days ago with a part in mind. It's a young man, 16-18, dark hair, boyish looks. Probably attractive enough for all the older women to want to adopt him and all the 12-year-olds to swoon a bit. But not necessarily model looks.
I put in the age and 90% of the photos that came up I took one look at them and said "late 20's" or "over thirty" and skimmed on. Marked a few for later reference. Some very nice looking young men crossed the pages, but they couldn't be this character. One inherent quality of the character is his youth, which will be compared to the lead character who is only around 30 himself.
So the criteria is different. Your agents job is to find roles that you might fit, not to place a pretty face as in modelling.
Your photo is important for making first impressions. Any that catch my eye, I look at additional photos. Not for how many make the actor look good, but for different aspects of that actor. Some of the first photos look too intense for a character that I want to ellicit sympathy, a 'winning' look. Some were obviously trying to look older, which might benefit for another role but worked against them for this one.
Someone who says they play 16 and has a two-day stubble photo will only convince me if one of the additional photos is clean shaven and boyish. The more variety you depict, the broader scope you might be considered for.
Another role I was looking around for, a female, I'm looking for something special in the eyes. I marked a couple for that one too, but many attractive women went by unmarked because they won't fit the role. Apart from strong cheekbones, I need someone for this one who can look like she's may well eat you. Literally. It's a matter of what the role requires.
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