...And so we begin..

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It will be made up of mostly stories that may have happened that I hope to share so you can get a feel for the other side of the desk.

....Self Submission

So last Friday, it was Good Friday and well kinda slow, Breakdowns was on the fritz and it was the Friday before a Holiday so I was doing basic admin stuff, when I got this text asking where should I send the script. Now, I get a LOT of texts from various numbers saying thank you please reach out to confirm, we'd like to have you audition and anything else that production would say to talent. Most of the time I do not respond to them. I am typically too busy to take on people who don't care to utilize an agency to begin with. But like I said, it was slow.

So I text them to send the script to me and who it needed to go to. I sent it to the actor, who them called me to tell me he self submitted on Backstage because he hadn't been getting any work as of late and was getting a little nervous. This was a $200/day job. I honestly was bit surprised he was self submitting, he was one of bigger bookers...but it has been unusually slow this first quarter. He recently moved from an area where he was a Big Fish in a Small Pond to Small Fish in one of the Biggest Oceans in the world..so maybe that might have something to do with it... So he asked for productions email so he could bow out from the job and that was that. I was out the door by 6pm...not bad..

Easter morning, as I was traveling to my sister's house, my phone kept ringing with a number I was not familiar with. Then another number. I checked the text messages associated with it and realized it was the number of this person who had sent the script. Oh Frig, I thought, the actor never got in touch with them or their was a miscommunication and now it was somehow on my lap... After the 3rd call I picked up, the man on the other end asked for the actor and then how to get in touch with him. Even though, this wasn't my project, the ultimate goal is to protect the actor...I asked if he confirmed with the actor. He did, they said. How, I asked? By phone. Then I suggest you use that same number to try to reach back out to him. They asked me to reach out to him and I replied, I am sorry, you didn't request the use of an agency. Maybe Backstage can help. I am sorry this is happening to you but it is Easter I am going to have dinner with my family. And that was it.

Actors are often advised to be proactive in their careers, to hustle, and to never wait for opportunities to come to them. In many cases, this means self-submitting to casting calls and auditions, even when they are already represented by an agent. While this may seem like a good idea on the surface, it can actually have negative consequences for both the actor and the agent.

When an actor decides to self-submit, they are essentially going around their agent and trying to secure opportunities on their own. This can be seen as a lack of trust in the agent's abilities or a lack of communication between the actor and agent. It can also create confusion for casting directors, who may receive multiple submissions for the same actor from different sources.

From the agent's perspective, self-submitting can be seen as a lack of faith in their ability to secure auditions and opportunities for their clients. It can also create extra work for the agent, who may have to spend time tracking down the casting director to make sure the actor is being considered for the role.

Additionally, if an actor is successful in securing a role through self-submission, it can create a tricky situation for the agent in terms of negotiating contracts and commission. If the agent was not involved in the process of securing the role, it may be difficult for them to negotiate a fair commission rate.

So, what should actors do instead of self-submitting? The best approach is to communicate openly and frequently with your agent. Let them know your goals and aspirations, and work together to develop a strategy for achieving them. Trust in your agent's abilities and their connections in the industry, and give them the chance to do their job.

If you are feeling frustrated with the number or quality of auditions you are getting, talk to your agent about what you can do to improve your chances. Maybe you need to work on your craft or update your headshots and resume. Whatever the case may be, your agent is there to help you succeed, and they are in a much better position to do so than you are on your own.

One last self submission story happened the end of 2019. We were pitching talent for a commercial for a National Bank ad. One caveat, the bank didn't want anyone with ads running in banking. This one kid who had been with with me for a while, I pitched him, only to find out that he had self submitted on his own (even though he had an exclusive contract) for a local bank for $300.00 and signed away in perpetuity ultimately taking himself out of the Baking industry. Brilliant... On the other hand, I booked one person in the ad which helped him survive the pandemic and just this year we renewed the spot for close to $100,000.

You hire a team for a reason. If you are unhappy about something, talk to your team. If you want to just work to work ( which is usually the reason for self submissions) and you have no real plan in place for your career, that is fine too. Talk to your agent. I have a couple of talent that I work with like that, they self submit a lot but send me EVERYTHING to make sure it is all good before signing and I of course submit them for other things as well. That to me is teamwork.