It'd be great if they let us know either way

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	Topic: It'd be great if they let us know either way
Posted : 14/02/10 / Views : 823 / Replies : 7 /
Garytra 1 posts last on: 05/02/12 send private reply	Hi guys this is my first post on here, just posting a thread to vent a bit of frustration on the fact that if your non successful in an audition you vary rarly get notified, so altho they have prob cast within a few days, you end up sitting on tender hooks waiting for the phone to ring. im not really looking for advice or anything, tis just nice to have a gripe with like minded people :-)

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	Reply #1
Posted : 12/02/10
Jenna.Sharpe 209 posts last on: 08/02/12 send private reply	Welcome Gary. I do know what you mean however I have noticed this is happening more in other industries as well as acting. You used to apply for jobs and then get a letter saying if you were or were not successful. My friends and I have found that for a lot of applications we didn't hear anything, not even acknowledgement that they received the application! So while there are a lot of frustrating things about acting, and the lack of feedback is a big one, I think it is perhaps a reflection of the times. Many people seem to lack the care and attention to detail when it comes to their work! This is a shame as it tends to reflect badly on the organisation as a whole. When was the last time an employee went the extra mile for you as a customer? I am not sure I can remember a recent example. It is strange as you would think in the current job climate people would be keen to proove their worth so as to hold on to their jobs! But then we are also in a climate where everything has to be done ASAP and everyone has to meet TARGETS etc. Anyway I digress... If it is a casting via my agent I assume that if I don't hear pretty quickly after the audition, I didn't get the part. Everyone says CDs usually decide in the first 5 mins of you walking in to the casting so I doubt they need days to contemplate their choice and it is usually in their interest to notify/book someone asap.

Reply #1

Posted : 12/02/10

Jenna.Sharpe
209 posts
last on: 08/02/12
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Welcome Gary.
I do know what you mean however I have noticed this is happening more in other industries as well as acting.

You used to apply for jobs and then get a letter saying if you were or were not successful. My friends and I have found
that for a lot of applications we didn't hear anything, not even acknowledgement that they received the application!

So while there are a lot of frustrating things about acting, and the lack of feedback is a big one, I think it is perhaps a reflection of the times. Many people seem to lack the care and attention to detail when it comes to their work! This is a shame as it tends to reflect badly on the organisation as a whole.

When was the last time an employee went the extra mile for you as a customer? I am not sure I can remember a recent example. It is strange as you would think in the current job climate people would be keen to proove their worth so as to hold on to their jobs! But then we are also in a climate where everything has to be done ASAP and everyone has to meet TARGETS etc. Anyway I digress...

If it is a casting via my agent I assume that if I don't hear pretty quickly after the audition, I didn't get the part. Everyone says CDs usually decide in the first 5 mins of you walking in to the casting so I doubt they need days to contemplate their choice and it is usually in their interest to notify/book someone asap.

	Reply #2
Posted : 12/02/10
Madelaine.Beevers1 4 posts last on: 05/02/12 send private reply	Hey yeah I went to an audition on Tuesday and the director said that she would let me know either way. I was so shocked, I thought That's so kind. Now, thinking about it, its just common courtesy. I guess it depends on how many people they audition, if it's hundreds then I guess it's a bit of waste of time sending emails to people you DONT want in your production! Just one of those things...

	Reply #3
Posted : 12/02/10
BlakeJ 1437 posts last on: 08/02/12 send private reply	Ha, you think thats bad? You can get down to the last two for big auditions and you still dont get told. Or they say "We will let you know by this time." hah. you know they wont, but the hope is there. we've all been there....

	Reply #4
Posted : 13/02/10
Fay.Hennell 74 posts last on: 06/02/12 send private reply	I don't always expect to be notified anymore. It is common courtesy if you are seen for an audition for them to let you know but doesn't always happen. However I must admit to being more than a little miffed when I went for an audition and then a recall and was told "We will let you know either way"...only to never hear from them again! I think that is really rude.

	Reply #5
Posted : 13/02/10
classact1 229 posts last on: 01/02/12 send private reply	you can usually tell by time frames on jobs ...saves you waiting around

	Reply #6
Posted : 13/02/10
leeravitz 1544 posts last on: 29 min send private reply	There is no absolute rhyme or reason to this, and a lot actually depends upon the personal integrity of those who are controlling the production team. I have known some casting panels (remarkable as this may seem) who have clearly written personally to every single auditionee to inform them that, unfortunately, they have not been successful in their application, and the mail stating this has reached the inbox on the day that they said notification would be given by. So, it can happen, if the production team care about their 'quality of service' enough! It is certainly true (and probably unreasonable of you) to assume any massively scaled production will have time or energy to inform you if you have NOT been successful, if they have 50 other applicants, say, that they would need to inform of the same thing, and, frankly, in that situation, you just need to assume you will hear if successful and forget about the job otherwise. Of course, when you know the panel is only seeing five people, rather than 50, for the part, it doesn't seem to be much to expect them to inform you whether or not you have been successful in your application! Many, many production setups still don't. I think all that can be safely said is that a tradition of decency and common politeness that probably once prevailed in this industry has become totally eroded in the modern day, and, whatever excuses people may use about being overburdened with 'demands on their time' etc., the real reason that the majority do not respond to you once they have seen you at audition is because they see it as a waste of time that might be better spent doing something to their own benefit. This may even occur in cases where the production team are happy to keep your details on file because they were impressed with the performance and might want to work with you in the future (though, truth to tell, in my experience, those sorts of people DO get back to you in some capacity the majority of the time, because they wish to ensure there are no 'hard feelings' and you are left feeling kindly disposed towards them, should they wish to call on your services in the future). A lot of lip service is paid to ensuring people that they 'will hear'; the more honest actually use formulations like 'We will make a decision by such and such a time,' which is actually quite straightforward, because all it means is that they intend on casting by a certain date, and, the implication is, you will hear if they are interested, and, otherwise, should assume they are not. Generally, the worst offenders in the 'We'll let everyone know by...' stakes are not the actual directors or producers (who don't tend to pussyfoot around with you, and have made calculations almost as soon as you step into the room), but those who are serving as assistants at the audition, and whose role is, to a large extent, to ensure the whole day runs smoothly, and that the director is not troubled. The higher up the ladder you get, the more glib the assistant's reply tends to be if you ask them, and, frankly, it's not worth the bother - their job is to say 'yes, you'll be notified' with a polite smile, even if they have not the faintest clue how the director is actually going to manage the casting process, and they are only in place to make sure you go away reassured. So, don't take what they say to heart. By and large, this is just a matter of biting on the bullet, assuming most companies won't bother to get back to you, your agent etc. unless they are interested in actually casting you (or recalling you), and allowing yourself to be suitably gracious if they bother to do so (I always send a polite thank you back to anyone who has taken the time to write a personal note to me informing that I haven't been selected for casting, even if I've assumed this for weeks, anyway). It can be frustrating when you are waiting on uncertain replies, and you are running the risk of passing on jobs in case you may land other jobs, and I think it's then that not being told one way or the other rankles most - but, to be honest, you can always force their hand in this situation by demanding a definite yes or no (an agent can sometimes be a great boon in this situation).

Reply #6

Posted : 13/02/10

leeravitz
1544 posts
last on: 29 min
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There is no absolute rhyme or reason to this, and a lot actually depends upon the personal integrity of those who are controlling the production team. I have known some casting panels (remarkable as this may seem) who have clearly written personally to every single auditionee to inform them that, unfortunately, they have not been successful in their application, and the mail stating this has reached the inbox on the day that they said notification would be given by. So, it *can* happen, if the production team care about their 'quality of service' enough!

It is certainly true (and probably unreasonable of you) to assume any massively scaled production will have time or energy to inform you if you have NOT been successful, if they have 50 other applicants, say, that they would need to inform of the same thing, and, frankly, in that situation, you just need to assume you will hear if successful and forget about the job otherwise. Of course, when you know the panel is only seeing five people, rather than 50, for the part, it *doesn't* seem to be much to expect them to inform you whether or not you have been successful in your application! Many, many production setups still don't.

I think all that can be safely said is that a tradition of decency and common politeness that probably once prevailed in this industry has become totally eroded in the modern day, and, whatever excuses people may use about being overburdened with 'demands on their time' etc., the real reason that the majority do not respond to you once they have seen you at audition is because they see it as a waste of time that might be better spent doing something to their own benefit. This may even occur in cases where the production team are happy to keep your details on file because they were impressed with the performance and might want to work with you in the future (though, truth to tell, in my experience, those sorts of people DO get back to you in some capacity the majority of the time, because they wish to ensure there are no 'hard feelings' and you are left feeling kindly disposed towards them, should they wish to call on your services in the future).

A lot of lip service is paid to ensuring people that they 'will hear'; the more honest actually use formulations like 'We will make a decision by such and such a time,' which is actually quite straightforward, because all it means is that they intend on casting by a certain date, and, the implication is, you will hear if they are interested, and, otherwise, should assume they are not. Generally, the worst offenders in the 'We'll let everyone know by...' stakes are not the actual directors or producers (who don't tend to pussyfoot around with you, and have made calculations almost as soon as you step into the room), but those who are serving as assistants at the audition, and whose role is, to a large extent, to ensure the whole day runs smoothly, and that the director is not troubled. The higher up the ladder you get, the more glib the assistant's reply tends to be if you ask them, and, frankly, it's not worth the bother - their job is to say 'yes, you'll be notified' with a polite smile, even if they have not the faintest clue how the director is *actually* going to manage the casting process, and they are only in place to make sure you go away reassured. So, don't take what they say to heart.

By and large, this is just a matter of biting on the bullet, assuming most companies won't bother to get back to you, your agent etc. unless they are interested in actually casting you (or recalling you), and allowing yourself to be suitably gracious if they bother to do so (I always send a polite thank you back to anyone who has taken the time to write a personal note to me informing that I haven't been selected for casting, even if I've assumed this for weeks, anyway).

It can be frustrating when you are waiting on uncertain replies, and you are running the risk of passing on jobs in case you may land other jobs, and I think it's then that not being told one way or the other rankles most - but, to be honest, you can always force their hand in this situation by demanding a definite yes or no (an agent can sometimes be a great boon in this situation).

	Reply #7
Posted : 14/02/10
KeithHill 158 posts last on: 07/02/12 send private reply	Actually,,I can't ever remember it being that different. the other thing that annoys is of course the corollary: keeping silent for six weeks, then ringing up with an offer and getting hissy when they find you've taken something else....

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