Twittergate...good lesson

NY actors are buzzing about the unprofesssionalism of a casting person who tweeted during an recent casting session. Real time tweets about actors being auditioned were sent out for the twit world to see.

First, let's all try to get over the shock of finding out that casting people are human, and at times unprofessional. That someone would take the time to secretly tweet about what was happening in front of them as artists were trying their best to perform the text/song at hand is surely disrespectful. But really...is this a shock? Casting directors and assistants get just as jaded as actors and they too disrespect the process at times. Actors..have you ever stepped in an audition and took your discomfort for the process out on the people watching you? I have.

So, let's be sure we don't  lose the great lesson in this "scandal."  there is much to learn from the content of the tweets. The few I read were about things that actors can control. It wasn't like it was an all out assault on tall girls or guys who wear blue, it was things about the artists in the room that can, and should, be avoided.

In my book I talk about the things in an audition that you can control. One tweet was- “If we want to see it another way, we’ll ask you, now get out” or something to that effect. Hear the lesson, not the insult. It's good advice. Do your work and leave. The people in the audition are looking for a solution to a problem. If they see an inkling of opportunity in you toward that solution, they will investigate. They know you’re an actor and capable of doing more than one thing with a piece of text. Can you see how pointing out the obvious might feel like an insult to them?

More importantly, ask yourself why you would do that? What makes you offer more than your reading, at the end of your reading? Could it be you think you left something out? Or are you just being a full service actor complete with the helpful information that they should know you‘re capable of much, much, more? Maybe you think increasing your time in the room will increase your chances of being loved for the part?

Then there was this tweet- “who is in this picture? because it isn’t the girl in front of me”  another controllable embarrassment.

Yes, you’ve been told over and over “get in the door!”  but I say it’s better to get BACK in the door after you’ve been there the first time than it is to get in on a premise that makes your return a long shot. Have a headhsot that looks like you when you walk through the door. That’s a choice you make. Why are you sending in a picture that would make someone secretly tweet “Who is this person…?”

You may be saying right now,  "I get a lot of calls with this picture, and not so many with this one, so I go with the one that opens doors and I don't care if it looks like me or not."  Okay. How's that working for you? Are you making it back into places that were looking for your type after they saw that your picture was the right type but your real life appearance isn't? Do they still call you in based on your reading, regardless of the mislead of your picture?  If so, then I'm wrong in your case, but I bet you I'm right more than I'm wrong about this. In fact I know I am.

This scandal isn’t that big a deal, but gosh what insight this casting person gave us.  We can make better choices about how we effect that casting world and our careers. Our talent should be the thing we don’t control, let that fly every which way to grow and deepen. The mechanics of auditioning however are controllable. Take advantage of the few things you have influence over, and let your influence be the thing you leave behind. 

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This scandal isn’t that big a deal, but gosh what insight this casting person gave us. We can make better choices about how we effect that casting world and our careers. Our talent should be the thing we don’t control, let that fly every which way to grow and deepen. The mechanics of auditioning however are controllable. Take advantage of the few things you have influence over, and let your influence be the thing you leave behind.

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Our stormwater service fees and other water utility costs keep rising. Why? Just so many people in Durham, right? No. Not exactly. The reason Durham will have to spend $300,000 to $700,000 to comply with the Jordan Lake clean-up rule: development, all of it. And as Raleigh presses the State to come up with a similar rule for its main drinking water supply, Falls, guess who is going to be paying the most to clean-up the lake as well? Durham. It is not unreasonable to say Durham is going to have to kick-in over $1 billion dollars to fix all the waterways in county it has impaired due to its fast growth. Waterways impaired with sediment, fecal coliform from human and domestic waste, nitrogen, metals, etc. Durham is not worried about it though. Who cares if the evidence shows these pollutants increasing as they and the developers collect all the money? After all, why should they worry? They will just fix it by continuing to raise water, sewer and stormwater fees. Durham makes money, developers make money, and once again the tax payers get screwed. And I guess if you are not in on the game, you get fired too. wllv20111108