Daniel Day-Lewis took a full five years off between his “There Will Be Blood” and “Lincoln” Oscars because hey, even the best actors need a break sometimes. You’ll probably want to win a few gold statues of your own before settling in for a half-decade hiatus, but there’s nothing wrong with scheduling a bit of personal time if you need it. First, you have to “book out.” Avoid icing out your agent or missing a major audition because you forgot this crucial task—here’s what it means, how to do it, and when you should.
Booking out is the industry term for declaring yourself unavailable for a specific block of time, during which your representation cannot book you for auditions, callbacks, or jobs. It’s the equivalent of putting a “do not disturb” sign on your door, or an “out of office” message in your inbox. Living as an actor can be tough, and booking out is a time where potential work takes a backseat to the other things you have going on.
In an industry as unpredictable as entertainment, it can feel scary to take time off. What if that big break is just around the corner? What if the perfect role opens up while you’re on vacation? What if you miss out on a huge paycheck, or accept the wrong job and a better one is out there? The “what ifs” are unending, but one thing is undeniable: you’ve got to take time off once in a while!
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There are as many reasons to book out as there are actors in the world. Which is to say: whatever reason you have is valid! Here are some of the most common reasons actors book out.
- You’ve booked a job: This is, undoubtedly, any actor’s favorite reason to book out, because it means you’re working on a film, television, or stage production.
- For a trip or vacation: Almost as exciting? You’re going on a trip. Vacations and time away from the daily grind are vital for mental and emotional well-being. You can’t draw from life experiences as an actor if you don’t experience life—and travel is a great opportunity to build a repertoire of adventures to pull from.
- Family events: If you’re a parent, your children will inevitably have do-not-miss events, like parent-teacher conferences, sporting events, and their own acting or music performances. Booking out days for family time will ensure no last-minute self-tapes get in the way of fully being there for your child.
- Medical reasons: Booking out for mental health reasons is just as important as doing so for a doctor’s appointment or surgery. Taking care of yourself is important, and devoting uninterrupted time to doing so will ensure you’re ready for whatever actorly challenge is thrown your way.
It’s also worth noting that if you know you won’t be available for the dates of a production, do not accept an audition for it. It’s common professional courtesy that ensures you stay in the good graces of all parties involved.
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- Find out your reps’ particular policy. Each agency or representative is likely to have different protocols for how to book out, so make sure you know what yours prefer. For most places, it’s as simple as sending an email or submitting a form online. Whatever their best practices are, it’s important to follow them to the letter, so no miscommunications happen and everyone is happy and informed.
- Figure out your timing. As soon as you know you’re going to need time off, determine the exact days and times you will be unavailable. It’s a general courtesy to give at least a week’s notice (ideally two) to your reps. Of course sometimes that is not possible, but the earlier you can make your team aware, the better.
- Notify all relevant parties. There are many people that help make an actor’s career—not just agents and managers—that need to know you’re officially booked out. If you’re booking out for any reason and no longer require the services of other team members in your personal and professional sphere, make sure they also know you will not be working at that time and your needs/schedule will change.
- Set reminders for yourself: Put your booked out time in your calendar, and set an email alert notifying people that you’re unavailable for work. When you organize your book outs correctly, everybody wins.
Whether you’re on summer vacation, celebrating a holiday, or off on a few months’ shoot in an exotic locale, the importance of booking out cannot be understated. Doing so demonstrates that you are dependable and reliable, even when you’re not available to work. So go ahead, take some time off. You’ve earned it!