Q: Is it a big no to direct message directors, casting directors, or talent agents on social media? If not, what is the proper way to DM them if you’re interested in working with them on future projects? —@JenVoiceActor*
Thank you for your great question. The short answer is: Every director, casting director, and talent agent is different. There is no hard and fast rule. But, in general, I’d recommend you avoid messaging them on social media. Follow them, like their content, comment on pictures and tweets—but keep it related to their individual posts.
If a casting director or talent agent uses their social media to advertise auditions or jobs, there’s more freedom to DM them there. However, be sure to read everything they wrote in that post before messaging them, because the post should tell you how to contact them about that project, as well as any other pertinent information about the job. Reading closely can help you avoid asking a question that’s been answered in the post.
It’s always great to research who you’re auditioning for or who you want to work with, and social media does play a role in that. But unless it’s clear they accept questions or messages on those platforms, I’d suggest sticking with a more formal approach—especially when DMing a director. It can be perceived as unprofessional to reach out to a director about a job, because there’s already a system in place for casting those roles. That system isn’t there to hinder you from opportunities but to aid communication between you and a project.
All that said, it’s not a “big no” or improper to message them on social media platforms, but you may risk missing out on actually auditioning for them. Not because they’ll see your DM and think, Wow, that’s unprofessional, but because your message will probably get lost among hundreds of similar messages.
You have better chances when you go through the channels like Backstage that are set up for actors and casting directors. All of the information about who to contact, when the production is going to run, where it’s going to be filmed, and more can be found in Backstage’s casting calls and auditions.
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This story originally appeared in the August 22 issue of Backstage Magazine. Subscribe here.
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The views expressed in this article are solely that of the individual(s) providing them,
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Backstage or its staff.
