DEAR JACKIE:
Are there rules as to how many callbacks a child actor can be asked to return for? If the child is Equity, is he or she paid for these additional callbacks? If the child is put on hold, what does that mean in terms of taking other work or compensation?
—Carol
via the Internet
DEAR CAROL:
As grueling as it can become to do read after read, it seems there are no rules restricting the number of callbacks a producer can hold—whether casting adult or child talent. Fortunately, when working under an Actors' Equity Association contract, producers must compensate talent after a certain number of callbacks, but there's no easy rule to go by as to when such funds start accruing. According to Equity, it varies from contract to contract: "For example," writes a union representative in an email, "under the Production Contract [see Rule 5, Section A-2-e-ii], auditions and/or readings, excluding initial interviews/auditions, shall be limited to four in number for an Equity performer, and said performer shall be compensated at the rate of one-eighth minimum salary for each reading and/or audition over four to which the performer is called. In [5-A-2-e-vii], an hourly rate kicks in if you are kept at a callback for more than three hours. Chorus receives compensation starting with the fourth callback. LORT [League of Resident Theatres] requires payments starting with the fourth callback, and TYA [Theatre for Young Audiences] requires payments starting with the third callback."
Whew! I'm exhausted just reading that list, let alone auditioning that many times. As you can see, there's no one-size-fits-all answer to your question—even just within Equity's jurisdiction. The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists have other rules to sort through. So the most accurate answer to the first part of your question will keep you on your toes: When in doubt, check with your union.
As for passing up other jobs or being compensated while you stand by for an Equity job? There's no specific provision governing actors' on-hold status under the union's collective bargaining agreement, meaning such arrangements are done on a case-by-case basis. Generally, being on hold or "on avail" just means you are in serious consideration for the role and producers are asking you to keep the production dates clear as a courtesy. In other words, they aren't paying, and you should keep auditioning for other jobs. Usually you will be cast or released from a hold within a week or so. If you get another offer in the meantime, you or your representative should call the producers who have you on hold and—assuming you prefer that first job—give them a chance to hire you before you accept the other gig. If you prefer the second gig, you should still call the holding producers to gracefully back out of your standby position.
DEAR JACKIE:
What is the best way to stay current on who is casting television shows? I notice when I do a Web search that there are often several offices listed for some of the various shows, and if I go to the helpful actor sites that have listings, I have a tough time trusting them, because I don't know when they were updated. Sometimes I try to cross-reference on the Web, but this doesn't really tell me what's going on right now.
The last thing I want to do is submit my materials, tell them to call my agent, and then have them say to themselves, "Idiot, I cast that last month; so-and-so has the remaining episodes." Do you have any suggestions for keeping current? I feel Ross Reports is hard to rely on.
—Michael
via the Internet
DEAR MICHAEL:
Casting information changes so frequently that there really is no one-stop bible of facts you can trust to be 100 percent current. As quickly as the information is printed (or uploaded to the Web), it becomes outdated. Because casting directors put out breakdowns to agents and managers and get most of their submissions that way, they aren't as eager to get their current information out to the general acting public as you might like. A publication or individual trying to collect this information will need to engage in a little detective work.
You mentioned wariness about Ross Reports, and I assume that's because it isn't updated as often as you'd like. Ross Reports is published every other month, and it does targeted issues covering television casting a few times per year. For example, this year the May-June guide details information on comedy casting and personal managers. The July-August issue will cover cable, and September-October will focus on fall network television. So although the information may be hot off the presses then, what should you do beforehand or as November comes around? If you want the most up-to-the-minute, comprehensive listing, you'll need to cross-reference.
The Hollywood Reporter and Variety include production charts on their websites, but many of the listings lack casting information. BackStage.com, on the other hand, lists current shows with casting data intact. Go to www.backstage.com, click on "Search Casting" and then "Production Listings." In addition, Back Stage updates its production charts weekly in print. There are other websites, as you mentioned, but the list is long and uneven in quality.
If you are looking for TV listings in Los Angeles, check out CastingAbout.com. Co-owner Brian Wold gave me a bit of history of the site in an email: "My business partner, Blair Hickey, is an actor, and the idea for CastingAbout sprang up as he was doing his best to use existing guidebooks and preprinted mailing labels to send out post cards. His frustrations with outdated information, difficulties in cross-referencing people with projects, and the expense of buying multiple guides and labels finally got to be too much; he started using his free time to research and develop his own list. One day we realized that he had the makings of a service that could benefit other actors who were trying to promote themselves." According to Wold, the site is extremely current: "CastingAbout tracks the full casting staff, address, and production status of every TV show cast in L.A. (including pilots). Our researchers update our grid every day, working the phones to casting and production offices around town, following up on leads, trade reports, press releases, and emails from our members 'on the ground.' The quality of our information is what sets us apart; we pride ourselves on our primary research, verifying the data with the office before it's published."
The truth is that even if you use all these resources, and more, you'll never be able to get everything right—and that's okay. Casting people are too busy to think about your slightly off-the-target-date submission. Do what you can to stay current, but don't let it make you crazy. My advice? Pick two sites or publications that you like—maybe three if you're determined and have lots of free time—and forget the rest.