August 17, 2012

Consistency is key! (and truthfullness too!)

Just a hint from the ladies at A List...

Having consistent and truthful information in your file everywhere you register is the best practice of a good background actor.

Even a little discrepancy in height can make the difference with bookings. For example, if you are 6'6.5" and have yourself listed as  5'6" and  5'7" in different agencies/databases/websites this can make casting directors uneasy with booking you... it's the "well which one is she really?" problem.

This goes for height, weight (within a few lb's one way or the other is fine), hair color, facial hair, and basic sizes.

And this should go without saying... but being truthful is always best. If you are listed in a database as being several inches taller than you are in reality, this can not only make some very unhappy casting directors, but it can make them look awful to their productions when they send someone too short for a role or stand in job. (Making casting look bad is a BAD thing!) This goes for age as well. I know age is a sensitive subject for some people, but I see it happen again and again where background actors loose out on roles becasue they've decided to list themselves as older (rarely) or younger (most of the time) than they really are. By being untruthful you can only decrease bookings.

The best background actor wants to create the smoothest booking possible for the casting director (and their calling service if they have one.) If a casting director sees anything that is not consistent or fishy (like for ladies who are too heavy for their given dress size), the chance is good that they're going to move on.

We love having fresh pictures (6 months old or newer) and remind clients often, but we don't always remind clients to update sizes and we don't know when you're growing that mustache for a webisode (or something like that!) unless you tell us.

Basically, just be you - it's ok for background! But make sure you update us and casting along the way.

With that said, maybe it's time to make sure all your information is correct and consistent with everyone? (hint hint!)