Back to searching for work

On a trip taken a couple of months back, there was a discussion about a certain casting agency that was gaining the reputation of not following through with its background talent regarding its job postings. Some went so far as to say this casting agency had 'favorites' and would send around endless emails inquiring about one's availability but if you were not part of that favorite's list, you would ultimately be ignored no matter how many times you were contacted via email or how many times you would see them placing repetitive ads elsewhere.

Who were they looking for, when they had a talent roster to begin with and many interested people who wanted to take part of their latest project or gig?

One BG actor relayed the story about how they found this out the hard way. They had been contacted for a gig, and they went to the gig. They were turned away at the gig because they had been replaced by someone else -- someone who had gotten regular work from the agency prior. This BG knew about them, and had already had suspicions about the agency, and this only hit the proverbial nail on the head.

Another relayed the story of how word had trickled down to him about this agency's favoritism. He refused to believe it, and submitted for roles anyway. After several times submitting and not getting an answer, he started to believe that perhaps there was some truth in it when he noted some other actors were also confirming this information.

The biggest faux pas this agency does is send around a generalized open request, asking for ALL ethnicities, 18 to 80, and have full availability. You put in for this, because basically that includes everybody over the age of 18. Then the fun begins -- the agency doesn't advise what exactly they are looking for, is it 18 to 25, they would probably get better more concentrated bites. Instead, they put a generalized call, don't respond to anybody, and re-use the same people they called for on a prior gig. So whoever is in their most recent memory will be called upon, and everyone else just submits over and over again.

Some have since taken this agency's name off their system and have passed the word to "use with caution". Since then, more people have noticed that the agency obviously doesn't have much organization going on and apparently are into creating more work for themselves. I have gotten around this agency by simply showing up for their gigs and have since gotten hired as working as a freelance, meaning, I represent myself and myself only. Would you believe I've gotten a job because of this, and no thanks to this agency?

I even got a waiver. So I am of mind to avoid this agency altogether. I will start keeping a list of what projects this agency has to avoid them because it's clear they don't know what they are doing and are certainly not that organized. I would name them but at this point I am still collecting information about them and only until I am absolutely sure, will I publish their name here for all to see and avoid.

It's time to weed out the idiots, wannabes and unprofessionals once and for all.