No Work January
Part of me has been expecting a time like this for a while now – a time when there would be nothing but failure. Having it arrive, however, isn’t any consolation – I’m still not ready for it.
There were times in the last two years when I would say to people: “I just go to auditions for practice…and they cast me!” In fact my work over the last two years has been remarkably constant: Four broadcast jobs of some kind, either independent film, TV, or similar and three theatrical jobs over each twelve month period. Did I really think that this would continue on without end? There was another part of me that thought that it would. So what has happened?
Have I tried to audition for parts that are beyond me, or roles that were too much of a stretch? Has the pool of talent suddenly exploded in size, leaving me too ‘ordinary’ to casting Directors? No. I am still trying the same auditions: Age specific, paid (No more ‘freebies’ this year, I have promised myself.), and shooting in town so that I don’t have to travel. I haven’t changed my audition technique either. I’m still doing the prep, and ‘in-the-room’ work that I always did.
I’m trying to think when things changed, but at present I’m lost. In December my agent got me a commercial audition. It was the usual ‘cattle call’, and – after a long wait - my confidence wasn’t helped by the cameraman asking the Casting Director as I entered: “Is this 69 or 70? I’ve forgotten.” “69.”, came the answer. Wow, thanks, now I feel good about this. Incredibly, I got a call back for it – only 1 of 5 that did, so I made myself remember that. It’s never about the amount of auditioners: It’s up to you to do it in the room.
January, therefore, appeared to be very good. I had applied for an audition with a well-respected theatre company in town for two parts in their Summer Rep. season, and worked hard to ensure that I gave them my best. In fact, I was so sure I had it, I was walking on a cloud for three days, just waiting for the e-mail back. It was a shock when I didn’t get a positive result.
This failure came on the heels of four auditions for movie shorts that I never heard back from. Around the turn of the year, the winners of a local TV company’s new Movie Maker competition are announced, and these four Directors were now armed with a budget and were paying. To get Four auditions in three weeks, and not pass a single one is a first for me, and I’m confused as to why I didn’t. I had ‘it’ last year, so what has happened?
Thankfully, I did get a Web Commercial, and had a fun, and profitable, afternoon saying seven lines, of which only two will be used. I’m hoping for some exposure from this (it will be broadcast on You Tube.), and I could turn into ‘Flo’ from the US insurance company commercials, but now I’m so low, I doubt it. That gig, by the way, is where this post’s Selfie comes from. It’s always nice to get Make Up into a picture!
So, now, we are half way through February, and I don’t have anything to look forward to. It looks like my batting average will fall. I do, though, have a theatrical audition next month, and I have been to two commercial auditions in the last week. Something has changed, though, and I can feel that – no matter what work I do – this confidence I am exuding isn’t very genuine.
