Pissed

[bigbry]

Here’s something that’s really been bugging me for along time and we’ll use Voices.com as an example.
I’m sure that you’ve been frustrated at this as I have. You take the time to do an audition, sometimes it’s quick and other times it takes quite awhile. You send it in and you wait. While you wait you go on to another audition and send that one in. At least you’ve taken time out of your life to do so.
Ever since I can remember I’ve been taught to say “thank you”, maybe it’s just the Canadian in me, but if someone does something for you no matter how small or even if they asked you to it...you say “Thank You”.
So what’s with the clients on Voices.com not even mentioning that they’ve heard your demo, or saying thank you or even a note saying “You Sucked!! Voices.com has assured me that there is a method for clients to do so. My guess it’s at the bottom of a page somewhere in very tiny print. Out of the hundreds of auditions I’ve done, I’ve received 1 thank you. The other thing is that I’m starting to think that the clients that use these services are really self centred assholes. All I can say now is “Thank You” for reading my little tirade.

[Jon Morss]

Bry,

I hear ya man, but this is the nature of the business. There is something posted on Voices.com, maybe in the Blogs somewhere, that describes this situation. The client does have the option to send a response to you since they have your contact info. But, since there is a potential for each client to get about 100 responses to a posting, it just is not practical for them to send a response to every VO talent that responds. However, I did read that Voices.com is working on some feature that allows clients to send a mass response to all that send in a demo. I'm not trying to defend Voices.com, but this is just how things are.

I get the same non response from Voice123, VoiceHunter as well as from Cast Images, the talent agency that I am signed with locally. I just do the best I can in my audition, send it in, and move on to the next one or just forget about it. Its just the nature of the business.

Jon

[bigbry]

I'm in the same boat as you all the other services I belong to work on the same premise. NO RESPONSE from the client. It would be refreshing even to receive a mass response. Anyway Jon...have a Happy Thanksgiving buddy.
Bry

[Bob Bergen]

Bry-

You MUST enjoy the journey!! If anyone does this for the money, or even a thank you, you will never be satisfied. I'm sure some would find a "form letter" thank you from a potential buyer a cold obligation. I understand that you are just looking for a lil gratitude. But it is you who should be grateful for the opportunity.

I use to have this fantasy that SAG would hire some person whose sole job was to call every actor who read for a part to tell them if they did or didn't get the gig. I found it very frustrating that we only hear if we get the gig, not if we don't.

Then, the practical side of me looked at the numbers. Fifteen to twenty agents submitting fifteen to twenty actors for a single job. That was 25 years ago here in LA. NOW, it's dozens of agents around the country submitting hundreds of actors for a single job. The statistics have changed dramatically. How could the buyer possibly thank everyone?? And why should they???

Frankly, no matter the odds, I'm grateful for every piece of copy. I should be thanking them!! Every opportunity, whether booked or not, is a chance to be heard. There are many reasons why we don't get a gig. If you are brilliant, YOU are not the reason. They went another way. They wanted a younger sound. They wanted someone they worked with before. They wanted a celebrity. But if you are brilliant, you'll be remembered. Each audition is an insurance policy for another opportunity. Be grateful for the opportunity!!! It will make the journey more fulfilling.

[JoeActor]

Bry: I can tell you're frustrated, but Jon and Bob are on the money.
I find the most satisfying feedback comes from my agents and from clients I book.
The best usually comes while I'm in the studio recording.

Treasure the feedback you get, but don't expect it... especially with online auditions.

Bob: Great attitude, man! I gotta get me some of that!

Off for a studio session, and some good feedback,
Joe J Thomas
Joe J. Thomas Acting Portfolio

[bigbry]

OK Guys...I'll shut up and continue to bend over. I'm OUTTA HERE

[avitoots]

Have to add my two cents here. I do believe that I've rarely gotten a thank you from anyone I've auditioned for. Even directors and photographers who wanted to hire me but were over-ridden by the client never sent a thank you. It's just the nature of the business They're busy either prepping a job, doing a job or looking for work. Bottom line, there's just not enough hours in the day to do what would seem to be the courteous thing.

I remember having a discussion with a founding member of a small theater company in Chicago about calling actors who audition for them. While I fully understand why they wouldn't call people after the first round of auditions, (after all they sometimes can see 100 or more people) I thought it was unprofessional not to advise actors who were called back to read for a role that the show was cast. The woman totally disagreed with me. So, as others have said before, it's just the nature of the business.

And Bob is so right on. Every time you get to be seen or heard is an opportunity for a talent buyer to know you're out there. They can't invite you to audition, let alone hire you, if they don't know you exist.


Arlene Kahn

[Julie Williams]

Right on, Bob! We should be thanking them!

Bry,
As a person who has hired talent off of both voice123 and voices.com, I can tell you that it would be a logistical nightmare to personally thank the hundreds of talent who's auditions I heard (and I did listen to every single one--as a courtesy to the talent who took the time to audtion, because I know their time is valuable!) But the one time I did email to tell the second choice that I had hired someone, but that they were great and I was keeping their demo for future work....... the email from the site's system sent them a message that they got the job! THen I had to explain that they didn't get it but that I just wanted to tell them they were awesome.. How stupid did I feel!?!?!?

From the talent's perspective, I've had people email me and thank me for an audition when I didn't get the job... and all I could think of was... "YOu don't have to thank me... I don't have time for this... I'm glad everyone doesn't clutter up my email with thank you anyway notes...cos I've got work to do!" Seriously, can you imagine receiving an email from neveryone you auditioned for? I'd start deleting them and perhaps delete one from someone who was trying to hire me!

One thing I do appreciate, though, is a few of my agents have auto replies on their audition emails that say, "Your audition has been received." At least I know they got it.

[Bob Bergen]

Oh, I agree with the agent one!!! My last LA agent had an automatic reply to let me know they got my reads. I love that!!!!!!!!! Sometimes you wonder if your reads actually get to the desired location!

And thanks for the site help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

;-)

[Julie Williams]

Glad you're back on, Bob!

I wish all agents had that auto reply. It's from my agents that I got the idea to set up a separate email address for auditions... That and it was very disrupting when I posted on v123 to get hundreds of emails sent to my inbox everytime someone sent an audition. No wonder clients wanted to limit the number of auditions!

But having a separate email address for auditions allows me to go to the auditions when I'm ready... I never check it unless I'm casting something. And yes, I do have an auto reply! :)