Here's the thing...

I've been posting the Actors Rights Now emails as information, that's all. It's important to be informed about how this impacts us all, and their emails provide some valuable information. I've included links to the law itself, via an email from a casting director workshop business, too. I will post the language of the law itself, if I can...but maybe in a later post, because I'm really tired right now. :) I also included a link to an article about everything, in an older post, from Backstage West (I think--again, tired).

Let me clarify how I feel about what I've read/seen/been told:

I think it's important that there be laws in place to protect actors from shady businesses that would exploit them to earn a buck. I do. I think it's especially important to protect people who don't know any better, i.e. new actors in the industry, the parents of young hopefuls who aren't well versed in the industry, even folks who are so driven by needing validation that they don't always see things clearly, etc. When I lived in Chicago, I actually dated a guy who was "discovered" by a modeling/acting "agency" that came to visit his community college. He gave this company his checking account information, so that they could take money out each month, in order to rep him--and that they did, and it wasn't cheap. When I found out, I was APPALLED (and I told him so, explaining that no legitimate rep in the world would charge money up front, and he should never have given them his checking info). This guy simply did not know any better and was being preyed upon because he was validated by the idea that someone thought he could be a model. This is one example of someone who would really benefit from laws like this one.

That being said, I do think there is a way to protect these people (and all of us actors) while still allowing legitimate casting director workshop businesses to continue to do business as usual (i.e. allow casting directors to take headshots with them). I don't think the new law needs to be abolished or struck down, but I do think it could be amended. There are some great, legitimate businesses in LA that allow actors to be seen by casting directors, to receive valuable feedback, to make connections, etc. (And maybe people would take issue with the term "legitimate casting director workshops businesses", thinking that none of them are actually legitimate, or that the law has stripped the title of "legitimate" from all of them...I'm just too tired to argue that point right now. I'm not saying they're wrong, I'm not saying they're right.)

My suggestion (and this may be in existence already, who knows): create a specific board to review/monitor the business practices of every casting director workshop business in the city and make sure that they are practicing fairly and in compliance (Yes, the Talent Agency Licensing Department might qualify for the job, if they don't already do something similar). Those businesses that pass inspection and are certified should be allowed to continue to operate as usual, i.e. allowing cds to take headshots. They can be required to be recertified every six months or a year, and to make that information public and clearly/easily available to their patrons. Something similar to the way that LA handles health inspections in restaurants--there could even be a grading system, if they really wanted to get that specific about it. Is there a possibility that actors might still be taken advantage of? Sure. But that possibility still exists, even with the current law...because, let's face it, there will be shady businesses that will ignore it.

Some people might not understand why there is a such a flap about casting directors being able to take headshots with them. There are a few reasons why this is upsetting to a lot of people:

~Handing a cd your headshot before you read with them allows them to make a stronger connection to you. It's a visual reminder that sets you apart from other actors.

~Some workshops allow room for cds to critique your headshot, which is valuable information for a lot of actors, since our headshot is an integral part of how we market ourselves, how we reach people, and a required part of our resume. Hearing consistent types of feedback can help us determine if we are costing ourselves work by marketing ourselves with a less than stellar choice of a headshot.

~I often see casting directors make notes on headshot/resumes during/after a read. I know that the majority of casting folks I've seen keep files from workshops, and having the headshots with them, with notes, is an easier system than pairing things up after the fact. (more on this later)

~Mailings add up. To mail a headshot and resume (with or without cover letter) is above $1 per mailing. That does not include costs for the envelope, and the standard that I see are the clear front headshot envelopes (which I use myself). I won't factor in costs for the headshot printing and resume paper (I purchase mine specially cut to fit 8x10 headshots, but you can cut it yourself--not as clean--or pay to have it done at Kinkos), since an actor would be spending that even if they handed the headshot to the casting director in person. Regardless, adding more cost to entire thing by forcing actors to mail the headshots after the workshop...it might seem trivial, but it is annoying. In my case, that would add a mailing for me, since I also send thank you cards with postcards inside of them, after every workshop.

~Mailings also get lost or ignored. So, there's that.

~Preventing cds from taking headshots with them makes their job harder. These are busy people, who take time to come and do these workshops. Yes, they get paid to do it, but many of them are genuinely giving and open with the time they spend with us actors. Having to wait for actors to send in their headshots, then go through and pair the headshots up with the notes for their files...it's just an extra, unnecessary step.

Sure, having to pay to see casting folks is not ideal. And yes, there have been times where I've felt taken advantage of, even at legitimate businesses--but it's never the business that has been the offending party, but the individual casting person and their treatment of the actors in the workshop. After all, there's no law against assholes.

(For the record: The majority of casting folks that I see at workshops come across as decent people who like their jobs and treat actors with respect. I've had some really amazing workshops with casting folks who gave a lot of their time and put thought and consideration into their notes to us.)

I look at workshops as an educational experience, in addition to being an opportunity to create a relationship, get in the room, make a fan, etc. I learn from every workshop I attend, whether it's simply about the office of that cd, their process and notes about the casting process, to things about my type, my headshot, my work--and there is a lot of value in that, which I have taken back to apply to my career. I learn about how I process things, how I interpret notes, where I have hang ups, and I find opportunities to grow...it's been really, really valuable to me, because it enhances my skills. It's worth the price (which is often on par with a single night of class at most acting studios, if not actually less) to be able to learn and experience all of those things. This is just how I happen to look at it--it's my personal view, and not everyone might share it, but that's fine. And, for the record, all of this is before I even consider the chance of being called in for work.

And, on that last point, it does happen. I have a number of friends who have booked roles after meeting casting directors at workshops. They've developed relationships with these casting folks after having met them at workshops, they begin to have relationships with their offices, they've gone on auditions, and sometimes, it does end up in a booking. Before every workshop I have attended, there is always a disclaimer that the workshop is not a promise of a job--and it's not. It's an opportunity. A chance to learn, to play, to grow, to be seen...and who knows where that might take you.

Again, I do think it is incredibly important to protect actors, no matter how seasoned or green they might be. Actors tend to be preyed upon because it's easy--it's a giant pool of people in LA, who are often seeking validation, and new additions show up every day. I just think the entire thing could be handled better. I do think there is a way to separate the legitimate from the shady, and I think that's the key to making this work for everyone involved.