Q&A #1
To encourage social media interaction, at random times I am going to post "ASK ME" on facebook. At that point, you may ask me any question that can be answered with 2 sentences! I will select 5 of those questions and post the answers to this blog for all to see!
Here are the Questions from the First "ASK ME" Q&A:
Q: Do IMDb rankings or starmeters affect your decisions on casting?
A: If star casting, then yes, these numbers matter. If casting locally, then this is not something that I look at before the initial audition. A high percentage of Directors that I work with DO look at these numbers and your credits. Credits must match up with your numbers, and we can tell when you try to cheat the numbers!
Q:Do you feel Background Artists (extras) are adequately compensated at current rates?
A: This is not something that I determine or control. But working in non-union states it's most common to find minimum wage payments for non-union extras.
Q:What two things do you enjoy most about casting?
A: (1) I love the audition process. The reviewing of thousands of videos to narrow it down to a top 10. It's exciting to see that one person who nails it & changes how I view the rest of the auditions.
(2) I love casting extras! It's crazy! People are crazy! But I love being able to give aspiring actors their first chance at being on set! It's also really fun when people email me years later and say they first started out on set as an extra with me!
Q:When you receive submissions, do you request tapes from every one or only from specific submissions? (I know this may depend on the job, but just "in general" or "more times than not")
A: Yes, this does depend on the job, and the amount of submissions have been received. If it's a small job and I have only received 200 submissions, then I may request a video from everyone. On the film I just posted I have already received close to 9000 submissions just within the one day of it being online. So I only request videos from those who match (age/type/credits) with the vision that the Director has shared with me. This does not mean that everyone returns their video. I count on about half flaking out at this stage, narrowing it down for me automatically!
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: My father was a pastor, so I have lived various places. Elementary school in Nocona TX, middle school in Chico TX, high school in Eastland TX, College in Cisco and then Commerce TX. I have been in East Texas now for about 24 years... wow I feel old now! Ha!
Keep an eye out for the next one to get your questions answered! Thanks for playing!