VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Mike Harrison · Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 2:41 pm Post subject: Agent Protocol

Received today my first audition request from my newest agent. The specs from the client request a "natural, authentic" regional accent, and then clarifies further that it "must be" authentic... "no exceptions."

I'm pretty sure my agent knows I'm not a native of the geographic area in question, so I'm puzzled as to why I would receive this audition request.

Proper way to handle this: let the agent know that I cannot provide an absolutely authentic accent and leave it at that?
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Philip Banks · Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 3:14 pm Post subject:

Depends on if the audition was for YOU or for anyone (within reason) on the agent's books. If the latter delete without comment.

graemespicer · Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 3:46 pm Post subject:

It's funny that you bring that up because I received the same audition. In my experience, the agents that I have outside of my home market generally will send auditions to a very wide group of actors. They don't work that hard to parse out exactly which of their talent would be the best fit.

In my estimation, we are better off not submitting for those projects that we are not an exact right fit. In fact I've actually received several auditions from some agents for women's roles - they've just blasted it out to everyone because they were in an incredible hurry.
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Bish · Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 4:02 pm Post subject:

In many respects, what a client does not understand is that he is dealing with an actor. Some actors are totally convincing with accents... others, not so much. In an ideal world, your agent knows you have the capabilities and is allowing you to have a shot... I does not mean that he will submit it if you don't reach his standard. A good agent will protect both his, and your reputation by letting you have a go but retaining the right of veto.
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Mike Harrison · Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 4:16 pm Post subject:

I didn't consider Philip's scenario in this case, whereas I usually do check to see if there were other recipients. In this case, however, I appear to be the only recipient (unless there now exists a means of hiding all other recipients of a mass mailing).

However, as Graeme pointed out, other agents could also be distributing this audition notice.

And Peter also made excellent sense. I have done this accent before, and I suppose there's a chance my agent heard my take on it and felt there was at least a chance I could pull it off.

So... what feelings do we have about my submitting, but pointing out that the accent is not authentic, and letting the agent decide whether or not to forward it to the client? Would that be the safest/best way to handle this?
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Bish · Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 4:49 pm Post subject:

Just a quick note about email etiquette ... on a mass mailing you should never, repeat never be allowed to see the other recipients. All the sender has to do is put everyone in the bcc address... you get it, and you don't see who else has. It's not the job of a mass mailer (agent or not) to distribute the email addresses of everyone else on the list... apart from anything else, all it takes is one idiot to hit "reply all" and everyone's in email hell

Explode

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Mike Harrison · Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 6:05 pm Post subject:

Yes, Peter. And I've received those types of emails before, where there is no recipient shown. In some cases, the recipient that is shown is actually the sender.

In the email I received, mine is the only recipient name, so I am really wondering if I was the only person to receive this. But I'll never know, of course.
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Male Voice Over Talent
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Scott Pollak · Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 8:32 pm Post subject:

Mike, I doubt you're the only one to receive it, because as Graeme mentioned above, he did too, as did I.

Often, many, many agents receive the same lead via Voicebank. They then blast it out to all talents. Some agents at least make an attempt to only send male leads to males and female leads to females, but not all do. And they don't have the time to sort through the hundreds of talents they rep and say "Hmmm, now I think Scott might be a good fit for this, but not Bob. But then maybe Carl could do it...."

They send it out and expect us to figure out if it's a fit for us or not. If not, just deep six it. That's all ya gotta do.
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Lee Gordon · Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 9:15 pm Post subject:

Jeffrey Kafer · Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 9:27 pm Post subject:

Got the same audition from the same agent. Send it to everyone and hope someone, ANYONE, on their roster lands it.

Unless you're a known quantity, agents don't represent YOU, they represent their roster.
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jsgilbert · Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 9:40 pm Post subject:

The specs not only mentioned about 6 times that you must genuinely be form the south, but also asked you to "tell them a little about yourself" prior to the audition.

Typically these days, many agents will shoot scripts to the talent en mass and it is up to the talent to determine whether they meet the specs and/ or would be competitive.
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Mike Harrison · Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 5:16 am Post subject:

Yes, I'm well aware, as I stated earlier, that many agents receive and distribute the same audition notices.

And I had, in the meantime, decided not to submit. I couldn't truthfully say I grew up on a ranch and had an authentic Southern accent.

But, interestingly, same goes for Sam Elliott: he was born in Sacramento and grew up there and in Oregon, and lived "for a short time" in West Virginia.
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Mike
Male Voice Over Talent
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Drew · Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 5:58 am Post subject:

I got the same audition. And I know my agent sends them out in wide bursts.
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graemespicer · Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 6:48 am Post subject:

Mike - that is too funny about Sam Elliott! I had no idea that he wasn't from the south! Oh, the irony ...
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Scott Pollak · Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 6:59 am Post subject:

The irony to me about the Sam Elliott reference is that - to my Southern ears, at least - he doesn't have so much a Southern sound as he does a "Western/cowboy" twang. Which ain't what they're looking for in this spot.
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