SAG-AFTRA reprimands casting agencies for loading casting tapes: “It’s an optical and ethical catastrophe”

EXCLUSIVE: After several actresses took to Twitter this week to express frustration at the cost of self-taping casting, SAG-AFTRA stepped in Friday to criticize casting agencies for taking advantage of the process by offering actors hiring opportunities.

“Casting agencies that hire actors to create and produce audition tapes are taking our industry in the wrong direction,” it said in a statement. “It is a visual and ethical catastrophe. Actors already face undue financial pressure when they go to work. Casting agencies that provide production and audition services violate the principles of honesty and fairness in our industry and this practice should be discouraged.

“Furthermore, a further development of the practice of charging direct costs for self-tyres by the same rental company would be illegal. We know that most of the casting community loves and supports actors, and we need to find a better way to advance the common goal of safe, fair, and appropriate audition practices. As a union, we will continue to look for ways to reduce unfair practices and ease the financial burden on actors, including new self-recording limits in our commercial contract, a new 5-page limit in our low-budget contracts, our works creation of the CA Talent Scam Prevention Act and our defense of the Federal Performing Artists Tax Parity Act.”

According to SAG rules, it is a breach of membership rule 11 to “give publicity of value as it may be regarded as a bribe to employees and their workplace representatives”. The Casting Society of America’s code of conduct also states that it expects members to “act ethically by upholding the CSA values ​​of respect for human dignity, fairness, inclusion, equality and creating a supportive environment that fosters creativity.”

Deadline wrote on Thursday how actresses like Ever Carradine (The story of the maid), Merrin Dungey (Big Little Lies) and Sprague Grayden (high city) took to Twitter to protest the pandemic trend of (expensive) band auditions and whether in-person auditions are really a thing of the past. Caradine noticed that an ad for a “trusted casting agency” that offered self-taping opportunities for a fee had recently appeared on her Instagram account. If we can audition and record, can’t we just audition and actually read without paying $50 to audition?

Carradine’s tweets were shared by Dungey, who responded: “This is real bullshit. It’s bad enough that we can’t get in and to get a good connection you have to use a service because you need a reader/light/mount. We now pay to get a job. Without notes. No communication. long sides. It’s not ideal.” horror also followed the trend, saying, “Self-adhesive gave me and my family the space to move to a much healthier city for us. I think of the young/unknown actor who would like a chance to show the casting agency what he can do. Who protects them?”

“Twitter has evolved into a supportive community of contributors trying to steer the industry’s transition to full self-taping,” Grayden told Deadline. “We no longer chat in audition waiting rooms, but we found each other on Twitter. Most of the comments on Ever’s post were that… Actors talk to other actors about the situation and its implications. I also feel compelled to speak up for actors who can’t. I’m not famous, I’m a working actor, but I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the greatest professionals in the business, from acting to auditions to working on set, and I hoped some of them would listen. I was hoping there would be a conversation.”

Other actors have commented on the advent of homemade rental rooms. Michael Gaston (Five days at the Memorial) wrote on Instagram: “If you’re an actor paying a casting agency to help you audition yourself, you’re not auditioning yourself…you’re being hunted.” Actress Claire Coffee (grim) thanked Carradine and Dungey and Sprague for commenting on this “well-behaved, welcome dysfunction.”

Someone even started a petition to shut down these self-taping studios in casting agencies.

Unfortunately for actors, the dream of returning to in-person auditions is unlikely to come true – at least for the first round. It’s become too convenient for casting directors to judge tapes, and it’s certainly a boon for agents who can send a tape to a studio and then tell their clients, “Hey, you’ve got a shot.” – whether the band actually does that remains to be seen. or not. not.

“I have no evidence that casting agencies are looking at my tapes. The actors feel like they’re sending our work into a void,” says Sprague. “The relationship between cast and actors used to be a special one. We were a team. Most jobs I’ve ever gotten were because of a note and my ability to interpret it. A Note was an opportunity to show what kind of actor I am and my versatility. These casting relationships also produced many working actors during the lean times. You may not be the right person for the role you auditioned for, but you knew it was a good read and it was appreciated. you were seen That communication is lost to most of us, and we miss it.”

SAG-AFTRA executive vice president Ben Whitehair can’t promise a return to the good old days, but insists the union is not turning a blind eye to its members’ concerns.

“There is definitely a group of artists out there who say there should be no selfies at all, that we should demand that we come back in person,” Whitehair tells Deadline. “I don’t think it’s going to happen. There are market forces that shape a very different reality in today’s economy. However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a way to shape and control it. That’s basically the purpose of a union. We’re here to shape that future, and we shouldn’t let productions put casting costs on actors’ backs.”

“I think all artists have a strong desire to at least have policies against blatant self-tape requests, as we’ve already achieved with our promotional and low-budget deals,” he continues. “And continue to strike a balance where there are opportunities – especially for our older members, artists with disabilities and others who face unique self-recording challenges – to audition in person; or even remotely, but live with cast. The union is committed to doing everything it can – through our contracts, laws, member training and more. Most of the cast are on our side and doing their best, but I think what we’re hearing from members is, ‘Hey, there’s got to be a better way.’