When I audition for something, usually the shoot/recording date(s) is in the information I'm sent or told.  Auditionees can list any conflicts (and if they have some, may be told not to audition) and be aware when they might be needed.   

Lately I’m seeing more auditions that either leave the shoot/recording day(s) blank, list several possible days or even say “the week of,” but talent will only be needed for one day.  A recent print looksee listed a tentative shoot date.

Many actors have full or part time jobs and/or other bookings, and or course have social events and a variety of other commitments from doctor appointments to classes to picking the kids up from school.  But when we have multiple auditions and don't even know when we might be booked, putting things on the calendar and planning ahead becomes more of a challenge.  We may have to scramble to reschedule things if we get the call to work.

Recently I found out mid-afternoon that I booked a VO job (always grateful for bookings, especially when they're via an audition vs. a returning client)...the next day, but they weren’t sure when.  I said I could do it.  An hour later, I got a call that they might want to move the session to the next day.  That was ok, too.  By 6:00pm, they wanted to move to yet another day...and though I was given a specific time, the follow up email said I'd get the time later....  

Fortunately, in this case I was able to accommodate all of the changes.  But what if I had another booking?  It's bad enough to miss out on a big audition, but no actors want to lose a booking because they didn’t know even when a job might be.  

 

With increasing vagueness about job dates, I wonder how often the client’s first choice isn’t available.  And what do clients think?  Maybe they pick a few top choices.  Maybe for VO, since fewer people are usually involved, they'll work around the talent's availability.