For
actors, suspense for a gig can last days or weeks. In addition to auditioning
(and waiting to hear about a callback, or having a callback and waiting while
not thinking about waiting for the call that we got the job or the shoot date
to pass) or quoting our rates for projects when we may not know when the
shoot/recording date(s) will be, we also get put on check avail and hold (or “on
ice”).
Check
avail means a client may want to book you on a certain date. I got one yesterday for a VO job in the suburbs
tomorrow, but I don’t know exactly when I’ll hear if I’m doing it or not. For almost a week, I’ve also been on hold for
three days this month for an on-camera industrial for a major corporation, and
have been told I’m one of two finalists for the role (I don’t know how many
auditioned).
That agent has called a
couple of times since. When I see their
number in Caller ID, I think they’re calling to let me know one way or the
other. But it’s been about something
else.
If
I happen to get something else for one of those days, the corporation gets
first refusal. I have to contact the
agent before committing to the second opportunity. This leads to more suspense, wondering if #1 will release me or book me, and what either means for #2.
Even
if I don’t get the gigs, check avail and hold means more client interest than
an audition or a callback. There’s a
chance the client will want me for a future project, and it’s good for staying
on the agent’s radar and reminding them you can do that kind of work.
So I don't sit by the phone and keep wondering when I'll find out, though there's nothing I can do to make it ring, I focus on other tasks. A watched pot will never boil and all that. But knowledge is power, as, IMO, is knowledge of my schedule and whether I'm working for a client or not on a given day, especially when the potential job is only a day away....
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