HOUGHTON TALENT FAQs
Here we will answer all of your most common questions. If you would like something answered or think we should address something for all the talent to know please shoot at email to chase@houghtontalent.com and we’ll see if we should incorporate it here.
1. Why can’t I park at the agency for auditions?
~ It’s no secret that parking at the agency is hard to come by. Trust us, if we could get more room we would. With 5-8 people working at the office at any time, not to mention the occasional client sitting in on auditions we’re packed enough as it is. When you park at the agency, even if you only stay for 10 minutes, you’re probably blocking someone in. It’s best if you are in the habit of parking at the shopping center at the top of the hill EVERY time you audition. It’ll make everyone’s life much easier.
2. Why do I have to bring in head shots to audition when you have some there?
~ you should ALWAYS bring in 4 head shots to auditions EVERYWHERE you go. The head shots we have here are used for many things, including head books (binders with all of our talent in them) and hard copy submissions we use to send to clients and casting directors. If you are running low on head shots it’s ok to pull from what we have, but if we run out of your head shots when we send in a hard copy submission then you may miss an opportunity
3. Why do I need to join 800Casting?
– 800Casting is our database software that we use to manage our talent and find you for submissions. Each person has their own profile, and when filled out completely it allows us to search for people very specifically. There are over 1000 searchable fields! Because of this the chances of being missed for a submission or audition greatly diminsh. This is also connected with casting directors (Kelly Casting, C&J, Stilwell) and they can go through our database and find talent when they need it, searching for talent the same way we would. This allows for greater exposure of our talent to them. It’s also a great service for you, providing you with a space to have all your unique talents and features listed, along with your resume, up to 10 images, 10 demo reels/clips, and 10 VO demos. You can actually send links to your profile out yourself! In contrast, if you were to host your own website it would cost 5 times that of 800Casting, and you would probably be limited on the space you have (not to mention probably have to hire someone to set it up). So as you can see, we use 800Casting because we believe that it increases opportunities for our talent and allows us to work for you more efficiently, so everybody wins!
4. Is it REALLY that important to be off script for auditions?
In one word: YES!. No matter how good you are at cold reading or auditioning on the fly, being off script is still better. We understand that sometimes things come through late and being off script is not possible, but if you have more than a day before your audition you should come in knowing your stuff. The less you are referring to your script the more you will connect with the scene and the better you will sound. Think of it this way, if the person before you is prepared and you aren’t, who do you bet will book the job?
5. Is it ok to come to auditions early or late?
– No, you should arrive at your auditions on time. Being a few minutes early is ok, but keep in mind you could be paired with someone specific and showing up early may through off the casting directors schedule. Casting directors want you to show at the time you were given, not whenever you decide. It’s best to plan your schedule to show up 5 minutes early, and if you are any earlier just take a few minutes in your car and prepare yourself for your audition. If you are running late make sure to call and notify someone. If you don’t have a number to where you are going call the agency and we will make sure the casting director is notified.
6. Can I bring my kids/husband/friends/relatives/pets to auditions?
– No, absolutely not. Most auditions will be set up to accommodate only those people who are scheduled to come, and waiting rooms are small enough as it is. Adding more people is not a good idea. Not to mention there’s no guaranteeing that a child will stay calm or a cell phone won’t go off, and if these things happen they reflect poorly on you and us. Not to mention you need to be focused for your audition and don’t need any other distractions
7. How often should I check in with the agency?
– Please don’t call and ask if we have anything being cast. Please know that we spend a lot of time on the phone and are usually fairly busy, and trust that if something comes along that you are right for we will notify you. Outside of calling us to book out there is no need to “check in” with the agency on a regular basis. If you make sure to keep your info updated on your 800Casting profile all your contact info will be correct and we’ll be able to get in touch with you when we need you. Also remember that email is the best way to contact us.
8. Has (insert audition here) been cast yet? Have you heard anything about (insert audition here)?
– This is a very common question. This is very simple: if you book a job we will notify you immediately, 100% of the time, without exception. We are just as excited as you are that you booked and we want you to be the first to know the good news. 9 times out of 10 we are not going to be notified when we don’t book something, and hearing nothing usually means we didn’t book anyone. So it goes without saying that if you haven’t heard from us we either haven’t heard anything ourselves or you did not book the job. I know everyone wants to know when they didn’t book something but we normally don’t have that information and when we do know we are not going to have the time to send emails out to everyone letting know they did not book the job. Seriously though, do you want to get that email?