This is a GREAT post from another Florida actor, John Weyrick.
I agree & know quite a few actors who use 247cast.com - we are joining this month too!
EXPOSURE is key!!!
Per John.......
Sometimes I must put a paw to the keyboard and set the record straight. Blanket statements are almost always wrong. People who say always, are not always correct. I've seen posting lately that ALL Online Databases - catalogs and subscriptions are a waste of time and money for actors. Don't believe that! All are not bad. Most, but not all.
So, what works?
If you read this entire post you will learn 4 things.
One is that you shouldn't believe that everything is a scam, do due diligence.
Second, there is a different way to look at things, a 2nd viewpoint that I suggest.
Third, a brief explanation of a system that works.
Fourth, meet some people for whom it has worked.
Facts are facts!
Fact #1: There is a casting service that works, and here's how to determine for yourself what works. If you are looking for help for acting work on line in Florida, ask these 3 questions:
1) have offices in Florida?
2) have real people answer the phone?
3) have a track record that it works for FLORIDA?
247cast.com has been on the backlot of Universal in Orlando for 10 years.
No scam could say that!Call them at 407-224-5388 ext 2 or 3
They do over 100 castings a year, booking over 500 actors.Yes, they do, and these are paid jobs, average day rate of $600.
The proof is there in black and white..That is point 1. Now for point 2.These professionals are also offering training with some of the best in the local business.
Based on that great saying: "what did you do for your acting career today?"
There have been free seminars, (for members) taught by well known acting coaches, Ken Grant, Justin Smith, and EMMY award winning Yvonne Suhor!
Also training from Paula Bowers and Jennifer Foster who are the people who largely are responsible for selection of talent for Universal and Disney. Imagine working directly with the client? Notice I'm dropping names?
Oh, for more experienced actors, go ask your agent about http://www.247cast.com/
Many, many Florida agents think very highly of it. Some haven't taken the time to truly understand it. However, all bookings must be paid through an agent. Don't have an agent?If you don't have one, and you get booked from a 247 casting, an amazing thing happens. We call an agent on your behalf to see if they'd like to represent an actor who already has a booking...that's a no-brainer! Why not? So the actor gets an agent.
Beginners are welcome because a part of that Second Viewpoint of mine is that a beginner should get to working first, then when a resume is built, getting an agent is much easier. Agents don't want a pure beginner, a SAG agent gets hundreds of newbies every week wanting a start. My point is to get started first, getting work and experience.And SAG members are welcome too. There are some jobs (like print) that don't fall under SAG rules. Now, some have joined and didn't get anything. There is NO, absolutely NO guarantee that a person gets booked in this business.
The point is, to get looked at by the people who make the decisions. Getting looked at is all we try to do. Guess what? EVERYBODY who fills out the data base is included in the searches.
So for point 3, do you want a brief, fast explanation of how it works?
Heather Heinz has been an established Casting Director for 10 years, Before that she worked for Emmy award winning Casting Director Bob Kahn and others. Before that, she was a well known successful actor/model. She has clients use the 247cast.com data base. They submit a breakdown of the character roles, and see resume, picture, and audition video or demo reel of the actors that fit the breakdown. (Did I mention that members get to shoot a free video if they don't have a demo reel?) Seventy times or more a year, the actor is booked DIRECTLY from the video, no audition. Twenty times or so a year, there is a call back, but the actor has been pre-qualified.
Only 10 jobs a year are open to non-members, because there weren't enough of their type on the site. Members have a counter on their site to show that they are being looked at. They didn't have to drive to the audition. Did they get it? Only the person/people who the client select get booked. There are many actors in Florida who have used this service and gotten results.
Many beginners get looked at and book their first job from this service. And after the initial fee to join, there is no renewal fee until the actor has made over $300 in bookings. Doesn't that sound fair?
My name is John Weyrick, and along with Melissa Gruver, Jack Amos, Francine Wolf and Richard Huggins, booked for a company out of California. They tour the USA doing corporate seminars, and we got 7 bookings at about $1000 each, in Florida and Princeton NJ. Powerball came to Florida and was cast by 247cast.com. They had their breakdown for people ONLY who have already had live TV experience. They did allow 247 to submit several people who were close to breakdown. You see, getting looked at is what is important.
So as you all must know, Tracy was that person who had a lot of live theme park experience, she was seen, and leads the Powerball show now. You can see the touching thank you note she wrote at the office. My quirky buddy Thomas Noel Smith has had more bookings from 247 that all agent submissions combined.Some SAG members belong and have made money, I don't think they'll mind if I mention their names; Ted Christino, Carol Halliburton, and our moderator, Annie Kidwell.The soap called Guiding Light came to Universal for casting and 247 was their host. GL looked at 15 people from 247 that weren't submitted by their agents. (What's with that?).
And one got booked, changed her life as her mother and grandmother have followed the show for 57 years. She wouldn't have gotten booked otherwise. And I'm not forgetting the kids. There are way more kids than there are roles available.
You can look at our MySpace and Facebook pages to see yourself what the kids say, like the four young actors on the 247 site who got a TV pilot. One teen bragged that she rode the Hulk 32 straight times for a shoot. And many more.
Thank you for reading this, please don't believe the people who say there is nothing you should pay for.
Over 2000 actors in Florida will disagree. http://www.247cast.com/ It works!
ActorJohn.com
PS.
I'm sure someone who hasn't booked yet from 247 will answer this post and say it doesn't work. Many will not admit that someone else beat them out for the bookings that someone got. It did work, so keep the faith that you'll nail the next one!
