Positive Energy

I don't like to jinx things. Loyal readers, please send me happy thoughts Thursday around 1:00 PM Central Time. I have an audition. It's not for a commercial. I'll divulge more after the audition.

I'm also just emerging from a miserable stomach bug. Ugh. I'm gonna get lots of rest Wednesday while I prepare for the audition.

I want to take a second and wish all of you well in your endeavors! Break a leg! Best wishes! Go get 'em, Tiger! Whether you're job-hunting (Ms. J), auditioning, pitching a big proposal or have an adult league kickball game (Ms. R), I hope it goes well and you have some fun in the process or at least gain some interesting anecdotes.

Group hug! No? Maybe next time.

Finally!

I've broken the infinite loop of annoyance in regards to the casting website! It took quite a bit of sleuthing on my part to unravel the tangled misdirections. Luckily, I have lots of experience playing the detective in those dinner mystery shows I do.

The very nice casting director misspelled my last name when adding me to the website. Even though I corrected the misspelling, my name did not appear correctly. I had to create a whole new account with the correct spelling.

My agency sent me their code for the website in all lower-case letters. The code did not work. After several frustrating attempts to log on to the website, I tried the code in all capital letters. Success! Access granted!

Creating the new account, updating my résumé and uploading photos took about three hours. Troubleshooting this whole mess of where my account disappeared to and why the website would not admit me took four hours and many, many curse words.

Anyone who says that acting is not work is a misinformed fool.

Caught in an Infinite Loop of Annoyance

Last week I received a strongly worded email from my agent reprimanding those of us who have not signed up for a certain casting website service, and further reprimanding those of us who have signed up for the service for not adding photos to our profiles. A casting director created an account for me on this website service many months ago. I updated my profile and size information as directed by an email from the service. I thought that everything was fine.

My agency wants all of the talent to also upload photos and résumés to this casting website. The email from my agency insists that it's easy to add these items and that each person must take care of this for themselves.

However, the casting website says that our talent agent should create our accounts and upload our photos. Also, the agent code that my agency gave me (after I emailed them to ask for help) to log into the website does not work.

So my agency says I have to update my materials for the website for myself. The website says that my agent has to update my materials for me.

I'm annoyed: at myself for surely missing something obvious here; at my agency for not providing clear, step-by-step instructions on how to create the accounts for this website service; at the website architects for not making the website more user-friendly. There is no section on the website for "help" or "frequently asked questions".

I saved the original email from the website service that links to my profile information. I followed the link again, and there is no spot or further link for me to add photos or résumé to my profile. I simply get a dead-end message that thanks me for updating my profile.

Holiday Weekend? Too bad.

Saturday morning I received an email from my agent that I need to tape myself doing an audition and email it. I ignored the email because it is a holiday weekend. I'll get to it Monday. Also, if I get the part (which I won't) I'll have to go to another state to film the commercial - a state not known for their tourist trade.

When taping auditions, I need someone else to operate the camera, good natural light, absolute silence on this busy street on which I live, absolute silence from my pets, a monochromatic backdrop that is not lighter than my skin tone. I have to slate before and after my lines. Then I beg my husband to help me upload and send the video in the proper format. This all takes time, not to mention the time it takes me to put together the right outfit, fix my unruly hair and apply makeup enough that my features show up on the consumer grade video, but not so much that I look like a Vegas showgirl.

I hope my hardworking agent, who had to take time out of her holiday weekend to email me, understands when she doesn't get my video until Monday afternoon.