0098: On “Following Up.” Yeah. Don’t.
Hey there, hero!
What runs through your mind when you hit that SEND button for the audition you just created? High hopes, excitement, anticipation, maybe a sense of satisfaction?
Great.
Fast forward to a couple of days later. Are you still thinking about it? Wondering how it landed with the casting person?
And maybe thinking you need to follow up?
Maybe you are one of those actors and voice talents that makes a regular habit of following up…just to “build that relationship.”
Don’t. Full stop. Hear why I’m so final about this advice in the episode.
Does this fly in the face of what you’ve heard before? Do you find yourself unable to let go of the notion that you have to follow up? Do you totally disagree with me? Let me know in the comments below.
Raw transcript:
Raw transcript:
I’m about to hand you a gift for your schedule,
for your mind.
I’m about to cut your work maybe in half, maybe
even two thirds or three quarters.
It depends on how diligent you are about
following up.
We’re going to talk about that in this episode of
the Vo Heroes podcast.
So let me get right to the point.
Stop following up.
I know there are a lot of people out there who
are consultants and coaches and audition
whisperers, et cetera, and I love most of them
because they don’t teach you to follow up after
an audition.
You don’t need to follow up.
Nothing about the audition process requires you
to send an additional message after you’ve
submitted your audition.
I was reading a post online about somebody who
said, is it normal for you to audition?
And then message the rights holder.
This was for ACX a few days later and never hear
back from them.
And when you unpack that question, it assumes
that you should follow up with a rice holder a
couple of days after you do an audition, and you
shouldn’t.
Nothing is gained by sending any sort of note
unless you’re asked for further information, and
then that’s not a follow up, that’s a response to
an inquiry.
People think that.
Some people think it’s a good idea to form a
relationship with all the people you auditioned
for on all the different casting sites by following
up after you audition.
Please don’t.
Now look what happened.
Now you don’t have to worry about following up.
If you follow what I’m selling and telling you and
you don’t follow up, that means you can cut all of
that time out of your schedule and maybe
instead do another audition for another project.
I’ve talked here before about my little ritual.
When I’m done with an audition, even if I’ve got
the whole thing memorized for on camera, or if
it’s an online audition for voiceover, I either
literally or figuratively tear up the script into little
tiny pieces outside the view of the casting
director.
I don’t want them to think I don’t like their work
or the project they’re working on, but I do it as a
physical moment to separate that from
everything that follows that it becomes a
watershed event.
After the event, after the audition, I just don’t
think about it again.
If they want me, they know how to find me.
I’m not hard to find, either through my agent or
online.
Believe me.
If they want you, they will find you.
So take away from this.
Stop following up.
Not necessary.
It really isn’t.
There’s nothing about it that will aid your
building a relationship or them booking you.
It just doesn’t matter.
So stop following up.
You don’t need to audition more.
That’s what you really should do.
If you like what you’re hearing, smash the like
button.
We want it to be obliterated cracked.
Maybe you need a new keyboard subscribe to
the channel.
You can get notified when we have new podcast
episodes coming out.
If you want to forward this to another actor or
voice talent who might get some value out of not
following up, please feel free to do so.
Go to viewheroes.com
and just grab the link in the address bar above
and forward it.
We’d love to have that happen.
I’m David H.
Lawrence.
The 17th.
I thank you so much for watching and for
listening, and I will see you in the next episode of
The Vo Heroes Podcast.
from YouTube
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The other thing “following up” can do, is really annoy the folks for whom you auditioned. Imagine the client getting hundreds of emails from talent “following up.” When I have my director hat on, there have been times when I’ve actually blacklisted a given talent for bothering me multiple times by “checking in.”
Your advice is, as usual, brilliant.
Thank you, Craig! Happy holidays!
Yes!! Thank you for this, David!! All that time, postage, postcard printing cost, email searches… “They know where to find me.” The perfect statement.
I absolutely agree!!!! Once I submit an audition, my job is done. On to the next one.
I’ve heard of following up with casting directors after on-camera work, but not vo. Thanks David.
This advice applies to on-camera auditions as well. In general, it’s best to just move on.
Right, I meant that I’ve heard of following up after shooting a project, not after auditioning.