what next?

[tuxedo cat]

Things are gradually picking up for me. I've had a few commercial casting gigs. Most of the work has come through one casting director and her friends.

 

Meanwhile I've been at an unpaid film casting internship which a major casting director two days a week, which finishes at the end of December. While that internship has been a sacrifice in that it has prevented me from looking for full time work for its duration, it has also given me invaluable experience in film casting. My plan is to transition eventually into film casting from commercial or do both for awhile (commercial pays better).

 

I'm also working on my own side projects. My roommate has a friend who was looking for a casting director for her short film. She's a new filmmaker but I liked her script and some of her past short films have appeared and been finalists in Sundance. I wrote her a long email describing my areas of interest thinking I wouldn't hear back since I don't have much experience. To my surprise she wanted to meet. We clicked in person and she hired me. Of course I won't be getting paid since this is ultra low budget but I wasn't expecting to...I'm doing it for the credit, experience and connections. I'm excited, although it will be a lot of work (she's looking for something very specific in her actors).

 

Despite these positive developments I have a feeling of dread mixed with emptiness whenever I contemplate the future. Casting is difficult to break into and NY is a brutal market. Please help me consider my options.

 

Right now I'm able to support myself doing this freelance casting work but only if I live very cheaply so I need to find other sources of income. I've only been relying on one casting director and her friends without reaching out to others for work, and it's possible I might be able to rotate between a few if I put some time into networking. What's holding me back is the internship (will be over in a month).

 

So once my internship ends I'm unsure about my next step. There are a lot of jobs posted for assistants to talent agents. I have no interest in being an agent but this job is semi-relevant to casting. There are much fewer casting positions and most of them are temp. So the question is whether I should interview for a full time agent assistant job or keep my schedule free to accommodate freelance casting work. If I take on a full time position at an agency I will no longer be able to do casting. That said, I could work for an agency for 6 months to a year and use my time there to build connections, save money and get better casting jobs. But who knows whether that would pan out? If I focus on freelance instead there's uncertainty about whether I'll be able to find enough work to support myself.

 

What do you think?

Edited November 25, 2014 by tuxedo cat

[ThaWholigan]

That dread is so normal. That feeling that it may not pan out how you wanted it to go. If I can offer any advice on how to deal with that, it's simply to work with it and not allow it to paralyze you.

 

The emptiness of the future is just an extension of that feeling.

 

With your options, there's a 3rd option, which is to find a flexible part time job to use as a pivot for your freelance operations. Since this summer I've been working as a telephone fundraiser - it's very difficult! But it's very flexible and allows me time in the week to do things I need to do and plan for the future (piano teaching early next year, side projects in music/media). Is there any job like that you can think of going for in NY? It might be tough to do the job I'm doing for some (I wonder if I'm cut out for it myself!) but try to find something along those lines. It's a nice solution if you can find it - gives you security and allows you to focus on freelance work if that's what you want to go towards.

 

Full time work is an option, the slight danger being it might further increase that empty feeling that you feel just in case that doesn't work the way you want - but it's definitely a good, safe option and there is a lot of exp to be had in this area in order to add some more beef to your resume. Only thing I can say is do a LOT of advance planning and always have failsafes just in case. Preparation going forward is your friend. Buy some notepads and a noticeboard and make solid plans going forward. Application will be tough sometimes but you've done tremendous work already so far so keep your current achievements in mind always.

 

And remembers - setbacks do happen but you have to guard against feeling hopeless. I've had setbacks for the last couple of years despite all the plans I've been making but just keeping going got me where I am. Sometimes opportunity pops up at unexpected times - being spontaneous occasionally reaps benefits and going for things you wouldn't normally go for. Just look at the filmmaker you met! That's an example right there - you said you didn't think she would reply. Plan and allow for opportunities, and keep your head up.

 

I can't tell you what option to make - full time assistant work could be as beneficial as your freelance work. It's up to you. I'd try to find a happy medium - either take the full time job and try to find something part-time during, or go full hog on the freelance projects. Just remember that things are going well and hopefully they will continue to do so, even with setbacks.

[tuxedo cat]

Goddamnit, Wholigan. Must you be so balanced? I wanted you to tell me what to do, not restate the pros and cons, and confuse me with more options. (JK).

 

I've considered part time work to supplement the freelance stuff, which would most likely involve food service. Maybe bartending? I don't know if I'm outgoing enough to make it as a bartender, unless drinking is allowed on the job. I'm a good barista but it doesn't pay well enough to be worth my while for two days a week of work (figure 130 dollars a shift if I'm lucky).

 

How hard is bartending to break into?

[tuxedo cat]

I'm also thinking about getting into producing on the side...just little short films here and there and seeing where it leads. That's part of why I might want to keep my schedule open once I finish this internship, so that I can possibly take up a 1-2 day a week producing internship in the spring and learn more about the field. Man I wish I had gotten all of this experience while I was still in school but I had no idea what I wanted to do at the time or what my options were.

[ThaWholigan]

Goddamnit, Wholigan. Must you be so balanced? I wanted you to tell me what to do, not restate the pros and cons, and confuse me with more options. (JK).

 

I've considered part time work to supplement the freelance stuff, which would most likely involve food service. Maybe bartending? I don't know if I'm outgoing enough to make it as a bartender, unless drinking is allowed on the job. I'm a good barista but it doesn't pay well enough to be worth my while for two days a week of work (figure 130 dollars a shift if I'm lucky).

 

How hard is bartending to break into?

 

Can be quite difficult. You might in some cases have to go bartending school or become a bar back first. Given that you have experience in hospitality already, I should assume that bartending should be slightly easier to go into than if you had none. I've known a few bar workers, and they aren't all outgoing either (one of them is autistic!). Depends on your scene really. There are quiet bars, night club bars, pubs etc. Tips can be good too.

 

If you want my opinion on what you should do, I say take the full time job for now. It will keep you busy and you'll gain a network which will be invaluable when you do start to concentrate on freelance stuff. At that point, its all about managing your free time and planning ahead and around your job.

 

I'm also thinking about getting into producing on the side...just little short films here and there and seeing where it leads. That's part of why I might want to keep my schedule open once I finish this internship, so that I can possibly take up a 1-2 day a week producing internship in the spring and learn more about the field. Man I wish I had gotten all of this experience while I was still in school but I had no idea what I wanted to do at the time or what my options were.

 

Hey, its better late than never! We all reach enlightenment at different stages. That's a good idea though - you don't have to stay in your job for longer than you need to if you are leaning towards an internship. I say keep your interest in production alive however you can, full time job or not.