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San Francisco: Casting Agencies?

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Thanks Ed, Well I was afraid that was the real story with casting in San Francisco. I had this gut feeling that was the case, with the ‘come on down and write us a check’ advertisement on their website.   It seems like they occasionally have legitimate work, but as you said there isn’t enough to pay the rent in SF.   Not to mention they advertise over 15,000 people in their database. That is a huge pool to choose from. I was actually thinking 33 was a good time to start since I would think the bulk of aspiring actors are in the 18-25 age range.  Perhaps there is slightly less competition. For now I might just throw away $20 and see what Bonneau can do for me.  But while I wait for the phone to ring I’ll look for student films and short run plays.  I just missed an audition last night, found out about it too late. However I see a sticking point coming.  Say a year from now,  I’ve done a play or two and a handful of student plays.  Then I think I’ll be faced with a choice of moving to LA or just being content acting as a part time hobby. K

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Ed, I just finished reading your audition book.  It was very informative. Thanks <g Here is my situation.  I’m 33 years old living in the SF bay area and recently found myself unemployed.  I’ve taken advantage of the time off to finally take an acting class at the local junior college.  So far I’m enjoying it quiet a  bit.  I have zero experience and would like to get some real experience.  I know I should start looking at local theater groups which I plan to. Well, the good news is that there is no "right" time to become an actor. Thirty-three works for me.  If you want to start getting experience and building a resume, I advise that you get into short-run plays, student films, staged readings, that kind of thing.  Doing extra work in movies and TV shows isn’t going to do much for you, and you can’t use that kind of work on your resume anyway. I have also been thinking about contacting Beau Bonneau.  I am very leery of getting taken. You sound like a smart fellow.  Watch your wallet. However from what you are stating it doesn’t sound like there is much work for them to place here in SF.  . Correct.  San Francisco is a god-awful expensive town in which to live, as you well know.  Beau Bonneau and Nancy Hayes can’t make enough money to support an upwardly mobile lifestyle from doing the little bit of principal casting that comes San Francisco’s way.   Mainly, they both cast extras.  Yes, they cast some commercials, and yes they both get the occasional  feature project in which they get to cast some principals.  But extra work is the spine. Bonneau is running a full tilt school now, advertising it  in Callboard as being owned by "Casting Director Beau Bonneau".  He’s implying access to himself if you write checks to his school.  He also wants to charge actors $15 or more to get their photo into his "digital database".  The California State Labor Commission says that those fees are illegal, that by charging them Bonneau is behaving like a de facto talent agent.  One of these days, they’ll take him into court about it.  In the meantime, the digital photo files are a cash cow for Bonneau. I’ve also been looking into extra work.  I… I have never been on or around a movie set and think that at least for a couple of times it would be interesting.  Over at Bonneau’s they are currently casting for the Hulk.  So it might be a good time to sign up. Beau Bonneau will be happy to see you ANY time you want to sign up.  Be sure to take your check book.<g Ed Hooks

Response:

…. Not to mention they advertise over 15,000 people in their database. That is a huge pool to choose from.

15,000 is most likely a lie.  San Francisco doesn’t contain anything close to that many actors or even ASPIRING actors.  The reason Bonneau would over-state the number of people in his database would be to get you and others into a herd mentality.  "If they’re all doing it, well by God, I ought to do it, too!" He’s nothing if he’s not slick. I was actually thinking 33 was a good time to start since I would think the bulk of aspiring actors are in the 18-25 age range.  Perhaps there is slightly less competition.

<GG  The reason the bulk of actors is 18-25 is that they can’t make a living and so they go into other lines of work before they hit their thirties.  The good news for you is that there is less competition in the 30ish age range. The bad news is that the ones who are lurking there are much more talented and street wise than the younger ones that went into other lines of work. For now I might just throw away $20 and see what Bonneau can do for me.

That’s exactly what you will be doing, throwing away $20.  But if you don’t mind, I’m sure he doesn’t mind. However I see a sticking point coming.  Say a year from now,  I’ve done a play or two and a handful of student plays.  Then I think I’ll be faced with a choice of moving to LA or just being content acting as a part time hobby.

Move now.  Why wait?  What are you waiting for? Ed Hooks

Response:

… I am primarily interested in commercials and print work to tell you the truth, but am not sure what the best way to go about it.  Should I skip these casting directors and try and get an agent in SF?  …

Yes.  If you have a good agent, you will get auditions.  You don’t need to be paying to meet the casting directors.  Talent agents are motivated to represent you if they think you will book the jobs.  What you need is a drop-dead wonderful head shot and a warm smile and strong handshake. You don’t even have to be a full-tilt actor to do commercials.  You just have to be a happy camper with a winning manner. If there is little work for the casting directors, does that mean that there is little work for actors working with agents?

Yup.  But the state law governs and controls the agents better than it does the casting directors.  Talent agents are considered to be a kind of employment agency by state law.  Casting directors are totally unregulated, which is why they tend to sell access to themselves so much.  Agents would do that too if they could get away with it. Anyway, the important point is that talent agents MUST get actors working if they are to survive on commissions alone.  An agent is financially motivated to send you on auditions and to push you along.  Casting directors work for producers and they have zero commitment to you.  When a paying gig is being cast, the CD’s will call the agents for submissions because they know that the agents have a financial incentive to represent the best talent. Ed Hooks

Response:

Thanks for your input Ed.  I understand the points you’ve made concerning extra work.  I am primarily interested in commercials and print work to tell you the truth, but am not sure what the best way to go about it.  Should I skip these casting directors and try and get an agent in SF?  If there is little work for the casting directors, does that mean that there is little work for actors working with agents? Thanks! Jim

Response:

Hi Ed, I just finished reading your audition book.  It was very informative.

Thanks <g Here is my situation.  I’m 33 years old living in the SF bay area and recently found myself unemployed.  I’ve taken advantage of the time off to finally take an acting class at the local junior college.  So far I’m enjoying it quiet a  bit.  I have zero experience and would like to get some real experience.  I know I should start looking at local theater groups which I plan to.

Well, the good news is that there is no "right" time to become an actor. Thirty-three works for me.  If you want to start getting experience and building a resume, I advise that you get into short-run plays, student films, staged readings, that kind of thing.  Doing extra work in movies and TV shows isn’t going to do much for you, and you can’t use that kind of work on your resume anyway. I have also been thinking about contacting Beau Bonneau.  I am very leery of getting taken.

You sound like a smart fellow.  Watch your wallet. However from what you are stating it doesn’t sound like there is much work for them to place here in SF.  .

Correct.  San Francisco is a god-awful expensive town in which to live, as you well know.  Beau Bonneau and Nancy Hayes can’t make enough money to support an upwardly mobile lifestyle from doing the little bit of principal casting that comes San Francisco’s way.   Mainly, they both cast extras.  Yes, they cast some commercials, and yes they both get the occasional  feature project in which they get to cast some principals.  But extra work is the spine. Bonneau is running a full tilt school now, advertising it  in Callboard as being owned by "Casting Director Beau Bonneau".  He’s implying access to himself if you write checks to his school.  He also wants to charge actors $15 or more to get their photo into his "digital database".  The California State Labor Commission says that those fees are illegal, that by charging them Bonneau is behaving like a de facto talent agent.  One of these days, they’ll take him into court about it.  In the meantime, the digital photo files are a cash cow for Bonneau. I’ve also been looking into extra work.  I… I have never been on or around a movie set and think that at least for a couple of times it would be interesting.  Over at Bonneau’s they are currently casting for the Hulk.  So it might be a good time to sign up.

Beau Bonneau will be happy to see you ANY time you want to sign up.  Be sure to take your check book.<g Ed Hooks

Response:

Hi Ed, I just finished reading your audition book.  It was very informative.  Here is my situation.  I’m 33 years old living in the SF bay area and recently found myself unemployed.  I’ve taken advantage of the time off to finally take an acting class at the local junior college.  So far I’m enjoying it quiet a  bit.  I have zero experience and would like to get some real experience.  I know I should start looking at local theater groups which I plan to.   I have also been thinking about contacting Beau Bonneau.  I am very leery of getting taken.  However from what you are stating it doesn’t sound like there is much work for them to place here in SF.  . I’ve also been looking into extra work.  I’ve done a lot of research on the subject and have read your opinion on this newsgroup.  I don’t intend on using it to gain ‘experience’ or ever put it on a resume.  I have never been on or around a movie set and think that at least for a couple of times it would be interesting.  Over at Bonneau’s they are currently casting for the Hulk.  So it might be a good time to sign up. If Bonneau and Hayes are the only players in SF does that mean they handle anything local including movies, television, print, extras? Any advice would be help. Regards, KF

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m an actor with primarily stage credits to this date.  I’m interested in expanding into film, commercials, and print, for experience and some extra $$. The only reason to work as an extra in movies or TV shows is to be on a set and watch them shooting something.  It does zero for your career because extras are not considered actors. You cannot put extra credits on your resume. Speaking as an acting teacher and career counselor on these matters, I would much prefer to see you parking cars and waiting tables to make money, while presenting yourself to the industry as a principal player. Not an extra. The only extra work that makes sense is in commercials.  There at least, if you get upgraded, it can be financially worthwhile. I’m in the San Francisco area and have heard that for extra work I should go to Beau Bonneau.  Is this a good place for print as well?  … Beau Bonneau is a school that does a little bit of casting.  Once you get on file with him, he will try to sell you stuff non-stop. Bedinger Casting Casting.com EyeCast Laura Folger Casting Nancy Hayes Casting Nina Henninger Casting Integrity Casting International Talent Casting The two primary sources of extra casting are Bonneau and Background Casting, which is owned by Nancy Hayes.  Nina Henninger isn’t doing much since "Nash Bridges" folded.  Integrity Casting is not a player at all as far as I know.  International Talent Casting is mainly a voice-over casting outfit, and they specialize in foreign speakers.  Don’t know much about Bedinger Casting.  I heard Casting.com went belly-up.  Never heard of EyeCast. In San Francisco, Hayes and Bonneau are 95 percent of the casting game. The problem is that there is not enough paying work being cast in San Francisco to support the two of them.  And so they both find inventive other ways to make money.  Especially Bonneau. Caveat emptor. Ed Hooks 12-years in SF — currently in Chicago

Response:

I’m an actor with primarily stage credits to this date.  I’m interested in expanding into film, commercials, and print, for experience and some extra $$. I’m in the San Francisco area and have heard that for extra work I should go to Beau Bonneau.  Is this a good place for print as well?  Also, I found a web page which list various casting directors.  I was wondering if anyone knows of these directors, good or bad. Here are the contestants: Bedinger Casting Casting.com EyeCast Laura Folger Casting Nancy Hayes Casting Nina Henninger Casting Integrity Casting International Talent Casting THANKS! Jim

Response:

I’m an actor with primarily stage credits to this date.  I’m interested in expanding into film, commercials, and print, for experience and some extra $$.

The only reason to work as an extra in movies or TV shows is to be on a set and watch them shooting something.  It does zero for your career because extras are not considered actors. You cannot put extra credits on your resume. Speaking as an acting teacher and career counselor on these matters, I would much prefer to see you parking cars and waiting tables to make money, while presenting yourself to the industry as a principal player. Not an extra. The only extra work that makes sense is in commercials.  There at least, if you get upgraded, it can be financially worthwhile. I’m in the San Francisco area and have heard that for extra work I should go to Beau Bonneau.  Is this a good place for print as well?  …

Beau Bonneau is a school that does a little bit of casting.  Once you get on file with him, he will try to sell you stuff non-stop. Bedinger Casting Casting.com EyeCast Laura Folger Casting Nancy Hayes Casting Nina Henninger Casting Integrity Casting International Talent Casting

The two primary sources of extra casting are Bonneau and Background Casting, which is owned by Nancy Hayes.  Nina Henninger isn’t doing much since "Nash Bridges" folded.  Integrity Casting is not a player at all as far as I know.  International Talent Casting is mainly a voice-over casting outfit, and they specialize in foreign speakers.  Don’t know much about Bedinger Casting.  I heard Casting.com went belly-up.  Never heard of EyeCast. In San Francisco, Hayes and Bonneau are 95 percent of the casting game. The problem is that there is not enough paying work being cast in San Francisco to support the two of them.  And so they both find inventive other ways to make money.  Especially Bonneau. Caveat emptor. Ed Hooks 12-years in SF — currently in Chicago

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