female confused about how women are treated by casting directors

The following is a letter written by one of my fellow cohorts who also worked on "Boardwalk Empire". The letter depicts the unfair treatment by casting and discrimination against Women in their late thirties working in this business:


A certain casting agency hired me for the new Martin Scorsesse project "Boardwalk Empire" for 3 days. They fitted me in a period costume, wanted my hair to be all one color,I had to be shorter than 5'5, and of white/European decent. They paid me SAG wages for the fitting, and I was under the impression I would be paid SAG wages for the days I was asked to work.

They then proceeded to pay me non-union for the day of work, and this was a long day (16 hours) and was a 500 dollar difference (bt. the Union & non-union actors). I complained to SAG, and they told me casting could do whatever they wanted, and that they had made a mistake and only kids would be waivered.

I thought that was ironic since I have a 5 year old, and am a single parent and need to pay a babysitter 10 dollars per hour when I work. This particular project centers around women in the work place, and women getting a respectable salary. I do not believe this is Martin Scorsese's fault, nor do I believe this is the production company's fault. But is the second time this casting agency has hired me for a particular look (white/European, short, all one hair color, 30's), given me SAG wages for the fitting and then not paid me SAG wages for a day of work.

Some of these casting directors seem to have lawless business practices. They seem to be prejudice against white women in their 30's. Certain people in the film industry have told me that white women in their 30's don't get waivers! Only pretty, young girls in their 20's.
I am an attractive reasonably young woman and would like to know what percentage of white women in their 30's are actually working on a daily basis on film and television projects in New York City like I do.

I am a member of Aftra. I understand that SAG does not have an open door policy like AFTRA does. I do not understand how women can continue to be discriminated against.
If anyone has any insight or complaints about casting agencies; or the random way waivers are given out please respond.

Julia S.East Village, New York City

Please feel free to comment in your support.

Back to One!

The Baster - New Jennifer Aniston comedy!

(from April 10,2009)

Thinking that I would have no work this past week as it was Passover and Easter, I really didn't expect to get any work. Lo and behold, things always happen when you don't expect it. Sure enough this was true this past week as I was booked on the new Jennifer Aniston move "The Baster" co-starring Jason Bateman.


The movie “The Baster" is a comedy with co-star Jason Bateman. Which is about you guessed it...one thousand ways to use a turkey baster! You can either baste a turkey or "baste" yourself!Thus a new movie synopsis is born!

It’s basically about an unmarried 40-year-old woman turns to a turkey baster in order to become pregnant. Seven years later, she reunites with her best friend, who has been living with a secret: he (Jason Bateman) replaced her preferred sperm sample with his own!

Shocking! As if this concept has never been done before on a Soap Opera. Still I have to admit, it's a cute premise with comedy potential. On to the night....

The night consisted of mostly line, lines, and more lines. The night started in a line to get checked in and to get the pay voucher. Then you have to get into another line to get checked by wardrobe. Then you wait…and you wait and wait some more in a holding are until a some PA comes in the room with a bullhorn and tells you have 5 minutes to get ready for lunch!

Mind you before we got summoned to Lunch, we totally rationed and hunted out for any drivel of crumbs, food, and chips we could find. I was not going to let myself starve on this movie as we did on the Angelina Movie, "SALT", with a walk-a-way lunch!

So instantly when we saw the food table stationed down the block of the Roosevelt hotel, we started "pilfering" as much food as we could. With the past experience and knowledge of working on a big budget film and getting NO food, any sight of food meant.. "Take NOW! ...Pilfer. PILFer.. PILFER!" Oy Vey. All of a sudden I am feeling mighty Jewish! LOL.

Being the fact the it was Easter /Passover week, I think we made the Lord proud of the food we did manage to take and distribute amongst our brethren background brothers.

Of course we started stuffing our faced with rolls, meats, cheeses, Oreo cookie packs and then we find out that JEN..OH Glorious Jen was to feed us non-union folk as good if not as well as the Sag-folk. Just to get fed was a huge "Hallelujah" and rejoice across the non-sag tables. If felt like the part in the "The Commandments' where Moses takes his staff and parts the sea apart so all the (non-union) slaves can get through to where there will be food and new dwellings.


The best line of all! That is of course if there is a good buffet lunch provided for both the Sag and non-Sag players. Luckily on this movie, we did have a decent catering service provide for all 300 extras! The food was really good and some of us were just SO happy in glee and thanked JEN, our "Moses" for the night! Thank-you Jen!

The worst line has got to be the “Sign-out” at the end of the night line. This line can be brutal as people get demanding and bitchy and an entire state of panic and anger ensues. What’s amazing about this line is that after being on a set for over 14 hours and it ‘s 6am in the morning and the director still wants all the extras to act fresh and active, people are ready to drop.

Though as soon “It’s a wrap” is called, a big mad mass of people regain their energy and will race, run, scream, push, trip and fight to get into that line to get checked out! It’s a swarm of insanity and tired reckless people with the same objective “GET IN THE LINE; SIGN OUT TO GET HOME AND CRASH!”

This is what happened on a set of this nature where you have at least 300 background extras. Why I am still doing this is simply because I need the money. Though I have to admit that the madness of it intrigues me. It’s like once you get through the lines, you have accomplished something great! Strange, but true.

Just like on the Jennifer Aniston movie, we were trapped in Grand Central subway shuttle train where they shot the scene. Clearly I was not in the scene. And not visible, though when I asked if I could leave the set to use the bathroom, it was a big NO!

So it was being trapped there all night ling until they wrapped. It was 14 hours of this craziness. Walking in and out of the subway train doors, over and over again, a thousand times.

Will I do it again. Of course. My favorite part is how people complain how horrible it is, yet they ALL come back…."Back to one!"



CA ;)

Grant Wilfley Cattle Call for two feature films

I swore to myself that I would not waste my time going to one of these cattle calls. Last time I went to one of these, I had to stand outside for hours in a huge line of people just to fill out some forms and get a quick digital snap-shot taken. So it was no surprise to head out into the city and see hundreds of people with headshots and resumes in their hands, shivering in the cold waiting to get inside to the doors of the church where they were holding the "auditions".

This cattle call was at least at a decent location over by W.59th St and 9th avenue at the church of Saint Peter the Apostle. it's definitely a huge area to hold a throng of people, though there were just TOO many people to bring in at once.


I recall being in this church before when I was on that movie "Don't Mess with the Zohan" starring Adam Sandler and ended up being a horrible experience. I knew that the location of the church sounded all too familiar and when I got to W 59th and started walking across Columbus Circle,the flashbacks of the horror became all too clear. I will never forget the 3 days/nights on that shoot with NO food and No respect at all. Oh did I mention NO waivers for being out in the cold miserable rains...The list goes on, though I will stop here on that "Zohan Mess"!



I really know how things work too well and how to work the system. Why in the world I still don't have my SAG Waivers...Ask the "GOD of SAG Waivers" I wish I knew why I am still a non-union loser after all this time.



Moving on...So I got there and luckily I saw my friend "D" in line as soon as I crossed the street. Talk about luck b/c this means I avoided having to wait in the line wrapping around the end of the block. Eventually after standing outside for about a half of an hour, which wasn't too bad, we got inside to the church where there were rows of chairs for our next step to sit down and fill out a form which consisted of everything from your name to your bra size. Oh yeah don't forget color and make of your car, if you have one. Very Important information...



The two movies that they were "auditioning" for was an untitled "Nancy Meyers Project" and oh yeah...the movie that I auditioned for on a callback which I didn't get and would have meant a feature role and instant SAG..Named "The Sorcerers Apprentice" . Yes, I auditioned for the role of a Russian Woman and was really close to getting it, though it didn't happen.

Here is the original blog of my devastating failure and how I blew an opportunity of a life time:

http://annietalentsearch.blogspot.com/2009/01/call-backs-for-sorcerers-apprentice.html

So you can imagine how I felt even going to this cattle call. It's humiliating and embarrassing at this point. There I was offered a "Golden Opportunity" and it was stripped from me in an instant.

I'm sure the entire New York Actors Roster will be called for the one thousand people scene that they plan to shoot in April of this year. I'm sure I'll get a waiver for being in a crowd scene. Lord knows I was right beside Julia Roberts in "Duplicity" which is showing on Movie Trailers right now and I got NOTHING out of that.

Life is a long lesson in humility by --- J.M. Barrie --- I think I have humiliated myself enough and need to move on..

Sigh ;(

On set of Cupid as Homeless Patron (day 1)

(from Friday January 16th)

I got called by Central Casting to work on the Disney/ABC show
"Cupid". I haven't worked on this show since December 1st of last year. This is the first job for me this year. I have submitted to SO many bookings to be in a fashion show, upper east siders, elite roles, etc..I can't get booked on any of these. What do I get booked as?? I got booked as a homeless person! Yes that's right when you think of a homeless look, give Canada Anne a call. What an insult! Since I really need the money, and am going crazy from not working consistently,I took the job, reluctantly.

Since this was Disney, they didn't want us homeless to look "Homeless". The production hot line insisted that we don't look like raggedy homeless and no obscenities as this is Disney. Also they kept insisting that they wanted bright colors that "popped" like pinks, greens and yellows.

So we had to be clean respectable looking homeless. This message from Central casting went on for 14minutes repeating over and over again the wardrobe criteria. You would think you were dressing for the Oscars how specific and how many changes they wanted for a homeless look. ..and the Oscars goes to.. the best dressed Homeless person!

It actually turned out to be a better day than expected. The best part was that we were indoors. Though I was prepared for the worst and was going to make friends with a SAG player because they always get the heated cardboard boxes!

Though even being indoors didn't protect us from the frigid icy cold of a day where it went down to 5F. Every time the crew and grips were rolling equipment through the church doors, you felt the frigid blast of frosty air zip through your bones and numb you instantly.Our scene was taking place in a soup kitchen.We were all really thrilled to be indoors and to be served the best "Food Kitchen Slop" ever. The trays they gave us with food got increasingly more putrid with each passing hour of food sitting out in room temperature and growing bacteria every moment.

Though we all stayed in character and held our trays and nose up high knowing that this was all for a paycheck. It sure is fun portraying a homeless when you know you have home to go back to. Some background really got a good "Whiff" of the rotting food:

Though with the little amount of work I have been getting lately, I have to wonder where I'm going to be a month from now. Where will any of us be?