TWITTERGATE
August 13, 2009
This was bound to happen sooner then later, I just read this on another Casting Director’s blog
http://answersforactors.wordpress.com/2009/08/13/a-casting-directors-rude-behaviour/
It is in response to Daryl Eisenberg, a Casting Director (Stage), using Twitter during an audition. It’s being referred to as “Twittergate” because it has upset the confidentiality that actors feel they should have when being in an audition. I agree with this. It is very rare that I will share an audition or allow anyone besides the Producer or Director or those involved directly with the project to watch an audition. Ok, sometimes I show my Mother, BUT that is because she is my Mom and she likes to see what I do…I don’t Twitter, I think between this blog, facebook and my website, I have enough of an on-line presence, probably too much…
Twittering is something I would never do, seems like it could get you into a lot of trouble. HOWEVER, she did “tweet” some funny stuff like, “Your skirt makes me think you’re Wiccan…” & “Who is that person in your headshot? it is def not the person standing in front of me.” I cannot say I have never written similar things down on my personal notes, I just wouldn’t want to officially have them out in the open. My notes are in shorthand most of the time and reflect years of writing the same things over and over. In fact if I lost my audition notes, I would doubt that anyone besides myself would really understand what I was writing.
In response to the “scandal”, Daryl does say that she genuinely was doing it to educate actors. I think that is probably true, but again, as happened to me in the previous blog, you have to take on the full responsibility of what you write about and share with the public and if the perception is not what the intent is then maybe an apology is appropriate. My concern is that in an audition, the focus is on the actor auditioning. How do you do that when you are also writing about them at the same time?
What sucks is that I have had, on many occasions, Producers paying more attention to their Blackberry then to the audition. This pisses me off and I am a pretty calm guy. Also, I hate when a Producer or Director comes to a session with food that smells up a room, but I have learned to live with that one, some battles are not worth the fight…
I support Daryl. I think actors need to take a good look at themselves in the mirror before they continue attacking Daryl.
I have more to say here:
http://tinyurl.com/DarylEisenberg
Wow, the New York Times reported on this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/15/theater/15tweet.html
It seems like a good rule to not be on the phone, blackberry etc… while in an audition room if you are the DIrector/Producer/Casting Director. Saying that, I have been in situations where the Producer has been on the crackberry and believe me, I was not happy about it.
I think Daryl took all the right actions to resolve this issue and we as a community should just let this be “one to grow on” and leave it at that.
Actors are in a vulnerable position when they are auditioning, but at the same time, as Michael says in his VBLOG (see the above comment) he as an actor supports her “twittering.”