I just got back from the worst model casting of my life. I received a phone call from the local offices of John Casablancas modeling agency telling me that I was highly referred and to come and audition with them at their local office. She said the audition would consist of getting some photographs taken and walking the runway, all in hopes to see how my look and personality come across on camera and the stage. It goes without saying that I was mildly excited. Okay uber excited, but it did not come without hesitation. You see, my sister was signed with them a while ago and her experience with them was less than pleasant. However, the modeling bug has bitten her again and she has decided to try and work with them again. My thinking after hearing that, how bad could JC have been?
I walked into the JC doors to see other potential talent occupying the lobby filling out paperwork. After my paperwork was completed the receptionist told me to go into a room to have my photograph taken. The photographer took 3 snapshots of me, all head shots then sent me on my way. I was then sent into a room with all of the other auditioners to await the next step. The room was set up like a runway fashion show with chairs lined up all around the room except one back wall. A woman then comes in and tells all of the hopefuls to line up against the back wall. My mind quickly took me to the Janice Dickenson show where Janice lines up hopeful models and picks and chooses who she wants. Well I could only dream it would work that way here, because this woman came in and took a seat on the runway and her sales pitch began. She went on and on about the tough industry, the great company JC, your realistic talents blah blah blah. She literally had us STANDING for over an hour selling us the JC spiel. At that point I was done and was ready to walk out. It didn't help to find out that I was there to audition to be an actress as well as a model... What?
She finally sends us one by one down the runway (the modeling audition), and when we returned from the runway we had to read a line from a small script (the acting audition). There were approximately 25 people there (men and women) so you can imagine how long the process took after each person auditioned. When it got to me I of course killed the runway audition, but my reading of the lines admittedly could have gone a little better, but oh well I was there to model anyway so I thought.
When the audition session was over she then asked every single hopeful how badly we want it and if we have any prior experience. She booked an appointment with us individually and sent us on our way(finally), but wait she confesses that not every appointment booked tonight will be kept. She was falsely booking appointments with some people, who were going to receive a cancellation phone call the next day, and booking actual appointments with others. Huh? What kind of technique is this? She kept calling out names and "booking" appointments sending people off only I waited and waited for my name to be called. Geesh get to me already lady! When she finally called me she asked me how badly I want to model then she said, "you know, I want to talk to you some more, could you have a seat?" NOOOO! I want to go home! I'm starving and I've been standing up for 2.5 hours straight now. Unless you're ready to sign me right now we have nothing to talk about. I didn't say any of that, I just said, "OK" and took a seat.
She went through the rest of the names, sent them home then finally asked me to come back up. She told me she sees a lot of potential in me and told me with this profession I need to invest in myself since I'm starting from scratch. She asked if I was ready to do that. In other words, does your bank account have room for us? I told her no I'm not ready to take on such an investment. She asked that I call her when I am ready and gave me her card. I ran out of there and threw all the information I gathered from them in my trash. What a complete waste of time!
