3 Smart Tips Actors Absolutely Need When Turning Down Jobs and Auditions

In this video, you're going to learn 3 smart tips that actors absolutely need to use when turning down jobs. When you watch this to the end, you're going to get a chance to be much, much better prepared and turn down jobs in a really smart way. I also have a special bonus for you at the very end. You'll be able to click on the link and watch if a full-time job is preventing you and keeping you from getting work. Here are 8 great tips. Okay, let's get started. Hi, I'm Aaron Marcus, and welcome to the Actor and Model Quick Tips channel and the Actor Career Center, where I share information with you, and this gives people an opportunity to share information on the channel as well. If you haven't done this yet, don't forget, click the subscribe button, also the notification bell. That way you will So you always know every time I upload a new video. And if you like it, give it a thumbs up. So here is the very first way that you might need to turn down a job. Now, I know this might sound really obvious to you, but I've got a little, little bit of a tip that's going to be helpful to you. So number one, let's say you're already booked out that day. You know, you've got another booking. Okay. Instead of just saying, hey, I'm sorry, I'm already booked out that day, here are a couple things that you can try. Maybe— and look, this one's going to be a long shot, to be very honest with you. If you got cast in a film or a TV show and you've got a small part, chances are this isn't going to work. But hey, my feeling is, why not ask? Maybe you could say, hey, I'm booked out that date. Is there any way we can reschedule that scene for another day? Once again, chances aren't great they're going to do it, but why not ask? If you are doing a smaller project, you know, maybe it's a training film or something else, or a small independent film, just ask, and maybe they can rearrange the shoot date so you can do both jobs. Look, my philosophy in this industry is always ask nicely, and the worst thing they can do is say no. So there, there is another option if you happen to be doing, let's say, a commercial modeling job. So typically for commercial modeling jobs, sometimes they're full-day bookings, typically not. It's great when you get a full-day, you know, booking, but, you know, it might be a couple of hours, 3 hours, and you've got something else that's shooting the exact same day. Maybe, maybe you can, if they can't switch the date, Maybe you can schedule the shoot time periods that are far enough apart that will allow you to do both projects. So, and, and I've been able to do that sometimes. Okay, let's get to number 2. Let's say this is a project that it's just not paying very much money. There's a lot of travel involved. They're not going to put you up. They're not going to pay for things. So for financial reasons, you're thinking it's just not worth my time. Now, let me also just tell you that I've also done some casting. I've probably done casting for about 20 projects for different companies, and these are online promotional videos. And there are some people who, you know, have said to me, Look, I know you had said that the client will not pay for mileage, would not pay for a hotel. It's about 3 or 4 hours away from me. It's just not worth my time. Now, I mean, they were paying over $1,000 for these projects, but for whatever reason, it wasn't worth it to that person, and that is absolutely fine. I have a different philosophy. Look, I'm not going to lose money on a job, but my thought is I always find that work gets more work. And yeah, maybe there's a project and I'm going to have to pay for my own hotel. Maybe I'm going to pay for, you know, all the gas and not get reimbursed, and it's a bit of a drive. But you know what? Maybe the project could be really interesting and I could use it For my reel. Maybe I might have a great connection with the director who— this is a very small project. Maybe the person is going to be working on something much bigger. Hopefully the director will like what I do, will like working with me. Why wouldn't the director think of requesting me or maybe even contacting me directly or through my agent? For another project. So I just find that typically I don't turn down jobs based on money, and that's been really very, very helpful to me. So that's just something to keep in mind. But, you know, I certainly understand if it's not something you want to do. You know, maybe, you know, the dialogue in there just isn't great. You don't think it's a great character, whatever it is. But here's another hint for the second reason and another way of turning down a job. Look, you never, you never want to get into explanations. I just don't think it's written really well. It just seems a little corny to me. It's not big enough for me. I really am expecting much, much bigger roles and things like that. You don't want to get into any of that stuff. Just use these 4 words, I am not available. That's it. You're not available because you don't like it. You're not available for— it could be a whole variety of reasons. But that way you're not building up any kind of enemy. You're not creating issues. You're not looking like an actor who might be difficult to work with. Just make it really simple. Or if you want to make it 3 words, I'm not available. If you want to, instead of I am not available, however you want to do it, that's a great way for a second reason and second way to turn down a job. Here is number 3. This one's hard. And there are a lot of us who feel that we're going to be judged. Feel that it's going to hurt us in our relationship with, you know, our agent. But it's really, really important. If there's a project that you don't feel comfortable being a part of for a whole variety of reasons— maybe you don't like the language, Maybe you have a problem with some of the language. Maybe you have a problem with some of the scenes and what your character would have to be doing. Maybe it's a product. Let's say it's a TV commercial and you don't want to support this product. Let's say you're a vegan and you don't want to support people eating meat, and it's for a fast food restaurant. You might not want to do it. Or maybe you don't want to do a TV spot for alcohol or for furs or cigarettes or leather, whatever it is. I'm going to tell you 2 really quick real-life examples of things that one I turned down, one I didn't. This is many years ago, and this was a modeling job, commercial modeling And it was for one of the big cigarette companies. Now, I'm not a smoker. I don't like being around smoke, people who are smoking. I don't want to breathe it in. I also feel like, look, if this is something you want to do in your life, it's fine with me. I just don't want to be around it. So here's what I decided to do. And it paid a pretty good amount of money. It was a big ad campaign. campaign for a cigarette company. So I figured if I turned it down because I didn't want to promote people smoking, they're not going to stop the ad campaign. They're going to find somebody else to do it. So here's what I did, and this was my way of rationalizing it, and it allowed me to do the project and feel good about doing it. I decided— I didn't say anything to But I decided that I would take a portion of what I made and I was going to make a donation to the Cancer Society. And I know some people, you might be watching this and saying it sounds so hypocritical and it sounds crazy, you know, whatever. It allowed me to feel comfortable doing it. And I felt like the job, the ad campaign's gonna happen anyway. Maybe this is some way I can help other people. who maybe are getting sick from smoking cigarettes. So that was, that was my way of rationalizing it. Now, there was also a project that I turned down. And let me just tell you, I've done almost 1,300 jobs. I haven't turned down that many things, but I've turned down some things, a handful, handful of projects. This was a political spot, TV commercial, and I was supposed to be a guy in the Midwest, and I am promoting This guy who's running— I couldn't remember if it was Congress or Senate. And I was reading the copy. I was floored by what I was being asked to say, what the person was going to say in this TV spot about certain types of people shouldn't be running for office. And that's what this politician— it's part of the platform. And I read it and I just thought, In this day and age, people are still thinking this? And so I thanked the agent who submitted me, and I just said, hey, I'm really sorry, I just can't do it. Didn't go into explanations. I just— I found it so disgusting. I didn't want to do anything to help support this politician, use any skills that I might have To help get this person elected. So those are the 3, you know, that's, that's the 3rd time where if it's something you just don't want to be a part of, then you say no. And I know it's hard saying no because we're concerned the agent is going to be upset, and they might be. Yeah. That's very possible. Maybe you were the number one choice, and maybe the second choice is represented by Another agent. So your agent is going to lose money by you saying no. I get it. And it's okay if they're angry. It is. It's like sometimes— and I'm not comparing agents to children, but I'm just saying sometimes children, your children get angry when you have to say something or discipline them and take something away. And it's okay that they're angry. That's fine. But look, this is your life. And these are decisions that are representing you as a person, and you never, never want to look back and kick yourself and think, oh, I really wish I hadn't done that. It's embarrassing to me. I don't like it. It feels bad to me. Don't ever put yourself in that situation. Tell your agent upfront, you know, for whatever reason, you You know, you're just not— you can tell your agent, like, if so, if you have a close relationship, I'm just not comfortable supporting these products. And hopefully the agent will understand. But look, you know, no respectable agent is going to be upset with you or really angry or drop you because of your convictions, you know. And if they are, then it's time to find another agent. Look, you don't want to go to to the audition and book the job and then turn it down. That wouldn't be cool. But look, if, if, if, if it's being offered to you, you know, upfront and you say no, do it. It's important. This is your life. Just to wind things up here, don't forget, if you haven't subscribed yet, click the subscribe button, notification bell. If you like it, give it a thumbs up. Please Share the video with other actors so that we can continue to build this great community of people responding to videos, people sharing information. And, and look, hey, if you've ever turned something down, please share it below. Let us know why. How did you do it? What kind of reaction did you get? This is how we learn from each other. I did promise if you use the little I up there and the little link, you'll be able to watch this video that will be really, really helpful to you. I'm Aaron Marcus, and I can't wait to talk with you again soon. See ya.