The Dreaded Avail

Perhaps "dreaded" is a bit extreme.

The generic hiring process for most jobs goes something like this:

1. Submit resume/application

2. Resumes are reviewed and evaluated for next steps

3. Candidates are interviewed

4. Discussions are had, offers are made

5. A candidate is hired

Of course, there may be more steps, phone interviews prior to live interviews, drug tests, etc. But that's the general flow of things.  For the everyday actor, the hiring process for most jobs goes something like this (and assuming the actor already has an agent for brevity's sake):

1. Agent receives casting notice and submits clients' headshots for the roles

2. Casting director receives hundreds of thumbnail-sized headshot submissions and scrolls through to select those called for audition

3. Candidates audition

4. Directors, producers, casting directors and/or mystery people view some or all of the auditions and select some (a few, or most, or all) of the candidates for another audition, a callback.

5. Candidates audition again

6. Directors, ad agency folks, production folks and/or mystery people select a few candidates for each role to be placed on "avail" by the casting director
7. CDs call agents

8. Agents call candidates to inform them of the "avail"

9. Meetings are held. Catered food is consumed. Decisions are made.
10. One candidate is selected per role

11. Some agents inform their clients of the happy news, and some inform their clients of the other kind of news

The "avail" is the Big Tease. "Hey, we love you for this...well, some of us do...ok, ONE of us does, and if we can talk the ones that don't like you for this into sort of liking you for this...you'll be hired! In the meantime, please don't do anything else." Now back to your normal, everyday routine.

Does that happen in the general job process? I've never experienced it, but I haven't really been beating down doors for outside jobs lately. Maybe people do know they're in the "top 3" or whatever. 

I can usually, though not always, tell when the room enjoys what I'm doing. People laugh or there's a looser energy, a collaborative feel to the creative work happening. There have also been times when I've thought, "No way. That was terrible," and still booked the job. But the avail...

I haven't done the statistics for how many avails I've had that progressed to getting the job. I do know that I've had some streaks where two or three avails in a row went south, and streaks where two or three in a row went to the bank. 

But so much of a thing is one's perception of it.  So even when avails aren't panning out, I must perceive that I'm on a hot streak. I'm making good choices in the room, doing good work and performing at a professional level. That's my job. The pay isn't great, but that's what emergency funds are for.