Questions for musicians, actors and other artists

Do you have an agent, and are you a member of a union?

You need to know where to send an offer and whether your production can hire this person at all. Whether a union member may work on a non-union or student project, and on what terms, depends on the union and the country. Ask the actor how they understand their position, then check with the union itself.

From: Questions to Ask Actors in an Audition

What did you notice on the second listen that you missed the first time?

This is the reason to play a short piece twice in one sitting. If nothing new turned up, give the next listen a job beforehand, such as following only the lowest instrument.

From: Questions to Ask While Listening to Music

Who edits the footage: you, or an editor I won't meet?

Plenty of good studios pass footage to a separate editor, and some send it to an outside editing service. That is fine as long as the films you were shown were cut the same way. Ask how the preferences you describe in this conversation reach the person doing the cutting.

From: Questions to Ask a Videographer

How do you take a harsh review or a one-star rating?

Some hosts read every review and some have a friend read them first, and neither is wrong. For someone starting out, the follow-up that pays is whether a piece of criticism ever led to a change they are glad they made.

From: Questions to Ask a Podcaster

How do you decide what is too personal to put in the work?

There is almost always a line, and it usually involves other people rather than the artist. The answer tends to name a specific piece they pulled back from, or one they now wish they had.

From: Deep Questions to Ask an Artist

If I want changes to the drawing, how does that work?

Find out how many rounds of changes are normal, whether a full redraw costs extra, and when it becomes too late to alter anything. It is much easier to object to a drawing in an email than to a stencil with the artist standing over you, so agree the route while there is still time to use it.

From: Questions to Ask a Tattoo Artist