I don’t like you, but I need you… you really got a hold on me.
Smokey Robinson
What is a HOLD?
The HOLD may be part of the hiring process used by production companies.
The HOLD has many variations and nuances.
Most of us who’ve been around a while have a clear understanding of the protocol of holds, but, as I was reminded the other day… many are confused. So, from a production manager’s point of view, let’s dive into what a HOLD process is.
These questions indicate that you are engaged in a HOLD-based hiring process:
Are you available?
Can I put you on hold?
Can I have a second hold?
Can I put you on a soft hold?
Can I put you on a firm hold?
How do I challenge a hold?
How do I break a hold?
Can I book you?
What exactly do these questions mean?
Are you available?
If no, there is no reason to talk… the production will assume you are booked on something else and must keep looking. This means, “Let’s not waste each others time.”
If yes, this is the start of the conversation… the production may or may not know how much it can pay, it may or may not know how much you expect to get paid, but the conversation won’t be a complete waste of time.
This is a prelude to a possible hold.
Can I put you on hold?
This is NOT a commitment to hire you. It is a commitment from you that you won’t take another job without giving the production a first chance to book you.
A hold SHOULD come with some discussion of rate and the hours for the job, but it is NOT a closeout on that negotiation. Often, the hold does not get into those details.
What’s going on with this on the production side?
It means the project may or may not happen for any of a 1,000 reasons, and they are not yet confirming a booking. These reasons could include:
The talent hasn’t confirmed, and if they cancel, no project
The first choice for this job can’t commit, but there must be a backup option
The client hasn’t signed contracts or written a check, but if they do, the project will start quickly
The client won’t go forward unless they know key crew is in place and the production can’t promise to pay until the client gives the okay
Etc., etc., etc.
Can I have a second hold?
This means that although you said no to a hold offer because someone else has you on hold, the production company would like you to call if the first hold falls through. If a second hold is given, it is good practice to courtesy call the company offering the second hold to let them know if the first hold firms up.
Can I put you on a soft hold?
This can mean a lot of things, but in practical terms it is the same as a hold. Most likely this means the reason for the hold is weak… the first choice person is likely but not assured, the client is known to cancel a lot, the talent is likely to cancel. Mostly a “soft hold” is simply a signal that the project likelihood is less than 50% and the production is communicating that uncertainty.
Can I put you on a firm hold?
This is the same as a hold, but the project likelihood is great. If it was certain, it would be a booking.
How do I challenge a hold?
If you get a better offer that conflicts with the hold then you need to call the person who put you on hold and tell them the hold has been challenged. You do NOT need to provide any more details. The person who put you on hold either needs to book you or release you, and will likely ask you for some amount of time to make that decision (you should expect to give at least a day).
How do I break a hold?
You get a much better offer and are not challenging the hold, but breaking it to take the other gig. This can get messy, but your best bet is to be upfront. Call the person with the hold, tell them you’ve been offered a much better gig (more days, money, prestige, etc) AND ideally offer recommendations for people who could also do the job and are available. The further out you break a hold, the better.
We’ve all been here… we realize that holds aren’t jobs, but production managers rely on them as they build out projects and project teams. Do it once or twice, and, if the other gig really is much better, cool. Do it a lot and/or for jobs that are minimally better and expect to stop getting called.
Can I book you?
This is a job offer. Unfortunately, it’s not a 100% guarantee of a job. At this point, you should have a real negotiation on days, rate, hours, expectations, etc. Depending on what you learn in the negotiation, you may be able to ask for a “kill fee” if the job goes away for some reason. Some companies will do this no problem, others will say no.
Even “booked” projects get canceled - the talent cancels unexpectedly, the client changes their mind, the boss realizes they no longer need the interview, etc., etc., etc.
Ideally, there would be a negotiated “kill fee,” but, more often, when a booked project cancels you just lose out on the job.
Additional Information on Holds and Hiring Negotiations:
Kill Fees
Kill fees are generally negotiated when you turn down one project of equal or greater value for another. There does not always need to be an explicit “other job.” Except with the most established organizations (networks, and the like), kill fees are increasingly rare.
A typical scenario is that Company A has you on hold when Company B makes you a slightly better offer, You diligently call Company A and challenge the hold. Company A books you rather than release the hold… then the project falls through. In this case you may reasonably ask (even if it wasn’t negotiated) for a kill fee. You turned down a pay day to be available to Company A. It’s a reasonable ask and if Company A values you highly they will offer something. Otherwise, they are most likely to say they would like to but can’t.
Realize that production companies don’t like kill fees. They are not out to hurt people, but they are acting in their best interest. And if a project blows up, they are getting financially hurt too.
Bad Production Company Warning Signs
First, don’t assume that because the production company is acting in a frustrating manner that they are doing it with negative intent. The production company is likely dealing with issues that are impacting it well beyond your hold dates.
That said… here are three Bad Production Company Warning Signs to be on the lookout for:
Constantly moving hold dates: This is almost always out of the control of whomever called, but, after the first date shift, it’s totally okay to ask what’s impacting the date (is the project less likely to happen at all or is it just shifting to accommodate talent or location) and if the dates move a lot… this is a warning sign.
Acting like the hold is a firm booking: If you are held for a job, be sure to communicate about when the job will be booked. Sometimes a company will have you on hold and having not heard a challenge, will assume you are available until the last minute and subsequently wait until the last minute to book you. The upshot, is they SHOULD be keeping in communication with you but if there is radio silence, best to make a call. Not surprisingly, these companies tend to get “angry” when at the last minute they call to book and find out you aren’t as available as they need and expected.
Acting like the hold means nothing: Three days before the gig, you call and ask what’s up. The company says, sorry gig canceled, we went with someone else, dates moved, etc. Not much you can do but keep this in mind the next time the company calls.
The Upshot
Communication is critical. The person who calls to book you might be the Production Manager with full responsibility for the budget and full authority to offer kill fees etc. or, depending on the company, it might be a “coordinator” who just graduated from film school who really doesn’t understand any of this.
Make sure you and the person who called are on the same page. After every contact follow up with an email and confirm the information you have (I.e.: Thanks for the call. I’m confirming I have May 18 - 23 on hold, $450 for a10 hour day. I’ll follow up with you next Friday to check in).
Make sure you have relevant contact info (email and mobile) and they have yours.
Make sure the expectations on when further communication will happen and who’s responsible for initiating.
If someone puts you on hold… they want to hire you. Mostly holds become jobs. Mostly.