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   David H. Lawrence XVII says:

   Answer: After an audition, you may get a phone call from your agent with the news that the casting office has “put a pin in you.” What this means is that the casting office has recommended you as a potential hire to the production team. This does not mean you’ve booked the job, just that you’re a finalist.

   
   

   Being pinned should be considered an acting victory. You don’t have any control over what the final decision is, so take the time to celebrate getting this far in the process. What happens from here is entirely up to the producers, the studio, the network and the availability of the other actors that are also pinned.

   Yes, there are other actors in the mix at this point, all pinned like you are. Think of it as a virtual array of headshots, “pinned” to an imaginary corkboard. Hence, the term “pinned.”

   The equivalent phrase, most often used by commercial casting directors, is “being put on avail,” or being asked to keep a date open for a potential booking. Being pinned is similar in a couple of ways.

   
   

   First, you’re not the only actor that’s pinned. The very reason they pin you (instead of just going ahead and offering you the role) is that the production team has a few choices in mind but want to make sure you’re available. This doesn’t mean you’re their first choice for the part, but you might be.

   Second, you can’t let this distract you from other auditions or work. Being pinned is not a booking, so you can’t assume you can’t audition for other parts, or work other jobs while you’re waiting to hear if you get the job. Just go about your business, and let casting and the production office do their jobs.

   And be sure to let the casting office know if your availability changes. If for some reason you can’t do the gig, you need to help casting make their eventual decision without you. Don’t make them do unnecessary work, only to find you’re out.

   Pinning, as opposed to booking, can happen for any number of reasons, but a likely scenario is that production is not decided on ethnicity or body type for your role. The balance of the cast needs to meet network standards for diversity and creative standards for comedy and drama in an episode or film. This doesn’t mean that if they eventually pass on you that you weren’t the best actor in the audition room, just that you weren’t the right actor for this particular job.

   
   

   It also very well may be that the show has an offer out to a name actor whose representatives haven’t yet responded to that offer, or they haven’t been able to close the booking for that name actor. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been pinned, only to be released, and then later seen the episode on the air with a celebrity in the role. Again, this doesn’t mean you aren’t great at your audition, just that a bigger name got the call. Someday, you’ll be that bigger name.

   It’s important to relax and not get too crazy when you get a pin put in you. It’s the perfect time to practice restraint – don’t bug your agent or manager, and do not call casting to see if there’s “any updates.” Just let the process happen.

   And remember, this is an indication that you’ve booked the room. It means that both casting and production see something in you, and that you might just get the part. You’ve gotten past every other auditioning actor to get that pin in you – be proud. And be ready to report to set should the pinning become a booking.

   What’s your answer to this acting question? Let me know in the comments below.

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