Missed Opportunity

Hold onto your butts, this is a long one. This one happened quite a while back. I was trying to get a showreel together, so I put myself up for lots of unpaid student films. For the first audition for one such film, I was told via email to call the producer when I had arrived at the film school. I tried calling the number I was given, no answer. I kept calling, and waiting, still no answer. I ended up going inside and asking reception whether they knew where the student I was waiting to meet with was. They didn't. They also mentioned that this was very unlike this student to be late. Finally, they arrived, stating they didn't know where I was. The audition went well, despite me having to wait a further twenty minutes for the director to arrive.

All this is common within the industry, but it's frustrating when you take time out of work to to be met with such delays - also knowing this is an unpaid project. Ho hum, the trials and tribulations of getting a showreel together. What happened next, was the real kicker.

I got a call back. They wanted to see me work with other potential cast members. I had another audition to go to that evening but I had a narrow window to see them beforehand, so I emailed and made sure they were aware that I wouldn't be able to stay long, and they understood.

I arrived, and once again, no one knew where the producer was. I waited, I called, I asked reception. Again, the receptionist noted that this was unusual behaviour for the student. I waited until I couldn't wait anymore and left for my second audition.

I was pretty angry. At work, I spoke to an actor I knew who had some experience with the film school and he said I should absolutely follow it up with their superiors, considering I'd missed work and they had wasted my time. So I called the film school and lodged a complaint. That's when I received this:

Dear ____________, We were expecting you on Tuesday, 5.30PM for a 2nd call with all our actors, but unfortunately we haven't heard from you nor seen you on the day nor since.
We only hope you are fine. However, if you had a change of heart we would totally understand it. We wish you much success in all your projects and we hope to collaborate with you
on a future production. All best, ______________

You can imagine my confusion. So I replied:

Dear __________, I'm confused - I was there at 5.30pm on Tuesday. I rang you dozens of times, text you and left a message on your answerphone. I waited until 6pm but then had to leave as I told you I needed to be elsewhere. Because I didn't hear from you and because I left work early that day to meet you, I subsequently conplained to (film school) as this is very unprofessional treatment. I hope you finish your film and good luck with everything but I find this correspondance rather odd to say the least. Perhaps you could enlighten me? _________.

The response:

Dear _________, 
I am very surprised and really sorry to hear of such a miss. I am more confused then you are as we had an appointment with all the cast (4 actors) that same Tuesday, from 5PM until 8PM. They were all present and had no problems getting through to my phone and for me to receive them. We were really looking forward to seeing you again as we sincerely liked your 1st audition. 
I can assure you that I haven't received any phone call nor text messages from you. Are you sure you have my mobile number? It is clear to me that the mobile you were calling wasn't mine. Even it is known that the mobile reception in the (film school) building is very week, I should have received at least one message
from you, text or voice-mail. But I haven't. 
The rest of the cast can confirm it as well as we were all together at that time. Why didn't you email me that same day, or the day after? You had my Casting Call Pro and personal email address and it would have been a pleasure to set a new 2nd call date with you as the part is still not cast. We simply thought you didn't show up without letting us know. We are often faced with this attitude from many actors, so we are quite used with it. Even so, we still thought of trying a last time with you, therefore my emails. But your reply (and action) is a most surprising one. This is new for us indeed. 
We are all serious, sensible, reasonable, professional people in this school, and many of us with years and family in this industry. Misunderstandings in communication can happen at any stage, yet we always adhere to a transparent, elegant and honest etiquette when collaborating with each other. Being aggressive or negligent is not one of our credos. We are very sorry for this missed opportunity. 
We wish you all the best of success in your career and look forward to seeing you sometimes soon, as this industry is very small indeed. Kind regards, __________

It was quite clear to me now, that somewhere along the line I'd received an incorrect phone number, that I
could understand. But I didn't particularly appreciate the mildly threatening overtones of 'family in the industry'
and 'the industry being small'. But I concede on the point that perhaps I should have emailed them before
complaining. Anyway, I couldn't believe what happened next. It seems the producer and director were emailing each other regarding this mishap - and the director accidentally emailed me their thoughts also, (for the sake of deciphering this email, let's just say I'm 'K'):

I just read K's email. This is wierd. If K is calling at all i think K is callig the wrong number obviously. Unless ... there was one time K called me, the 2nd time K cancelled on us weeks ago and K rang a number I never use unless I am calling abroad. It is possible K may have been ringing me all this time instead if you! But that is just silly of K cos since you have been calling, has your number by now, so why is K still calling me? That is IF K is calling me and not someone else. ask K to send you the number K was calling. what is K saying? is K out or coming tomorrow? K is beginning to piss me off. Is ______ on for the male nurse? he could replace K if K is acting up. is he coming tomorrow too? ________ is the guy playing the male nurse, right? I mix up these names.

Naturally, I felt compelled to alert their attention to this:

Hello,

I suppose this could be an example of your 'transparent, elegant and honest' communication but it's more likely that this wasn't intended for me.

Perhaps I do have the wrong number? I don't know who you're referring to 'cancelling on you' because I never have. I attended both auditions and you can ask reception about Tuesday because she saw me waiting again. I waited for half an hour at the door in plain sight. I simply called (film school) explain that I turned up and no one seemed to be there, which from my perspective was the truth - and if I'm honest, yes it was beginning to piss me off also. I didn't lie and I certainly wasn't nasty about it.

Obviously, I wasn't getting through to you with the phone number I had - but perhaps you could have rung me? Or looked at the door? You may think complaining to (film school) was a little hasty, however, look at it from my perspective - I felt I had done my bit, I turned up twice, text and rang and had no word back. After all that I didn't feel like emailing you because I felt perhaps that the onus was on you to get in touch with me.

I'm sure actors don't turn up without telling you quite a lot, I'm just not one of them. I genuinely wanted to be in your film and I made every effort to attend - even when I already had a meeting lined up for Tuesday. I don't need to tell you that I have 'years of experience' or 'family in the industry' it just isn't relevent.

Regardless, I wish you success with your project. I'm big enough to admit the error in my part, but I don't think the aftermath of this situation has been handled very professionally by yourselves. (The email sent to me by accident being case in point.)

________.

I can't say we worked together, but they both were very gracious after all this. And the producer now follows me on twitter. I guess it is a small industry, after all.