Sally King from Koska King

[coniger]

My son is currently with an agency that gives him lots of auditions but he never gets the job. I am thinking of taking him out of this agency and sending him to an extras agency to get his confidence up. I am particularly interested in Sally King who used to be part of Koska King - does anyone have any thoughts on this? Any feedback greatly received.

Thanks

[mich707]

Go For It!!! They are a great agency and supply kids to huge Feature Films etc. It's a great way for your child to gain some experience...and have some fun!!!

[TalyaB]

As it's a different kind of work, would it be worth having a chat with the current agent and seeing if they'd be OK with him doing extras work without coming off their books? Especially as if he's more confident that might help with the auditions they're getting for him.

[begolina]

I find myself in the same situation. My younger dd has a good agent that in the first year sent her to lots of auditions, some really amazing, but she never got a part (occasionally recalls, and once in the last two). She is fine with it and I think that the audition process teach the child good skills useful for future work interviews. But, honestly, as we all know It is soooo frustrating and sometimes I really think we should stop, also because in the second year she got hardly any audition. The agent said to keep faith because they think she is very good and it is all down the huge competition out there.
Said that, I must say that I agree with TalyaB. I wouldn't leave an Agent that send a child to auditions and that believe in the child, I would keep him and try to ask permission for going and doing some extras.

[coniger]

thanks for replying - will speak to agent x

[Gatesheadangel]

I don't know what it's like in the SE but in the North the competition for child extra work is huge for film or tv, hundreds of suggestions for each child required.

The booked times can move around like crazy and be cancelled with very little notice.

You have a very real chance of completely ending up on the cutting room floor.

It's not great money and you still have the costs of photos etc.

It is the norm to have an agency entrance fee (always risky).

However, you get booked without having to travel to auditions and it means you child doesn't need to emotionally invest. My DD last week was considered for something that would have been a dream come true, but was happy to be told later about it when I knew it was a no (she was dead chuffed to find out she'd been looked at). You know the proposed dates of filming when they are submitted and roughly where it will be. There are no sudden phone calls requiring you to rush off tomorrow at your own great expense and all the major rearrangements for your other children.

Some agencies also offer extra work alongside all the rest so it's worth finding out if yours do.

For us, extra work is the ideal solution, it's just hard to come by given where we live.