Agents - Derbyshire

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Hoglett
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Agents - Derbyshire

Post by Hoglett »

Hi there, I'm looking for an agent for my 12 year old daughter. We live in Derbyshire ...I was wondering if anybody had any recommendations as I haven't a clue where to start!! Thanks x :D
pg
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Re: Agents - Derbyshire

Post by pg »

There is a book called "Contacts" published by Spotlight (available from on-line sellers or big bookshops). It lists most agents in the UK.

Actors Yearbook is another useful publication.

Just because an agent is listed in Contacts does NOT mean it's a good or useful agency, but at least it will give you names to research. There's a section on children's agencies. Sadly there are a number of rip-off merchants (fortunately not too numerous) and there are also many agents (unfortunately very numerous) who take on lots of clients who will never get any work. You can't guarantee that any work will be forthcoming, but you can do a lot to guard yourself against being ripped off.

I'm not sure whether there are any agents based in Derbyshire, but there are quite a few in Manchester. The majority of agents have bases in London or the South East. An awful lot of casting happens in London - though Manchester is probably the second UK centre for casting (i.e. there are quite a few casting directors based there). You don't have to live geographically close to an agent to be represented by them.

If you don't know a lot about the industry, then Actors Yearbook could be a really good investment. You can get second hand copies from earlier years quite cheaply on line. There are lots of useful articles in it.

Do you know much about how casting works in the industry? Do you know the difference between Casting Directors and Directors? Or Casting Directors and Agents? Those sorts of things will be much clearer if you read a book like Actors Yearbook - and knowledge really can save you money and time :)

It will pay you to be realistic and, to an extent, cynical about the business. There is *very* little paid work available with vast numbers of people chasing what there is. Any agent who will take your daughter on without meeting her and without assessing what she can do is not worth being with. The best agents (the one's the Casting Directors trust) are very choosy. Agents will only be interested in paid work - because they only earn when their clients do. You can pursue unpaid experience if you want to (eg student films). If an agent insists on an upfront fee - avoid them. Take care that they are not disguising this fee as something else - lots of them call them "administration" fees. If you do decide to joing an agency that charges a fee (personally, I'd advise against it) - ask whether the fee can be taken out of the first paying job.

You should be free to choose your own photographer (insisting on in-house photos is another way some agencies make money).

See whether you can see what work the agents clients have been getting (though this isn't always easy with children's agencies). Find out how many they have on their books. Avoid those with hundreds of clients - unless they also have several agents. Large numbers on an agency's books is not a recommendation - indeed the reverse is probably true.

What kind of work are you hoping your daughter might get? Will the school be supportive of numerous trips to castings and time off if she gets a job? Can you get to London easily? ( I used to live in Buxton and getting to London was mighty expensive!).

A useful insight is to watch a week's worth of British drama on TV and, discounting repeats, count the number of times someone of your daughter's age and type appears. Then consider how many girls of your daughter's age would *like* to get professional work! This will help you to understand why the best agents are very picky and will only take on a handful of the people who would like to be represented.

Theatre work for 12 - 18 year olds - in the professional arena - is really thin on the ground.

There are so many things to think about. I think an important question to ask yourself is "why do I want an agent for my daughter? what do I think it will help me achieve?".
frank2000
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Re: Agents - Derbyshire

Post by frank2000 »

Have you thought about The Television Workshop in Nottingham? I know they are accepting applications for 11 -16 year olds for Easter auditions at the moment. If you are lucky enough to get in they will act as your DDs agent and put her up for any suitable roles. So if you live within an hours drive of Nottingham it's worth considering. Check out their website for info of how to join and for the application form.
Let us know how you get on.
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