Agents 'dropping' clients

[JTBmum]

Have heard along the grapevine of 'some' agents dropping clients if they haven't got work after a year - ie drama school students that were taken on following graduation. Does anyone have any knowledge of this?

[Irishdancer]

Yes I have heard of this high profile agents who have well known clients seem to do this, changing from Child agency's to adult is very different, good adult agents will only have a few clients and will not have 2 actors that look alike, they only want actors who they can get work os if you don't get any thing with in 6 months or a year you are out very hard but trouble is that is show business. If you are with a chald agency that takes on young adult and adults you are more likly to be kept on as they will just keeping sending you on auditions until you get some thing.

[sapphire]

Yes this happened to a friend of DD's who graduated from drama school two years ago - he got an agent before graduation and then a few interesting small parts very quickly but after that first 6 months everything dried up and he was dropped just after Christmas ... it's a tough world out there

[Genevieve]

that's awful - how soul destroying

[Grace125]

I have been dropped twice by agencies before. The first time when I was 18 and was dropped as I started uni and my agent thought my availability wouldn't be very good and the second time last year as I wasn't getting many auditions. It was a bit gutting but at the same time I was a little relieved as although he is a good agent and does get his clients work it wasn't really working out for me so I was thinking of leaving anyway.

I should say though that although it is disappointing when you are dropped as you feel slightly inadequate it is not the end of the world- I have been self representing myself since September and in that time have booked a corporate job and a theatre job, both of which the companies liked me so much they booked me again, and have done a short film, a theatre event, recently was chosen to work with the NYT at Hull truck (sadly that was unpaid but still a great experience!) and will be performing in the olympic opening and closing ceremonies this summer (again unpaid but when else are you going to get the opportunity to say you have performed in the olympics? ), as well as having auditions for CBBC, the lead in a West Yorkshire Playhouse play, Hubbard Casting, TIE work, Music videos, Touring Theatre and Computer Game Voice over amongst other things (getting down to the last 2 or 3 a number of times). So definitely not the end of the world!

[paulears]

If an agent drops you, treat it as positive, because it also means they're not getting you work. Nothing to stop you dropping your agent in exactly the same way. Remember they are supposed to work for you!

[JTBmum]

Might be worth thinking very carefully about who is courting you, so you avoid the hoovering variety