Communication with agent

Ask each other for help and advice!

Moderator: busybusybusy

Post Reply
FredaBloggs
GRAMMY Award
Posts: 267
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2015 11:22 am

Communication with agent

Post by FredaBloggs »

...
Last edited by FredaBloggs on Wed May 25, 2016 10:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
paulears
BAFTA Award
Posts: 796
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2007 1:01 am

Re: Communication with agent

Post by paulears »

oops, double post
Last edited by paulears on Sun May 15, 2016 4:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
paulears
BAFTA Award
Posts: 796
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2007 1:01 am

Re: Communication with agent

Post by paulears »

How much work have you had via the agent? Auditions, leads and actual paying work? Might be time to find a better one if they're not communicating well?
FredaBloggs
GRAMMY Award
Posts: 267
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2015 11:22 am

Re: Communication with agent

Post by FredaBloggs »

DS has had at least a couple of auditions a month, which to be honest is about as often as is manageable for us. Mostly theatre, some TV, very few commercials (which fits with DS's preferences). He gets recalled more often than not, so I am happy that he is being submitted for roles that are a good fit for him. I am also happy with the quality (for want of a better word) of the productions he has auditioned for. In terms of paid work, he has done a WE theatre run and a small piece of TV work.

I guess I'm not sure how much I ought to be pushing for particular outcomes with the agent (I don't want to be "that" parent!).
biscuitsneeded
BAFTA Award
Posts: 622
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2014 6:28 pm

Re: Communication with agent

Post by biscuitsneeded »

Are you sure the agent definitely didn't put him forward for that WE show again? I think sometimes the CDs like to give it a year if time is on their side and the child was just too small/young last time. It might be that the CD didn't ask to see your DS this time but is planning to call him back next time. Yes, agent should be communicating more clearly about what is going on but don't assume they didn't put your DS forward. I don't think there's any harm in a quick email saying "DS was disappointed not to be called this time as he came so close before. Just reiterating that he would be very keen to go for this again next round."
FredaBloggs
GRAMMY Award
Posts: 267
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2015 11:22 am

Re: Communication with agent

Post by FredaBloggs »

...
Last edited by FredaBloggs on Wed May 25, 2016 10:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
pg
OSCAR Award
Posts: 2091
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2007 12:28 am

Re: Communication with agent

Post by pg »

I'd suggest being much more direct in your communication and ask for clear answers to any questions, ie "can you confirm that you have put DS forward for this?"

It is indeed possible that your son was submitted and not called, but there's really no reason for you not to know the facts. Maybe you're being too subtle :)
swanny
GRAMMY Award
Posts: 116
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 12:39 am

Re: Communication with agent

Post by swanny »

Hi You all seem to have a very direct relationship with your agents. Even though we see ours every week ( he also teaches) mine is very touchy and I can't ask anything direct like this as they deem it that I am questioning their efficiency when I just want to know what is going on. My DS gets hardly any auditions at all and I asked about that because I know from children he has worked with, and from here, that other children go to lots of auditions. The few he does get are really amazing opportunities but he gets auditioned maybe once a month if he is lucky. I find the whole thing a minefield. I was called a pushy mum for having the temerity to mention that other children seemed to get lots of auditions. I said I wanted to seize the moment while he has just done some West End work and before he gets to the difficult to cast age of 13-16. For the minute I have so much on that I have parked it but I do find it uncomfortable that I can't ask anything.
I'm swanning around trying to get the hang of all this! Thanks for your help!
pg
OSCAR Award
Posts: 2091
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2007 12:28 am

Re: Communication with agent

Post by pg »

It can be tricky, I know.

I don't think it's ever helpful to compare one's own career or number of auditions with others though. It's in an agent's best interest to submit their clients for everything they're suitable for but they won't always have much say in whether someone gets called in. Every client is different and some actors simply do get seen for more things than others - that's often got very little to do with the agent.

I trust my agent to put me forward for anything I'm suited to - and don't bother to ask what I have been submitted for. I only hear about auditions.

However, if I knew something was coming up that I really wanted to be seen for and that I thought I was perfect for, I would check that my agent had put me forward and might even discuss a joint approach if appropriate.

I think there's a difference between checking that you're on the same wavelength about a specific casting and checking what's going on in a general way. What's likely to be going on in a general way is that the agent is submitting clients for appropriate roles all the time.
lyndahill
BAFTA Award
Posts: 565
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2012 4:09 pm

Re: Communication with agent

Post by lyndahill »

I think that the CD's for WE shows quite often stipulate that they want new children submitted. They recognise names of kids seen before and remember them. I would have thought that the CD would email direct to say that they would see your child again in 6 months or a year if they felt that the child fitted the character. We were seen 4 times in the past for Matilda, each time getting that little bit further on, but DD obviously didn't suit the characters when it came to the final audition day for the ensemble and despite being within the height range the following year, she wasn't seen again as she still wouldn't have fitted the character - it's one of those things sometimes.
FredaBloggs
GRAMMY Award
Posts: 267
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2015 11:22 am

Re: Communication with agent

Post by FredaBloggs »

Thanks for all your comments, definitely food for thought.

I think I have may have relied too much on hinting heavily rather than plain speaking in previous communications: like swanny, I am wary of seeming to be questioning the agent's efficiency or telling them how to do their job. I like pg's suggested form of words and will be borrowing that in future - polite but direct!
tikto
GRAMMY Award
Posts: 209
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 12:58 pm

Re: Communication with agent

Post by tikto »

Hi, I understand your frustration, when they are so young and change / grow so quickly you want to grab any opportunity and not sit around losing time. I think what might have happened here was that your agent didn't submit your son because either he was already in the run for the other WE show you mentioned and they thought its's best to do one show at a time, or they didn't think to submit him as he had been seen before. For a lot of the shows in the WE they say they won't see you again, and your agent might be one of the 'by the book' type. That's not to say that they were right. An example from my experience would be that when my dd did a year in the WE her agent wouldn't submit her for anything at all... we had no castings for a whole year. And I know other kids from her agency when they are working they don't get any either. But lots of kids in the same show with my dd with the same contracts went for castings and some did jobs in their 'free' time away from the show. I think strictly speaking they weren't supposed to (?) but they did. All agents work to make money but some push their kids more than others... In any case, I think next time you could be more 'pushy' as ultimately only you know what your son's dreams are and it doesn't hurt to be more straightforward :D
I was also wondering having read your post why you are not keen on adverts and why the agency doesn't send your son for adverts. A couple of years ago when my DS was similar age to yours we used to go to castings for adverts maybe once a week, I'm just genuinely curious as to why your agency wouldn't want to do adverts as they'd make them most money...
FredaBloggs
GRAMMY Award
Posts: 267
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2015 11:22 am

Re: Communication with agent

Post by FredaBloggs »

I think he probably does get submitted for adverts. just not called very often. I have no objection to adverts myself - but DS apparently thinks they aren't very exciting and would rather be on stage :) .
Post Reply