Hi I have a little question that I'm hoping someone will have some ideas on. I'm 19, and at the start of the summer I was getting regular auditions (at least 2 a week). I then went away for a week and since I came back I haven't had a single audition, and it's been almost 5 weeks since my last audition. For someone of my age and considering how many auditions I was getting and how I'm now not getting any, how long is a fair amount of time before I just politely ask my agent if there are any auditions or why there have been so few?
Any thoughts would be highly appreciated
Contacting Your Agent
Moderator: busybusybusy
Re: Contacting Your Agent
Hi there
Two auditions a week is a lot!
What kind of things were they for?
No auditions for 5 weeks is not at all unusual to be honest. The reasons for not getting auditions are so varied and so unpredictable. I don't think there is a lot of point in asking your agent if there are any auditions - if there were any, your agent would tell you. What kind of things are you hoping you might audition for? Your agent won't necessarily have a huge amount of influence on whether or not you get to audition, because the agent is not the one with jobs to offer.
You can certainly see whether your agent has the time to chat to you about your career in general. Is it a children's agency or an adult agency? Do you have a showreel? You could ask your agent what more they think that you could be doing to increase your chances of being seen. Do you need to do some student films - that kind of thing.
At 19 you will be in competition with an awful lot of people - including drama school graduates - the fact that you were getting plenty of auditions at the start of the summer is a very good sign and I'm sure your agent is delighted by it. Depending on what these were for, I would say it is a sign that you have a well-connected agent
Two auditions a week is a lot!
What kind of things were they for?
No auditions for 5 weeks is not at all unusual to be honest. The reasons for not getting auditions are so varied and so unpredictable. I don't think there is a lot of point in asking your agent if there are any auditions - if there were any, your agent would tell you. What kind of things are you hoping you might audition for? Your agent won't necessarily have a huge amount of influence on whether or not you get to audition, because the agent is not the one with jobs to offer.
You can certainly see whether your agent has the time to chat to you about your career in general. Is it a children's agency or an adult agency? Do you have a showreel? You could ask your agent what more they think that you could be doing to increase your chances of being seen. Do you need to do some student films - that kind of thing.
At 19 you will be in competition with an awful lot of people - including drama school graduates - the fact that you were getting plenty of auditions at the start of the summer is a very good sign and I'm sure your agent is delighted by it. Depending on what these were for, I would say it is a sign that you have a well-connected agent
Re: Contacting Your Agent
Hi pg,
Thanks a bunch for your comments, I sort of knew that there wasn't anything I could do, it's just frustrating as I'm sure many people here know - you feel like time spent not auditioning is time wasted.
My agency is an adult agency and the jobs I auditioned for were great jobs, one of them ridiculously high profile, but they're jobs that I'm not going to get in a million years without more experience. Thanks for your advice though, if I don't hear from them in the near future I'll ask them if there's anything I can do to improve my chances
Thanks a bunch for your comments, I sort of knew that there wasn't anything I could do, it's just frustrating as I'm sure many people here know - you feel like time spent not auditioning is time wasted.
My agency is an adult agency and the jobs I auditioned for were great jobs, one of them ridiculously high profile, but they're jobs that I'm not going to get in a million years without more experience. Thanks for your advice though, if I don't hear from them in the near future I'll ask them if there's anything I can do to improve my chances
Re: Contacting Your Agent
I completely understand your frustration!
If you have been seen for high profile jobs then your agent is doing a great job. And so are you.
If you don't yet have a showreel then I think this could be a useful focus for your frustrated energies! Even if you do, getting new material could be useful for you. You could chat to your agent about that. See whether they can put you up for short films at the top film schools - such things are often advertised on Spotlight now. It wouldn't be something an agent would necessarily concentrate on, because there is rarely any money in it (they are occasionally paid) - but if they are in agreement that getting showreel material together is a good thing to do, then they should be willing to help you with that.
Best of luck.
If you have been seen for high profile jobs then your agent is doing a great job. And so are you.
If you don't yet have a showreel then I think this could be a useful focus for your frustrated energies! Even if you do, getting new material could be useful for you. You could chat to your agent about that. See whether they can put you up for short films at the top film schools - such things are often advertised on Spotlight now. It wouldn't be something an agent would necessarily concentrate on, because there is rarely any money in it (they are occasionally paid) - but if they are in agreement that getting showreel material together is a good thing to do, then they should be willing to help you with that.
Best of luck.