Should I stay or should I go....?

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	Topic: Should I stay or should I go....?
Posted : 29/01/10 / Views : 1962 / Replies : 13 /
anonymous	I'm listed on Spotlight with an agent who deals primarily in commercials. I don't have a very "commercial" face really,it's bit too gritty and not smiley enough. I've never had work through them, have had one casting for which I was obviously (when I got there) the wrong "type" and obviously have no control over submitting myself for parts on Spotlight. My instinct is to leave them and go back to going through spotlight for castings... What do people think? 95% of my work has come through my own graft and searching for castings and through agencies I'm registered with such as Rapid Talent. I'm trying to persuade other agents to take me on as we speak - should I drop my existing one in the meantime so that I can at least make more use of my Spotlight membership fee and submit myself? I've also just been accepted by Castnet (financially painful, but I hope it'll be worth it..?), so maybe that's enough? Wisdom from the seasoned pros out there..? :P

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	Reply #1
Posted : 27/01/10
ForbesKB 1039 posts last on: 8 hours send private reply	I have a friend who's also with the same agency and his phone hasn't rang in over a year! Many would argue that any agent is better than no agent, but in this case I disagree as they are clearly chasing after the big numbers on commercials and aren't that interested in progressing you as an actor. My tuppence worth is to leave the commercials agency and apply direct to the jobs that interest you from the Spotlight castings you'll get being "c/o Spotlight"

Reply #1

Posted : 27/01/10

ForbesKB
1039 posts
last on: 8 hours
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I have a friend who's also with the same agency and his phone hasn't rang in over a year!

Many would argue that any agent is better than no agent, but in this case I disagree as they are clearly chasing after the big numbers on commercials and aren't that interested in progressing you as an actor.

My tuppence worth is to leave the commercials agency and apply direct to the jobs that interest you from the Spotlight castings you'll get being "c/o Spotlight"

	Reply #2
Posted : 27/01/10
Tony.Gibbons 43 posts last on: 4 hours send private reply	I think I'd agree with Forbes, if your situation with agent is really that bad. The whole lack of autonomy and the control over viewing and choosing your submissions was something that kept me from going with an agent for a long time. If they are clearly not doing right by you then you're perhaps better off suffering the reduced amount of breakdowns but having the control of what to submit for. Good luck with CastNet too...I'm thinking of giving it a try... x

Reply #2

Posted : 27/01/10

Tony.Gibbons
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I think I'd agree with Forbes, if your situation with agent is really that bad.

The whole lack of autonomy and the control over viewing and choosing your submissions was something that kept me from going with an agent for a long time. If they are clearly not doing right by you then you're perhaps better off suffering the reduced amount of breakdowns but having the control of what to submit for.

Good luck with CastNet too...I'm thinking of giving it a try...

x

	Reply #3
Posted : 27/01/10
Gennifer.Becouarn 14 posts last on: 2 min send private reply	Hi Vanessa - I was in the same predicament a couple of years ago... While you want to make the most of your spotlight, you have to also remember that a lot of the companies that post jobs on it will only look at applications made by agents...annoyingly. What I would do, is get in touch with your agent and ask them to give you a list of recent spotlight castings that they have put you up for. That way, you will be able to see if they are putting you up for everything that you suitable for - and if they are, you might as well stick with them until you find someone else! and if you think they have been slack etc. Then get rid of them! That's what I did anyway! Hope that helps, Gen x

Reply #3

Posted : 27/01/10

Gennifer.Becouarn
14 posts
last on: 2 min
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Hi Vanessa -

I was in the same predicament a couple of years ago...

While you want to make the most of your spotlight, you have to also remember that a lot of the companies that post jobs on it will only look at applications made by agents...annoyingly.

What I would do, is get in touch with your agent and ask them to give you a list of recent spotlight castings that they have put you up for. That way, you will be able to see if they are putting you up for everything that you suitable for - and if they are, you might as well stick with them until you find someone else! and if you think they have been slack etc. Then get rid of them!

That's what I did anyway!

Hope that helps, Gen x

	Reply #4
Posted : 27/01/10
anonymous	Hey! Thanks for your thoughts and you've all hit the nail on the head - are you better off with an agent so that casting agents will look at you or risk the insult of being passed over but take control. I'm not sure my agent is particularly well-regarded in the owrld of TV and Film so it probably won't be a great loss to lose them, they may not be doing me any favours as I may just be stuck in the "can't act but can smile from a leather sofa" pigeonhole! Good idea to email asking for a list of breakdown submissions, I will do that now and see what they come up with - if anything! Thanks guys :)

Reply #4

Posted : 27/01/10

anonymous

Hey! Thanks for your thoughts and you've all hit the nail on the head - are you better off with an agent so that casting agents will look at you or risk the insult of being passed over but take control. I'm not sure my agent is particularly well-regarded in the owrld of TV and Film so it probably won't be a great loss to lose them, they may not be doing me any favours as I may just be stuck in the "can't act but can smile from a leather sofa" pigeonhole! Good idea to email asking for a list of breakdown submissions, I will do that now and see what they come up with - if anything! Thanks guys :)

	Reply #5
Posted : 27/01/10
anonymous	Oh and good luck with Castnet Tony if you go for it - let me know how you get on... My subscription starts next week so....fingers crossed

	Reply #6
Posted : 27/01/10
Tony.Gibbons 43 posts last on: 4 hours send private reply	Yep, fingers crossed! I've not signed up yet but have been umming and arhhing over it for a while! Let me know how you go too! x

	Reply #7
Posted : 27/01/10
anonymous	I will. It's not cheap.....! :)

	Reply #8
Posted : 28/01/10
classact1 229 posts last on: 01/02/12 send private reply	hi vanessa , you should try A.C.I.D , really good , ...tell tom i recommended you , if you want to subscribe . yu should be getting adverts though...drop a line to my commercials agent , maybe he will take you on . he likes people who are different and who knows ?? cheers andrew x

	Reply #9
Posted : 28/01/10
anonymous	Hey Andrew! Thanks for your comments! I'll have a look at ACID, thanks! Who's your commercials agent? I still think I look a bit psychotic for commercials, my headshot person said I looked like an attractive serial killer!!!! (But not QUITE as attractive as Sharon Stone! sadly!) :)

	Reply #10
Posted : 29/01/10
mikebusson 452 posts last on: 06/02/12 send private reply	Well, as the person Forbes referred to earlier, I can now say that I have left them and am now c/o Spotlight until I can find another one. Scary times but, ultimately, probably best for both sides. Wish me luck!

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